Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-11-28
YACHT ON WHEELS.
BEING AN ACCOUNT OF STRANGE ADvEN-
TURE IN FLORIDA.


The three amateur yachtsmen who
comprised the crew of the cabin sharpie
Alicia had been told these advantages be-
fore leaving Connecticut last November,
and the cruise in Florida waters was the
carrying out of plans made long before.
The 20 foot sharpie was shipped to Jack
sonville from New York by a Clyde
steamer, and sailed from there to st.
Augustine outside. The run down the
days, and the cruise down the wide Hal
flax River was rendered very pleasant by
fair winds.
In a week we entered the Indian River,
which lay ahead for 100 miles without a
curve, three miles in width, its distant
blue sweep melting mistily into the
horizon line. At Titusvilie we picked up
small darkey for cook, Cephus by name.
The Banana River is a wide tributary
flowing parallel with the Indian River
along the ocean, and is a famous duck
ing ground. Here we determined to stay
Tor two or three weeks in cove about
ave miles north of False Cape, in the
midst of splendid fishing and turtling.
On the beach across the narrow penin-
sula from where the sharpie was an
chored stood a weather darkened hut,
unoccupied but substantial and solid 1t
was an odd, massive cabin built from
ships timbers and wreckage with bat
tered schooner's galley for kitchen.
The cabin had been built from the wreck
age of the steamship Vera Cruz, which
foundered of Cape Canaveral in 1880,
with great loss of life. The fisherman
builder was dead and sand crabs we're
the only occupants, aud it offered well
come change from the cramped quarters
on the Alicia. Cots, stove, and camp
-duffie" were moved in after putting
canvas hinges on the plank door and
window shutters and spreading spare
staysail on the leaky roof Two days
were spent in oyerhauling and painting
the yacht and getting settled, and no
time was given to sport. However, Ma
comber, the captain, had a turn for va
grancy, aud wandered off each afternoon
TO bring home a stringo of mangrove snap
pers, nice bag of quail, or brace of
yellow pineapples. His sreinforcements to
the cuisine were welcome and he was only
,ectured mildly for neglecting his work.
However, on our turning out the third
morning he was missing, gun and game
Rag also gone, and it was concluded that
ne had gone after the raccoons which fed
on the mangrove oysters. About 10
o'clock Hughes, who was shortening a
uair of trousers with the camp hatchet
IN the beach, called out: "Here's sail
I,oat in the breakers. We'd better amble
clown and find out the trouble"
ran out and looked south where he
pointed 1t was low tide, and for 10
miles the cleaning boulevard stretched
away 300 feet wide About two miles
lown the sheen Of white sail showed
right in the tumbling breakers. 1t looked
sery small in the distance, and the rig
could not be made out 1t did not toss,
and the boat was either sunk or ashore,
so we could do no good by running At
ter five minutes brisk walking, q black
speck showed on the beach with the sail
cleaning over it. To our amazement it
suddenly shot across the sand and appar-
emily capsized. But it righted and start
ed off on another tack, coming swiftly
toward us, and increasing in size and
Inysteriousness every instant. Whatever
it was, it was not slow, and the wonder
was solved in a short 10 minutes Less
than 100 feet away a sloop rugged
"wheelboatr was bearing down at a 1G
knot rate, with the lost Macomber at the
helm, hatless and showered with sand,
but with pose triumphant. He luffed his
strange craft into the wind, and it
stopped with shaking sails. Hughes and
I, absorbed, studied the outlines of the
machine, oblivious of the commander.
Tie beach yacht was about Is feet long,
the body, a frame four feet wide, Of light
plank. tapering toward the stern. A
pair Of large but Light buggy wheels were
placed about three feet from the bow,
slae axle supporting the deck frame.
Under the rear end was smaller and
heavier steering wheel pivoted in an iron
frame, and turned by long tiller on
deck. The machine carried a mainsail
with boom and gaif, and jib and about
30 yards of canvas. In short, it was
an iceb0at on wheels.
After the skipper had Delayed the sheets
and rubbed the sand out Of his eyes and
hair he condescended to explain in sar-
castle and arrogant style: I'm the man
who wouldn't help move the rubbish into