Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-27
Gay Day Spent on Battleshirs
While Lying Off Port OF
Spain
SPORTS OF ALL VARIETIES
Rookie Ships Officers Won Boat
Race For One Mle-StroIIing Min
streIs From the Vermont Gave the
Fleet a Moonlight Serenade-Com
pIete Vet Pleasant Surprise.

cific coast never spent Christmas In
tropical country before. Accustomed
to snow and frigid weather. thousands
of them found t. difficult to realize that
it really was Christmas with the Their
mometer well above 80, the crews in
white and awnings over the quarter
decks, says the New York Herald's
special correspondent writing from
Port CT Spain, Trinidad.
II anything We're needed to prove the
contentment Of the men with their lot.
the fact that hundreds who were enti-
tied TO liberty preferred to stay on
board would suffice. Christmas morn
ing came with u flood Of tropical sun
shine. but not enough wind to make n
whitecap in the broad gulf of Paria,
beautiful eXpanse Of deep water. fed to
the westward Of Trinidad by the Orc
noco river Ships We're dressed in keep
ing with the spirit of the day. Instead
Of lines Of colored flags, Christmas
greens were dashed to the trucks, the
yardarms the rails and the gangways.
many of the latter being SO adorned
with palms that visitors had to press
through a jungle Of green Oh their way
up to the deck
Boat races occupied most of the fore
noon Challenges had been given and
taken all during the cruise from Hamp-
ton Roads. Immediately after break
fast the stake boats took positions at
the extremities Of a one mile course.
with the finish just off the bows Of
the flagship Connecticut. where the
fleets athletic officer. Lieutenant D. A.
Weaver. was in charge Of the events.
Better sport than was provided by
the chief petty officers racing cutters
race for one mile could not have been
wished for. Seven crews lined up at
the start. and all were off with the
gun. the Vermont leading and the
kentucky, Alabama. Illinois. Kear
sarge. Connecticut and Minnesota fol-
lowing irreguarly behind. Eighty
four brnwny chief petty officers, bend
ing to oars with the unpariamentary
language of cockswains pounding their
ears. drove the lean racing cutters
through the water. The fast flying
craft were followed each by its own
steam launch
1t was impossible to note the rela-
tive position of the crews throughout
the race. for they gained and fell back
alternately and the race remained in
doubt until the finish line had been
crossed. and the crew Of the Kentucky.
last ship Of the feet which was Rear
Admiral Evans flagship when he was
commander in chief of the Asiatic
fleet. crossed their oars. drifted under
the bows e. the Connecticut. caught a
line from s'.eir steam launch and were
towed back to their ship. whose men
nearly jumped over the rails with en-
thusiaSm.
Then came the mile race for gigs.
which was won by the Rhode Island
crew. with the Kentucky and the Yank-
ton following. the latter boat pulling
only five oars. The race was the out
come Of the Yankton's challenge dur
ing the period when the little yacht
was wallowing in seas which scarcely
disturbed the battleships on the run
from Hampton Roads.
The signal forces then had their turn
prelude for the chief event of the day
to the entire feet-the officers race for
one mile. The athletic spirit Of the
fleet has taken stronger hold OF no
one more than the commissioned per-
sonnet, and this race brought out a
larger field than any other event, elev-
en- crews getting away with the gun.
All relied on a sharp. short, fast stroke.
Forty-two to the minute was fire.
quent average for the first quarter
mile The contest was In racing cutters.
The officers race was remarkable in
that all were favorites Each boat had
from 800 to 1000 men and officers
cheering madly for it. The Louisiana,
Vermont and several others had rugged
pulling machines in the cruise from the
United States and had worked faith
fully to get in shape, but it remained
for the Kansas to carry the day. Her
officers had no pulling machine. but
twice daily did their mile or two to i'm
prove their wind. The more glory to
the namesake Of the Suntlower State,
too for she is a rookie" ship having
been only recently commissioned under
Captain C. E. Vreeland She is learn
ing to accept laurels with nonchalance,
having captured the football champion
ship from the other ''rookie" ship, the
Vermont just before leaving the Unit
ed States.
While the traditional blanket could
hardly have covered the contestants as
they finished, yet they were well
punched. The Kansas was mistaken
for the Elearsarge, and the signal an
nouncement was made that the kear-
sarge had won. This was corrected
later. That ended the racing pro-
gramme
Every ship had something doing In
the afternoon. Captain WainWright' re-
manned aboard his command. the Lou
isiana. all afternoon, supervising all
sorts of sports. for which the quarter
deck was turned over to the men.
There was lemon race great IA
vcrite, In which each contestant car
ried a sloon in his mouth and a lemon
in the bowl Potato races and oDsta'
Gle races filled up the afternoon until
it was time to get ready for the Christ
mas dinner al
If any person is inclined to give ere
dence to the letters signed "Bluejacket'
Or uamor;can Seaman" which some