The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-06
AN UNBEATEN CUTTER
The Daring Was the Fastest
Racer In Our Navy.


II Was over the Crew Of tho Iron Duke
a British Man of-war, and Was De-
cisive - Why tho American Rans
Played the British National Air.
The fastest racing boat that evel
brought shekels and glory to the Amer
ican navy or to any other. for thai
matter. was the cutter Daring.
When she went down with the Van,
dalia in the great storm which sanh
almost every vessel In the harbor Of
Samoa she left behind her an unbrolxen
record of victories.
None OF these was more sensational
than the one she easily plucked from
crew Of the Iron Duke when the
Daring was attached to the Wisconsin,
then on the Asiatic station. Appropri-
ately enough, the crushing defeat was
administered IN centennial year, 1876,
and 1t was the more significant because
| the English boat had given the chal-
lenge and had fairly rushed upon its
fate.
When a bluejacket wants a race he
goes about 1t In his own peculiar fash
ion. He doesn't write out challenge
and send II with due formalities. He
does not appoint committee to extend
II. He does not post notice in CON
spicnous place"
He simply lowers his boat, climbs
into 1t 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 race right then and there
On the contrary, there Is lot of pre-
liminary work yet to be done, much
Of II being Of 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, be
digs up every cent he can rake and
scrape AS a 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 bar
Dor one fine day, her advent being
greeted with the usual attention every
newcomer commands
She hadn't been ia very long before
she lowered a boat The men on the
Wisconsin Idly watched They con-
tlnued 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 a little thrill Of excitement swept
the widening ripple around the harbor.
A challenge had been given A race
was to come.
And it was a race that megnt a
whole lot more than a mere contest
between two crews 1t involved a con
tested principle Of boat building
The British believed In a substan-
tiai, ssaworthy, solid craft The Amer
leans made their cutters lighter and +
more graceful, .eontending at the same 7
time that the fine lines which made
their boats beautiful did not make /
them the less seaworthy.
The day for the race was set a
course Of three and half miles desig- 4
mated and the wagers piled up on both 4
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 pretty race, pro
posed putting Il off
Not much The British thought they
saw through the proposal They imag
ined the Americans were afraid, and
they saw glorious opportunity TO
prove their wisdom in sacrificing beau
ty to seaworthiness. They were as
Hrm as nobody but ain Englishman can
be. The race must &c on.
And it did. You bet it did, And the
Daring came Swimming In a whole half
mile ahoad-a half mile, IL 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 u
aarlor car, the Iron Dukers were bail
ne to keep themselves atioat.
Well, you eau imagine whether there
Tas JOY aboard the Wisconsin But
he officers could afford to he generous
n victory, 80 the band was ordered to
LAY God Save the Queen
A British naval officer was standing
Hith an American officer on shore
watching the finish. and when the
,and struck up he turned 10 the Amer
can in bewllderment.
That's funnyr' he said. "Your boat
'omes in ahead, and vet they're play.
nc God Save the Queen. | don't I'M
Well" said the American. III God
won't save the queen now she might
S well give up. Nothing earthly can
The Daring was built at New York
bout 1877. and was so far superior to
be boats she competed with that an.
Their cutter Was constructed on very
auch The same lines, but with what
sere thought to be some improve
aents She was called the Magic, and.