The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 26, 1901, Page 1

This Paper not to be taken from the | ihrary,o‘.e VOLUME XC-NO, 118 o KN FRANCISCO, THURSDAY, -SEPTEMBER 26, 1901, PRICE FIVE CENTS. BLESSED BY A BRISK BREEZE CUP DEFENDER * WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY TO FUR NISH THE BU OLUMBIA AND CHALLENGER SHAMROCK WILL BEGIN TEST OF SPEED LLETINS OF THE YACHT RACES , 7 ACHT RACE bulletins received by the Marconi wireless telegraph system will be posted on The Call's bulletin board to-day and on each race day during the contest between the Shamrock 11 and Columbia for the America’s cup. Details of the ra es 2eill be reported almost the instant that they occur. From the time the competing vachis leave their avichorages until the day's battle is won their movements wwill be announced to thousands of persons who cannot see the races but will be kept informed as to the relative positions of the contestants, and the woinner zvill be bulletined as she crosses the line at the finish. Messages by wireless telegraphy will be sent from the steamer Mindora, following the yachts, to Higi- lands for Navesink, and flashed by direct wire to the Herald building in New York. Expert yachting reporters will watch the racers throughout the contest, and bulletins will be sent ashore by electric impulse at bricf- intervals. Bulletins wwill aiso be sent by Call reporters stationed at the Highlands and at other points. In addition to every igportant movement of the yachts, interesting details about the cxcursion will be reported. Bulletins received at the Herald building will be sent by direct land zcire to The Call's business ofiice at Third and Market strects, wehere they zill be posted as fast as received at the Herald office. wo years ago, during the last international yacht race, The Call employed Marconi's system of wireless telegraphy for its bulletin service and met with marvelous success. T Glorious Sport Is Promised To-Day in I~ » the Opening Race for the America's Trophy. EW YORK. Sept. 25.—Blessed | by & breeze that is brisk, if | prophets of the weather err not, with h: gleaming like | mirrors, neat fitting .m\~...“ stretched taut and fit for the coming fra) ca's tried defend- ! er, the Columbia, and Briton's bold chal- lenger the Shamrock 11, will do battle royal off Sandy k to-morrow for the | America's cup. ess all signs fall, there | will be glorious s t when the old Co- lumbia goes out to meet the new cham- plon from over the seas. Eager thou- sands will watch the struggle. for not in vears hax there been so much interest in an international yacht race. In some of the previous contests it was almost a foregone clusion that the cup would | remain where it has sojourned so long and since it was sure to stay why bother g0 out and see the manner in which the efforts to retrieve it would be fended There is no such fine concelt apparent now: there is on the contrary something more than a shade of concern among those interested in keeping the cup on this side of the Atlantic. For even the ' most enthusiastic admirers of the Bristol racer are not sure but that Herreshoft reached his limit in the Columbia and that the new challenger. being of a later model, may also be faster than the old defender, all of which remains to be seen Bettors Favor the Columbia. It looks as though one of the biggest excursion fleets that ever went afloat will be there to see it. Not the least of the | spectacular features promised for the day is the expected parade of an exception- . nw-;"‘:« “Hor " private use. .4“ were are many who believe that the cup | till in safe keeping is shown by the | irg. odds of 10 to § being to-day «red on the Columbla’s chances. Men are willing to risk their money on e Columbla do not base their odds on entimental reasons or on the mere hope hat the vessel's successful defense of the up two years ago will be repeated in this vear of grace. They argue that as the Shamrock II has beaten Shamrock I by nine minutes over a thirty-mile course the Columbia in defeating the same ves- sel by a ten-minute margin should now defeat the newer boat by a still greater margin. particularly as she is now known | to be tuned up to the finest point. and judging by past experience should be several minutes faster than she was two years ago Opinions as to the Weather. Those whose convictions lie the other way assert that G. L. Watson, the de ® signer of the chal Aone Herreshoff in and simple, and tha will take 2 lot of this clean-lined craft ng before she sur- renders her right add a certain ‘cov- eted bit of silver to her ballast. On all sides it is conceded that these two are very evenly matched, but experts widely differ as to the kind of weather that is best suited to each. One will argue that the challenger, by reason show of canves and extreme refinement of bodv. should be more formidable in light breezes These predict t if the weather is light enough to waft the yachts over the course just within the time limit the challenger will be more than apt to take away the cup. Others are equally confi- dent that the challenger's best point of | salling will be shown in a spanking breeze of wind and that. given such a wind, she | will show extraordinary running and | reaching qualities Meanwhile the Columbia’s adherents show the same vast diversity of opinion, | some whistling for a wind and others be- lleving that their favorite will show bet- | ter in lght weather. | < LIRS i | | ENORMOUS COST OF YACHTS. J (ireat Expense and Pains of Lipton and the Syndicate. | The yacht Columbia, which success- | fully defended the America’s cup in 1599 sgainst Sir Thomas Lipton's challenger, | ne Bhamrock I, has been again chosen » race against this year's challenger, he Bhamrock II. A syndicate of a few members of the New York Yacht Club 4d buflt a new yacht, the Constitution, | to defend the trophy, but she behaved w0 varlably in the trial races with the | Columbia that it was decided by her whers to reject Herreshoff's latest i tion in tavor of his 159 boat, the qual- ties of which are well known. The syn- dicate had promised the designer a iarge bonus for every minute of higher wpeed over a thirty-mile course that the Con- | stitution might display and Herreshofr | felt confident he had designed a faster | boat than the Columbia And when she | has beer thoroughly tuned up it is quite probable that she will prove able to beat the Columbia in any kind of weather, as whe har already done in light breezes. But as time was lacking to get her zalls and pallast exactly trimmed and to ren- ger her capable of her best work the syn- dicate wisely determined to entrust the defense of the cup to the Columbia. ‘ Control of the Defender. The control of the defender rests en- Wrely w the hands of W. Butler Duu‘n nger, has at last out- uilding a racer pure | f her greater | Jr., who was assoclated with C. Oliver Iselin in the management of the Vigilant and the Defender, and had charge of the Defender's trials with the Columbia. The cost of cup defenders and cl lengers i= great, and has been inc with startling rapidity. The Vigilant, de- fender in 1883, also bullt by the Herre- shoffs, cost about $50,00, but the sum paid for the Columbia, though not known Ex _— ———— CUP DEFENDER 1S IN CONDITION { | TO WIN RACE | TLANTIC HIGHLANDS, A N. J., Sept. 35—+ Every- thi ex-commodore of New York Yacht Club and mannger of upon his return, row, a s0 1 hope for vie- tory.” or-= —marepam il exactly, has been estimated at $150,000, A suit of sails costs about $12,000, and the expenses of running her for a- wea- son are probably not less than $50,000, Of course, 8ir Thomas Lipton's expénses are much heavier than this, as he had Continued on Page Three. le THE CUP DEFENDER. FRESH NORTH TO NORTH ASHINGTON, Sept. zj.—Forn&ski Frd;ilmiféld af _lhc‘Wmthg; Bureau to-nig.ht»ma('ie EAST WINDS, the following - prediction of the weather. for to-morroty's yacht races: . “We will have to-morrow and fair weather.” Lhadtt SR VPR MR TR e ) N — Y ~ 7 Both Yachts in Readiness for the Con- tests and All Arrangements Have Been Completed. off. Sandy. Hook 1ight to fresh north'to northeast winds . EW YORK, Sept. X5.—After four days of almost calm weather a rattling breeze blew in from the northeast early this morning and at sunrise it had reached halt a gale. When the sailors of the cup yachts and thelr attendant vessels turned out for the last work of preparation a thirty mile wind was kicking up the whitecaps L 3 LIPTON SAYS MAY THE BEST BOAT GET CUP ! TLANTIC HIGHLANDS, N. J., Sept. 35.—"Refore 1 speak of the race” said Sir Thomas, “let me in right and justice From any this: that I feel 1 were in m; My every wish ifled. I have seen none but men of culture and fair- minded men, and whatever my appreciation sportaman-iike apirit in which I have heen received. . The New York Yacht Club has extended me the utmoat COn- teat, It in & dtruggle among friends.” # o S ua sy l i “ trial. in Sandy Hook. Outside a heavy sea was running and salling vessels were bounding along under close reefed sails. While the wind died away with the sun- set the weather-wise say it.will come again with the morning and that all in- dicatlons are favorable for one of the most magnificent spectacles in yachting annals when the two flyers go over the | line to-morrcw. Columbia Has a Trial. At 2 o'clock to-day when the wind had | fallen the Columbla started out for & She filled away under mainsa‘l, club topsall, staysat-and jib. At 217, while men trimmed down the main sheet, others set a No. 2 jib topsail. The main- sail and club topsall set nicely, but the ~ | headsails showed a few minor faults m the leach and feel. Tacking to port at 2:02, when she had reached the norta Wde of the main ship channel, the cup defender stood out to sea. In this nar- row chennel, however, she was forced | to tack again six minutes. The wind | was very light and there was quite in ugly swell rolling in from the eastward | which knocked the wind out of her sai's. ! From here out to the black b#oy at the | entrance to Gedneys Channel, where sho turned around for thé home run at 315, the Columbia was forced to make thir- teen tacks to cover a scant three miles, | 5o that it may be easily seen she was not able to show any speed during tne spin, especlally as the wind was very light and bafing. Batt-n Pock=t Torn. | When the sheets were eased for the run | back to the Hook the yacht showed some | of her old-time speed. The small jib top- ”t‘ was taken in; sixteen men them manned the balloon jib topsail halyards, Ilnd in three minutes that sall was set | and drawing well. In hauling aft the | sheet 1t caught on the ends of one of tha | battens of the Jib and tore the battens onclfl about a foot. It can easily be re- | paired, however. Gybing out at 3:22 the yacht made her { way slowly to the potnt of Sandy Hook. | Rounding to there she ran quickly to her buoy and made fast for the might, the whole run lasting less than two hours. | After a consultation with Manager | Jameson and Designer Watson, Sir Thom- | as Lipton directed that it was not neces- § | sary to take the Shamrock out for a final spin. She lay moored at her buoy all day, her shining bronze bedy being the | object of much curiosity: | Sir Thomas Is Pleased. | When Sir Thomas was told to-day that | as a result of the official measurement of | the yachts the Shamrock would have to allow the Columbia only forty-three sec- onds in a thirty-mile course he was much pleased. “Don’t you think we have a splendid | chance to win row?’ he remarked. “We fully expected to have toallow more time, but, of course, we are very well satisfied with the result. And, again I say. may the best boat win. If the Shamrock should lose I can certainly say that I have done everything a man could do to put the yacht in perfect condition for the races, and 1 think every one admits that she is as nearly perfect as she can be.” The crews of the racers worked busily to-day putting the finishing touches on the two yachts. To-night the Shamrock and the Columbia He within hailing dis- | tance of each other, swinging at their | moorings to a good breesze. in’ which lies the hopes of to-morrow's races. All has been done that skill and experience can suggest, and none of the principals will make a prophecy as to the outcome. Only the betting shows the trend of opiniom, and the prevailing odds are 8 to 10 on the American boat. In some Instances these o0dds had been increased from 10 to 7, but so far as can be learned no large wagers have been laid. A firm of brokers was to-day offering $25,000 or any part thereof at 10 to 8, but had been unable te place more than a small part of this amount. Final Arrangements Complete. The final arrangments for the races are complete and the regatta committee hav- ing the matter in charge feels assured that everything possible has been done to give each yacht a fair show. As in the case of two years ago, the course will be patrolled by a fleet of revenue cutters in command of Captain Walker of the rev- enue marine service and the yachts will have an unobstructed course of at least a mile wide. It will not be known until to-morrow what course the committee will order. The race is a "fifteen-mile run to wind- ward or leeward and return. Should the wind be from the northeast or from any direction between northeast by north and east northeast, the regatta committee says that the point of starting the race would have to be changed. as there Is not room for a fifteen-mile windward or lee- ward race with the start from Sandy Hook lightship. Fifteen miles northeast of the lightship would take the yachts up on the Long Island shore, while fif- teen milea In the other direction would find the Jersey shore a barrier. The start, therefore, {n case of & northe e .. Continued on Page Threa