The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-23
A PRODIGIOUS CROWD ARLOAT
AND THOUSANDS LEFT BEHIND
WHEN THE FLEET SAILED.
Nothing but the Steamboat Inspectors
kept some Greedy Shippers From
OyerlOadlng Their Decks Pretty Sight
NJ the Battery I'm the Early Morning.

N ~ III.
What steamboat men said was the big
aest crowd that ever went down the bay
in excursion boats to see the yacht races
sailed out yesterday, beginning as early
as q O'Clock in the morning. Every fifty
wards or so on the East River and the North
River there seemed to he excursion boats
tied up waiting for enough people to get
aboard to Justify their throwing of their
hawsers.
The bankers had mighty little barking
to do, for there were more people wanting
10 10 to the races than there was boat
room 70 accommodate them. Steamboat
inspectors lowered around the Battery
and around the excursion boat landings.
keeping tabs on the captains who were
suspected of enough elasticity OF con-
science to be willing to violate their license
conditions by taking on too many pas
spnrers. The result Of this was that many
boats could not handle the people who
came down to board them. willing as they
we're 10 make room for one more when
ever that one put in an appearance.
There were several lively rows around
the Battery landing between the repre-
sentatves Of those boats and the steam
boat inspectors. The agents Of the boat
men kept insisting that they still had
right to take hundred or more persons
on and the steamboat inspectors insisted
that they already had their full quota
and could take no more. In every case
the inspectors won out, for they declined
10 be argued out Of their contention.
II. o'.Io
surface cars coming downtown were
crowded with men and women wear ing
yachting caps and loaded down with shawls.
rancoats and prodigious bags and baskets
Of luncheon. which BODIED ill for the pros
perily Of the men with the lunch-counter
privileges on the excursion boats.
Along the Battery the sight was a very
pretty one. Offshore were dozens OF steam
yachts, gay with colors, little naphtha
launches putting their way from them % the
landing and back again and carrying the
rich of to their day Of fun.
Further down the sea wall half a dozen
gay with colors, and crowds swarmed
aboard. The ticket sellers had their hands
full tickets going at the uniform price OF
B. At the foot of Murray street, where
the Fall River liner Plymouth took her
passengers, rates were higher. and other
boats at different places along the North
and East rivers charged from 81 to IS a
head with staterooms 81 extra. On the
big boats almost all Of the staterooms were
taken, and the occupants Of them were we'll
fortified against sea sickness. for extra cots
and couches had been put in.
II was shortly after o'clock when the
William Fletcher arrived at the Battery,
aying the colors Of Sir Thomas Upton,
and threw out her gang plank to take aboard
the gay party of men and women who were
10 be the plucky Baronets guests for the
day on board the Erin. There were some
thing like 200 of them altogether and they
sang and cheered for the Shamrock and
their optimistic host all the way down into
the Horseshoe, where they were run up
alongside Of the Erin.
BY Q o'clock the f1otilla was we'll under
way for the lightship making a pretty
sight "a it went down the Narrows, flags
flying and small boats and big boats racing
almost az earnestly as they did later In the
day when. with noses pointed toward home,
they hit it up good and hard to see which
could get in first.
The fakirs who frequented the piers
where the excursion boats were did a big
business, selling souvenirs Of the two
American flags with the ensign OF the New
York Yacht Club over them and picture
OF the Reliance under full sail underneath
Thousands of them were sold. Shamrocks
were sold in large quantities, but the Re-
lance colors were naturally In greater de-
mand.
In the crowds that went on the excursion
boats were good many large parties from
out of town. Bunches of tickets were held
In reserve ON some of the boats for parties
from Philadelphia. Baltimore, Washing
ton. Boston and even from as far away as
Chicago. The excursion boat men said
they had never seen so many out-of-towners
aboard.