The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-08-03
GOMMUNIPAW CRUISING.
A Pleasant Place for Boat
ing Parties on the
Bay Shore.
YOU CAN HAVE A BATH, TOO
Liberty Smiles from Her Island on
the Merrymakers and Soda Water
Pops at the Landing.

DOEH9On III tk1tsI Lnby nave. q a6kl&4E1N
water resort at their very DOORS The
arm Of the New York Bay, which sweeps
in around the old Comrnunipaw shore
from the Central railroad docks TO the oil
works on Black Tom. affords excellent
opportunities for bathing and boating
1t IS not SO long ago that in addition TO
these attractions this was an exeellenth fish
inc ground, and In the season the string
piece of the Central Railroad crfbwork
used to be lined with anglers Of all ages
and degrees Of responsibility. The con
flnual dumping Ct refuse ia the bay. tho
advent OF the Gilwork ana other causes
eventually drove the fish away But the
boating and bathing remained. and now
almost any summer evening the shore
near the foot of Communipaw avenue
presents the appearance OF D miniature
Coney Island IN the neighDorhood OF The
Iron Pier
II does not take such a long stretch OF
the imagination TO draw parallel be-
tween the Iron pier and the pavilion OF
the boath0use at the foot Of the avenue
It is built out over the water and Is sup
piled with tables, and benches upon
which you can SIT down and watch
the antics of the batherH or
the frantic efforts of the nervous
young man as he tries to get his boat
away without f0uling some OF the many
crafts anchored off the float or lowering
his best girls opinion Of his experiences
as an oarsman. Then there is the same
white aproned volubie waiter who sup
plies you with pink ice cream and
gaseous beverages, which neither cheer
nor inebriate The same giggling daus6I
leans against the railing and suckers
immederately at the side remarks Of the
Bergen dude who lines up the gangway
to the boats and blows cigarette smoke
IN your face as You 60 by. Mothers with
babies in their arms occupy the seats &C
the tables. ana thankfully welcome the
refreshing breezes which blow mp through
the Narrows.
PRIMITIVE BATHING FACILITIES.
To che north OF this boethopse is TOW.
Of rough, anprefentious bathing houses,
which have been erected there squatter
fashion by the residents Of that vicinity
But these are wholly inadequate TO &C
which indulge in the refreshing sport
every evening in fair weather. Each OF
| the bathers is arEayed becoD1ingiy in q
bathing suit, and although none OF them
rival the elaborate costumes OF the Long
Branch or Asbury Park bathers, still
many of them have some pretensions to
| style and attractiveness.
The greater number OF the bath
ers prepare for the water at
their homes, which may be blocks
away from the shore, aud il IS
no uncommon sight to see people arrayed
in bathing suits hurrying up Commune
paw avenue to- -taair h0ines, leaving \
watery trail behind them At the point
where the bathing houses have been
erected the shore slopes gently down 10
deep water. This is the most popular
portion OF the shore and Is CROWDED
nightly with young boys learning TO
swim and older youths and men who
are subject to cramps" or for some
other reason do not care to venture OUT
further Than to where the water reaches
their waists. The more venturesome or
the bathers seek the water from the boat
house float, which affords them exceilent
1 facilities for diving.
There are some objections, however, to
bathing at this shallow place. The water
| is not as clean as could be desired, and
| the prospect Of being decorated with q
necklace of refuse is not pleasant to con-
template.
THE BOATING UNSURPASSED.
But there are no flies" on the boating
only mosquitoes. Otherwise il is
without drawbacks and 20 be INDUCED in
with pleasure and satisfaction seldom
! obtained anywhere else The bouts them
selves are kept scrupulously clean and
water tight, and the impecunious young
man can engage one of them for an entire
evening without being obliged to econo-
rnize on car fares aud lunches during the
I n
The facilities for entering and leaving
the. boats are excellent. and thar hazzrd-
/ Gus undertaking may be accomplished by
a young lady without wetting her skirts
or endangerlng the equilibrium Of tbs
craft. IL is quite fad among the young
people of Lafayette and Bergen and many
| not quite so young, to seek the Conn
munipaw avenue boat house when the
cool eot the evening comes on There
they embark in the row boats and start
out in the direction Of Liberty Island
| Some times there are parties Of three or
four couples in the same boat.
Often two couples will start away to-
| gether. but more often it is the suscepti-
Bile young man, with his best girl COM
fortably ensconced in the stern, who
struggles manfully with the oars to get
! beyond the quizzical gaze of the people on
the pavilion. As these parties rapidly
| Al the boats and get away the float pre-
sents a most animated scene, and
almost the same hustle and confusion
ensues as when a steamer is about to-sail-
There are the pretty little screams OF the
1 girls as the light crafts yield TO
| the gentle touch Of their dainty feet.
| the bold assertion OF the escorts that
| there is no danger. as they heroically
brace themselves and prepare TO hand
I their fair charges into the boat, the
| shouts of the people already launc he'd as
they call out to some one ahead or direct
| the man at xhe oars to pull strong with
his right or back with his left, and 3
score of other noises. which make the
| scene an eniivening one.
THE BEAUTIES OF THE BAY.
A few minutes steady pulling brings
the excursionist out Of the anchorage OF
the yachts belonging to the clubs which
have their houses along the shore. into
the deep water where the gentle swell OF
the bay is caught.
A half hour later your boat Is within
| the shadow of Miss Ldberry's torch.
! This is a pleasant spot TO rest on
| your oars and ride upon the
swell You are far enough from
| the city to lose ITS noise and clatter and
its hustle and confusion comes TO you
like the hum of some distant hive, Away
out In the channel the lights Of the nu-
merous ferry aud STEAMBOATS, Tit BY like
as many fire flies, willis the lamps OF tho
Brooklyn Bridge twinkle Like some new
! consultations IN the heavens.
The hills OF Stanton loom up darkiy
against the evening sky and with their
| electric lights now almost fading from
| view, now flashing up, look for all the
\ world like the old diamond mountains We
read of in the fairy tales.
Amy one who has never indulged in this
| pleasant evening pastime in this arm Of
the bay has any idea of the many astfao-