Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-19
CHASING THE HAMBURG
American Boat Atlantic Sec
ond in Race.
REPORT BY THE ONEIDA
FOLLOWED VESSELS. FOR PERIOD
OF TWENTY HOURS.
Balance of Journey an Uncertainty for
Several Days to Come
Sailing Courses.
REPORT BY THE ONEIDA

| NEW YORK, May 19.-According to the
| latest reports from the yachts that are on
| their way across the Atlantic to win or lose
| the kaiser's cup, the Hamburg is leading the
| fleet, with the Atlantic good second. Two
| other early leaders, the Ailsa and the Hide
| garde, have, as far could be learned, be-
| gun long stern chase and will need all
the good luck a faithful sailor prays for to
| make a fair showing at the finish. The
| Apache has also been heard from since
| she crossed the line on Wednesday, and
| was lost in the dense fog, and the Valhalla
| Is thought to have been sighted by the
| Nantucket light ship. With the last word
| from the Hamburg. the racers were swal-
lowed UP by distance, once more to appear,
| If all goes well, at the Lizard, 5000 miles
| away, within fortnight.
| In order to get some nkling of what the
! final alignment of the yachts In their race
| across the Atlantic was to be and thus
| give food for speculation during the days OF
! uncertainty, Commodore e. c. Benedict, on
his steam yacht Oneida, followed the racers
| out to sea for nearly twenty hours and re-
| turned last night with the report that the
| German. Hamburg. had, at the last sight.
| been in the lead, with the Atlantic second,
| a mile or so to the leeward. The Hidegarde
| and the Aisa, which had been in the lead
| ing bunch at the start, gradually dropped
aStern until they were lost to those on
board the Hamburg and Atlantic. Although
only time can prove the exact qualifications
of the yachts, it is believed that some idea
of their relative merits has. been gained
by the last view of them afforded to Mr..
Benedicts party
Kept Well Within Sight.
The Oneida was close to the Sandy Hook
lightship at the time the racing yachts
crossed the line on Wednesday afternoon.
AS soon as all the yachts had started out
| II
mand to follow, and kept well atAeast of
the contestants until well into next
morning All Wednesday night he was
close to the German schooner Hamburg
and the American Atlantic, both of which,
however, he lost early next morning by
reason of the dense fog, which was not dis
sipated until about am. Thursday.
Throughout the night the wind remained
east, veering around gradually toward the
south. Thus it was that throughout the
whole time that Mr.. Benedict was in COM
munication with the yachts they practically
| all remained on the same tack on which
| they started out on Wednesday noon.
Commodore Benedict stuck to the bridge
| of the Oneida during the greater part of
| the time he was following the yachts, and
| kept a detailed account in the log of every
move made by the vessels in sight. Accord
| ing to the first entry, made at pm. on
! Wednesday, the wind was blowing in from
| the east at about the rate of ten miles an
hour. The four yachts that We're in the
| lead at that time, as was reported by land
| lubbers shortly after the start, were the
Atlantic the Hamburg, the Aiisa and the
| Hildegarde, the last of which was nearly
| half a mile to the leeward of the others.
Southeast by East.
| The course was southeast by east. About
half an hour -afterward the wind fresh
| ened to nearly fifteen miles, and what is
| known as a Scotch mist blew in from the
| sea The Hamburg about this time split
| her lib topsail and was not seen to replace
| II throughout the whole time she was in
| sight.
| AS the wind freshened the Atlantic took
| in her main and miZzen topmast staysail.
| The heavy sea began to make 1t fairly
| rough for the yachts, and they were seen
| to toss about on the waves in truly sea-
| going fashion. The Hamburg however.
| seemed to thrive in such weather, and took
the pillows nobly. Speeding ahead like
! race horse which was just beginning to get
| Its second wind, some of her fine points were
! soon evident to those on board the Oneida,
/ for she began to creep up on the American
| yacht, ana within an hour was ahead of
her.
Pushing Ahead.
| The Atlantic. which was also pushing
| ahead through the rougher in a busi-
ness-lke fashion, set her staysails about
$50 o'clock. and started for an early nip
| and tuck with the Hamburg. The wind in
| the meantime was becoming fresher every
| minute and waves showed white caps
| through the mist that was rolling In heav
| ier than ever
| At the time it was seen that the Hide
/ garde and Ailsa were going to have a hard
| time of IT in getting ahead of the two
| yachts which already seemed to have made
| themselves the favorites in the race. Be-
| fore o'clock the Hildegarde was two miles
astern and well to leeward. The Ailsa was
| also far behind. and little after four bells
| both she and the Hildegarde were dropped
| out of sight.
AS long as daylight lasted the party on
| board the steam yacht Oneida remained on
| deck and watched every move of the two
| leading yachts. 1t was evident that the
| Atlantic was bound to have the tussle of
| her life If she was to maintain any advan-
tage In pretty stif weather for the Ham
| burg was edging up inch by inch, and by
| 7:45 pm. led the Atlantic by enough lengths
| to see considerable water between the two
| yachts The Hamburg was still a mile or
| so to windward. The breeze was beginning
| TO decrease and by o'clock had fallen off
| TO not much more than five miles
No Others in Sight.
Not another yacht was in sight. and the
| German and American vessels held the at
| tention of the spectators on the steam
yacht until the fog, increasing In density,
| rolled in and shut them out from view.
1t was impossible, so thick was the
| weather, to keep in sight of the contest
| ants lights. although throughout the
| greater part of the night the Jog horn
| of what was supposed to be the Atlantic
| was heard at intervals. She signaled oc-
| casionally that she was running free Not
| thing could be seen of her or heard from
the Hamburg after night fell, In spite of
n close watch which was kept up ali night
| About 7:3o O'Clock Thursday morning
| the Oneida running in an easteriy
| course about six knots an hour. Nothing
more had been seen of the two leading
yachts, the fog was worse than ever and
| II seemed to Commodore Benedict that
| there was no need of going any further
out to sea.