The age-herald., 1898-02-06

minute with a lateen rig in a bowling gale. When this feat was accomplished one man was out the weather runner holding on to the shroud, and the man at the tiller was hanging on by his eyelids, afraid to breathe One of the men on this occasion tried to pray, but as all he could think of was Now lay me-" he gave up the attempt, and devoted himself to hanging on like grim death. That was a race in a squall.
 The ice boat of 9 few years ago was Q duck boat of very primitive type with three runners all burnished. and sharpened. This boat was quite expensive and led up to the present ones of great cost. Nowadays the boat that races with the Empire State Express has runners of tobn bronze, blocks of aluminium and rigging of the finest quality of flexible silver steel. Tho sails of the new craft arc as elegantly made the muslin of the Defender, and the same trouble is taken to secure that exquisite whiteness so noticeable in the yachts that sail for the America's cup.
 The best results have been obtained from the craft that carries only a baby jib, just for balancing purposes. Her mainsail gives her the motive power. It has Q very high peak, like that of an up-to-date racing catboat, and the rigging is of finest wire. The runners are of cast steel and the spars are hollow.
 A mile a minute can only be obtained by the very heavy boats the bigger the boat the gerater the speed. The smallest ice yacht for racing purposes must be twenty eight feet long with her back bone in one piece.
 It will not do for a sportsman of small nerve to try ice racing, or for one who is used to the old immense jib and spiritsail to attempt it. With this odd craft the boom projected so far over the stern that when she lifted a little it's end touched the ice. The ice yacht racer must be pre4 pared for a great deal of lifting, and he must understand the art of catching hold quickly and holding on as long as need be. 1t would be disgusted sportsman who found himself compelled to give up the
 race because of the weak nerves of any of tho crew.
 Down the Hudson they come, side by side, the wind behind them. In the train the betting is on the yacht, for nervier sight never was seen than the big white bird, with her wings spread, sailing before the wind. The yachtsman, on the other hand, bets on the train, for he knows that, although an. excellent sprinter he cannot hold his own for long-distance runs and must give up long before the sixty mile limit is reached
 He, poor fellow, is keeping cool literally and figuratively, for he is perched high in the teeth of biting wind, and his nerve and skill are both being tested. If he would successfully skip an ice yacht in breeze, he knows that his craft Is so admirably balanced that the slightest touch of the tiler will make her spin around like top, and he laughs nervously to think how when a lubber he used to caress himself with pride if he could keep a cat boat from yawing more than four points each way when going with free wind. He knows he will come to grief If he is foolhardy in tacking, but on the other hand he reasons that victory awaits him if he can sustain his sportsman's skill. Hurrah, he is aheadl
 You can look for this race today or to- morrow, for the ice is firm, the wind is fair and the weather brisk enough to in- a Rut if want to be sure of seeing it you had better be be- forehand and get to the scene early. The farmers along the Hudson are sitting out on the ice in their primitive boats, on the lookout for the race to begin, and the pas- sengers on the Empire State Express never turn their eyes away from the frozen surs face that stretches to one side of them FRANK HALL.