Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-07
Ice Yachting on the hudson.

This exciting sport is described and il
Illustrated in the Midsummer Scribner,
from which we quote:
"You go on down the river now with
good wind on the beam. The playful
breeze freshens in flaws, as if trying to
escape you; but still you follow it's way
ward motions; you start when it starts,
fit over the ice with its own speed, turn
and glide with the lightness and the
grace of its own whirling dance. The
ice-yachts darting about look like white
winged swallows skimn ing over the ice;
as they cross and recross your course you
hope that every captain knows his bust
ness and will avoid collisions. The Ice
yachts have anticipated your wish, and
flown away to various points of the hori-
zon while your thought drew its slow
length along. The ice seems to be run
ming under you with great speed, and you
sometimes feel that you might easily drop
off the open, spider-like frame of the
yacht. By such rapid motion, the bub-
bles, crystals and lines of the ice are all
woven into silky web of prismatic hues.
You distinguish only the cracks that run
with the course; and, when they deviate
from it, they seem to jump from side to
side without connecting angles or curves.
The mounds and the windows seem to
come up at you suddenly, and dodge past.
You begin to hold on to the hand-rail,
and lie close down in the box. If you
are steering, you feel that your hand IS
the hand of fate; and the keen excitement
nerves you to extraordinary alertness.
The breeze sings in the rigging; the run
ners hum on the ice with a crunching
sound, and slight ringing and crack
ling; and little squirt of crushed ice flies
up behind each runner and flashes like a
pray of gems. The yacht seems moreS
and more thing of the air-her motions
are so fitful, hayward and sudden. The
speed with which you approach dis
tant scene makes it grow distinct while
you wink with wonder. Things grow
you feel the perspective almost as SEN
sation. You turn toward brown patch
OF woods; it quickly assumes the form of
headlands; these are pushed apart, and
a gorge appears between them; while
you stare, a stream starts down the rocks,
behind the trees; mill suddenly grows
up; the rocks are now all coated with ice;
statues of winters sculpture are modelled
before your eyes, and decked with fash
ing crystals, just as you turn away to some
other point of the horizon. So you seem
to be continually arriving at distant
places.
CA regatta is to be sailed over this
course, and you arrive in time to see the
start. The yachts all stand in a row,
head to the wind. At the word, the
first IN the line swings stern around till
her sails fill; she moves off at once and
the crew jump aboard-one man stand
ing or lying on the windward runner
plank and holding on to the shrOuds, and
the helmsman and another man lying in
the box. Then the other yachts success
lively swing around; and. in moment
the whole fleet is under way, gliding in
zigzag courses among the windrows and
mounds. They all diminish in apparent
size with astonishing rapidity; they seem
actually to contract in moment to a
mere white speck, skimming about the
river miles away. You join the crowd
of men and boys stamping and slapping
to keep warm; you exchange few words
with friend, and when you turn around
again, behold the yachts sweeping down
upon you? They grow as they come, fly
ing at you with hayward, cratic course,
and you feel the wonder of embodied
speed The ten-mile race of the ice
yachts is lost and won in as many min
utes. But for those who sailed it, these
minutes were filled with more excite
ment than is found in many long life
time"