The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01
NOW IT'S A MOTOR SCOOTER.
CHUG-CHUGs OVER TIE fCE on
GREAT SOUTH BAY

And Cansss tho Able seamcn If Those
Parts 10 Let Fam Remarks Sailing
scooters Also Rams Except Nhcn lhe
Wind is AbeAm or on the quarter
East MoR,cuFs l.. l.. Dec 3l.-Tho
scooter. which has been developed on the
Great South Bay within the past few winters
ma the utility iceboat and again showed
its capacity in reaching the beach and get
ins into communication with the lie savers
at Fire Island during the steamship Drumei-
yier's peril. has almost reached perfection
as n sailing craft over both ice and open
water. It attains a speed Of a mile min
ute when there is good breeze aoeArn
or on the quarter, but with head wind or
calm 1t is an entirely different proposHlon'
II Is simply q case Of get out and pull your
boat, or propel it by hand with zee PiAes'
Yesterday was fine day on the ice
scooters, old time iceboats. skaters with
and without sails, we're enjoying the ice
the whole length OF the Great South bay
from Westhampton to as near Fire Island
as the ice reached across the bay These
skaters and scooters did not expect TO see
a revelation, but they saw 1t all the same
A scooter went chug-chug back and
iOTin through lllt dHkDlLsA'N e'-'''''n
skating parties, driven by gasolene motor
When falling In with scooter under san
with the wind abeam the motor driven
craft would find her match, but when run
ming dead before the wind the sailing scooter
dropped astern much IA pug "ould "heA
a greyhound struck the track Wien II
was dead beat to windward and the white
winged flyer had to tack il was an also ran
Case.
The craft came out OF ScGtuck Greek,
down Passport way, and woke up the sleepy
boats al Fast Muriches who think they
are some pumpkins, especially "heh 10
Terry tells them TO 81" git move on, now,
end show EN- what East MorlcheS can co
The motor freak next whred down 70
Mesthampton and the Nesthampton boys
soon wilted. Len Rogers SAID II TOOK tne
starch out of him all the way down ms pack-
bone, and his backbone reaches BOou way ,
down and up.
Capt Rose Gordon. keeper Of the
Moriches life saving station, doesh hee4-
tate when u shipwrecked crew i IN danger
Watkins and Bill Kraemer OF Beirort have
been shouting for the last two WIT re-
hut Bill Gould hardly open his mouth l.st
night when his guests az the WylndoeI
House mustered at dinner ana remarked
Don't talk. something's broke
Nose rutland at Patchogue went away,
back TO his stone cutting yard and said
he almost felt Ike cutting out his own
monument. 49,,
station thought he could make the beach
about as quick as anybody out ne re-
ssay. did you ever see horseshoe crab
crawling along when the wind was no ~,
east and the lido q nipplngf II you dld
you could get some idea of now fast wei
in the wake OF that East Bay thing on
runners I'm going 10 tell VIII Graham
II he expects TO have any big crowd at his
place al the next scooter race no better
get them fellers TO show up.
Can't. Goddard. keeper Of Lone Hill life
saving station, said. That craft was butt
in PASSPORT, did you say? Well, ita mighty
lucky that PASSPORT didn't have any such
speedy craft on ice when the hosna was
on the beach. or there wouldn't have been
a drop Of brandy left for the Custom House
ofioers Them East Bay fellows stole about
half the cargo, and if they had had sucn
craft as that to run 1t across tho bay they d
stole the whole of it, guess
The Rosina was ashore many years ago.
She was loaded with brandy and Capt.
Goddard was mate on her and ought to
know.
viii Robinson said. I'D like TO have her
q few days 10 run around with, now that
I'm closed up. Maybe l could find Demo
crat or two. I've got lots OF time to look
for 'em now.
The craft came out on the bay at 4. NJ.
and at p. NJ she had visited all the places
named and had covered ninety miles, stop
ping TO have a chat and show how the
thing worked every time party was met
Two brothers OF Eastport nemed
Ketcham, with local machinist 70 carry
out their ideas were the owners and builders
Of the craft. She ia Of the ordinary scow-
shaped scooter type. built rather heavy
to stand the strnin OF the motor Ia the
centre is q trunk, very similar TO centre
board trunk, and in this trunk ~ a driving
wheel with ohisel shaped cogs 10 get a
good grip on tho ice. The axle. or staff
OF the driving wheel runs In boxes fttnl
snugly at the bottom and sides, but Wit
space OF two or three inches at the tor
which allows the shaft TO rise in the slo
shaped boxes when the wheel strikes
hump of ice so that the weight OF the boa
will not be brought TO bear on Tie wheel
but will still be on the brass shod runner
Coiled steel springs are fitted N this spac
az the top of the boxes 20 press the vince
downward when the strain Is relieved
The shaft Of the driving wheel is connected
with the motor engine by q belt In tn
Ketcham craft the motor IS of horse
power.