New-York tribune., 1903-07-16
PRESIDENT IN FO'CSTLE.
CHEST OF SYLPH'S MEN.
Eats Their Plain Fare-Sees Boat
Race in Which T5oelUe Compete
r,vTrrrcR1PH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]

- sf+erward speaker and guest Of the evening
:. a dinner given IN his honor In the forecastle
:, the sviph, were the roles assumed by Presi-
-, poosevelt for a considerable part Of to-day.
rspecially proud tonight are the three 3ackies
- o,,+rowed their -nessrnates under the eyes Of
.be President himself.
The contestants were four crews Of three men
y trained oarsnen selected from the en-
,,-..s men Of the Sylph. The boats used were
- mir cared cedar skiffs, lent by the Presi-
- children. whose idea the boat race was.
-r+a President and Mrs. Roosevelt saw the
.-,r, aboard the Sylph. Conscious that the
= - the Chief Executive was on them. the
..c,ants strained every nerve TO acquit them
- with credit Zest was added to the row.
-, tv the Presidents offer Of S25 TO the crew
- the winning boat and SO TO the second crew.
Io,or,ptlv al + o'clock this afternoon the Presi-
-. Mrs Roosevelt, Secretary Shaw Of the
--sasurv Department and Jacob A Riis' accom-
,anisd by the Presidents six children and
eleven Of the younger Roosevelt relatives en-
tarted in launches at Mrs. ]. West Roosevelts
- and were taken swiftly to the Sylph.
ecs-celv had the party boarded the yacht than
4he contesting crews, attired in white trousers
.rs rowing shirts, descended into the skins. "A
launch. commanded by Ensign Hamlin and car
wing Miss Alice Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt
tr and his cousin George Roosevelt toWed the
boats 10 the starting point. mile and quar-
ter due southeast Of the sylph
xyi.h a nine knot breeze. the conditions were
mn, suited 10 any record breaking race. Iheo-
dore. r.. and George Roosevelt, were the start
e-s The boats were lined up IN the following
order:
No. 1-KuIlman. coxswain; Rodgers and
Goldsborough
10 9-snvder. coxswain: Lee and Milstead-
-, . Columbus. coxswain; Riggs and Bates
telIa
No. 4-schInitt. coxswain; wiegand and Nc
Geehan.
Young Theodore gave the signal with re-
,,o1ver Sixteen blades smOte the water ike one
mar and the boats were OF. The coxsWains. VINO
gteered with paddles. encouraged their rowers
vociferousIy. For one hundred yards or SO II
was q tolerably even race. Gradually, however
No drew ahead. maintaining the lead until
the finish The President stood in the bow OF
the sylph, and with the aid Of binoculars fol-
,orro5 eze-- foot Of the contest Beside him
were his son Kermit and his nephew Philip, VINO
acta5 as tudees at the finish. AS No l leaped
scross the line a winner by ten lengths, her-
rnit's uistol this time flashed fire, proclaiming
the close Of the contest. The time was a fraction
less than ten minutes for the mile and quarter
No > was second. No. + arrived third and No.
came in last IS the competing crews reboard-
cd the syIph, flushed with the excitement and
exercise the President greeted them heartily.
saving a kindly word TO each one. He then pre-
sented the prizes. giving SO to the third crew.
as well as awarding the prizes that had been an
nounced
soon afterward the President and his party
aebarked from the sylph for a few hours to
Sycamore Eiu and returned on the invitation
If Lieutenant Preston the commander Of the
vessel this evening. The President and Mrs.
Roosevelt again boarded the Sylph as the
guests at dinner OF the enlisted men.
The menu consisted Of meat pie, corned beef
and cabbage and cold tea, and the dinner was
greatly relished by both the President and Mrs.
Roosevelt. At the close Of the dinner which
was served in the forecastle. the President
made a brief speech TO the men.
He desired them 10 realize fully, he said. that
both as Theodore Roosevelt and as President Of
the United States he took warm personal In
terest IN them and in all the enlisted men Of
the navy. The welfare Of the enlisted men in
the navy and in the army was one Of the safe
guards Of the country. He urged the men to be
faithful and efficient n the performance Of their
duties
He urged them to be jealous IN their prepara-
tion FOR that hour which might some time come,
perhaps Unexpectedly. when their services would
mean the very existence Of the nation. IN that
supreme moment. when all were thoroughly
prepared-when by faithful attention to duty in
hours Of peace the work q warfare would have
been disc0unted-he had no fear that the navy
Of the United States-the enlisted men Of the
navy-would add new Iustre to the American
flag.
Harking back the afternoons contest, the
President declared If was great sport into
which the men had entered with so much en-
thusiasm that the hour should come to try
their patriotism ne was assured they would
manifest the same sort Of spirit
The Presidents little address was received
with great applause. and he was heartily
cheered
Secretary Shaw arrived here on the noon
guests train to-day for a short conference
WIKI the President concerning important de-
pzrlnent matters. leaving Oyster Bay for Wash
ihston late this evening.
'+ner guests entertained al luncheon at Saga
more HI today included Charles J. Bonaparte
o. baltimore; Mr.. Riis. Ray Stannard Baker.
McCiuFes Magazine" and H H. Kohl
-~ formerly Editor Of THE Chicago Record
a'o' ana personal friend Of the President
"i' bohaparte and Holmes Conrad were the
teliaI counsel Of the government recently ap-
lO'Nleo by the President TO assist in the prosecu-
'i O cases against the indicted postoffice Off
.a IL is understood that the Presidents desire
:, "Aat progress had been made and also
-'souSs the cases generally led to Mr.. Bona
invitation to-day. Before leaving Oyster
Icy Af. Bonaparte said that important develop
-S N the cases might be expected shortly.
0-cerning the House OF Refuge. Mr. Riis
a'su mat he should not rest until the whole
'l@ haa been sifted 10 the bottom. lie trust
a'et IN his lifetime he should the House
heiuge placed under State control
imam NJ. Byrne, United States District At
s-IeS oi Delaware, paid a visit TO Sagamore
~ lis evening. Tie mission Of Mr. Byrne
r. vas the Presidents appointee for the Dis
~ ~ !, ,Attorneyship. il was understood was pure