Evening journal., 1898-05-05
ME MOSQuIrO FLEET.

THE MOSQUITO FLEET.
Having nothing better to do, an af- |
ternOon or two ago, the Wayfarer took |
a stroll out around Eleventh street |
bridge. place but little frequented by |
persons who reside on the West Side OF |
town. It was we'll worth the visit, for |
the purpose of seeing the mosquito |
feet, II for nothing else. There are
more small boats there, and of better
style and quality, than any place else
in town. In fact it is an anchorage
affected by lots OF the small boat OWL
ers.
The mosquito fleet navy yard is just
above the bridge 1t is Immediately
back of the large bill-bOards and is
known as "The Orchards" from the
fact that there is one peach tree on the
/ reservation and it annually supplies
each boat cwner with one peach-sOme-
times less, but never more Fronting on
the river are several floating fisher
mems cabins, staSed in or blocked up,
and three or four hand-me-dOwn boat
houses belonging to the more opulent
lovers Of aquatic sport. Moored to
white buoys. or up on the bank in pro-
cess of repair, are the boats constitut-
ing the mosquito fleet, with Alvord p.
Whitaker as admiral and John r. Kill
mer as commodore The steam yacht
/ Crescent belonging to Admiral Whit
aker, is the flagship, but the fighter Of
the fleet Is the Nadjy, belonging to
Commodore Kilmer. She carries a ten
inch gun-that is, ten inches lOng-and
recently went out on the Delaware to
greet her sister ship, the st. Paul, as
she was proceeding to Cramps ship
yards to be converted into an auxiliary
cruiser. The st. Paul sent three or four
ten-fOot waves at her, which threatened
to dismount the ten-inch bOw-chaser or
to so disarrange its elevation as to rem
der it unfit for use. Down the bank
little piece is the slOOp yacht Restless.
Some young fellows bought her because
she was cheap, and for several weeks
poor lone carpenter has been re-
building her, finding an opportunity
here and there to work in little piece
of the old wood. BY the time he gets
through he expects that everything
about her, from keel to truck, will be
brand new with the exception OF her
name. and there is some talk Of chang
ing that to Regretful RetrOspectiOn.
Captain Clinch's yacht Beatrice. which
has the same motive power as the VIII
mingtOn Coal Gas Company, although
declaring no dividends, is in readiness
for anything and the captain saws that
gas can be used TO run a beat Just as
well as to run a town Of 10000 inhabi-
tants Anchored in mid-stream is Cap
tain Wing HuttOns sloOp-yacht Dot
She is in pretty good condition and has
n beam on her like Queen Lillikoulani
His sturgeon skiff Afterwhile. is at pres
ent in command of Captain Ellis. who
is stationed down the river keeping an
eye on the Spaniards, and ready to
OBJ On "a fcr mouth ot
he sees the Spanish sturgeon feet cruis-
ing in Delaware waters The speedy
skiff Mascot, which is the pride of the
Brandywine in racing season, is down
the river in command Of Captain James
Il Lynn and Mate Price, engaged in the
plebian pursuit of catching shad for
market The boys say, however, that
there win be no scales on her when the
next Brandywine regatta is held Cap
tain Eli G.. Griffith, the well-knOwn
Ninth ward politician and mayor Of
Thatohers Island has his skiff, Get
There, out for repairs and expects to
have some wonderful stories to tell
when the fishing and cunning
season opens. Captain Emory Mullins
sloop-yacht Jenney, has been over
hauled and is in readiness for a season
of pleasurable recreation. One Of the
that Captain Mullin had secured a new
anchor, Of patent design, which will
crawl into the boat when he whistles
for it, and all the other captains in the
neighbOrhoOd want to get one like il
and teach it to retrieve ducks The
dead-rise batteau, owned by Captain
Charles Barnes, is ready for service and
will soon go through the white ash
treatment If the wind dies cut. She Is
fast, but does not possess any more
speed than her owner thinks she does,
When Captain Joe Jefferis gets his
sloOp-yacht Memo in shape for a cruise
he medtates taking some Of the boys
down to the fishing grounds, but not
until the trout begin to run. Captain
Buck HOrner announces that his clin-
ker-built skiff, Commodore Dewey, is
now ready to meet all corners in thai
class, and Captain Buckmaster, who
also owns a boat of the same sort. i!
walking around the orchard with
white-oak chip on his shoulder, darins
Captain Horner to knock il off. Up OF
the marine railway is Captain Wade
sharpey-rigged skiff Garfield. She wear
a white skirt, trimmed with old gOlt
passementerie, and a waist Of a diver
sity of cOlors. Taken altogether. sh
strikes a man as having "a decided,
fast appearance" as a homely and in
dressed woman would say of her prett,
and well-dressed neighbor
THOSE III. L." STONES.
Al.