The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-28
LPTON'S HOPES
 ARE FADING Reliance Led Shamrock
 by Two Miles. RACE WAS DECLARED OFF Defender Lost Another Victory
 by a Calm. American Boat outfooted, outpoint- ed and outsailed the British challenger--Reliance Was
 Nearly Over the Line.
RACE WAS DECLARED OFF


 than third of mile from the finish and fully two miles astern of the defender. the fourth race of the present series for the Americas cup was declared of be- cause of the expiration of the time limit of live hours and thirty minutes as hap pened on Thursday last. Although on1- | cially 1t was no race. the defeat admln- istered to tile challenger was So igaom- inous that whatever lingering hope re- mafned in the breasts of the friends of Sir Thomas LIpton's boat vanished into thin air. Reliance victory was in every way more decisive than that of last sat urday. Out-saiied, out-pointed and out footed, it was procession from start to finish with Shamrock III bringing Up the rear.
 Reliance beat Shamrock III hopslessly in the fifteen miles of windward |. .. rounding the outer mark twelve mlnutes and thirty seconds ahead of 1t. a saGn In actual time of eieven minutes and twen- ty-nine seconds and down the wind Re- lance steadily increased the lead. Tho real race or the day was not Tn the run against Shamrock but in the exciting struggle ot Reliance in the last half hour to reach the finish line before the regatta committee fired the gun which announced
  wInd freshened twenty minutes earlier than 1t did. the cup series would have ended today with three straight wins for the defender and Flies Iight-weather boat would have sailed back to Albion's shores one of the most disastrously worsted chalIengers in the history of the Amer. ica's cup contests.
 Fully as discouraging as the sailing qualities displayed by the challenger was Ghe atrocious manner in which Shamrock III was handled. The Yankee sAipper not only out-manouvred his rival in the spectacular battle for position at the start as he has done every tina khhy have met, but worse sziIls for the down. hearted supporters of Shamrock. Captain. Wringe repeated his blunder of Tuesday. He crossed the line in the wake of Re- liance with handicap of 6l seconds of the precious time allowance for which Fife has sacrificed so much in saii-spread. Both boats. 1t is true. went over after the smoke of the handicap gun but where both are handicapped 1t Is only the stern most craft which actually suffers.
 It was not a pleasant day on the water and the observation fleet which put out to sea to witness the race was hardly moro than half as large as on the Dreced- ing days. It was notable, however. for a strange flag on the ocean, the combina- ton French and Spanish colors of the St. Louis Exposition fioated from the, peak of the steam yacht Reva. There was a chill in the atmosphere. Low, wet clouds shut out the sky and the mist wreaths on the sea made everything look ghost-like and indlstinct. The dark wa ter of the ocean was as smooth as a floor and light breeze of about four knots blew out of the southwest. The course was laid fifteen miles dead into the wind and return.
 At the end of the first hour Shamrock was beaten and the interest waned.
 After rounding the float for the run home and setting big ballooners, the wind, which had strengthened to six or seven knots on the beat, died down and the towering clouds of canvas drifted lazily down an ocean lane a mile wide between the two divisions of the excur- sion fleet. Even in the light air, it was astonishing how the defender slipped through the placid seas. With the gentle breeze distending the surface of its pure white sails and its stern crowded with tars to hold the head up, Reliance moved along as serenely as though in dream- less sleep. Yet the gap between Reliance and the challenger steadily widened until two miles separated them.
 Half an hour from home, when the spec tators had abandoned any idea that the finish line could be reached in time, the W1nQ IreSneneQ ana ttelldnC6 Cdlt1e DOWA~ ing down at a merry clip. But the wind had come too late and when still a few hundred yards from home, the gun on the tug Navigator boomed across the wa ter The excursion boats held on until Reliance crossed the line to give 1t rousing welcome and then scampered for New York.
 Sir Thomas. who heretofore has always followed his champion to Sandy Hook. sent his steam yacht the Erin. ahead at full speed, as if to drown out the memory of the inglorlous defeat he suffered to- day.
 The next race, which will be like the one attempted today. fifteen miles to lee ward or wtndward ana return, will be sailed Saturday.
 Sir Thomas, speaking of today's affair said:
 q am willing to repeat what I said this morning. l still hope, slight though 1t is. Let us hope for a good breeze Sat- urday. I called my friends around me this afternoon and was about to express my regret at my failure when I happened to look at my watch. Then I reserved decision. and I may never have to make that speech"
 MT. Iselin and Captain Barr decliped to talk. except that Mir Iselin regretted that the wind was not sufficient to bring the boats in on time.