The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-01-12
A CANOE CATAMARAN.

A CANOE CATAMAkAN.
An American Artillery omcers
Wonderful Invention.
A Little Boat That Can BE Packed In .
Trunk and Which II Certainly Inval-
liable, According to tho Guilt
bility of tho Reader.
An object which attracts much attention
at the fort is peculiar vessel built for
sporting, hunting, fishing and exploring
purposes, writes Fort Schuyler CORE
spond ant to the Baltimore american Some OF
your readers will remember the adventures
of Captain Riley, Of former years, in his
attempts at carrying boats across country
from water to water. After much expert
menting in this line of exploration, Captain
s. A. Day, of the Fifth Artillery, built his
first exploring boat for use in the rivers
and swamps OF Florida. A winter spent in
one of these boats suggested.the possibility
Of further improvements, which he has
embodied in one recently con tructed. and
which seems to be the perfection OF its
kind. 1t is made to carry party of from
tuA W oAA tC4 SOAAS3 V4GAA q 0SA ScA4V ~AAN "
complement of dogs, ammunition and pro-
visions for a comfortable winters CAM
paign. It is rugged " fore and aft" with
two masts, has mansail, foresail, two top
sails and ordinarily three jibs, with the
possible addition Of two more, if desired!
It sails almost into the eye of the wind, but,
in case Of dead calm, may be rowed rapid
lv by one or several persons. 1t has excel
lint double steering apparatus, plenty Of
sheets and stays, awnings, cabins, berths,
lockers and bunkers, but marvellous to tell,
the entire craft-.hull, masts, sails and all
can be taken to pieces, packed in the
space Of en- ordinary trunk and shipped by
railway as baggage.
The groundwork OF the vessel, so to
speak, is a couple Of canoes made of canvas
and yoled together in catamaran sty'-.
The greatest care is required to manipulate
one of cheese canoes by itself, as you in
va:iably capsize if you attempt to carry
your knife in the wrong pocket. But when
put together Boreas himself can not upset
them. even with the ASSISTANCE Of Neptune
and his trident.
The canoes are twelve feet long. Be-
tween them is wooden bunker, six feet
long, the sides and ends of which form
Solid framework, which is the foundation Oh
the yolzing and rigging. The masts and
other long pieces OF wood are made inter-
changeable aud put together with ferrules,
aud so if any thing is broken something
else is always at hand to replace it, A can
r:as cabin is put up or down according to
the weather, 'affording effect al protection
,gainst either rain Or sun. When anchored
st night pieces of canvas are laced to-
gether, forming a delightful bed in each
canoe, and affording third one between
them. A servant oceu pies one end of the
boat outside, and the hunting dogs keep
their comfortable watch on the store
CASTLE" The boat has but little motion in
rough weather, while in the moderately
calm seas one is literally Crooked in the
cradle Of the deep" 1t ls astonishing to
find how quickly even "landiubber''
learns to feel general sensation Of secur
ity in this craft, which has only tie thick
ness OF an eggshell between h,m and the
bottom, which may be many fathoms be-
low. AS sailing rowing and fishing boat
can testify to it's perfection, having caught
founders in it by the hundred, until y grown
family Of IL dozen people were weary Of
locking at them. The tides around Fort
S;:',nv.er are always against you, wherever
or whenever you want to GO; bat having
nad 10 pull the canvas hack" against it,
always found the boat ready TO glide Owes.
Che water like swan rowing will, its :nsy
feet
In case Of rain, Or at night, the cabin is
protected aft by more canvas. With this
addition also the cabin becomes a very CON
yen,ent batb-house, from which we found it
convenient to jump into the water and Set
tie our scores personally with the sharks,
:ea crabs and lady crabs, GELS and other
enemies Of humanity to be found in the
depths. a small boy in our party drew up
shark as large as his captor. but ne Was
dismissed with thanks that he didn't know
enough to bite hole in our canvas bottom.
Lady visitors at The fort sometimes venture
out in the boat, although the first trip is 1.
severe trial OF feminine faith. On landing
they generally offer up thanks, with {. feel
ing OF deep gratitude that they are common
]y allowed to live on land. 1t seems almost
impossible to convince lady that n piece
OF cotton cloth is just as good as q tWo-inch
plank, as long as it keeps the water out It
certainly looks dangerous when cloth
boat, six inches above the water, encounters
q ''swash' that seems to be ten feet high,
b.t when the two meet the boat finds its
way to the top and rides safely over.
The light draught Of the exploring boa
makes IL dVallaDlc lOr hunting purposes
when no other kind of vessel could be used.
Three or four inches of water will float it,
while it's smooth bottom allows it 70 b.
pushed easily over any kind of seayveed or
swamp grass. Its color is near that of tue
water, and when used in duck shooting the
oca:. can be safely ballasted Gown to the
waters edge. In almost every respect the
exploring boat is a novelty, the ingenuity
of the builder having been displayed in
nearly every feature Among the hum
dreds of yachts and other vessels, from the
largest to the smallest, passing For'
Schuyler every day, no one has attracted
more attention than this diminutlve craft.
To the naturalist searching nature in her
hidden hooks and corners, as well as 10 the
sporting man expendlng his surplus energy
III unique experiences-apparent'y dangcr-
Gus, but really very comfortable. ad-
ventures, which may all be enlarged Or con-
tracted at the ':club' Accordlns 10 the es-
timated gullibility of his istener-Captaln
Days exploring boat is certainly nvalu-
aUle.
MRS. MARY M'kEE.
Presiucnt-Elect Harri>on's Daughter and
49,.