River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-08-15
AN OUTING on THE SEA SHORE.
Sea Bathing-Boat RACING Bicycling
the Daily Sports of the Resorter.
Historic Places Visited and New Eng
land Customs Described.
COTlsCE CITY,
MARTHA's NINYARD, MASS. =,
August < 1stf5

Ola anu new, past ana present, east
and west, land and water, sea and
sky, am in bewildcring maze of
uncertainty as towho am or where
belong. My return TO Boston
seems like the swinging back into
place OF drawbridge that for nine
years has stood open for the passage
of a mighty squadron. So perfect is
the reunion that 1856 seems all the
time like yesterday. After three
weeks of enjoyment among old scenes
and old friends / came down here to
this ancient island to enact scene
second of my vacation drama. 1t is a
delightful spot of cooling breeZes and
merry people, where life is a long
holiday and Neptune woos with every
charm that the grand old sea affords.
So enticing are his wiles that / have
given myself up to every revel he
provides. / am just in from yacht
ing scenes. A fleet of about 250 yachts
has arrived in our harbor, the occasion
being one of the celebrated Newport
yachting races the end of the course
terminating here. For three days
the interests of life at Martha's
Vinyard have centered i'm the white
| winged city that dots the blue waters
of Vinyard Haven harbor. / CHANGED
to be out in steamer as the fleet
was coming in and as our boat made
its way through the crowded harbor
we passed alongside many of the
yachts and caught glimpses of the
strange bustling life on shipboard
White clad men were hurrying from
place to place on their floating
worlds intenu on errands as unin-
telligible to me as the goings to and
| fro Of industrious ants. We were
still on the water when the guns
were Sred to announce the close of
the race and the roar and smoke of
cannon were very exciting and might
have been terrifying had not the
times been times of peace instead of
war. Although there were about
thirty racing boats of various classes
all interest was centered in the
! champion yachts Defender, Vigilant,
| and Jubilee as upon one of them the
| honor of competing with the English
yacht Valkyire for the American cup
in the coming Sept. races. As l
watched their swift, stately, graceful,
silent movement, their almost
supreme mastery over wind and wave
| fell under the spell and entered into
| the enjoyment of the occasion with
the zest of an old Salt. The boats
carry spread of sail that is frightful-
ly overpowering to a landsman. The
boats themselves seemed but a toy in
the shadow of the sails and the men
| but helpless manikins at the mercy of
sail and wind and wave. Not so,
however, for the huge sails were
servants of the tiny manikins at
whose bidding both wind and waye
were overruled. Though the strong
wind filled the sails and carried the
boat from side to side till it dipped
water and the huge heave of the
| pillows lifted first one end and then
| the other to a perilous inclination,
still they ploughed their way through
every difficulty with feaTlessness
that was majestic. A asst as they
came to anchor their white sails were
| swiftly and snugly furled leaving a
q. Oh
| before had been a white winged city
of sails. The great attraction of the
evening was the illumination of the
boats. The whole population turned
out TO see the brilliant sight. Little
could be seen in the darkness but the
myriad lights that might have shone
| from the streets of lighted city.
Many elegant visiting yachts were in
the fleet, among them the Valiant,
Vanderbilt's floating palace. Yacht
| ing parties of ladies and gentlemen
and excursion parties from distant
ports all added to the gaiety of the
occasion. To-day the return race to
| Newport was made. 1t was superb
sight to see the great fleet get under
way. One by one the ships spread
| their white sails and moved like
| stately swans about the harbor
waiting for the signal to start. With
other enthusiasts / took boat and
went out to the starting line TO see
| the race begin. As the first gun
sounded from the signal ship the
smaller yachts swept across the line.
When they were fairly under way a
second gun signalled the departure of
the schooners and some dozen elegant
boats were under way. Explanations
of delight were heard on every side as
favorites fell into position, some good
some bad. But the excitment
reached its highest pitch when the
last signal was given and the three
splendid 81 ops swung into line and
began a race for championship. On
the race up, the Defender was vic
toriouS and the hopes of the yachting
world are centered in her, as by that
victory she won the right TO compete
with the English yacht for the
American cup. The harbor was full
of spectators and every eye followed
the three boats till their sails were
but lines of white against the blue
horizon. The result of the race will
be given you by the press, but no
words can convey the spirit of it, or
the grandeur OF noble ship under
full sail.
But yachting is By no means the
only sport that has aroused the
Neptunian spirit within me. The
popular and every day pastime is
bathing. Boating will do, but it is
bathing that transforms you in more
ways than one. Talk about boomers
and bicycle suits and the ballet. Why
they can't compare with bathing
suits in the possession of all the
several and sundry Objectionable
features that are condemned in the
former. Since donning a bathing
suit and entering the list of bathers
on public beach, With spectators
galore on the land and companions
| - -. =. .l,a 600 I hara M right II