The San Francisco call. [volume], October 08, 1899, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME LXXXVI— NO. 130.
WAR PRACTICALLY ON
IN THE TRANSVAAL
Great Britain Restrained From Beginning
Hostilities by Her Claim of Suzerainty
Over the Boers.
Old Fort at Mafeking, Where the Boers Are Concentrating Troops.
LONDON, Oct. Judging from the
reports from South Africa a state
of war practically exists between
Great Britain and the Transvaal.
This seems almost paradoxical in
conjunction with the fact that the British
diplomatic agent. Conyngham Greene, still
remains at Pretoria, and the further, fact
that the negotiations continue.
A solution of this apparent paradox
probably lies in an understanding of the
curious relations between the two Gov
ernments. Great Britain is not likely to
make a formal declaration of war against
what she considers a dependent nation,
the process being a mere Issue of orders
to a military force to restore the state of
sovereignty which she alleges originally
existed. Were England similarly at log
gerheads with a power recognized by her
us equal, pride and precedent would some
time ago have compelled her to break off
diplomatic intercourse. It Is this legend
of suzerainty that enables her to palaver
without loss of self-respect, and at the
am» time to run a good chance of plac
ing the onus of beginning hostilities upon
the Boers, or, failing in that, to delay ac
tion until she has in the field a sufficient
force to overrun the Transvaal.
This Is the only ground on which It Is
possible to reconcile the Government's
passive reception of palpably hostile acts
on the part of the Boers, for it Is now
Impossible to believe that the Transvaal
forces are massing rely for defensive
purposes. Thus war appears to be the
only possible outcome. If the Boers are
determined to participate in the conflict,
hostilities are only a question of days. If
England is allowed to take her own time,
then two months may elapse before the
first blow is struck.
Though the week has produced no ne
gotiations tending to thro.. light up<.n the
merits of the case, it Is evident that ne
gotiations had not ceased so far as diplo
matic correspondence Is concerned.
The pith of the whole dispute, however.
Is dally becoming clearer. The Boers are
thoroughly convinced that their freedom
Is menaced] and England is convinced that
her supremacy in South Africa is threat
ened. This constitutes an Impasse,
against which pacific measures can
scarcely be effective.
As the possibility of war increases Brit
ish conjecture as to the unfriendly atti
tude of other European powers increases.
Reference is frequently made to probable
Russian aggression In Asia; while it is
thought that France, in the evei of hos
tilities, is sure to become active i 1 North
ern Africa. Interference at the seat of
•war itself is not contemplated; for th ''
apples which France and Russia wish to
pick do not grow in South Africa. Dela
goa Bay is naturally closely watched in
thi6 connection: The Gorman press is
making capital out of the report that
Great Britain is sacrificing her friendship
with the United States in the Bamoam af
fair In ord.r to gain Germany's support in
the settlement at Delagoa Bay.
It seems "tain that an entirely new
plan of government is being con*idere«l by
the European powers interested In San
but the? Associated Press is able to astcrt
authoritatively that such negotiations vill
in no way result disadvantageously or
the United States; nor is there any trvh
in the insinuation that 'l)" attitude of tie
British Foreign Office toward Washington
has been altered by Great Britain's d»
eire to secure Germany's co-operation at
Delagoa Hay.
-,'An American diplomatist, discussing
tho matter to-day, said: "Germany it
too desirous of maintaining our friend
ship to play puch a see-saw game as
that " ■
The Speaker says: "There is a painfully
Instructive analogy to be drawn between
the present state of public feeling in Eng
land and the temper of the Americans
Just fore the war with Spain. In both
cases a mass of vague humanitarian sent
iment arid genuine hatred of oppression]
though Imperfectly Informed as to facts
la vagarized by the avowedly military
party, Jockeyed by the Btock broking
fraternity, maddened by the yellow press
ami expected to do Its duty by Rudvard
Kipling."
Many officers believe that President
Kruger's recent seizure of gold is an act
of war, or is at least justifiable only on
the theory thai a state of war exists
The London manager of the bank of the
South African republic— the institution
whose specie was commandeered— takes
this view. He said to-day: "1 do not con
sider the seizure of great significance and
I scarcely blame President Kruger if ho
believes his country is threatened I do
not expect any more gold to come out
The San Francisco Call.
ROME, Oct. 7.— The Italia, the
Arena and other papers state that
the Pope has again written to
yueen Victoria, appealing to her
Majesty's humanitarian sentiments
and requesting h^r to use her in
f.uence with her Ministers In the
direction of peace. The Queen, It
is said, replied courteously to the
message, giving his Holiness to un
derstand that it was beyond her
power to interfere with the prerog
atives of the Ministry.
:of the Transvaal until the crisis Is
•d."
The Government Is much criticised by
many of the papers of their own follow
i Ing, as well as by the military assemblies,
j for tardiness in sending out the army
; corps, some going so far as to say that
: if Majuba Hill repeats Itself, Lord Salls-
I bury will have only himself to blame.
i The Admiralty Is also coming In for a
share of cr.iicism over the length of time
required to get transports. Incompetence
and bungling are alleged. Lieutenant J.
C. Colwell, United States naval attache
in London, when asked regarding this
charge said:
"I believe that the Admiralty has done
splendidly, fully maintaining the reputa
tion of the British navy. I am fairly ac
quainted with the details of the present
operations, and I believe they are a proof
oi the great advantage to be gained by
having the navy control the transporta
tion of troops."
A royal proclamation summoning Par
i Moment to meet on October 17 and author
! izing the railing out of the reserves was
| signed thi.s morning. The Gazette an
j nounces that a summons will be issued
for the number of reserves necessary to
bring every battalion ordered to South
Africa up to Its full strength of 1000 men.
men must present themselves before
■ r 17. The forward movement is
counterbalanced by stories of mlll
ireparatfons In the Transvaal and
[ Free State.
The field force for service in South Af-
I c War Office announces, will com
•• mobilizing next Monday. The War
announces that, under the procla
mation railing out the. reserves. 2^.000 men
will be summoned.
It is rumored at Portsmouth that th<*
Admiralty will organize a flying squadron
1 for the <"ape.
• of Great Britain's military
preparations 'an scarcely be grasped by
the more reading of individual items as
they appear from day to day. A fair no
tion of their immensity can be gained from
j the semi-official statement that for the
transport of the army corps about seventy
ships of from 2000 to 4ijOO tons burden are
required, not Including a score or more
j of transports already on the way to the
Cape. If these vessels effectively disem
bark their cargoes of men, horses and
I equipment within five weeks from their
; date of sailing, the programme will have
fulfilled the forecasts of the most opti
mistic British military experts. If all the
I troops are able to lake their places as
component parts of the army corps by tho
1 end of November they will have done, ac
cording to the best available opinion, re
markably well. The disembarkation of
1 General Shafter's army from its thirty
i seven transports Is not forgotten by Brlt
i ish officers. Although the vessels to be
! employed In the Cape service are larger
on the average than those which carried
the Americans to Santiago de Cuba, the
admiralty, In accordance with the exist
ing regulations, is supplying them all and
taking complete charge from water's edge
to water's edge. This means a tremend
■us outlay of capital.
Although the Impending army corps lp a
tnatter of pre-eminent military interest,
the troops already on the scene of prob
able action constitute no Insignificant
I > idy. The original Cape garrison wa-s
' ;• 10 men. and this has been Increased by
V *). There are 12,000 men at sea on tho
to the Cape, and their arrival will
jVutke the approximate total of British
'troops In South Africa, prior to the ar
lvn.l of the army corps, 25,000. These
« .ops do not Include the irregular forces,
1 tie Cape Mounted Rifles, the Port Eliza
|b\h Volunteers, the Natal Police, the
llrban Light Infantry, the Australian
face and the regular naval brigade.
the Cape squadron now Includes ten
i wiships, all heavily manned, and the
; Brtlsh first-class protected cruisers Ter-
I ribti and Powerful will soon arrive, en-
SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1899— THIRTY-TWO PAGES.
4- I abling the navy to land a brigade of about
♦ 2000 men.
BOERS REPORTED TO
BE ABOUT TO YIELD
LONDON, Oct. 7.— The most important
' news comes from the Transvaal to-night,
which, if true, probably indicates that the
South African republic is about to yield,
. or in any ca.ie that the Boers have aban
< doned all ideas of invading Natal.
The news is comprised In a cablegram
from Newcastle, Natal, which says that
the farmers who arrived there to-day j
from the Buffalo River state that the
B';--rH are returning to their homes, leav
ing patrols along the river. The comman
i ders still remain on the Free State bor
der.
The dispatch also says that the feeling ,
i at Newcastle now is that the Boers do not
I Intend to attack that place and that the
i evacuation of the town was premature.
! A dispatch from Durban also states that
j the excitement there has abated, owing to
I the Hours holding back from the frontier.
This retirement of the Boers is what the
I British war authorities have exp?-cted, as
j their defective commissariat would pre
vent • them from long remaining massed
along the border. Telegrams received here
lately have made frequent reference to the
scarcity of forage and supplies in the Boer
laagers and have stated that many of
those in the camps were inclined to strike
for their homes unless active operations
were undertaken Immediately.
The dispatch from Newcastle looks as
though they had done as they threatened
and had abandoned the idea of fighting.
Meanwhile further transports from India,
j with two field hospitals and hussars, have
arrived at Durban and the men and ma
| terial were forwarded to Ladysmith in
stantly. General Sir George Stewart
White, V. C, who will command the Brit
ish forces in Natal, has also arrived and
landed. He was greeted by a large crowd.
General Sir William Symoris, his second
In command, came from Glencoe to meet
him, showing that he does not fear a
Boer incursion into North Natal. A num
ber of other officers were present and the
whole party left by train for Ploter
! maritzburg amid great excitement and
j cries of "Remember Majuba."
ANTI-BRITISH SPIRIT
OF THE GERMAN PRESS
BERLIN, Oct. 7.-Affalrs in South Af
rica are still commented upon in the press
hero and elsewhere in the same anti-
British spirit. Even the Liberal press !b
now hostile to England. The Frankfort
Zeitung says:
"It is a regrettable face that even in a
constitutional country like England the
Cabinet is enabled to put Parliament in
the presence of accomplished facts in a
way that makes it almost impossible for
Parliament to do anything but consent to
warlike measures."
The Cologne Gazette calls the coming
struggle of the Boers "heroic, with the
same heroic thought as inspired their
struggle in 18S1."
"They go Into the fight fearlessly," says
tho Rhenish organ, "and the world may
hear of their losing battles, but never of
thoir loping courage or hope."
The influential Hanover Courier consid
ers that Germany's chances will be very
poor if England vanquishes the Boers, as
then German Southwest Africa will be
lost.
The papers are also considering the
military probabilities, the general opinion
being that England will not be ready to
take the offensive until November. In
the meantime, it is believed the Boers
will do England rral damage. The mili
tary expert of the Cologne Gazette's staff
says: "German and French artillery and
the Mauser will be opposed to English
weapons. Both sides, are good shots and
military experts will follow the duel,
which will be mainly decided by the rifle
with keen Interest."
Some of the papers discuss the eco
nomic consequences of the war. The Ber
liner Tageblatt believes that a diminu
tion of the gold output would seriously
affect business. The Government press
remains mute, with the exception of the
North German Gazette, which recalls the
fact that the Transvaal has no right to
expect German Outlanders to render mili
tary service.
Continued on Second Pago.
MARCONI'S
SYSTEM MEETS
ALL DEMANDS
Wireless Telegraphy Now
Firmly Established on
This Side of Atlantic.
TRIUMPH OF WIZARD
People Ashore Informed of Move
ments of Yaohts Before Those
on Excursion Boats.
PONCE IS IN A COLLISION
Sending Vessel Stniok by a Drifting Steamer,
and Signor Marooni Is Enabled to G.ve
an Additional Example of the Value
of His Woncerful Work.
Special Dispatch to The C«Jt
NEW YORK, Oct. 7.— Ag-ain to-day
did. the Marconi system of wireless
telegraphy meet every demand
made upon it. All during- the day
Signor Marconi kept the yachts in
view, at the same tim<' giving those asbcre
i almost as plain an uruierKtandlng of the
' maneuvering that was being done as was
] enjoyed by the excursionists.
Unfortunately for those on the steam
j ship Ponce, the view of the start of the
| yachts, which was a magnificent one, was
i marred by what for a moment promised
' to be an accident of serious results. The
Cambridge, a light-draft steamer from
Baltimore, was caught in the current and
drifted across the bow of the Ponce. Cap
tain Lloyd was on the bridge with "Dyna
i mlts Johnnie" O'Brien. Both saw that a
' crash was imminent, and in a moment the
; great whistle of the Ponce sounded a ter
! rifle warning, while the signal to the en
] gine room set the propeller in motion for
1 a sternway.
The momentum of the Ponce, however,
j was too great, and she went crashing Into
! the smaller craft, whose railing was
crushed in and a hole made in her hull.
; For a time it was feared that the Cam
i bridge would sink, and her captain asked
the Ponce to stand by ready to take off
', the passengers should it become neces
sary. All was excitement on the Ponce,
I and" for a few momenta a panic was nar
: rowly averted on the Cambridge. Had
there been a larger crowd on the unfortu
nate boat there certainly would have been
! loss of life. As it was, several women
; falntt-d, while others were restrained
; from hurling themselves overboard into
' the water.
The Ponce did not have time to hnck
out of the hole her nose had made in the
j Cambridge before Signor Marconi was
: giving the news of the accident to the
I operators at Navesink. Fortunately It
■ was learned before great excitement could
! be caused ashore that the damage to the
Cambridge was Blight and the passengers
were in no dang-r.
While all this was going on the final
i signal for the rn.ee had boon given, and
i the Columbia and the Shamrock went
I over the line with as pretty a start as has
ever been seen in any race for the Amer-
I ica's cup. Just as soon as it was di ter
mlned that the Cambridge was in no dan
ger all eyes were again turned on the
yachts, and bulletins of the race, which
| had been Interrupted, were resumed.
I The attempt of the Shamrock to blanket
and take the wind from the Columbia was
flashed to the bulletin boards in New York
City long before it was known by those
; who were watching th<; maneuver Whether
: it would be successful. Again, the experi
'. mentlng with the sails which was going
on was fully described by Signor Marconi.
Often as a certain sail would be carried in
■ the stops into position, those on shore
■ watching the race through Signor Mar
coni's eyes knew what was being at
! tempted before the canvas was given to
: the wind. Finally, when about a mile
' from the start, the Columbia gradually
drew away from the challenger, the suc
cess of the American yacht was bulletined
before half the boat's length separated
the two contestants. As usual, the ap
paratus employed by Signor Marconi was
i accurate in its work, and was watched by
' all who could crowd near the chart room.
I Aboard the Ponce was Lieutenant
Commander Hubert yon Rebeurpaschwltz,
naval attache of the German Embassy in
Washington, who officially represented
his Government in watching the opera
tions of Signor Marconi. Although the
German was Intensely interested in tlv>
contest going on between the Columbia
and Shamrock he seldom took his atten
tion from the apparatus used in sending
messages ashore. At the close of the day
he expressed himself as more than pleas
ed with what he had seen.
"The Herald is to be congratulated."
said the lieutenant commander. "This
has been the ilrst time that I have seen
the Columbia and Shamrock together, but
on Tuesday and Thursday Signor Mar
coni, through the Herald, made it possi
ble for me to watch the yachts almost as
well as I havo been able to do to-day.
However, 1 had no adequate idea of the j
importance of the work being done until ]
I saw for myself. The world will accept
this discovery just as it has accepted
everything else, and in a very short time
the people will cease to wonder. But it
Is all really marvelous. Signor Marconi
has gone far in advance of his contem
porary workers in the field of practical
science as applied to electricity. No
doubt England is already making ar
rangements to use wireless telegraphy in
the war which Impends in South Africa.
There it will be given a severe test, which j
I have no doubt will be successfully met.
Here we are away out on the ocean with
out tangible connection with the land.
and yet the Herald is enabled to tell us ,
that Queen Victoria has called out the
reserves. Her Majesty's action makes j
it appear as though peace is now im
possible yet. Important as her act is it '
is not. In my mind, of so great importance
as In the discovery which has made it !
possible for us to know that it had been j
taken. Of course It Is impossible for me j
to say how much importance my report I
to the German Government will have, !
but 1 venture the assertion that the ex- !
ample of the Italian Government, using
tho Marconi system on all its war vessels, j
will speedily be followed by every other !
naval power."
From the Ponce upward of 2000 words I
were bulletined ashore during the yacht '
race, and more than the usual number of !
private messages were sent. Some of the
latter were cabled to England, while oth
ers were intended for friends in distant
cities in the United States.
In addition to sending to the Ponce
news of Queen Victoria's action in call-
dftntiniiad an ■ F%ft}t\TtA. Pajrt
GRAND STRUGGLE FOR
THE AMERICA'S CUP
Columbia and Shamrock Fight Gamely
for Supremacy, but the Wind Fails
and the Third Race Is a Fizzle.
Steamers Ponce and Cambridge in Collision.
ON BOARD THE STEAMSHIP PONCE, OFF THE HIGHLANDS OF NOVESINK, Oct. 7-
Another fizzle, but a grand struggle. A race which was a fight fron) gun to gun.
A finer struggle for the cup was never witnessed. The yachts got off nearly to
gether. Each at times had an advantage over the other, but neither was able to shaKe
off her rival. The turn of the staßeboat was the closest ever seen- The Shamrock led
around it, but the Columbia almost lapped her, and when around can)e into wind
ward position and stood off shore to begin tt)e long, hard fight for home against the
wind. But there was not wind enough to tal^e the rivals home. They were still sev
eral miles from the Sandy HooK lightship when the gun ended the struggle The
ShamrocK did remarKably fine windward worK- The Columbia was handled splen
didly, but she did no 1 : do as well In reaching as on Thursday, owing to the roll of the
sea. Her satis suffered by comparison with the Shamrock's. The question of which
is the better boat in light weather is still a matter of opinion.
Three efforts at a decision in this cup
keeping ,ir cup-losing matter and the tale
Is yet to run. Three attempts at racing
and throe resultant flukes, and all that is
known of tho ability of either yacht to
hi ;it tho other is that on the first occasion
the Columbia had a slight advantage at
the inconclusive ending of the contest:
that on the second trial the two finished
on even terms, and In yesterday's unsat
isfactory bout the American boat quit
with a slight lead. The averaged-up prob
lem stands where it rested before the con
testants met.
lint it is not so much a question as to
which yacht is the speedier in a race. It
is when there is going to be one. That'B
it. That's the problem which overshad
ows that other one regarding relative
merits. What the people are asking now
is: "When is the wind going to blow long
I'lmtitrh for one to see which of these
j yachts is the better boat?"
"White folks and women," the Southern
j darky says, " Is mighty onsartin'." The
I same may be said of the New York
wp.it her. The Weather Bureau promised
' a wind that would send the yachts kiting
| over tho course, and during the early
morning and forenoon there was every
sign that the promise would be fulfilled.
But a change came as the day wore on.
The wind weakened as the hours went
by, and the heavy sea, which had been
rolled up by the gale of Friday and Frf
dny night, moderated to a long rhythmic
swell.
It was blowing a good twelve to fifteen
miles an hour breeze when the yachts
stood out to the starting line. It was
from the north-northeast, and the course
was laid 'south-southeast to the turning
mark, anchored fifteen miles down the
coast. The sea was rolling in a heavy
swell from the northward and eastward,
so heavy that the yachts would frequently
disappear to their main booms behind the
bulky rollers.
There was but little maneuvering for
position before the start, and the starting
gun found both yachts near the line. To
observers it seemed that they crossed it
in company, the Columbia setting her bal
loon jib as she went over it, the Sham
rock luffing up under baby jib and jib top
sail, seeking to gain the weather berth.
To prevent that the Columbia also stood
away to the westward, and the first part
of the race was merely a luffing match
for windward position.
Neither gaining any advantage in that
direction, the Shamrock took in her baby
| jib topsail, set a lug foresail in place of
j the staysail, and breaking out her bal
' loon Jib as the Columbia set her spinnaker
i aloft, the two settled down to plain sail
! ing. Meanwhile the wind was gradually
1 dying out, and before the first hour went
i by both yachts were dipping their balloon
jibs aback with every pitch of the sea.
They had plenty of room on that race
; down the wind, the lane they traveled be
i ing a full four miles in width. On their
I starboard hand was a line of torpedo
boats, under command of Lieutenant Com.
! mander John C. Fremont, which kept the
i excursion fleet on that side well clear of
j the course of the racing yachts. On the
! port hand was a line of revenue cutters,
; commanded by Captain Robley D. Evans,
i guarding the seaward side of the pre
scribed course.
As the yachts were midway In the run
to the turning point, a nomadic freighter
came blundering up the lane from the
southern end. The cutters tooted warn
ing signals, but the stranger kept on, and
not until the auxiliary yacht Allen had
fired two shots did the vessel sheer out
of the course of the racers.
The spectacular feature of the race lay
at the outer mark and at a time when
the yachts were rounding It. That was
the turning point of the race, but it was
no turning point in the fortunes of the
contestants.
One may live long and never again 6ee
such a spectacle as was presented when
the two yachts swung- around the stake
in company and so close together that
one was sailinc in the other's shadow.
There was hardly a second's difference
between the two and to an unofficial ob
server of the race the contest might yet
I be in doubt, so close were the yachts to
j gether when they made the turn.
The manner in which they approached
the mark was almost as exciting as the
way in which they rounded it. The Sham
rock, which had stood a few hundred
yards to the westward of the line, gybed
around to the starboard tack and headed
straight for the mark, intending to keep
it on her starboard hand in turning and
intending, moreover, to get around it
first. That well laid plan of hers went
all aglee through a clever maneuver of
the Columbia's captain. That vessel, hur
rying to the mark, managed by a fine
bit of seamanship and a quick shift of
the helm to interpose between the Sham
rock and the stake boat just at the mo
ment when that point was bobbing past
the Shamrock's bow.
Round went the wheel of the Columbia,
up went the tiller of the Shamrock, and,
turning on their heels, the two boats
| swung around the stake, beam to beam,
and so close together that a penny might
havo been flipped from one deck to the
other. Around they came with tho Co
lumbia's bowsprit slightly overlapping
that of the Shamrock. But so slight was
the lead of that vessel with its narrow
margin of Inches or of seconds that no
one could tell by what distance she led.
Trimming the sheets flat aft as they came
into the wind the two headed back to the
finish line, close hauled and with booms
to port.
Then followed a series of tacking and
reaching In search of the wind or In an
effort to blanket each other or to get the
best position. As far as one could see
there was nothing to criticize in the
handling of either boat, both being man
aged with a skill that compelled the ad
miration of all who followed the contest.
The wind grew steadily lighter, and
owing to its fluky character, which
worked alternately to the advantage of
one and then to the other, first one yacht
had the lead and then its rival. And as
the hours wore on it began to look as
though the history of the two preceding
races would be again repeated.
This feeling became conviction when, at
4 o'clock, tho finish was still three or
four miles away and the yachts were
bobbing about in a breeze that was not
very far removed from no breeze at all.
Then boomeu a gun announcing that the
race was off, the Columbia then being ap
parently about 250 yards nearer the goal
than was her rival.
The excursion fleet was out in as great
a force as in any of the preceding days,
and in the drunken beam-sea roll many
of the excursionists discovered what sea
sickness is, if perchance they had not
made the discovery before the boats did
some wild reeling in the sea that surged
about the lightship while waiting for the
start of the race.
Dipping their noses deep in the sea.
Racking their stays and stanchions free;
In the wash of the wind-whipped tide.
The wallowing as exceedingly uncom
fortable and the rolling was but little
lessened when the fleet Rot under way
and stood down the course in company
with the racers. The run back was not so
disquieting, the sea then having moder
ated so much that but little motion was
felt on the larger craft.
TECHNICAL
VERSION OF THE
THIRD FAILURE
NEW YORK, Oct. 7.— There was a
spanking breeze from the northeast and
a heavy swell from the eastward when
the yacht Columbia, under mainsail and
jib, filled away from a point oft the south
west spit at 9:25 to-day and, with sheets
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
! eased a trifle, headed for the Sandy Hook
| lightship at a twelve-knot clip.
I Besides Managing Owner Iselin and Mrs.
i Iselin, there were on board Herbert Leeds,
; Captain Nat Herreshoff, who when the
; yacht passed the Associated Press boat
j John Nickols was lying on the weather
I side of the deck watching the sails
through a pair of green goggles; Captain
Woodbury Kane, Newbury Thorne and
Hugh Kelly, the la:~t named representing
j the Royal Ulster Yacht Club. Captain
; Barr had the wheel to windward, one of
the crew assisting on the lee .side. The
rest of the crew was distributed along the
weather rail. The Columbia was carrying
the same mainsail as on Thursday.
The Shamrock made an early start from
Sandy Hook Bay. She passed out by the
point of the Hook at 9:06, carrying the
same sail as the Columbia, arriving off
the lightship at a few minutes before 10.
On her deck were seen Henry F. Lippett,
the New York Club's representative. Sail
! maker Ratsey, Hugh McGill Downey,
j Sherman Crawford and Captains Ben
j Parker, Hogarth and Wringe. At 10:20
I the Columbia sent up her working topsail
;in stops, the wind being strong enough
at that time to warrant the Betting of
' that sail, but even while they were hoist-
I ing it the wind lightened considerably.
| and fifteen minutes later the No. :> club
topsail was bent on. The Shamrock a^so
j bent on a No. 2 club topsail, and both
; yachts set these sails at almost the same
■ time.
j At 10:50 the tug which was to drop the
i outer mark started to log off the course
;of fifteen miles to leeward. Pour minutes
; later down came the Shamrock's club top
sail, and in just nine minutes her big
jackyarder was mastheaded and si
i out. The Columbia kept her No. l
i sail on. Captain Barr probably hoping
j that it would be a more d^esirable sail in
i the windward work and that it would not
' make sufficient difference in the work
! down the wind.
At 11:06 the preparatory signal was
■given, at 11:13 the warning signal and at
11:20 the gun to start. When the warn
\ ing signal was given both yachts were on
the starboard tack, east of the committee
boat, the Columbia to windward, and both
J heading to the southwest. The wind was
! then light from the north-northeast, with
, little promise ot freshening. The Colum-
I bia luffed first of the two, until she was
j close on the wind on the starboard tack,
! heading as if to cross the committee
I boafs bow. The Shamrock stood on a
i little longer, then jibed and came up on
the same tack, setting her staysail as she
did so. Captain Barr, to fill in the time
kept the Columbia off for about thirty
seconds, then luffing her sharp on the
wind again headed her to fetch close by
the committee boat's bow on the way to
the line. Her staysail had not been set,
and the Shamrock was traveling with bet
ter headway toward the same spot. Skip
per Hogarth, seeing his chance, it now
being less than a minute before gunfire,
sent the Shamrock's bowsprit close along
the Columbia's lee quarter, ready to luff
out at gunfire if the opportunity came.
Both yachts were running parallel to the
line, neither daring to keep off until the
signal. They were able to be at the cen
ter of the line at gunfire. Quick as a flash
Skipper Hogarth put her helm down, shot
the Shamrock across the Columbia's wall
and as he straightened her up asain tier
bowsprit overlapped the Columbia's
weather quarter. He was able to accom
plish this by reason of the Irish boat
having better headway than the Colum
bia. Captain Barr held his course almost
over to the lightship at the w^ath^r Bide
of the line before sweeping off, thus try
ing to force Hogarth out of the command
ing position which he had so cleverly ob
tained, but in vain. The Shamrock not
only held her position, out began to over
haul the other and blanket her.
The official time at the start was: Co
lumbia, 11:21:02; Shamrock, 11:21:19.
As on one of the previous races Hogarth
did not set his balloon jib topsail, being
better prepared with the No. 2 lib toDsaJi