The Washington times., 1905-05-16
Mist So Thick That
Objects Were Invisible
at Fifty Feet.
ALL COMpETITORSACTIVE
Howard Gould's Pride. the
Niagara. IS Forced 10
Put About.

NAyEsINK HIGHLANDS, N J., May
1.-THE Kaiser's cup contest, the frat
open transatlantic yacht race did not
start from the Sandy Hook Hghtship
this afternoon.
A nasty wet fog hung like q blanket
/ over the sea this morning and the old
cowhorn ct Sandy Hook point beloved
necessarily. "A stormy. rainy night was
! followed by damp gray day, with a
sky covered with leaden clouds and the
atmosphere cFloked with fog ana mois-
ture An early morning breeze, wllicn
came in fitful cupfuls out OF The south
west, died away. leaving the wind up
and down the mast
No Wind; Much Fog.
.'Blawst me perfsfing eyesignt, !" snort
ed the forward watch on the Earl Of
crawford's yalhaIIa, II eawn't see a
| blooming thing but fog and for a wind.
there bent any
The committee In charge OF the start
intended TO send the boats away unless
there was a dead fiat calm on the sea,
which would make steerage way iHpos-
sible. Heavy fog and no wind was re-
ported from the Fire Island light vessel
| this morning. and shippers on the racers
III Sandy Horseshoe gave orders TO bring
the largest kites on deck from the sail
room below decks.
Weather barnacles, and there are no
end Of them along this coast. swore By
the binnacles that IT would be draft
from here 10 Nantucket Iigheship. over
1eo miles to the eastward. II the boats
started TODAY.
The day with its unpropitIous weather
conditions for racing was strongly sug-
gestive of Americas Gun race weather.
The sun tried to -terce the clouds. and
| after several attempts gave up the ef-
fort.
At Work On tie Boats.
There was early morning activity on
board the yachts at their anchorages IN
the horseshoe. despite the miserable out
look Good sailormen have enough to
possess their nautical souls six hours
before race without bothering about
the weather
Zero were head sails to be brought on
deck, cloth covers to be removed and
slowed away IL the matches and a gen
eraI and final examination TO be made
of stays and sheets. Head sails on the
fore and aft-rigged yachts were sent
up in stops and preparations made 10
hoist the main and mizzen sails on the
schooner.
4 feet of small boats moved in and
about the racers like pilot fish In
school Of sharks. The three-masted
schooner Atlantic, the popular favorite
Of the race, and the square-rigged ship.
Valhalla, were pointed out as the pTin-
cipal contcnders in the race. All the
racers were IN the horseshoe before L
o'clock. the last come having taken on
hair i=fs zFa mo
ing and come down in tow.
The CygnuS carried the members OF
the New York Yacht Club. The Sirius
had on board the members or the At
lantic, Crescent and Indian Harbor
Yacht Clubs. The members Of the Sc
-Corinthian Club were on
board the tug Mutual
Foggy Entire Morning.
At 10 o'clock little timid puffs of
wind hardly enough to fill q iady's
handkerchief, came out OF the east only
TO funk out again. The sea was smooth
as the proyerbiaI counterpane, except
for d slight ground swell.
George Lauder. of the yacht Endy-
.1.ion, said in the morning, that a sssss
in this fog would be out OF the questioas
and unless it lifted the race would un-
doubtedly be postponed.
At 1870 O'Clock the fog was still heavy
anu the @l1Q 4iSHt from tie -4oiiiG5sSt.
AT u o'clock the fog was SO dense that
vision was obscure fifty feet away. The
wind nreezed up a bit.
The fog at 1 o'clock continued thick
and the yachts were forced to cling TO
their anchorage.
The Atlantic did not start for the line.
as reported, her tug remaining along
side
Howard Gould's Niagara passed out
al Quarantine at 1925 TO see the race.
but was forced To put about on ac-
York.
Prospects OF a race were then aban-
doned.