The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-02-26
OF THE BEST
EVER WITNESSED
HOfIy Contested over
Every Inch of the
Course.
IMMENSE AMOUNT OF INTEREST
TAKEN IN RACE OF RIVAL YES
Sells AND SEVERAL THOUSAND
DOLLARS CHANGED HANDS ON
RESULT-DETAfLs OF The
RACE AND OFFICIAL TIME.

The trim 40 foot launch Freddie
owned by Captain Frank Lewis, which
was recently brought TO this port
from Brooklyn. N. Y. defeated the
heretofore inyinctble Cupid" owned
by Captain Bonnie EdmundsOn. yes
terday morning, in one Of the cleanest,
prettiest and most holly contested and
fastest races ever Witnessed in the
harbor of Pensacola. The start, of
PalafUx wharf. was as perfect as a
start could be and throughout the four
and a half hours of the contest there
was not an incident OF any descrip-
ton to mar the pleasure or interfere
with the success Of the race.
For some time before the start was
made the bay in the vicinity of the
stakeboat was dotted with craft OF
every description from big tug and
sail boats to diminutive, coffin shap-
ed affair made of sheet iron and fitted
with an engine that popped in def
ance of the more powerful craft as it
shot here and there about the point
OF starting. Every vessel had its
quota of sightseers who gave full
vent to their feelings by cheering
heartily as the racers were cut loose
ESCa: tAe Pe1rOse. which carried Lha
Judges, and started on the tOrty mile
journey over the waters OF the finest
lrapbor on the Gulf of Mexico.
The Freddie"
Both vessels were in the finest Dos
sible condition and were handled by
experts. The Freddie" was piloted
by W. A. Durham and d. NJ. Wether-
ell. an expert engineer from the
/ Strelinger Engine Company, makers
of the engine with which the craft is
equipped. was in charge OF the ma
chine. During the race the engine Of
! the Freddie is said to have develop
ed 22-horse power and her propeller
made go revolutions per minute.
/ There was some trouble experienced
/ with the engine and the popping of
| the exhaust was at times irregular
/ When off the navy yard on the first
| run in from the sea bOuy the vapOT-
! izer became flooded with naptha and
| the engine was forced to stop for a
minute and a half while the trouble
was being attended to.
The cupid"
The Cupid" was piloted by Captain
/ Ben ROcheblave, of the steamer Mon
arch and engineers Frederick Selner,
! of Tampa. and ". Williams, the regu-
! lar engineer, were in charge Of the
/ Globe 10 H. P. engine with which the
/ boat was recently requipped. The en-
I CINE of the Cupid" turned the pro
1 peller at the rate of 400 revolutions
per minute and throughout the entire
course worked with the precision of a
| clock. The only criticism that could
J possibly be made regarding the race
| of the Cupid" was the action of her
! pilot. after passing the navy yard on
/ the first outward run, in heading the
| vessel for the Fort Pickens dock in
! stead of directly for the point as IN
/ the case of the Freddie There was
| a head wind al the entrance to the
/ barbOr and il was evidently the inten-
ton of the pilot TO make the lee OF
I Santa Rosa island in order 10 avoid
| it, believing thai some advantage
| could be gained by this maneuVer. In
| the estimation OF many pilots and
| steamboat men who witnessed the
! race the time lost by not taking d.
rect course was. in a great measurs,
If not wholly responsible for the de-
feat of the Cupid
The First Round.
Bv the time the racers reached the
| stakeboat off Palafox wharf on the
first round a large crowd had collect
ed the members Of which encouraged
the contestants with their cheers. AT
that time. although the Cupid was
nearly half a mile in the rear Of the
Freddie" the opinion was freely ex-
pressed thar the Cupid would be
able to overtake ner on her last TWEEN
Nv mile run. In fact, it was anybody
race from start almost TO The finish.
Several thousand dollars changed
hands as a result Of the race, probably
the heaviest winner being Captain
Frank Lewis who. although he lost a
number of wagers on the distance
that would separate the vessels wnen
the first crossed the finish line ns'
ures his winnings at something over
s416O X Dunham is ahOut $3.50