Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-16
YACHTS FAIL TO START
Weather Conditions Unfavor-
able at Hour for the Gun.
BOATS WERE ALL READY
g.
-,
LARGE CROWD ON STEAMERS AND
ALONG HARBOR SIDES.
81
Dense Fog Making 1t Impossible to
or
See Beyond Gunwales of Boat
Start Later.
BOATS WERE ALL READY
Special Dispatch to The Star,

Special Dispatch to The Star.
49, NEW YORK, May 10. - Heavy fog and
general bad weather made 1t impossible for
the big yachts to get away at 2:15 O'Clock.
the time scheduled for the start.
"A bulletin from The Star reporter at the
starting line at , pm. says: :
SANDY Hook-Wind east; fifteen miles;
ffense fog; impossible to see anything. The
yachts still remain at anchor Start of the
race must be postponed until later in the
day. If the fog clears away. until to-
morrow
AS The Star goes to press dispatch
from Sandy Hook says the race has not
been officially postponed. The yachts
might start any time this afternoon, but
the Indications are they will not get away
until tomorrow.
Another bulletin from The Star reporter
at Sandy Hook says: There seemed to be
no doubt at 1 O'Clock that the race would
DE postponed. AT the best it cannot start
until very late this afternoon. The COM
nittee boat Vigiant arrived at the Horse
eboe at FAB o'clock, and the seven yachts
then at ANCHOR were informed by Com
n'ander Hebbinghaus that it would be use
less to attempt a start at the scheduled
time at 2:1J. If the weather cleared up by
4 or o'clock he informed the shippers
that an attempt might be made, but that
1t was more prODaDle that the race would
be postponed until tomorrow.
When seen by The Star reporter, who
boarded the Vgilant and asked what he
thought of the prospects, Commander Heb
sbinghaus threw up his hands in mock
despair. 1T seems to be out of the ques-
ton. Look at that" he said. pointing to the
Heavy clouds that were rolling in. Each
of the yachts was completely isolated from
its neighbors The Hamburg the last
rival, was anchored off the southwest spit.
but it was absolutely impossible to see any
thing of it, The Vigilant had to go from
boat TO boat at a snails pace for fear of
collision Old salts and the life-savers at
the Hook. who know sea weather well in
this vicinity. said that the fog would I'M
doubleday hold on for the rest of the day.
The tide is full today at 541 and they
said that sea fog coming with a flood tide
sinvarably hung on until the tide ebbed.
They shook their heads ominously and
said; No race today" During the after
noon the wind hauled around to east south
east and Increased in velocity. At 3 O'Clock
II was blowing twenty miles an hour, a
fine sailing breeze for the racers had the
weather been clear.
Sd 1t was not an suspicious daybreak for the
s.art of the kaisers long-anticpated ACROSS
the-ocean yacht race. Last nights electric
heat storm left behind it a thick fog
through which the morning sun could not
break. What little wind there was blew
ihtully from the southwest. but it was
scarcely enough to stir the pennant of any
OF the big racers that could be dimly Sc en-
az anchor In the horseshoe mournfully
dropping from the mastheads over the thick
blanket of heavy mist,
These peIrnants seemed to reflect the sp r
It's of crews, shippers and owners, who were
up even before reveille was sounded by the
bugler of the artilierymen at Sandy Hook
disappearing the weather man doubtless in
good, round sailor oaths.
. Only five OF the fleet were In the horse
Shoe this morning, the rest having remained
up the bay all night contrary TO the gen
eral plan at first proposed that all should
be inside the hook last night They ar
rived one By one as the morning wore on
The boats on hand Were the Valhalla. At
lantlc. EndymiOn HiIdegarde and Utowaua
the first three of which are popular favor
Looked a Phantom Fleet
In the dull of the dawn this morning they
looked phantom feet shrouded as they
were in the ghostly msts. Valhalla. with
her forest of spars just visible and her
graceful lines obscured by the fog might
easily have been taken for some ancient
British man-o'-war
The wind al o clock was west Southwest
five miles the weather cloudy and foggy
BY o clock the wind blew In from tie
west decreasing 10 three miles, only to
Shift around within a quarter of an hour
from the northeast, bringing in d dense fog
which enveloped everything afioat and
ashore.
The sailors on board the yachts anchored
in Sandy Hook bay. however got to work
and commenced final preparations for the
race. Early in the morning The Star re-
porter visited several OF them for a fare
Well talk with shippers and owners The
last words of Capt. Charles Barr of the
Atlantic as the reporter left the boat:
well do the best we can and who can
do more? I'm going to sail the Atlantic as
II there were no other boats in the race
intend TO pay absolutely no attention even
to my most dangerous rival AS to course
haven't the least idea whether 1t will be
Southerly or nOrtherly. IL will be irnpossi-
ChO.Ce until /
day at least"
You can bet the record won't be broken
i'll this race" was the parting shot of Cant
Loesch. as he leaned against the quarter
rail of the Endymion, smoking a prosper Gus
looking cigar. This is not the month for
record breaking The winds are too yar.a-
bic Endymion made her record in June
when the winds from the southwest
most OF the time. Wen probably get a
blow hard and soft from every point OF the
compass
On board the stately Valhalla the Earl
OF Crawford was found porting Industrious
Iy over number OF ocean charts.
We'll, l would say this is saving good
bye said the earl My friend here. the
Hon. Reginald Brougham, who arrived yes
tcrday on the ST. Louis told me that dur
Ing his entire passage the liner was held
back by strong southwest winds and one
day she had TO reduce speed. Give me those
winds for the next dozen days and Valhalla
wins the race. Give me the winds l want
ialr all the way. so that Nalhalla can make
her record speed OF fifteen knots, and | will
De at the Lizard in II week from next
Thursday
Three natfons-England Germany and the
united States-are represented by the eleven
yachts entered in the contest but all the
world, at least. wherever on II ships make
part. Is Interested and will want 10 know
the outcome.
And just the first "gun that was heard
around the world involved in conflict
America. England and Germany, with her
Hcssians. so the gun fired today. 1870 years
later. involves again in conflict Just as
earnest If not warlke sons of the same
IL rec nations.
81 doubtless millions OF people In all three
countries awoke this morning with the
thought, To-day is the day the big yacht
race starts. the race that's going to tell
whether the Englishman. the Yankee or
the German is the best sailor and can build
the best boats"
That is what il ls-a contest OF designers
wit and seamcn's skill. with q dash OF luck
Thrown in, although unfortunately Ger
nauy's single representative in the race is
British built boat. so that she cannot COM
pete under the first category.
$50 Unique in Sporting Annals.