New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-18


They wero the Zephyr. the Phantom. the Comet
and tho Magic. The Lucille In the same year Is
credited with nine miles in seven minutes ten
onds In 1889 the Haze another North River boat
did nine miles 10 seven minutes and part OF the
distance r. said to have been covered at the rate
OF two miles in one minute. The Snow Flake also
made nine miles in seven minutes On Lake Min
netonka, near Minneapolis the Irene Commodore
Hiram Fuller. sailed twenty miles in thirty min
utes thirty seconds. fine performance, consider
Ing the length OF the course
Down on the Shrewsbury. however, are perhaps
the beat records. only from n speed standpoint.
but from the undoubted accuracy OF the speed and
time The sailing course there Is a triangle. the
total distance OF which is three miles Tho long
leg OF the triangle Is and one-quarter miles and
the snort leg, running almost the river. is
hve-eighths Of mile The course was regularly
surveyed and measured by George Cooper, we'll
known civil engineer, and is vouched for by him
as absolutely correct over this course the Shrews
oury poats have made excellent records. The long
leg OF the triangle. and one-quarter miles has
peen covered by the Scud In forty eight seconds The
greatest feat Of all IN the winter OF 1892. The
short leg OF the triangle nve-eighhs OF a mile was
sailed In fifteen seconds or a the rate Of $50 miles
an hour The timer the clubs commodore.
Samuel w Morford. experienced man with
stop-watch. Half dozen other stop-watches also
agreed with that OF the Official timer This record
may, perhaps. have been eQualled. possibly beaten.
on the Hudson. hut II is doubtful II the corrob-
Grating circumstances we'll established. Or
course the start flying one. the Scud being
at full speed when she rounded the starting stake
The landsman often wonders how 1t is possible
for an iceboat to gall faster than the wind The
explanation is simple II the yacht sailed dead
ahead the boat would only travel fast as the
wind; as soon as II went faster II would meet a
counter current that would slow 1t UP until the
wind caught up again. But the skilled Ice yachts
man sails Il zigzag course instead Of straghtaway,
he rivd on he hpn ip
outs partly he wind. and constant press
ure is kept on her sails. The speed may be double
that Of the wind but the latter comes over
the quarter il exerts constant push and the
boat gathers Roadway at a rapid rate. AS the
yacht makes no eeway owing to the firm hold of
her sharp runners on the ice IT is easy TO how
the great speed "a attained.
COLDEST SPORT KNOWN.
The ice yachting season IS generally very short
fall Of snow will spoil the ice, or n mild winter
will not develop ice OF sufficient strength. But
while II lasts the devoee Of the sport gets enough
fun Of II TO last for months. 1t is tho coolest
past,ne known. As It admits OF no exercise the
blood soon chills. Several suits OF clothes are
necessary man who ventures out without being
properly prepared Will wish he had never been
born The legs Of the trousers and the arms OF
the coat tied at the ankles and wrists and
long stockings drawn on over the feet ana
hands Only the eyes left uncovered Sew
giles are for the eyes and wire covering FOR
the mouth In such a rig one cannot recognize
his nearest friend but these precautions are aoso-
lutey necessary. Few women can stand the rigors
Of an hours trip In cold weather. 90 biting 10 the
wind when the yacht is NJ speed
Sometimes an iceboat runs away. and then the
scene becomes OF excitement and danger In a
sudden flaw the is thrown out and the
yacht is left without master. The runaway craft
dashes hither and thiher on the ice and woe 10
the person who gets In rs way. Taking the OH
in It's teeth its actions not unlike those of an
unruly horse and II is Just about ms hard to eaten
Occasionally before It can be controlled Il smashes
ND several Of the other boats, and knocks over
dozen people.
THE FIGHT FOR THE PENNANT.
The fight for supremacy Of the frozen waters or
.he East between the fleets OF the Hudson ana
Shrewsbury rivers during the winters from lsSZ 20
1892 attracted the attention Of sportsmen all over
the country and made ice-yachtinR famous. ~
hooued the sport tremendously and encouraged
the building OF many new craft The ice yac"'
challenge pennant OF America Is the recognized
emblem OF supremacy on tho ice. and occupies the
same place in ice-yachtng circles as does 'he
Americas Cup in yachting This pennant ~
faded strip Of red and white silk. but never has
trophy been CALAMITY fought for and none Is
highly priced.
The pennant originally offered by the New
Hamburg Club Hudson River In March. 1881, the
Poughkeepsie Club challenged. and in the race tho
Phantom OF the New Hamburg Club. successfully
defended g. sailing twenty miles in 81 minutes u
Seconds Two years elapsed before the pennant
was sailed for again. and In February, lSSS inc
Avalanche. OF the Poughkeepsie Club. succeeded
in capturing f. sailing the twenty-mile course IN
an even 81 minutes In the time the Shrews-
bury Club sent representatives up the Hudson 10
sail against the New-Hamburg Club. but bad
weather prevented a race. After tho Poughke"pslc
Club beat the New-Hamburg boats the Jerseymen
shay cd
for a desperate attack on. the enemy. Four boats
were shipped north-the Idler. the Uncle Bob. the
Dreadnaught and the Tempest The Haze. OF inc
Pouehkeepsie Club. won. the Shrewsbury ooat
Dreadnaught being good second The tirne WAS
/ hour. minutes, 90 seconds
Defeat only spurred the Jerseymen on. and again
they challenged The New Hamburg Club had the
first call however and beaten by the Haze
In n minute and fifteen seconds over one hour mo
course was the same. twenty miles. that having
been nxed az the distance for n challenge contest.
Four days later the Shrewsbury men had their
,nn,nrs A new boat with lateen sails. the scud.
had shown tremendous speed In trials. ana her
crew were sanguine Of victory. When tho time
came for the race the wind proved light an I'M
favorable condition for the Scud whose best hold
was gale and she beaten. tho Dreadnaught,
Of the Shrewsbury club. finishing second TO tho
Poughkeepsic boat Northern Light.
In 1857 the newly organized Hudson River Ciub
succeeded in Wrestling the pennant from the Pough-
keepsle Club the Jack Frost sailing sixteen miles
IN a. minutes 20 seconds. In 1888 the Shrewsbury
Club challenged again. and the Iccle. OF the Hud-
son River Club won. Again In 1883 the 1cice beat
the Scud In all these races with one or two ex-
ceptions the Jerseymen had only one representa-
tive against tho defending fleet Sometimes donSn
oorone,,tors took turns in "blanketing" tho chal-
Ien0er and under the conditions II seemed impos-
s,bIe for a single challenging boat. even though
che POSSESSED equal possibly greater speed. TO
win out against the whole feet. The Hudson boats
still retain the pennant
rum scrrn WINS THE VAN NOsTRAND CUP.
On tho nretty Orange Lake. six miles west OF