The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-17

Iee-BOatIns on the HudsOn.--Deaer1p-
tIOn OF Iee-BOats-.-TheIr HiStOrY.--
The Quickest Time ON RecOrd--Eine
Miles Iu EiEht lIinutes---The POueh-
keepsIe Iee-BOat AssOeIatiOn---Ar.
rangements for a Grand Prize Con-
test. -.-... ...
%. From The NetV York Tribune.
That highly sxhilarating and novel
winter sport on the Hudson, ice-boat-
ing, is about 10 commence in real earn
est. .s
The hull of an ice-boat is triangular
in shape. the deck being only four or
five inches from the surface of the ice,
Under the forward part are two sta
tionary runners, the wider part of the
triangle being the bow. Under the
stern is a movable runner called the
rudder. The balance of the vessel is
rigged exactly like sloop, except that
wire rigging is brought into requisition.
All well-regulated ice-boats have two
sets of runners, one for smooth and the
glng of the Snowflake is made of char
coal wire. The shoes on the runners
average three feet in length with twelve
or thirteen inches bearing.
1ce-boating, until within year or
two past, has never been indulged in
to any great extent, but a more excl
ting kind of amusement does not exist.
Next to the telegraph wires, boats
have made the quickest time on record.
He who rides in one of them must pos
itively dress warm or suffer greatly.
The ''Simon pure" voyageT in one of
these crafts delights to sIep on board of
his vessel when cracking nor-wester
is blowing and the thermometer marks
zero. You will find his feet encased in
heavy boots and the boots encased in
fur-lined moccasins. He will have on
heavy woolen understanding, heavy
pantaloons and vest, the latter covered
with heavy woolen knit shirt. Then
comes short pilot-cloth coat, and over
all the inevitable long overcoat. His
ears will be covered with the patent
mufners, and on his head will rest
close-rigged skull-cap, with Just enough
frontpiece to call it such. Add to the
above comforts two huge buffalo robes,
cover himself up with, and the sailing
master of the ice-boat is ready for
fifty mile race.
The first ice-boat of any note on the
Hudson was built in the year 1888, at
Poughkeepsie, by Edward SouthWick,
now an old and prosperous business
man in that city. The vessel was of
the present style, triangular in form,
but about half the size of those of the
present day. The runners used were
common skate.runners, and the boat it
self was constructed of rough uncouth
boards. In 1885, Simon Wheeler, also
of Poughkeepsie, constructed an ice
boat after the manner of Mr.. South
Wlck's craft, using pot metal runners.
The vessel itself was a little larger than
that of Mr.. Southwick's. In the mean
time, the Eoss Brothers, also of Pough-
keepsie, had constructed another one,
and with it had made trip to Rondout
and back in one hour. The trip crea-
ted as much excitement along the river
at that time as did the famous Albany
expedition last winter, and ice-boats
Immediately came into demand. Jas.
Henry Eytfnge, of New Paltz, hurried
one to completion, getting it ready for
use in the winter of 1886. It was i'm
mediately placed upon the ice, when
Mr.. Eytinge and Mr.. Innis-the latter
the present Mayor of Poughkeepsie-
got into it to take a ride. After being
out a short time, sudden flaw of wind
struck the craft, driving her ahead like
lightning. The helmsman, wishing to
turn her in her course, put the helm
down, when the vessel whirled about
with such violence as to hurl Mr.. Innis
from the deck out on the ice great dis
tance. The Mayor we'll remembers
that that was his last ice-boat ride.
Previous to 1857, one or two of the
inhabitants of Glascoe, a little town
twenty-four miles north of this city, on
the west bank of the Hudson, also con-
structed an ice-boat, which soon be-
came noted for speed, and which was
soon patterned after by Morton & Ed
wards, and William Stranahan, Of
Athens, opposite Hudson. To be sure
there were ice-boats existing all this
time at other points all along the Hud-
son, but they were only in a primitive
state-the same as can now be seen at
Sing Sing, PeekskiIl, Tarrytown, and
other places. All of the above boats
were roughly constructed, the owners
never entertaining the idea of holding
on to them for future amusement. We
may add to them, also, two boats which
were owned by o. H. Booth and Aaron
Innis, the one owned by the latter be-
ing made of the deck boards of the
sloop John Cocks, together with a scow-
shaped ice-boat, owned by Mr.. Elmen-
dorf, formerly Captain of the steam
boat Santa Claus.
Ice-boats cost from Sl5 to $500 each,
When we mention the SIS boats we refer
to those of our schooI-boy days, built
of refuse boards with three shilling
skate runners, using bent nails thrown
away by carpenters, For sails we had
recourse to the sheets and pillow cases
at home, always returning them how
ever dirty they might get. The $500
ice-boat is one of the present day, built
triangular in shape, with beautifully
painted deck and mouldings, wire rig
ging. a No. duck for sails, brass elects
and blocks, full sets of colors, splendid
spars, booms, bowsprits, polished steel
runners, buffalo robes, &c. Each boat
weighs from 800 to 900 pounds, and all
ice-boats are able to beat two points
closer to the wind than sail vessels on
water.
The Poughkeepsie Ice-boat Associa-
ton is composed of gentlemen of wealth
and standing, and all residents of
Poughkeepsie except one, Mr.. Irving
Grinnell, of New Hamburg. The Com
modore is o. II. Booth, Esq, gentle
man of much influence and an ardent
admirer of this peculiar winter sport.
The following are the names of the
vessels belonging to the association,
and their owners:
! NAME. OWNER.
Restless. Commodore o. h. Booth.
John Roosevelt.
/ Arcuc...- y. H. Booth.
Aaron 1nn1s.
1nnts.
10y Johnson.
Mlnne-ha-h Johnston.
| Aaron 1nnis.
tlylng GTinnell.
| The quickest time yet recorded by
any of the above named vessels, or any
vessel of the kind in the world, was
made by the Snow Flake last winter.