Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-12-17

All lC0 INIubSMEn uNN0 thCAA
rlgs, and the controversy over them Is
as heated as the time honored dispute
between Euglishmen aud Yankees as to
whether the center board yacht or the
cutter is the best type. A few years
ago quite q autter was caused among
yachtsmen who favored the jib and
mainsail ice yacht by the advent Of the
lateen sail, which could be made nat
and tight as q drumhead. Several lateen
rugged yachts did fairly good work, but
when the Scud. with her 725 foot lateen
sail, defeated the famous Dreadnaught
and covered q five me- course In
about six minutes the part'sanS Of the
jib and mainsail type Of ice yachts were
greatly alarmed. II soon developed,
however, that while the lateen sail gave
a yacht the spreed Of a whirlwind In a
gale it was practically worthless In a
light or ordinary breeze. The Scud has
since adopted the loop rig, which seems
to be satisfactory 10 all kinds OF wealth
err. Cat-rigged Ice yachts also have their
admirers, and this type has shown very
creditable speed.
The first American ice yachts, built
near PoughkeepSie neaaly a quarter Of
a century ago, were crude affairs
simply rough sleds rugged with sails.
Since then devotees OF the sport have
improved their skimmers until the
typical yacht Of to-day is q racing ma
chine built on scientific principles and
possessing the speed OF a hurricane.
The origin OF the sport is shrouded In
the gloom OF antiquity, but IT is known
that centuries ago the people OF north
ern Europe possessed ice yachts, used
them In traffic aud probably raced with
them as American yachtsmen do now.
A Western novelty closely resembling
the ice yacht is the t%oboggan or snow
yacht. which skins over the prairies at
a high rate OF speed. The steering
gear is simply a pole, and some OF the
snow yachts are fitted at the masthead
with q fat iron wire, which acts as a
sort OF cowcatcher when the yacht goes
sailing under telegraph wires.
ice yachting Is apparently one OF the
most dangerous sports, but despite the
lightning speed attained few people
have ever been injured. The first ride
on an ice yacht Is an experience never
TO be forgotten. Ones breath Is taken
away as the great whIte-wInged
craft fairly flies over the Ice,
ones heart seems rising in his throat,
and the feeling OF exhilaratlon, OF
being drawn upward and away from the
friendly runner plank, causes the nov
ice to feel a strange weakness IN the
knees and to clinRito the stays as III for
dear life. With the possible exception
OF dropping down an elevator shaft at
the rate Of 1000 feet In 90 seconds 10 a
big salt mine at Plffard, n. Y, my 6rst
trip on an ice yacht was the most thrill
ing ride 1 ever experienced. Famil-
iarity with the sport, however, soon
causes the ice yacht novice TO forget
his fears, and he soon thoroughly enjoys
lyiug over the fields of Ice at a speed
that auses King EOlus TO howl With
envy as he sees his speediest gales fair
ly distanced.
Ice yachtmen are great story ~tellers,
and the yarns they spin about lesping
immense cracks In the ice and sailing
safely over hickory benders thin as
tissue D out. Munchausen the late
baron himself. One veracious Hudson
river historian, who could easily give
points on things marvellous to toe
famous Joe MulhAtton, is willing TO
make affidavit that his ice yacht once
cleared the broad stretch Of open water
through which the Newburg-Flshkill
ferry runs. 1--WE not only cleared the
cut" says this new George Washing
ton, "but, do you know, we went over
a ~ferryboat, too, and the terrific draft
caused by our yacht actually drew the
ferryboat's fres up through her smoke
stacks. and a trail Of fame followed us
two mile down the river, singing holes
through the backs our OF ~oveTcoats."
EARLE +. EATON.