The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-02-06
AN UNBEATEN CUT TER
The Daring Was the Fastest
Racer In Our Navy.
HER MOST FAMOUS VICTORY.

Played the British National Air.
The fastest racing boat that ever
brought shekels and glory to the Amer
lean navy or to any other, for that
matter was the cutter Daring. Il
When she went down with the Van
dalia in the great storm which sank
almost every vessel in the harbor of
Samoa she left behind her an unbrOkea@
record of victories. !,
None of these was more sensational
than the one she easily plucked from
a crew of the Iron Duke when the
Daring was attached to the Wisconsin,
then on the Asiatic station. Appropri-
ateIy enough the crushing defeat was
administered in centennial year, 1876,
and it was the more significant because
the English boat had given the chal-
Ienge and had fairly rushed upon it's
fate
When bluejacket wants a race he
goes about it in his own peculiar fash
ion. He doesn't write out q challenge
and send it with due formalities. He
it. He does not post notice in con-
spicuOus place"
He simply lowers his boat, climbs
into it to the number of twelve or four
teen. pulls toward the ship whose
crew he wants to race, losses his oars
as he comes under her bow, and there
you are The challenge has been Civ
en- in the sight of the whole harbor
This sort of invitation doesn't mean
that the other crew is to hustle into its
boat for a race right then and there.
On the contrary, there is lot OF pre-
liminary work yet to be done, much
of it being of a strictly financial ma
ture
Thousands of dollars change hands
over these races. The officers them
selves are generally ready to back the
honor of their own ship with substan-
tial proof of their loyalty.
AS for the average sailor man, he
digs up every cent he can rake and
Scrape. As winner of these shekels
the Daring, as before mentioned, is of
blessed memory. except to her rivals.
Of these latter none was more conf
dent than the Iron Duke crew. The
Wisconsin was already at anchor when
the British vessel came into the har-
Dor one fine day, her advezu being
greeted with the usual attention every
newcomer commands.
She hadn't been in very long before
she lowered a boat. The men on the
Wisconsin idly watched. They con-
tinued to observe, but without much
concern, as the British cutter was
pulled toward the Wisconsin, heading
across her bows.
Then the unexpected happened. To
the surprise and intense delight Of the
Americans. up went the British oars,
and little thrill of excitement swept
the widening ripple around the harbor.
A challenge had been given. race
was to come.
And it was race that meant
whole lot more than a mere contest
between two crews. It involved con-
tested principle of boat building.
The British believed in substan-
tiaI. seaworthy. solid craft. The Amer
leans made their cutters lighter and
more graceful, contending at the same
time that the fine lines which made
their boats beautiful did not make
them the less seaWOrthy.
The day for the race was set,
course Of three and a half miles desig-
mated and the wagers piled up on both
Sides But when the day came there
was a high wind, making the going so
rough that the Americans, thinking
that it wouldn't be q pretty race, pro-
posed putting it off.
Not muchl The British thought they
saw through the proposal. They tmag-
ined the Americans were afraid and
they saw a glorious opportunity to
prove their wisdom in sacrificing beau
" to seaworthiness. They were as
firm as nobody but an Englishman can
be. The race must go on.
And it did. You bet it did! And the
Daring came Swimming in whole half
mile ahead-a half mile, If you please.
While the Iron Dukes crew were
plugging through the waves by main
force the Daring cut across them and
over them like the thing of delight she
was. And, while she was as dry as
parlor car, the Iron Dukers were bail
ing to keep themselves a1oat.
Well, you can imagine whether there
was joy aboard the Wisconsin But
the officers could afford to be generous
In victory, so the band was ordered to
play "God Save the Queen"
A British naval officer was standing
with an American officer on shore
watching the finish, and when the
band struck up he turned to the Amer
lean in bewilderment.
''That's funnyr' he said. "Your boat
comes in ahead, and yet they're play
ing God Save the Queen l don't un-
derStand'
WELL" said the American, IF God
won't save the queen now she might
as well give up. Nothing earthly can"
The Daring was built at New York
about 1871 and was so far superior to
the boats she competed with that an