New-York tribune., 1908-02-23
ICE BO4TING THRILLS.
Looks Tame Until YOu Strike Hum-
mock or Crack.

One Of the most inspiring sports OF the vim
ter season is yachting the ice The frozen
landscape slips by at the rate Of forty miles
an hour, more or less. and the pure. frosty air
makes the ears Of the passengers tingIe. On, on
the machine flies, answering every turn Of the
helm like animate creature, and the only
regret Of the persons aboard is that they can't
violate the speed laws and be chased several
miles by an ice cop" There is nothing to run
over in all the vast shining expanse Of con-
geaIed water. thinks the amateur. Neither
chickens nor dogs viii get in his way. He be-
gins to gnaw his lip III disappointment. He
thinks power boat would be better because
there is a chance for it to explode Nothing can
happen, he reasons on the swift gliding ice
yacht. It is merely 4 continuous performance Of
the poetry OF motion. which pals on the appe-
tite More action
The amateurs heart jumps and he clutches
hand rail as the yacht shivers from stiff JOLT
swerves and leaps into the air like a bird. II
comes down rather hard. and wabbIins- That
was an encounter with 4 small hummOck- When
the boat strikes the next one the action loving
amateur may have a chance to go overheard
and sail Two Or three hundred feet Of CLASSY sea
on the seat OF his trousers There Is also an
exhilarating prospect Of meeting cracks N the
ice The boat viii leap across ordinary chasns'
but it may come to one which will enguf the
merry crew and make them swim in water Of an
extremely bracing temporal ature.
A knowledge OF seananship comes in play not
only for such an eveDtua,ity but IN handling
tiIler and sails. The ice yacht responds more
quickly to the helm than water Cralt, and an
unframed hand would cause upset in about
half second Sails must be reefed for ap-
preaching squalls and allowance made for con-
trary currents OF air sweeping through breaks
in the shore line especially in the mountainous
region Of the Hudson.
Racing between we'll matched boats provides
lots If fun and excitement. There is faster
going in these contests than in most other kinds.
save for autonobiIing and shedding in the Alps
A speed of more than sixty miles an hour has
been attained The yachts provided With
steel runners. which soon become highly polished:
a sharp rudder, which cuts into the ice enough %
give a purchase IN steering. and often a side
extended heavy runner to balance the vino
driven craft The latter feature resembles the
device in use by South Sea Islanders for surf
boats IN some homemade models OF lceooats
there is merely d platform OF boards above the
runners and the youthful sportsman goes
Notwithstanding while he steers his speeding
craft.
The iceboat is not so popular in country dis
tricts as it IS near cities. Long experience OF
rural mankind has shown that an iceboat re-
oufres too much attention when two persons go
out together and nothing can beat the Old
fashioned one-horse sleigh. The horse steers
himself while the young man and the girl slt
far apart in blissfuI meditation or allow their
hands to touch under the buffalo robe. Yet, for
all that, when a third person manages the ice
boat, the young man and girl have chance TO
hold or be held which is not to be despIsed