The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-09-13

The Enterprise is the last
word in mechanical perfection.
Sails are raised and lowered
by mechanical contrivances.
Gauges are inset in braces to
show at a glance the stress in
pounds which each is carry
ing.
Sails are fast to booms by meta
fastenings not unlike shippers.
Never was a craft put afloat
either under sail or steam, SO thor
oughly mechanical and so little de-
pendent upon the power OF man
muscles.
Man Against Machine
The Shamrock represents the
faith of Sir Thomas in British
Drawn. A single winch upon the
deck is the total of its mechanical
equipment. -,
Sea-trained British sailors will
tell the stress and strain on braces
and stays by the age-old method OF
feel"
Men will pull on ropes to raise
and lower sails.
So the races. which begin today,
go farther than any have ever gone
before. They not only test the skill
of American designing and seaman
ship against that of merrie Eng
land, but they become a battle OF
man against machine.
And perhaps because the sea al
ways has been the province OF man
to conquer since the first high
popped boats of the ancients, with
their galley slaves chained to the
oars. pulled out on to the Medlter-
ranean or down the Nile. the old
seafaring men and the natty, white
capped yachtsmen gathered here by
hundreds seem inclined to favor the
Shamrock and its men against the
Enterprise and its machines.
Vanderbilt Great Sailor
But they do not discount the sea-
manship of Harold S. Vanderbilt,
who will stand at the helm of En-
terprise and by shouted word and
order. command the action Of his
machine-made racer and its crew.
If there is any tradition that peo-
pie of millions are not perhaps en-
dowed with the courage which men
less fortunate in material things
may possess, it has refutation in
the reputation hereabouts of this
scion of the Vanderbilt family.
Hes quiet" said one of those
who know him best, but at sea he
becomes a devil for courage, a para
gon in skill. He knows every trick
of ocean, and he knows men"
But in the face of that, betting
odds dropped today to even money
while a week ago they had been
eight to five that the Enterprise
would retain the cup. Estimates OF
the amount which had been wag-
cred varied.
Millions Are Waged
"As near as we can tell" said one
of the officials most closely identi-
fed with the race, about S70,000000
has been wagered on the north
Atlantic seaboard and in London on
this race. Most of it has been wag-
cred in Wall street, and Wall street
almost entirely has moved up here
for the week.
If one adds to the $4,000 900
which this conservative and in
formed authority estimated had
been bet in the east, the smaller
sums which were wagered in the
remainder of the country; in the
British empire and elsewhere, it is
safe to say that when the series
is over close to a hundred million
dollars and perhaps more will
change hands.
Scene Is COIOrfuI
There probably never was a scene
in American waters such as New
port harbor presented Friday night
and will present for the days to
come.
So crowded was the barber with
yachts that guard boats had to open
ways for regular traffic.
Scores Of tenders darted in and