El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-17
CbN0EIST5 TO
RACE IN THE
MOONLIGHT
Annual Regatta Of American
Association On in st. Law
renee River.
MANY WOMEN TAKE
PART IN MEETING


American members. The meet viii last
until August %. The Canadian station
! is GanonOque and the Americans ship
! their supplies to Clayton, \; y. The
! Canoe association launch. the "ROb Roy,
as we'll as several other small vessels,
/ ply between the two station several
/ times daily. This annual meet Is an al
4 fair of Importance to every one inter
/ ested in canoeing and attracts many
( summer visitors to points along the St.
| Lawrence. It always is held in August
and there are members who have not
missed a meet for 20 years OF more.
! There are races by day and by moon
| light The canoes are gailv decorated
and the affair is one grand fiesta.
There are lew summer camps so well
adapted to their purpose as Sugar island,
which contains everything likely to pro-
mote the comfort of the canoeists. There
are general headquarters, a large mesa
and store at which most of the things
needed in canoeing may be purchased.
Many canOeists. however. prefer to ship
in their own supplies and special trans
portatiOn facilities are provided. The
visitors have their choice between pro-
viding their own food and cooking it in
camp style, OF taking their meals at
the main mess. The island is irregular
in shape, providing many little bays and
shelters along its coast. Along this
many of the clubs belonging to the assO-
citation have established permanent posts
to which they return each year Camp
sites are awarded to applicants each
season in a methodical manner and each
year adds to the comfort and convenience
available.
The American Canoe association has
done more than any other organization
in the world to popularize canoeing. It's
founders and early members were men
of exceptional ability and standing. and
they lent a prestige to the sport from
the beginning. Their ingenuity has de-
vised thousands of convenience and i'm
DrOvements to the canoeing sport. which
have been given to the world. in most
cases gratuitOusly.
For years, the organization published
annual guides giving instruction to anna
teur canoeists regarding the different
types of canoes and the advantages and
methods of handling each. They have
supplied maps and descriptions of ca
noeing routes in all parts of the country
and directions for following them Each
member of the association is invited to
give particulars regarding any new
route, and in this way the country is
beipO well covered. Even in the inland
states where large boats are not avail
BILE. there are canoe routes being re-
ported constantly. and through the asso-
citation it Is possible to obtain accounts
of these Some members make winter
canoe trips through the southern states.
Winding along the turns of some small
stream in Florida or Alabama amidst
the almost tropical scenery is full of
surprises to the canoeist who has only
been accustomed to the rugged streams
of the north.
Many Women join In Sport.
Canoeing is not sport confined to
men, but one in which many women join
with equal interest. A number of
women belong to the association direct
". Others are affiliated with it
through some local club and still others.
who are not connected with any or
ganizatiOn. take an active interest in
the sport and accompany their husbands
on frequent trips. In recognition of the
feminine members, there always are
some events in the annual meet either
Tor mixed pairs or for women canoeists
alone. The first boat club house built
exclusively for women is in Philadel
phia IN the midst of a number of other
boat clubs upon the Schuylkill river.
It was founded by Miss Margaret Cor
lies, a prominent society girl, who dug
The first shade full of earth for its foun-
1ation. Miss Corlies has been an en-
-husiastic canoeist for wears. and has
IN many regattas.
Organized by McGregor.
The credit of organizing canoeing as a
sport belongs to John McGregor, an off
'er in a Scottish regiment who had re-
'elved an injury in railroad accident
which prevented his enjoyment of a
hunting trip. He devised the famous
Roy Roy canoe which was built of oak
with deck of cedar. 1t was equipped
with paddle with a blade at both ends
md also with a lug sail and a lib. It
vas Is feet long. % inches wide, nine
inches deep and weighed so pounds. The |
)nly baggage carried for a three months |
.ruise was contained in black bag a
DOT square and six inches high. In this !
anoe, Mr.. McGregor wandered about the |!
mall streams of central Europe giving 1
rs adventures in a book entitled "a /
thousand Miles in Canoe" which was I
published in 1867. Mr. Baden-Powe1f !
oOk up canoeing shortly after the APP /
'earance of this book. having built for 1
ern- After using it for padding, he be-
anne interested in sailing and decided I
hat a canoe could be built for sailing !
purposes which would vet retain good |
adding qualities. The canoe known |
s the Nautilus pattern was the result
f this idea.
Mr.. Alden of New York became inter
SGeu III canoeing ABOUT UHlS time ana
in obtaining drawings of Mr..
'adenPowells canoe. from which was
uilt a small fleet of boats for the New
.Ork Canoe club. which is said to be the
ideSt club in the world. It built a
ubstantial club house in 1879 and held /
IS first regatta the same year. At this
egatta it was rumOred that every canoe
n sail upset. This naturally threw
old water upon sailing for a time, al
hough since then the matter is better
The sailing power of a
Oat Is governed largely by the amount
f water it draws. Consequently the
hallOw canoe which floats upon the
Dp of the water can only sail "down
he wind" for headed in any other di-
action it would drift helplessly. The
american indians understood this prin-
ple. and one of them would place a
'ush in the bow of his canoe and sit
ar aft If the canoe was started
efore the wind. a good speed would re-
1lt without using the paddle. The
-eInLt of the CANOE 50 far = Fl ,un1Id |