Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-02-15
Winter in the Fifties.

here will headily carry their mind
back some years and will coincide
with what follows:
] scraped up acquaintance rev
l1avs ago win a comrade who was
employed ON q tug boat. plying on
the Delaware river in the F1fties.
These boats are not very large, per-
haps not over 10 feet in length and
affect beam. They are built ex-
nressly for towing purposes, and are
the most powerful gittle machines
nnoat. My friend said: We would
think nothing of taking two square
riceers in tow and pulling them down
10 the Breakwater In ten hours. a DIS.
lance of 80 miles. In the old days
the towing business paid well and
money was plenty and easy to get.
"Our main trouble during the winter
season was with the ice. The Civil war
men win remember the winters in the
Fifties were terribly severe. and many
times we had to tie up from October
cntl March on account of the heavy
ice
During this time shipping was at a
standstll. and all industries on the
water a mile in width opposite Phiia-
delphia frequently froze to a thick
ress of from eighteen to twenty-four
inches making it sufficiently heavy
TO admit sleighing. This sport was
largely taken advantage OF, and IL
was not an unusual sight to count
hundreds of sleighs gliding over the
Ice with handsomely decorated horses
with fancy p'umes and gait atured
ladies as passengers. This sport con-
Timed ND to the winter Of 1856, when
he Albright family, while sleighfng
on the ice. broke through and the en-
lire family were drowned. Yachts
were rugged on runners and races and
regattas. were a nalmost every day
occurance. This proved rare sport,
end under q breeze that required
close haul extraordinary fast time
could be made. These yachts when
going Free" could readily sail faster
than the wind blew. In these good
old days but little attention WAS paid
10 any one who wished to sell liquors.
IN the city proper the license fee was
sl10 per year and taverns were scat
tered about the city pronisciousiy.
The winter of 1854 was intensely Sc
we're. There was no heavy ice boats.
as now, to keep the channel open.
snd in consequence the ice was
solid 2o-inch. mass from the Bay to
the extreme upper point of the river.
shcse wide awake citizens who are
always on the quivive to turn an hon
est penny, erected shanties on the
ice and accommodated the skaters
with all kinds of liquors at city
prices. Larger beer was not In vogue
at that time, Ale being the malt drink
most popular. One day in January
1854, by actual count there were two
hundred and fifty-four improvised
taverns on the ice. in radius from an
the upper end of Pettys' Island to the
uper end of Smith Island. It was
Sunday morning, the skaters, ana
men women and children on foot
were on the ce in droves. The bar
keepers did not have a minute OF
leisure. To add 20 the festivities many
OF the shanty keepers had secured
an OK. and this was roasted on the
ice adjacent to their stands, and when
the beast was properly cooked any
and every body could cut of a piece
tc suit them, and wash it down too,
with a cooling nip Of liquor to thei:
liking. Regattas in which fifteen or
more boats on runners were held for
money prizes and this proved the
grestest attraction and drew thous-
ands Of on-iookers-
Now adays this great city is sup
Piled with four powerful ice boats. and
he channel Is always kept open. no
matter how thick the lee may con-
geaL
Home Bands.