Yachting [excerpt]

     THE death of the President has cast a gloom over the entire world, and the gentlemen sportsmen throughout the United States have shown proper respect by postponing any events that might take place before the funeral. The yacht racing among the smaller boats is pretty much over with for this season, and the interest is now centered on the coming international races. The New York Y. C. has changed the date of the first race from Sept. 21 to Sept. 26. A longer postponement would have been practically impossible owing to the obligations they were under to Mr. Lipton and his associates. The New York Y. C. has shown its usual good taste and judgment in this matter.

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     A LITTLE incident which tends to show the tender regard for the President among yachtsmen was observed by the writer on Saturday, Sept. 14, the day of Mr. McKinley’s death. Coming out of Oyster Bay early in the morning of that day, just after the sad news had been announced at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Y. C., a yacht with its ensign at half mast overhauled a small cruising sloop off Huntington Bay, bound west. The skipper was in the act of taking down his side light boards; when he noticed the flag of the approaching boat at half mast, and learned that the President had passed away, he hastily lowered his mainsail, the reason for so doing not being apparent at the moment. It was soon discovered that his ensign was sewed to the leach of his sail, and, in order to half mast his ensign, he had to lower the sail and resew the flag in its proper place. The incident was rather touching and showed plainly how the man was affected. Here was a man who had been sailing single-handed all night and who was pretty well tuckered out, but his love and admiration for President McKinley was so great that he did not hesitate an instant to show his personal feeling, although much labor was involved by doing so.