The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-25
AN UEpEATEN CUTTER
The Daring Was the Fastest
Racer In Our Navy.
HER MOST FAMOUS VICTORY.
1t Was Over the Crew of the Iron Duke
a British Man-ofwar, and Was De-
cisjve - Why the American Banc
Played the British National Air.

cisive Why the American BANG
Played the British National Air.
The fastest racing boat that eyei
brought shekels and glory 10 the Amer
lean navy or TO any other. for that
matter, was the cutter Daring.
When she went down with the Van
dalia in the great storm which sanb
almost every vessel in the harbor Of
Samoa she left behind her an unbrokcU
record of victories.
None Of these WIS more sensational
than the one she easily piucked from
"A 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 chaI.
lenge and had fairly rushed upon Its
fate.
When a bluejacket wants race he
goes about it in his own peculiar fash
ion. He doesn't write out a challenge
and send it with due fOrmalities. H..
does not appoint a committee to extend
it. He does not post notice in a 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.
Ell in the sight OF the whole harUor.
This sort of invitation doesn't mean
that the other crew is to hustle into its
boat for Il race right then and there.
On the contrary, there is a lot of pre-
liminary work yet to be done, much
of 1t being of a strictly financial ma.
ture.
Thousands of dollars change hands
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 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 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 n little thrill of excitement swept
the widening ripple around the harhor.
A challenge had been given. A race
was to come.
And it was a race that meant a
whole lot more than a mere contest
between two crews. 1t involved con-
tested principle of boat building.
The British believed in a subStan-
tial. 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, a
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 a pretty race, pro-
posed putting it off.
Not much, The British thought they
fned the Americans were afraid, and
they saw 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 go on.
And it did. You bet it did. And the
Daring came skimming in a 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 a
parlor car. the Iron Dukers were bail
Ing to keep themselves afoat.
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 funny" he said. "Your boat
comes in ahead, and yet they're play
ing God Save the Queen / don't IN
derstand"
Well said the American, IF God
won't save the queen now she might
as we'll give up. Nothing earthly can
The Daring was built at New York
, about 1871 and was so far superior ~
the boats she competed with that an
other cutter was constructed on very
much the same lines, but with what
were thought TO be some improve
ments. She was called the Magic, and,
next to the Daring. she was the best
racing boat in the navy. But UP to the
time of her loss the older boat was I'M