The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-04
AQUATIC CLUB OPENING
NEW HOUsEBOAT AT BROAD RIFLE
CROWDED LAST NIGHT.
Music and Dancing Features of the
Entertainment-1h he Guests
Entertained.

The Indianapolis Aquatic Club had its new
house boat at Broad Ripple in gala attire
last night. when the craft was thrown open
for the first time TO the membersAnd their
friends. In the afternoon a number or
ladies called and were entertained with
music and boat rides. while in the evening
dancing was the feature Of the entertain
ment Refreshments being served from one
end Of the main cabin, which was used for
the dancing. The boat was lit UP from stem
to stern. and around the balconies and on
the hurricane deck Chinese lanterns were
strung. The orchestra which furnished the
music was stationed on the forward galley.
The boat was decorated with American
flags, two immense ones covering the cabin
ceiling and others being looped about the
balcony rails. Tn club pennant is one Of
artistic design, green and white alternating,
with the letters 81. A c." in gold on the
white cross bars The boat has two twenty
fve-foot fiagstaffs. the pennant floating from
the one forward and the national emblem
from the one aft.
In the afternoon the boat was moored
against the cool shade of the west bank OF
the river. and In the evening 1t was towed
back to ms station just north of Broad
Ripple Park Mr.. c. b. F1etcher's trim
ott0A4 IA lhC LAAlAahs OAC VI NAV =
lest boats on Indiana waters. was put at the
disposal tof the clubs guests during the
evening, and II made trips up and down the
river carrying small parties. A fleet OF
boats and canoes was also used by the club
members in entertaining their friends. Rear
Admiral Brown. President A. v. Thurman,
of the Cincinnati Household Club, and
others were among the guests. MI. John b.
Cockrum entertained a party on board, COM
ing out from the city on a special car.
There were no exercises of any kind, The
affair being wholly informal. 1t was late at
night when the last OF the several hundred
guests returned to the city.
The guests were somewhat: surprised at
the size of the new boat and its capacity.
1t Is nearly ninety feet long and thirty-six
feet wide, from balcony to balcony. The
stairway which leads TO the main cabin goes
up from a roomy forward deck. The lower
deck Is conveniently arranged for storing
boats, and one end Is partitioned on as a
room for lockers and quarters for the swim
mers- The boats are kept on iron racks.
In the rear of the main cabin, which CORE
spends to the second floor of a house. is
the kitchen, and also In this end Of the boat
Is the ladies' toilet room. A companion
way leads to the hurricane deck, which has
a canvas covering over the wood and Is sur
rounded by an iron railing. This roof gar
den," as the members call IL, will accommo-
date a hundred or more people. Five hun
dred people would scarcely tax the capacity
of the vessel. The interior Of the cabin is
In white, with green trimmings. The club
membership is one hundred with a waiting
list of almost half that number. The d.
rectors will probably meet this week and
extend to those on the waiting list all the
privileges of the club. except voting, upon
the aymen of the customary fees. Mr..
Thurman, of Cincinnati, who has been en-
river, complimented the club members last
night on what they had accomplished. A
triurban tournament in aquatic sports be-
Louisville clubs will be arranged for this
summer.