The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-20
MRS. OLIVER ISHN
Brave Woman Who Goes
Down to the Sea in Yachts.
SHE Is THE ONLY WOMAN
Who Ever Raced on an Amer
lean Cup Defender.

the world is without doubt Mrs c. Oliver
Iselin She is the only woman who has
ever sailed on ninety foot sloop in the
| great international races for the Ameri.
cas- cup.
She has sailed on the Columbia during
! all her races or attempted races.
She sailed on the Defender when she
whipped the Valkyrie, three years ago.
I Mrs. Iselin is the wife of c. Oliver Ise-
lin, the managing owner of the Columbia
She shares her husbands love for yacht
/ ing to the fullest extent. She is eXtrem-
! ely pretty and has charming, graceful
and kindly manners.
Many women of rank and fashion on
both sides of the Atlantic are profoundly
! interested in these races. They have
! gone out to see them in steam yachts and
! steamships, but not one of them has sail
| ed on one of the yachts in a race.
1t requires lots of pluck for a woman
! to sail on a monster sloop in a race. Re-
| member that there is not a handrau to
/ catch hold of on deck. When the boat
! goes to winward in a strong breeze, the
| deck leans over at an angle of forty-five
/ degrees and the lee side is buried under
! the rushing, boiling water. Every man
/ mas 10 lie GOWN 10 WlnWarQ IN OFUer 10
| keep out of the water and to trim the boat
The boom flies across the deck with a
force that would sweep a hundred men
into the sea. If the mast were to break
which is far from impossible-it might
kill every soul on board
Mrs. Iselin knows all this, but yet she
enjoys racing Immensely. OF course she
does not lean over the winward side.
She sits, quietly in the companionway
where she is out of everybody's way.
She is dressed handsomely, but appropri-
ately, and encourages the sailormen by
pleasant word or smile as they go about
their work.
q think yacht racing is the greatest of
all hnman pleasures" said Mrs. Iselin
the other day.
ITO watch perfectly drilled crew han
die q great boat like the Columbia is bet
ter than watching play. The captain
handles the wheel as deIicately and skill
fully as Paderewsh touches the piano.
isn't she beauty, a picture, a work
of art?
81 love to feel the rush of the water I'M
der her sides, to have the wind blow in
my face until it is picked with salt.
ooh, how disguised / was with those
wretched calm days! 1 never want a sail
L
would rather lose than win a drifting
match.
'Of course can handle a yacht, but
ninety foOters are playthings for men on
ly-and very strong and skillful men at
that.
But I understand all their manoevres
and / know more about baby jib topsails
club topsails and spinnakers than l do
about needlework. l can appreciate what
it is TO gybe a 104 foot BOOM and when
Captain Barr does something unusually
skilful l am a great deal more excited
than he is.
''ghe poetry of motion is to be found
in its highest form on a perfectly built
yacht"
Those who saw Mrs. Iselin sitting in the
companion way of the columbia, saw
charming picture of health and grace,
and also a model of what yachtswoman
should wear at sea.
In July last, Mrs. Iselin christened the
Columbia. AS it slipped from the pier at
Narraganset Bay, she broke a bottle OF
champagne upon its bow and gave to it
the name by which America is known to
poetry and patriotism.
The ardent yachtswoman has identified
herself with the Columbia just as she did
watched its building and has sailed with
it on every trial race. She knows it's
merits by heart. All her interests have
centered in Americas cup defender since
its first beam was laid.
Inspired by her patriotism, Mrs, Iselin
designed an effective and significant
yachting costume of red, white and blue
The skirt was Of white flannel and Of the
same length as a golf skirt. 1t was trim
med around the bottom with six rows of
bright red silk braid The coat was a
dark blue Norfolk jacket, with belt, col
lar and cuffs of red. She wore the jack
ct open, and the shirt waist which IL re-
vealtd was of fine white French flannel.
more modified one last week. It was of
She forsook this national costume for a
more modified one last week. 1t was Of
cream white serge, trimmed with glisten-
ing gold braid. The skirt was plain and
cut in the new, clinging fashion. The
waist was made with atight fitting back
and a sailor blouse front. 1t was trim
med across The front with bands Of gold
braid. each band finished at the eft si6e
with gilt naval button Four straps If
gold crossed each sh1 lder, and each
strap ended with button. The sleeves
had cuffs made of rows Of gold braid,
and a band OF goldbraidtormedthe Deit,
which fastened with a dig solid gold
buckle. The collar was high and straight,
and mad entirely OF gilt bail. Mrs. Iselin
wore with this a necktie that IS one Of
the new French novelties. II was of fine
white linen, and tied in aklot with slash
ends. The knot was OF gold. and the lin
en- ends were finely hemstitched.
In this costume Mrs. Isslin was a strk-
ing picture as she sat in the companion
way of the Columbia, doing what no other
woman has ever done, katching an inter
national race from the yacht of her
choice.
Mrs, c. Oliver Iselin was Hope Goddard
the belle OF Providence, r. l.. five years
aEo. She was the child of Mr.. and Mrs.
William Goddard. Mrs. Goddard had
been Miss Mary Edith Jencks q belle
and 4 beauty in her own youth. Their
daughter inherited the cleverness Of her
father who combined a gift for finance
with a genius for bon mots She inherit
ed. as well, her mothers beauty OF a dark
vivid. sparkling sort
She was tail and had the suppleness and /
grace that comes from the perfect train
ing, and the strength that comes from
heavier gymnastics. She had always been
devoted 10 athletic sports. She liked ten
mis- and golf. and she could pull long,
strong oar. She was fine swimmer
She was an excellent horsewoman. and (
could tool q coach with the best. Yacht I