The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-20
RACING IN THE ROADS.
THE CREW OF THE SHIP SANFRAN-
CISCO THE TICTORS,
And Right Royalty Did They Celebrate
Their Conquest-Addition of the French
Fleet-Thevarious Languages.

FORTRESS MONROE, VA, April 19.-
To-rIeht the men Of the San Francisco
cwn the earth, and they seem to have
a fence iround 1t. In every race in
which their crews rowed to-day they
came off victorious. With the finest ship
in the feet, with John Crittenden Watson
for their commander. and now with vic
tory perched on all their banners they are
willing 10 challenge the world and give
odds. The enthusiasm Of the San Fran
cscians at Fort Monroe tonight is hila-
rious enough TO be heard across the three
thousand mil,s OF land that stretch from
here to the city OF the Golden Gate. The
men are of on liberty, the officers are
exultant, and even the little boats, with
the monogTams 5. f. upon their bows,
dance with more than usual lightness upon
the waves. Nor is the exultation confined
merely 20 the officers and men Of the
crack ship. All the Americans are happy
because in a contest with the most ath-
letic fellows in the English and the Rus
sian fleet American muscle, American
skill and American boats carried off the
palm. The races were rowed In the quiet
waters of Elizabeth river. Boats were
so thick that a man might almost have
walked dry shod from the crowded
wharves of Norfolk on one side to the
equally dense throngs Of people In Ports
mouth on the other. There were, or
course. the usual craft that make
regatta scene one of lively interest, but
in addition to these the launches and
cutters ard gigs of the various war
vessels. hying both strange and familiar
colors. gave to the scene touch OF IN
ternational interest. a group Of Eng
lish officers in a barge, the Russian cap
tain pulled by his quaint crew, the DlacK
bearded Frenchmen and Italians, the
sunnv-haired Teutons and even the
nhIcgnratic Hollanders were out upon the
water. Naturally, however, there were
more Americans than foreigners so that
the United states flag was conspicuous.
If was interesting, too, TO observe thd'
while the contests were IN progress az
American and an English cutter lay s'u1
bv side. and every little gust Oh VIM
twined the emblems OF the TWO GUM
tries in affectionate embrace .
when the san Francisco's slx-oarod gig
corna sweepir- across the line In the hrsl
roco leaving the Philadelphia and the
plolfe and the Chicago and the two nus
sions 10 come in the order named, there
y,oe howl of Joy. When in the secohu
event the San Francisco's barge WIN
t,,.oi,-e rereniring men urged on by an
excited coxswain. carried off a little plach
FLAG. ornamented with yellow stars anu
q vellower rooster. the howl grew W ."
prolonged roar. Then, after something ot
n tussle with the white-shirteu men "
,ho partridee the San Francisco's whale
hot headed the procession Of struggling
crews the roar became a whirlwlnd
of sound and finally, when almost Il
nock and neck race with the Baltimore
dinev resulted I'm an unbrOken series OF
victory. the men went mad with ueish-
and filed the air with a cyclone OF yeils'
Tar more interesting. indeed. than the
races themselves, although the Iatter
were well-contested. was this exhiblnon
Of llnrestrained excitement. The Jolly
lack tars fell upon each others necks In
| their exuberant glee, and not even n
| tumble overheard. which was threatened
several times. would have cooled their
| wroughtup emotions. They had great
cry. too. like a college yell: "S-a- n-F-r'a N
| c-i-s-c-o. San Francisco, rah" they
shouted in unison. with lungs abnor-
mally developed by bowling down a gale
At sea They cheered the Russians and
the Englishmen and everybody else and
| were as heartily cheered In return. They
even gave the Russian Captain. who
/
! sance and rousing cheer
1t would have seemed strange TO n pro-
fessiOnal oarsman, used to fragile and
dainty shells, so light that a man can
carry them upon his shoulder, and so
narrow that they tip over If "A man does
not part his hair I'm the middle, TO have
| seen the boats I'm which the races were
! rowed to-day. In the roOmy stern of a
twelve-oared barge n man might set up
housekeeping and find as much Conven-
| ience as is contained in the average
modern fiat. A six-Cared gig the boat
which naval etiquette regards as the
CAPTAINS exclusive property. Is large
! enough to dance a hOrnppe In. while
| smaller craft than a ships whale boat
have crossed the briny seas and made
| port safely on the other side. But, though
| wide I'm beam and high of sides. these
| boats were not awkward or unattractiNe.
They had long graceful bows, which sent
| the water dashing to one side as they
| swept swiftly along, and the brilliant
white Of their sides made an effective
setting for the blue-bloused tars within.
Their oars were so long and heavy and
| numerous that when the seven twelve
cared cutters started on together at the
sound of a pistol Il looked as If a forest
of cut and hewn lumber had suddenly
| breathed into it the breath of life.
| A Touch of humOr was given TO a scene
| already enlivened by a gay display Of
| bunting from a thousand boats and build
| ings, by the way in which the catamaran
| crew OF the Philadelphia appeared. a
| catamaraH is an ungainy thing, almost
| square. with high sides and is used to
! carry off persons from sinking snip.
| This particular catamaran contained as
| grotesque n crew as ever climbed a
| Jacobs ladder, There were seven men
| of-warsmen aboard. one was blonde
with a wig red enough TO light u pipe,
| and a peagreen dress Another mas
| dueraded as Uncle Sam, another was a
| typical bum-bOat woman. and all the rest
were as outre as the most rag-tag ana
| bob-tan attire could make them. The
| boat was fitted up as travesty OF their
own ship. A barrel served as a boiler. and
| from a stove-pipe painted the standard
| color dense clouds of smoke arose. The
| solitary mast was rugged with single
| yard, and from the latter as well as from
| the mast Itself a string of wash clothes
| foated gaily as signals. A slush' bucket
| did duty as a speed ball. which all ships
| display when in motion. and was run high
| in the air whenever the fancifully dressed
| crew began to work industriOusly with
| the shovels which they used for oars.
Across the stern the name OF the funny
| little thing was painted. 1t was simply
| the word Soup" The course which this
absolutely uhequalled race-bOat navigated
was from shore to shore. and as no other
| catamaran appeared TO contest supremacy
| 1t had walkover
| Lieutenant G. A. Colohan, OF the Ben
| nington, a man whose name is synony
| nous i'm the navy with athletic sports
| acted as started, and the judges were
| IIeutenants r. NJ. Potts of the San Fran
| cisco, r. S. Rogers of the Chicago, Val
1 o,,tro NTolvo, of the Concord and lien