Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-13
THE FLYING VAM00SE
0utstrips Two Big Steamboats, in a
Race Up the Hudson River.
BOTH CRAFTS ARE BADLY BEATEN
By the Little Wonder, Which Also Holds a
Railroad Train Down.
A RACE WITH THE NORWOOD PROBABLE

NEW YORK, Sept Eff the Vamoose,
the little steam racing yacht built by the
Herreshoffs and owned by w. R. Hearst,
the young San Francisco millionaire, is not
the fastest craft afoat, then Norman L.
Monroe's little Norwood must prove it.
The Vamoose yesterday ran all around the
fast steamer Mary Powell, on the Hudson
river, and ran alongside passenger train
on the New York Central Railroad from
Yonkers to Hastings. Her owner and her
engineer now declare that she is the fastest
boat in the world, and unless the Norwood
is faster they are probably right.
The question is likely soon to be decided.
Mr.. Munroe has declared repeatedly in the
course of the last week that he believed that
the Norwood would beat the latest creation
of the Herreshoffs, and has expressad every
desire to arrange for a race with the
Vamoose. Mr. Hearst said last night that
he would see Mr.. Munroe and try to arrange
such contest
THE STEAMER DISTANCED.
1t was at 3:35 that the steamer Mary
Powell was seen to leave her dock. Every
thing was then favorable for brush. The
little Vamoose kept zig-zagging across the
river until Ninety-fourth street was reached,
in order that the Powell might catch up
with her. The two were bow and bow at
that point. The Vamoose had started with
about 220 pounds of steam pressure. With
this she began to rapidly run away from the
Powell. The steam pressure was run up to
240 pounds. Then the little racer fairly
flew. At $780, three minutes after the race
began, the Vamoose was shooting ahead of
the Powell, and five minutes later the big
river steamer was fully 200 yards to the rear
of her little competitor.
Coming about again she crossed the
Powell's stern and then headed up the river
The Powell was about one-third of mile
up the river by the time that the Vamoose
was Strengthened on her course In five
minutes from that time the sharp little bow
of the Vamoose was overlapping the stern
of the Powell, and the passengers aboard
the big steamer gave their speedy little
neighbor three rousing cheers.
1t was at 4:01 that the Vamoose this
caught up to the Powell AT 4:O4 she was
ahead of the big river boat, and at 4:05 the
Powell was certainly IS Yards behind. Then
the Vamoose crossed her bows again, her
little steam whistle shrieking saucily as she
did so.
That was practically the end of the brush
with the Mary Powell. The little Vamoose
gave her parting salute, and then went
scudding off toward Yonkers.
RACING A TRAIN.
When she got abreast of Yonkers pas
senger train, headed north on the New York
Central railroad, was seen pulling out of
the station. 1t was not an express train,
but was fairly fast local The little Va
moose was right on a line with the locomo-
tive of the train. Mr.. Hearst told the en-
gineer to push her along and see what she
would do.
The result was surprise The little craft
went through the water like knife. She
kept right along with the locomotive of the
train on the bank until Hastings was reached
four miles up the river Then the train
stopped. AS the Vamoose slowed down en-
gineer Heilborn said: 'T will wager my
life that this is the fastest steam craft in the
world"
Just then the New York, the fast steamer
of the Albany Day Line, which many of
the Hudson river steamboat captains say is
even faster than the Mary Powell, was
spied coming down the stream. The Va
moose, of course, had to give her brush.
footing challenge, which was acknowl-
edged from the big steamer by the effort to
put on more speed, as indicated bv the
black smoke from her smokestacks, the
little Vamoose steamed alongside her and
then began to run ahead. This brush soon
lost its interest, for the Vamoose got so far
ahead that the New York was out of the
race The little racing machine then ran
down to New York and tied up.