New-York tribune., 1913-07-20
DANGERS OF SMALL CRAFT.

Of craft Then DISAGREEMENT lS openly
courted.
DANGERS OF SMALL CRAFT.
But sablement is not the only thing to
be feared Collision rs ever imminent
under certain conditions; fire may break
out at any moment. and particularly In
pilot waters any miscalculation or com
pass variation may land one on reef or
shoal TO be battered to pieces.
That dsablement in an ocean race
would more often than not have fatal
consequences there is no dOutt help
less craft blown off the usual line OF trsI-
fic would stand but negligible show OF re-
ceiving aid or OF making land unassisted
The writer can vouch for the fact that on
one Of the Bermuda races two whole days
went by without the feet sighting single
vessel, and that on the Halifax route not
a ship was passed between Cape Cod and
Cape Sable a good two hundred mile
stretch And this on the supposedly beat
en- highways.
Yet boats are used unsparinsly In the
hope OF victory. Glance through the fol
lowing account Of part OF a recent cape
May race; It is typical OF the reckless
manner in which storms are dehed when
trophies are at stake, and you viii form
from II a conception Of what the daunt-
less amateurs go through
IAN afternoon the fleet thrashcd to
yindward in d rising sea. The wind gre"
rapidly in strength. until 1t was blowing
a living gale; decks were buried to mlu-
ship. and even under shortened canvas
the schooners found the going hardi tue
1 little sloops labored heavily, pounded up-
mercifully, and il is wonder any OF
them survived Seven Of the nineteen
starters suffered mishaps and had to put
hack, making port with utmost difficulty
IN their crippled condition. Lucky FOR
them the wind favored their return Had
q come off shore there is no telling what
I might have happened
4 NIGHT IN THE STORM.
when darkness fell upon the ANXIOUS
: vachtsmen the world became to them
fathonless pit of inky blackness through
which the gale shrieked and the sea
red while the crazed craft leaped Oh
AZ terrifying speed. meeting the huge
,,sves with vicious impact and Ringing
hish great sheets OF spray that swept III
deluge over the CItNSi HHNN'N
clinging to rail and rigging.
IAN night the elements rageu' ho'i"e
their fury at the bold racers ana throus"
II ali one little thirty-footer' the M!h'O'a
III carried full sail keeied over 10 sue''
an angle that water poured INTO the cocN,
nit over the lee-combing, sino'heicu
,,ndsr the enormous seas which raked
her from stem to stern, pitching ana loss
/ inc until IL seemed as if timber ana spur
could not possibly stand the aWIuI sN",i'
she kept on grimly. hour aiter hou'' Di'
/ hard in her teeth, always boring ai"aVS
agbting on. Hers was RECORD 10 ue
.eo,,d of an almost miraculous perform
ance" 49,, ..u,.o are
t,, no means exceptional The annals oi
,,scbt racing are full of them. uhqueS-
,ionablv remarkable as was the iea' oi
/ Ntp,osu III, il had nothing on the pei
| ,,r,,ance of E,diana and Amaoa Ih ihe
I ocsan cup race of the Fourth OF Juis'
] ,rbaee boats, OF practically the same size
49, Afimoss took for nine hours Do"
! ~. ,.anaed between twenty-five ana thlI-
=, ,,Iles an hour without shortening can
- although every thing counselied pru-
so,co THE sea was very rough pIliu-
| i,, COO for a spell made objects li'is'o'e
,en vards away, both craft were Ten OF
/ twelye miles out 10 sea ana the VIM
I tle,, from shore. an accident uhoei ''s
circumstances meant disaster
LAST LAP OF HALIFAX CONTEST
Needless to state, power boat men ma
ocean racing equally dangerous a oe-
scription of the last lap Of the He'liaN
contest of 1911, given by one OF the pau.
inants. IS worth quoting, because II prlisS
y,vldlv before one picture OF the con-
ditions often met: ,,
AFTER weathering Cape Sable We ran
into rain high winds and nasty ioioW-
ing sea. Thereafter things went rom
bad 10 worse, and by sundoWn we nao
grown really alarmed; 20 much 80 lnd'
part OF the crew was for abandoning 'he
race. II seemed safer 10 the navigator
however. TO stay out than to RISK i'aAlns
an unknown harbor in such weather' ann
his counsel prevailed.
Around 10 o'clock we drew abreast ol
Little Hope light. and that was the last
mark we siRhted From then on IL Was