The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-05
NET A HOT CREW
THOMAS DOANE HAS AN EXCIT.
ING EXPERIENCE AT RACE.
SAILORS WERE NOT CLIMBERS
Men Could Tell About What Thew Tad
Done at Sea, But Hestitated
on Scaling the
Mast.

While there is SO much talk going on
about the crews of the Columbia and the
SHAMROCK, l might just as we'll tell
Story about the crew on a yacht On
Nh'ch l once took a SAIL laughingly
oesan IhoInas DCane, of Kansas City. at
lhe thornton this morning, as he walk
ca up to couple of his acuuaintances
My yacht, that is, the one ON which I
happened to be passenger was present
at u'ace too. but she was not exactly
one OF the boats that We're sailing for
the money. 1t was about ten years ago
that heard, while was walking around
the streets in Chicago one day that there
was to be a yacht race in the afternoon
Ine course WAS in Lake Michigan off
Lincoln park, and as was not especial
~ busy decided to go out and take it
IN.
II was in the park long before the
boats started and while l was wander
ing along the lake shore looking fer a
sood place to stand and watch the boats
some gentleman, who seemed fortunate
enough to afford yacht of his own
asked me to come aboard his vessel
and see the race from point from the
shore. I readily assented, thinking that
l was very fortunate to secure the favor.
Our boat pulled out from the shore and
took few tacks before it was time for
the racing vessels Ito start. The boat
seemed to be able to make pretty good
speed and from the talk among the other
people on board of her took it that
they were all sailors. knew about as
much about "a boat as I did about
steam engine and as that was very little
I kept still.
1.-The day was a fine one for a yacht
race. 1t was about the middle of June
and the sky was cloudless. The wind
was Glowing strong enough to churn the
water up a little-iust about right to al
low the sails to fill in good shape. FL
nally the racing boats came out and
started ais fast as the stiff breeze would
CARRY them out into the lake. My sailor
friends at once became enthusiastic and
drew out a few long bottles from which
they seemed to get considerable inspira-
ton on the subject of yacht racing.
When a bottle had been passed around
each one had a new story to tell about
how he had handled boats, gone through
storms on the water and all that sort of
thing.
I'VE had been following the general
course of the racing boats for half an
hour on more when the man who appear
ed to be acting as captain Of our craft
thought we could catch up with the fly
ers: He found that almost everybody
on board the yacht, except myself
agreed with him and as / was not a
sailor I did not count. The bottle was
passed around again and then the sailors
saw more speed lines DIN our boat than
an ordinary seaman could find in the
Columbia. The captain ordered all the
canvas put out, topsail included, and
away we went after the racers. l don't
think we gained on them perceptibly as
a matter of fact but it seemed to me for
"a time, as if We We're cutting through the
water fast enough to take us across to
Michigan in about two hours. AS the
boat plunged forward through the foam
crested waves I held my breath and
looked back longingly at the shore. One
of the sailors turned AMI asked me if I
were not enjoying the ride and l man.
aged to gasp that l thought it was de-
llshtful. l was not going to let anyone
else know l was scared too badly to pro-
nounce my own name in measured tones,
at least 1 did not intend to let any one
know it. An extra heavy gust Of wind
struck us and the boat veered over until
her deck ran into the water. 1 thought
We were going to the bottom sure. The
shore was now too far away to be con-
sidered and l began TO check up the dis
lance to the nearest boat, wondering if
could swim to it il we were all dumped
into the sea. While l was thus worrying
the racers rounded the point they were
to make in the lake and came back to-
wards us. My sailor companions had
failed to catch them on the way out, but
now they were determined to keep up
with them on the way back and right
there one of the most amusing incidents
of the tri p came in. OF course it was
necessary for us to turn around to
travel with the other boats and the old
salts on the boat thought it would be
better to take in the topsail in order to
tack about. The piece of canvas had
been put cut without any climbing about
the boat, but the ropes caught in some
way and it was thought essential that
someone should climb the main mast in
order to haul in the topsail. You should
have been there to see how the sailors
who had SO much to say about boats
weakened when it came to going up that
mast. They had more excuses TO make |
for not climbing it than a boy could |
make for being late to school.
zone of the sailors had sore foot--One |
was afraid he would soil his clothes and !
another thought his weight was SO great !
that he would torple the boat over if he !
went up the pole. AS had been my GUS |
tom ever since we started from the shore |
l. of course, sad nothing. did not pre- |
tend to he a sailor and so l did not count |
myself. st last the youngest man on |
the boat, almost boy he was, volun- |
teered to scale the mast and the top !
al was hauled in. We tackled about. |
but by the Time we were headed for the |
shore the racers with which we were go |
ing to travel We're almost in and we We're |
left to 90 back alone. ! was rather glad |