Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-10-20
THE "lilKER."
An Aqdniic Racchorae whss Habitat is
on thu Delaware. .-'

An Aqdniic Racchoras WhsS Itb'Rt 10
on thu Delaware. .-'
The "hiker' is an aquatic rae horse
not more than fiftc.n feet long. with
out deck. with ma away up in the
bow, and W tn single sail big enough
for gool-si>cd yacht. The 'hiker"
does not carry any ballast except that
which can move about on two legs. In
other words, her crew OF four OF live
men are her ballast. In ordor 10 utl-
lie their weight 80 as 10 prevent cap
81 ing, the unknown genius who invent
el the 'hikcr" devised the following
SCENE; In len1d TO the conter-board
the mast and the lowe. yard Of the sail
are five or six ropes. which are long
eIOugh to hand over one side into the
waIe. On the enIs which go over the
silc are fastened y rs Of woJd. and on
these bars OF WOO hang the human
ballast
An admirabls illustration o. the
working OF Til. simple bu. rather moist
d Y ce i Afforded during eycry regatta
OF the Southwark Yacht Club. Tue
Southwark Is conpo'ei entirely OF
..hikers." eithec with a double
or single bow Whea The sttrt ng
gun is Tired, from thirty TO fifty r.p'ors
dip across the lnc az their crews
frantically haul up the sails. They
continue hauling until such spread OF
canvas is displayed that any spe-ta-
tor WHO was not acquainted with the
u .e Of the apparently usalcs' ropes and
wooden bars, which seem 10 bU only in
the way OF the men, would say at
once that the unballasted little boats
would so over before the first quarter
m lie was finished.
On they glide down the river. gath
ering increased momentum W th each
moment. Still their progress is COM
paratvcly slow, ttere beng but Il
breath OF air. The crews all sit
staring at the sa and the river be-
hind. Suddenly the Iuill ng of the
water tolls Of the coming OF pul
Uf wnI. Tho crew OF cn h III kcr
SO amblo over TO the windward sile
and perrh themselves on tho gunwalrS
with the bars of wood in Their llanlS.
Perhaps The wind blows Stead ly-
perhaps it strikes Them in gu,h. II
tho former, then the mon sit where
they arc. ba ancing tim craft smPl
by their all being on one side. But
( ospe ally While tacking the ''hi
kcr's" spread OF anvas above prove
too much for her and she plungrs oscr
the Captain yells frunctically hike
over"
la an instant the ropes are stretched
taut aud the wooden bars d sappeal
into the watr FOLLOWED BY the men OF
the poSterior part Of them. Only thci
legs ruma II n the boat rs they st or
the tran 'vers1 bars and hold on to th'
ropes. Every other wave slrges up t
their necss. aud often dip TO wind
ward submergcs them com,lo cly will
the exception OF their legs. WA ci
ilou ish wildly up over tho $ de of tn
boat but who thcy rcappcar again tn
craft has beon saved from capsising b.
ths sud len hanging out o from SUO T.
over 1000 pounls on the windwar
side. Sometimes an entire tack acros
the liver is made " til tho crew ''hikin
out in this manner.
Sometimes us t'ey come about, !
sp to Of the T efforts. the wind prove
too strong for tIon and the side the
are sitting over Is raised h gh in III
air. Then for a few brief scco ID
every nerve is strained as they rull o
tho ropes and hang, almost Dead dowr
ward. over the side. They may slccee
an keep tho boat from cap sizing. o
they may all cNecGe gra ID llyin
leap as the ''hikcr goes over an the
are thrown forward into the sal ] hi
however, happens only when there
an unusually strong wind or when la
management is shown in ''comin
about at the wrong lime. AMI. eve
il they do cap'izo. there is no han
done OF course. they are out of th
race but that il all. Tho tugs an
steamers that follow | lex thom up an
tow the half submerged boat ba
home again, where she is rightcd an
bailed out.
On many OF the races at least te
mon are taken in each Loaf The
serve to keep her steady as long rs til
breeze is too stiil or the cruise
against the wind. But il, after III
buoy is rounded and the wind die
away, the captain glances signiiicantl
atone OF the crew, the yachtsman gin
pulls of his boots and drops overheard
Perhaps he is picked up. perhaps he
not noticed i, the excitement of th
race aud is loft to take car
OF himself. In this casa he callnl
srlkes out for the shore. half
mile away. Sonnet mos half n doze
mon arc dropped over in this mannc
from one boat, in order to Tighten he
and keep her rivals from orawlin
ahead. But woe to the captain VIII
sacrifices too many OF his m1n. Ther
may come up an Unforeseen win an
bowl over tho too lightly ballaste
boat in the twinkling OF an eye.-iEi
Gdelphia iress.