Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-25
BOAT IS OF PAPER
Novel Craft Built ofNeWspapers
for Long Rowing Trip as
Experiment
FROM FLORIDA TO NEW YORK
Captain G. w. Johnson's Skiff Of Jour-
nails from all Parts Of World
SeaWorthy.

Captain GeorgA W johnson. the vet
erin Harlem river oIisman. has com
p.eted his newspaper boat. which is to
take him fronl ST. Augustine. Fla, to
New York. The boat Is made of news
papers from all sections of the world.
There are twenty-seven thic.inesses
Of paper III the hull and eighteen on the
dfcks. The outside is emhellished by
headings of these pspers. These head
Jugs can be distinctly seen through
tile shelac.
On the decks the headlines start from
Florida ard follow each state on the
route to New York. which reaches the
wash box amidshlps. says Il st. Angus
tine correspondent of the New York
Herald. Tire outside of the wash boxes
contains the New York city papers and
the inside those of New York state
On the port side of the boat. starting
from the bow. the papers from Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont Massachu-
sets, Rhode Island and Connecticut
follow in order and reach aInidships to
the New York papers. On the star
board side they start from Seattle.
Wash, 10 California and then follow
the foreign and Western papers.
The other night the boat was taken
10 the Casino, where Captain Johnson
gave an exhibition in the pool. The
craft was recently launched from Al
lens dock on the bay. where Captain
johnson gave an exhibition of rowing
and testing the boat in very rough wa
ter. The trials proved very satisfactory.
After II few weeks practice in the
boat Captain Johnson will leave for his
long row To New York, taking the in
side route which is nearly all inland.
About 2UO miles will be rowed on the
ocean. part of II from Beaufort, $. c.
To Moorehead City, y. c., after WHICH
1t is all inland.
Stops will be made every night at
some village. town or city. where the.
boat will be placed on exhibition. The
cruise will be taken in easy stages of
ten to twenty-five miles a day accord
ing to the weather and other condi-
tons. and the oarsman expects to ar
rive In New York the latter part of
June
Has Many Invitations.
Letters of invitation have been re-
ceived by Captain johnson from a.
number Of boat and yacht clubs along
the route To be the guest OF those
clubs while in their vicinity. Among
these is an invitation by the Severn
Boat club of Annapolis. Md.
The boat IS twenty feet in length.
twenty inches beam. six inches deep
and has five air tight compartments ut
each end. making il practically I'M
sinEable. Every section in the cockpit.
with the exception Of about twenty
inches for the foot stretchers. will be
decked. so that if heavy swells wash
over only about ten gallons of wa
ter will remain in the craft. which
will easily be bailed out.
Food and clothing can be car ried in
two two-foot hatches. with tools and
other necessary articles
Captain Johnson is well preserved
man and, although going on toward
tn, sixty year mark. does not look
much more than forty. He is stOckily
built FIVE feet seven inches IN height
and weighs al present 1Sl pounds. He
was born ut Middle Village, y. y. and
has been in the rowing game. since
childhood. For many years he was II
prominent member of the N0npareil
Rowing club of the Harlem river and
Is well known by oarsmen all over the
coantry. A grand reception has been
promised him by the oarsmen of the
Harlem, Staten Island. New Jersey AMI
Brooklyn clubs OIL his arrival in New
York.