Morning journal and courier., 1880-11-08
Whitney Lake.

AS~~~@ o~-7N
 the broad bosom of the lake there were once
 dwellings, and that on the east side, the gap
 with it's deep descent reminds 'sold inhabit-
 ants'' that the Hartford turnpike came that
 way passed down along what is now the
 lakes bottom, and joined the Whitneyvllle
 road below the dam and at the foot of the
 hill as is also shown by the line of elms now
 in the Whitney factory enclosure, but then
 on the old turnpike. The store of MT. James
 Day, long opposite where the Whitneyville
 horse cars now stop, is another of the old
 landmarks of the locality, and few compara-
 lively recollect that this house and the one
 just above it were removed from what is now
 the lake bed. In an interview with MT.
 William B. Day, son of the proprietor of the
 store, we gained many interesting facts with reference to the locality and the growth of the boating interests at the lake, which beau
 tiful sheet of water and it's tributary above are so often on bright spring, summer and autumnal days dotted with crafts, which in their elegance and beauty are in striking con trast with the ordinary crafts of former days. My father, said MT. Day, came to Whitney vile, Conn, in March, 1842. Where the lake is now was a valley with high banks or hills upon each side. The
 road ran from where the pump house of the water works is, along about the center of the l lake, and you can see the covered bridge where the old road is along the bank this side. Directly opposite the boat house, across the lake there, was the old Hartford turn pike, over which the teams used to pass along, and cross the little river over that same covered bridge, which was moved to it's present position.
 The first boat my father owned he bought when he bought out the store. It was square at each end, clumsy affair-what we call a scow now. People used to come from the city to gather pond lilies and fish in the old river. My father had two or three boats built somewhat after the style of the sharpies which are used so much in the harbor. They were built very heavy, and we used to put pitch on the bottom and iron it over with a hot flat iron to keep them from leaking. These kind of boats were the only kind used here then. After time we found out
 that painting the bottom of the boat was bet ter than coat of pitch to stop leak. In 1862, I believe, the dam was completed
  valley and the gates closed to fill up the lake. Ours was the last house to be moved and stood about forty feet right off opposite the boat house. where the water now is. We had l three boats at that time. My father tied long ropes to them and hitched to tree up
 here on the bank. They raised with the wa ter, and were the first boats to float on Lake Whitney, as it was to be called after Eli Whit ney, the protector and builder of the water works.
 We used these kind of boats up to about
 seven years ago, and the at-bottomed skif you see here, which we now use only for fish ing were the only boats on the lake with the
 exception of a couple of shells kept by stu dents in Q little temporary boat house where
 this one now stands.
 Then people began to be attracted here by the scenery and beauty of the lake, and de- mand for more boats was made. We then bought some round -bottomed or Whitehall boats, as they are called. As the patronage l increased we went into lighter and finer
 build of boats, which you see here.
 These boats are built by Stephen Roberts, 1 of New York city, who, by the way, is the oldest ex-champion oarsman of America liv- ing. For style, finish and symmetry these l boats cannot be excelled. Over there is a | boat that took the premium in the American
 Institute fair, New York city. Mir. Roberts
 manufactures metallic lifeboats and small I boats for the government and is the largest boat builder of this kind in the country. He 1 made a steam launch for Dom Pedro, Elm | rf bo vie &o | this country.
 These boats are made of American cedar
 finished with black walnut and Spanish cedar. ! That boat there you see, red and white | striped is made of American and Spanish
 cedar, which gives it pretty effect.
 l Some of the boats have a sliding seat. l The advantage is a longer stroke and use of 1 the muscles of the whole body instead of the l arms almost entirely as in the old stationary
 seat boat. The sliding seat is an invention | of Walter Brown, also ex-champion of Amer | ica, one of the greatest oarsmen this country l ever mad. They were first used though in England on the Tyne. They are improving l on them every day and they are about per | lection now.
 The latest style of oars and those row 1 locks you see on that shell are inventions of | M. F. Davis, 8 professional sculler, and are l now used by all the professionals and anna i teurs. Yale used them on her boat in the | last race with Harvard. The improvement on boats keeps time with everything else you see. They are using shorter oars and much wider blades this season. Anything Hanlan, ] the great oarsman, uses IS considered the proper thing. These boats are very light, as you will see, and are easily damaged and re- quire constant attention to keep them in good condition. l varnish them once a year ! in the fall) and use the finest English coach varnish which experience has taught us to be the best. I do all the repairing myself, ex cept some difficult job. Then I get MT. these shells you see here Gin the boat house.) We have to take these boats out of the water every time after being used. That keeps the varnish dr and hard.
 They weigh from fifty to one hundred pounds, and are called outrig- gers MT. Roberts built the boat used by the famous Wilbur Bacon crew. There are a number of young ladies in New Haven who are very expert with the oars, and always attract attention for their skill. In fact the ladies go out boating here alone as much as the gentlemen. There never has been any one drowned here boat ing. Those that have been drowned here have most of them lost their lives through
 carelessness while on the ice in winter. My father has saved no less than half dozen lives ana aaQ some very narrOW escapes III rescuing parties. We here inquired of MT. Day the depth of the water of the lake. q could he replied, ''pilot an ocean steamship right up to the second bridge. I suppose the water is about fifty feet deep under the cov- cred bridge in one place. As to the Yale men, the Yale crews have practiced here every spring for their races with Harvard Yale College had some fine single scullers who have been out here, such as Cook, Ken nedy, Johnson and Herman Livingston. This last man could send his shell along faster than any one ever saw on this lake" The birch bark canoes you speak of are not ours. never have had any, as they would not be considered safe boat to rent. Pro- fessors Johnson and Allen of Yale College each own one of them and are experts in hand ling the paddle.
 That boat you speak about is President Porter's of Yale. It is an Adirondack boat
 built up there and the kind in use on those
 lakes. The president handles it skillfully and
 is regular visitor at the lake during the boating season.
 Some idea of the expense of these boats is
 seen in the fact that they cost in New York