Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-09-07
YACHTS OF BOSTON TOWN.
Giving . List Of the Fine Crnft n Which
b I. tho Wealthy Hubbites Take Their " !.
Summer Airing, -


| tho Wealthy Hubbites Take Their ~
Summer Airing. a=4 sf>4
The Life and Adventures of tina Famous
America, the Speedy Boat Of Com
T.. modore Ben.
Aug. 22.-Yachtlng Is one Of the most popular
ways in which wealthy Bostonians seek health
and pleasure at this season OF the year, many
of them owning speedy crafts worth thousands
of dollars, on which they spend large portion
of their time, cruising here and there visiting
the fashionable watering resorts along the
New England coast, contesting for honors and
prizes with white winged rivals in regattas, or
enjoying themselves upon the wave in other
Different ways. These yachts are invariably
elegantly fitted up, and everything that can add
TO the comfort and pleasure of the owner is
provided, making them floating palaces, on
which one can live contsntedly week in and
week out. or for an entire summer. With the
possible exception of New York, Boston is the
greatest yachting rendezvous of this country,
having nearly as many yachts as the first
named place, and supporting dozen or so
clubs Her boats are not so largo as those of
New York, but are AS fast if not bit faster,
taken on the average, and are as costly in pro-
portion. Several millions of dollars are in
vested in yachts in Boston harbor and vicinity,
and each year the amount is increased in pro-
portion as the miniature vessels multiply The
list includes crafts ranging in length from fif-
teen feet to nearly $50 feet, and in style from
cat rig to steam yacht Tho Dreadnaught,
probably, is the most valuable yacht in these
waters, although the finely constructed schoon-
or Gltana comes quite close to hey in cost
Both are owned by Boston millionaires, the
former by MIR. A. W. Nickerson, and the lat
ter by Mr.. William Weld. The Dreadnaught
measures few inches over 1870 feet in length,
has twenty four~foot hve-inch beam, and in
full sailing condition is worth round $780,
900. The Gitana is only 100 feet in length,
but is undoubtedly the staunchest and best
built boat to be found hereabouts. Money
was not. spared by the owner in
building and fitting her out, and
she has cost him probably $50, 900.
Next come three yachts which together are
worth about ST. so, 900, or $4,000 apiece
These are the Vidette Fortuna aud Ben But
ler's famous yacht America. The owners of
these magnificent boats own several million
dollars each and can afford to indulge in such
luxuries. The Vidette is steam yacht 1913
feet inches long, with only an l8-foot beam,
is quite fast, and belongs to Mr. W. R. Bliss, of
the Boston 4 Albany railroad. The Fortuna
is owned by Commodore H. S. Hoyey, and is
newly built. Among the 500, OOO-yachts
might be named the Tarolinta and the Barra-
coda. The Tarolinta is oae of the handsomest
and trimmest crafts in the entire feet, and is
lO5 feet inches long. She was built in
1878 at Newburg, N. Y. and in 1882 was
thoroughly oyerhauled at great cost. She bias
ten staterooms, fitted up gorgeously, and is
very fast, being able to do sixteen miles an
hour. Until quite recently she was owned by
Mr. Bliss, but has been sold to Boston pilots
The Barracuda is comparatively new, and
belongs to MIR. Harry Button of this
city. She was built in Rhode Island
In 1880, and has very powerful machinery
She is but ~ feet long. however, aud is
schooner rugged. The schooner Fleur-de-Yis
and Adrienne DIRE the best of the $4,000
yachts The former is remarkably swift, and
was built on fine model by Van Deursen Of
New York. She is "a feet long and spreads
1000 feet Of canvas. She is noted for being
able to stand up under heavy wind, holding
full sail, whom the other boats have to double
reef. She is quite roomy and sumptuously
furnished TO illustrate how money is
spent upon these yachts, it may be stated
that every piece Of the table service of the
Fleur-de-Lis is hand painted with yachting
scene, no two being alike. The table linen
and other furnishings are beautifully embroi-
dered, while the stationery bears hand painted
crests. The Adrienne is also a fast boat, and
is owned by Mr.. Edward Harding, who has just
purchased her. There are large number of
20, 900 yachts, the most noted being the Letha.
Vision, Marion D., Wivern and Vanitas. all
good staunch crafts
COMMODORE BEN.
One Of the jolliest yachting parties now afoat
is on board Ben Buffers boat America The
hero of Tewksbury has made break for purer
air than that which blows across the almshouse
field TO- the State house, and with number of
songenial spirits is cruising in his 'syot'' along
the coast in the direction of Maine The COM
modore is quite as much at home with the helm
of the America in his hand as with the helm Of
State, and is little more successful in it's man
agenent if anything. It has been remarked
that it If study for painter when Ben stands
at the stern, wheel in hand in sailors atti-
tudo, his corpulent form in garb of blue, the
gentle zephyrs toying with his scanty, IRON
gray looks, and his celebrated weather eve
cooked seaward. Benjamin has happy time
on his Yachting cruises, forgetting even h is
presidential aspirations in the enjoyment of the
occasion When one Of his guests inquirea:
'sWhat are the wild waves saying, Benny?" it
is alleged that his reply is: ssHave drink"
aud forthwith both adjourn and ttseeb the
eeclusion that the cabin grants" and
imbibe to the health of .:'his sisters
Ben, SO tbey say, sis just HI on cocktails"
and can VI Fix way round the best barkeeper in
the land in mixing them. But the ''old man."
as he is affectionately called at the State house,
has yacht in the America we'll worth being
proud of. She is the fastest boat of her size
and rig in the world, having won first prizes in
contests IN home and foreign waters. The his
tory OF the America is most interesting one
She was built in the fall and winter Of 1S49 in
New York by the wel-known naval architect,
Mr.. George Steers and was launched in the
spring of 1850. Her dimensions then were as
follows: Length over all, 100 feet; on water
draught. IL feet inches. In 1851 the Amer
lea made trip across the Atlantic, and in Au-
gust of that year won the Queens Cup at
Cowes. Shortly afterward she raced with the
English schooner Titania, then the fastest
yacht in British waters, for purse of Ell 900,
and beat her: She was then sold to an English
nobleman, and her rig changed This un-
doubleday reduced her speed. aud she did but
| little in the racing line for several sea-
sons. She was laid up for two or three years,
and in 1860 was purchased by celebrated
Thames boat builder for comparatively small
sum. He replanted and retimbered her With
teak wood, but did not alter her model In
| after fast vessels to run the blockade of South
ern ports, bought her and sent her to Nassau,
near Providence. There she was thoroughly
fitted out for blockade runner, and made
four successful trips with valuable cargoes.
On her fifth trip she was chased by federal
fcy11n hnN md into how {ho 1ohr