The Portland daily press., 1895-06-03
One Of the Most Successful Cruises
in Its History.
ONLY ONE SHOWER DURING FIVE
PLEASANT DAYS.
How Hawaii Was Sung in Bootbbay Har-
Dor, and How the Singers Won APP
plause-The Impromptu Races Which

1t was pretty sight yesterday after
noon when the Portland Yacht club fleet
came flying up the bay, with the white
capped water foaming into the lee soup
pers. 1t was an exciting finish of one of
the pleasantest cruises in the history of
the club. From the time when the boats
made that rattling good start on last
Wednesday afternoon to the dropping of
the anchors off the club house yesterday
nothing marred the enjoyment of the
members of the squadron.
The fleet ON Wednesday ran to Mackerel
Cove and, as already reported in the
PRESS, everybody retired early to be
ready for the next days long run to
Christmas Cove, a beautiful little harbor
in the town of Bristol. The day dawned
fair and the weatherwise predicted good
sailing weather. In this they were right,
by the middle of the forenoon, the waters
of the cove being ruff1ed by fresh easter
ly breeze. The boats made good start
and courses were then shaped for Christ
mas Cove. All the cruising sails were
brought into use, but there was no chance
for kites. The event of the day was an
exciting brush between the Marietta,
Captain Clifford, and the Swirl Captain
Prisbrey. The Swirl was fifteen minutes
ahead of the Marietta on the start, but at
the finish the white cutter was only fifty
seconds behind. For miles, the yachts
sailed so well together that biscuit
could have been thrown from one to the
other. The Cruiser, Vesuvius and all the
rest came into the cove in bunch about
a quarter of an hour later.
That evening, Commodore Bray enter
tained the club at reception on the flag
ship Vesuvius. Many of the yachtsmen
went ashore to see the boats being built
by the Bristol boat builders, whose fame
is something more than local
Friday, of course, was pleasant for all
the days of the cruise were ideal yachting
weather. This statement has been made
before, but it can bear repetition as it is
not in the memory of man when such
weather was vouchsafed the yacht club
during its cruise. The yachtsmen de-
voted the day to short runs in the vicini-
ty. Some went to Pemaquid, where the
Willie left an anchor, which in some far
distant time, may be fished and added to
the relics of the ancient settlement whose
paved streets the yachtsmen went ashore
to see. The anchor got grip on some
| thing and refused to let go. The fleet
| rendezvoused for the night in Boothbay
Harbor. That gun will never be fired
unless somebody succeeds in fishing it
out of the mud. The evening in Booth
bay Harbor will not soon be forgotten,
thanks to the efforts of the Athletic club
opera company, or the large part of it
that was there, and the Marietta
orchestra. The Cruiser Captain Elmer
son, was the stage, the audience, includ-
ing many Boothbay young people, sat in
small boats round about, and the moon,
shining in cloudless sky took the place
of calcium light effects. Hawaii was
given successful rendition, with Messrs
Orr, Warren and Mitchell in their old
parts, and all the popular airs of the day
| followed. The orchestra was not as large
as that used in the Portland presentation,
but the violin and mandolin, and of
course that famous instrument, the comb,
played by Mitchell-when he wasn't sing
| ing-made music evidently highly ac-
ceptable to the audience, who vigorously
| applauded each member after they had
received a hint that few marks of en-
couragement would be appreciated. The
hint came from Mr.. Mitchell, to whose
question: "Do you people like this enter
| tainment?" there was general chorus of
'yes" 'sThen show it, came next
After that there was no lack of applause
| The concert lasted until ten O'Clock.
After that one cabin after another was
darkened and soon only the riding lights,
making swaying spots of light in the
darkness denoted the presence of the
| feet.
| The roar of the gun at colors Saturday
morning, found all hands ready for an
other days sport, and after an entire
| Boothbay stock of white duck hats had
been purchased to cast little cooling
| shade on two score sun burned faces. the
| fleet got under way again, and beat out
of Boothbay against light head wind.
1t was a pretty start and pretty sail, all
the yachts being for long time within a
radius of mile The sea was smooth,
so smooth in fact that even around
gloomy Seguin the surface of the water
was as clam as pond. 1t became evident
early in the day that the honors of the
first arrival were to be shared by the
Swirl and the Vesuvius OF course, as
the flagship waits until all the other
yachts are under way, the Swirl had a
considerable advantage. The two boats
gradually drew away from the others, ex-
eept the gamey little Sirocco, which kept
an advantage gained in the start until
long after Small Point was passed, when
some of the big boats went by her. Be.
hind the Swirl and Vesuvius the Mariota
held her own, with the cruiser and Lena
nearby, Small Point being passed in that
order.
The run then became procession, the
Viva and the schooner Beatrice pulling
up along the line towards the head the