The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-08-09
The Gunner Club Excursion.


thanks to skillful navigators and efficient
managers. In one respect il resembled an
ocean voyage, for leaving Lewis wharf at
1.30 p. m., last Saturday in the good steamer
Castine in a very short time the party were
out OF sight of land. But with Capt Coombs
and the veteran Captain George +. Ryan IN
the pilot house no one apprehended any
difficulty in finding the way through the
fog. The first land sighted was Turtle
Head, and lslesborO serving as fog break
it was clear along the eastern shore OF the
island, but when lSlesb0ro was left astern
We were again enyeioped in fog, The next
iaudfall was the southern end Of Cape
Bozjer, ami it was seen to be comparatively
clear down the Reach. II was here decld-
Ell to change the course as or.Einally plan
ned and the steamer was Needed for Eagle
Island Little spruce Head, Great Spruce
Head and pirigo lor Butter Island) We're
plainly seen, but Eagle Island was 50 envel-
0ped in fog that although the steamer pass
Ell quite close TO the head Oh which IS the
lighthouse but little could be seen, and
, Bradbury'S Island opposite was not visible
Island at the entrance of Merchants Row,
and in due time the bell at the lighthouse
was heard in response 10 the steamer
whistle Nothing could be seen through
the dense fog and few minutes were
taken u get correct bearings, when the Cas-
tine was headed for Stonington. There
was some tall Of tying up there foT the
,0+b ,,E ~ cl-
Capt COombs announced his intention of
making the run to Swan 5 Island, as he
was familiar with the route. Buoy after
buoy was picked up and in about an hour
the boat was sounding her whistle Off the
light at the entrance to Old HaI Dor, and
soon was alongside the wharf in that She
tered haven. on landing the party were
welcomed by c. f. Mclntire, who with his
son John had come over from their summer
home on Outer Long Island, some three
miles away, and then took up the line Of
march for headquarters at the hotel OF B. Il.
Stins0n. Here quarters We're assigned,
about half the party having rooms in pri-
vdte houses Three Belfast men, including
the writer, considered themselves extreme
/
furnished front room. far removed from the
"madding crowd"
on returning to the hotel a man was seen
sharpening knife ON a grindstone and one
OF the party remarked that he was getting
knife ready to clean the fish for supper,
This was intended as Il Joke, but proved to
be a fact The fog was SO thick that it was
4 -lr 1ub
ami organizations for supper did not begin
until after her arrival In due time, how
ever, the tables were spread and half the
party sat down to a meal OF fried cod, p0ta-
toes and other accessories, while the other
half possessed their souls in patience, OF
otherwise Supper over "toiug the town
WAS in order, but the fog was 50 thick that
the harbOr was not visible and one could
hardly see from one house Ia lhe other
Before the evening was over Il b4gan 10
ram and later there We're very heavy how
els, which The WeatherWise predicted would
| ensure a clear day On the morrow. About
this time it appeared that the party was
very strong in vocal talent ami that the
soug birds had i0c4ed together and were
all Gagged in one room In the second story 81
the hotel. The vocal strains issuing from
this room stopped the pasSers by and were
said to have stopped all the clocks in the
n.iobhorhoo6 \ fayorite song with the
nArfornars WAS "Eyerybodv works bur
father and the refrain of another ditty
made n]aintive reference 10 the prevailing
drnpth
\a,,. ,,,,rri,r tho fo,. was s1ill with rs