Smyrna times., 1908-01-15
AN UNBEATEN CUTTER
The Daring Was the Fastest
Racer In Our Navy.
HER MOST FAMOUS VICTORY.
Il Was Over the Crew of the Iron Duke,
a British Man. of-war, and Was De-
eisive Why the American Band
Played the British National Air.

Played the British National Air.
The fastest racing boat that ever
brought shekels and glory to the Amer
,can navy or to any other. for that
matter, was the cutter Daring
When she went down with the Van
dalia III the great storm which sank
almost every vessel in the harbor of
Samoa she left behind her an unbrOken
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 it was the more significant because
the English boat had given the chal-
lenSe and had fairly rushed upon its
fate.
When a bluejacket wants a race he
goes about it in his own peculiar fash
ion. He doesn't write out challenge
and send it with due formalities. He
does not appoint a committee to extend
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, tc'sses 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 it 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 substaD
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 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 a 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 q
whole lot more than mere contest
between two crews. 1t involved a con
tested principle of boat building.
The British believed in a substan
tial, seaworthy, solid craft. The Amer
leans made their cutters lighter anG
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 boil
sides But when the day came ther
was a high wind, making the going $,
rough that the Americans, thinkin;
that it wouldn't be pretty race, pro
posed putting it off.
Not muchl The British thought the,
saw through the proposal. They imag
ined the Americans were afraid, AM
they saw a glorious opportunity t
prove their wisdom in sacrificing beau
ty to seawOrthiness. They were a
firm as nobody but an Englishman ca
be. The race must go on.
And it did You bet it did. And th
Daring came skimming in a whole hal
mile ahead-a half mile, if you please
While the Iron Dukes crew wer
plugging through the waves by mai
force the Daring cut across them ain
over them like the thing of delight Sh
was. And. while she was as dry as
parlOr car, the Iron Dukers were bal
ing to keep themselves afioat.
Well. you can imagine whether thel
was joy aboard the Wisconsin. Bl
q the officers could afford to be generoI
in victory, SO the band was ordered
play God Save the Queen"
A British naval officer was standir
with an American officer on sho
watching the finish, and when Il
band struck up he turned to the Anne
lean in beWilderment
''Thats funny!' he said. Your bo
comes in ahead and yet they're pla
ing God Save the Queen don't u
derstand"
] We'll" said the american, IF G.
won't save the queen now she mig
as well give up Nothing earthly can