The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-01-18
An UNBEATEN CUTTER
The Daring Was the Fastest
Racer In Our Navy.
HER MOST FAMOUS VICTORY.


. British Man.of.war. and Was Do
clslvo --- Why the American nan.
: Played the British National Air.
Tho fastest racing boat that eve
brought shekcls and glory 10 the Amer
lean navy or TO any other. for tia
matter was tho cutter Daring.
When she went down with tho Van
dalia In tho great storm which sanl
almost every vessel In the harbor ol
Samoa she left behind her an anbrokcr
record Of victories.
None Of these was more scnsationn
than tho one sho easily plucked from
crew OF tho Iron Duke when III,
Daring was attached 10 the Wisconsin
then on the Asintlc station. Appropri
Iately enough. the crushing defeat was
Z administered In centennial year. 1870
and II was the more significant because
tho English boat hnd given the chal
lengc and had fairly rushed upon ia
fate.
When blucjacket wants q race ha
goes about Il In his own peculiar fash
ion. IIe doesn't write out challenge
and send II with due formaiities. He
does not appoint committee 10 extend
II. Hc does not post notice In a con,
spicnons place"
He simply lowers his boat. climbs
Into II TO tho number Of twelve or four.
teen. pulls toward the ship whose
crew he wants 10 race, tosses hia oars
as he comes under her bow. and there
you are. The challenge has been Eiv
on In the sight OF the whole harbor
This sort Of invitation doesn't moan
that tho other crew In TO hustle into iia
boat for race right then and there
On the contrary, thcre is a lot Of pre-.
liminary work yet to be done. much
Of II being Of q strictly financial m.
ture
Thousands Of dollars change hands
over these rnees. The officers them.
selves are generally ready TO back the
honor OF their own ship with suhstan.
tinl proof OF their loyalty.
An FOR tho average sailor man. bio
digs up every cent he can rake and
scrape, Az winner of these shckels
tho Daring. as before mentioned. Ii OF
blessed memory. except to her rivals.
OF these latter none was more conf,
dent than the Iron Duke crew. The
Wisconsin was already nj anchor when
tho British vessel came into the har.
bor one fine day, her advent being
greeted with the usual attention every
newcomer commands
She hndn't been In very long before
she lowered boat. Tho men ON the
Wisconsin Idly watched, They con.
tinued 10 observe. but without much
concern. az tho British cutter was
pulled toward tho Wisconsin. heading
across her bows.
Then the unexpected happened. 70
the surprise and Intense delight Of the
Americans. up went the British oars,
aud little thrill of excitement swept
the widening ripple around the harbor.
A challenge had been given. A race
was TO come.
And II was race that meant
whole lot more than a mere contest
between two crews. II involved a con.
tested principle OF boat building.
The British believed In n substan.
Wal. seaworthy, solid craft The Amer
icans made their cutters lighter aud |
more graceful, contendlng at the same |
time that the fine lines which made |
their boats beautiful did not make
them the less seaworthy.
The day for tho race was set, q |
course OF three and n half miles desig.
mated and the wngers piled up on both |
sides. But when tho day came there
was high wind, making the going so
rough that the Americans, thinking
that II wouldn't be pretty race, pro
posed putting II or.
: Not much! The British thought they
saw through the proposal. They imag
ined the Americans were afraid, and
they saw a glorious opportunity to
prove their wisdom In sacrificing beau
ty to seaworthiness. They were as
firm as nobody but an Englishman can
be, The race must so on.
And II did You bet II didl And the
Daring came skimming In whole half
mile ahead-a half milo, II You please.
While the Iron Dukes crew were
plugging through the waves by lnain
fprce the Daring cut across them and
oger them like the thing OF delight she
Mas And, while she was as dry as a
rnrlor car the Iron Dukers were bail |
ng to keep themselves ahoat
Well, you can imagine whether there
vas Joy aboard the Wisconsin But