The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-04-12
Ride Oh an Ice-Yacllt,

The speed of the lce-boat ls Incredible
and 1t Will when sailing across the win,
90 faster than the gale that prepeIs 1t
This seeming paradox has been so clearl,
shown that l shall not take the space t,
explain 1t now. The reason for the amaz
ing number of icc-boats Is because any
BODY with hammer and saw and q few
boards can make one. Even the largest @
them are not expensive except as far a.
the sail is concerned. Toronto bay i
about three miles wide ana seven or eigh
miles long, at least those were it's dimcn
slons when l was there quite a few year.
ago. a long low sandy island keeps ouI
the waves OF Lake Ontario aud as there is
no current the bay has nothing to do when
winter sets in, but freeze, and it generally
stays frozen until navigation is oren every.
where else. l only had one ride on an
lce-yacht, but remember the trip with
tolerablc clearness. There is nothing
quite so bright and frcsh--espucially the
latter-as student who is taking iu his
first experience of city life. Two of us in
THIS callow condition had trottcd down the
crisp frozen street to the Esplanade, where
Toronto turns out TO see the skaters and
the ice yachts. A gay party of four were
just hosting the big triangular sail of a
yacht that lay on the ice at the wharf
The Captain marked us as his prey.
'Havc ride over to the island, gentle
mcn2"
Tho delicately-applicd flattery which he
disguised in the word gentlemen" Cap
tured us, and my comradc answered. for
both and said. I'VE would bc most han
py."
We sprang down on the ice and took our
places on the triangular framework. There
were no soats, unless the cross scantlnys
could be so called; some sat on those and
some on tho flooring. One of the men
showed around the sharp end OF the tri-
angle, which had fixed at the point moy-
ablc skate attached to a lever after the
manner OF the helm Of sail-boat. At
each other point Of tho triangle was a fix.
cd skate and from between them rose the
mast. The man pushed the icc-yacht out
from the lea Of the wharf and sprang on
board. The wind merely touched the sail,
yet we slid a,ong faster than some bows
who were skating could keep up with us:
One urchin asked If he might hang on
lie was given cordial permission, and he
held the point of the triangle, and pla ed
his feet together, skutcd along without any
cxcrtion. Tho instant we were out Of the
influence Of the warehouses, the boat sh u
ahead like thing OF life. The man at
tho wheel winkcd at his companions, and
suddenly veercd the boat around. This
was for the benefit of tho boy on skaics
Instead of tumbllng over, however, he slid
out at right angles, triumphant, kept his
feet like little man, and found time to
make n dcrisive motion with his hand.
lie had been there before.
Now that the gulc struck US the speed
became terrific. We two held on by the
tmbers, but were laughed ut by our COM
panlons, who accustomed to tho motion
sat unconcerncd Every now and tken n
patch of snow would be encountered that
pcrccptibly lcsscncd the speed, and when
boat struck patch it was with dlni mlty
that we kept our places. We SKINNED
among the other yachts and threaded be-
tween skaters in a way that made freedom
from accident marvellous. Most of the
time one skate rarely touched the ice,
merely dipping down on the crystal surface
now and then to tllrt white flake Of spun
ice from the glistcning blade. was in a
constant terror the boat would unset.
which gathered from tho conversation of
inc boatmen, was frequent occurrence
we now rapidly nearcd tho island.
'Whcre do you wish to land, gentle
mcn?' asked the wEeclsman.
My friend was past speaking, so an
swercd: "Oh, anywhere we're not par
ticuar."
"Ail right" he cried making straight
Tor the island until within a few rods of it,
when he suddenly turned tho helm about
at right angles.
Natural philosophy has taught me that
the icc-boat must have very hastily left her
course when Tho helm was changed. L
therefore firmly believe to this day that
she did change, but personally have no
knowledge OF the fact 1 wasn't a-golng
to change my course merely because tho
boat did | kept right on, and will do
my friend tho justice to say that he stuck
by me.
we Slid the remainder Of the distance to
the island, rapidly assuming new poslures
all the while, and, allowing for increased
friction, made almost as good time as the
yacht wonld have done. The speed was
not what we grumblcd about. We rolled
over good part of the way across the
island before We concluded to stop.
My friend, being n man of pioty and
principle was deprived of tho consolatory
intluencc that l-who had no such scruplcs
.proceeded to surround myself with. |
gave him my opinion Of our late compan-
ions III style of rhetoric that ilatter N.Y.
self did justice to the occasion. lie silent
ly brushed of his clothes and quietly took
a sort af inventory Of the damages, listen
ing all the while, doubtless with some sat-
isfaction, to my impassioncd eloqucnce.
a Mistake.
A young gentleman was recently mar
red Ut an uDtOWn church md % In ,unc