The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-03-14
THE TRIALS OF A LAUNCH PARTY
Special Cor. ocala Banner:

date vicinity, started out in a launch
at ? a. m, Saturday. bound for Silver
Springs. intending to return late that
afternoon. but, in view of the fact that
they never reached home until the
following morning Sunday at 1890
a. m. It is worthy of note to recount
some OF the unusual and varied expe-
riences they met with ere they com
pleted their trip.
First of ALL the launch C'Lotus" by
namel had not been running we'll for
two days. and had actually just been
put In order the day before friday
and did not even then run smoothly,
OF which fact the entire party was in
absolute and blissfuI-though eventu-
ally disastrous ignorance.
n appears that the boats motor
went wrong and made numerous and
successful efforts in leading the
launch astray, zig-zagging along the
canal in a most dsconcertingly slow
manner curling about in very ap-
proved serpentine fashion. and cutting
an kinds and varieties of capers. AS
IT, IN general. became more unruly
and less comfortable. it became more
successful ia its multitudinous forma-
tions of circles. rings and figures, es-
pecially rs and SIS. If one could use
the term automatically, they veritably
"aoroplaued" along the canal, making
all sorts of degrees and variations Of
spiral curves and tansents, dipping
and rising like a hydrOplane, the only
difference being that. in order to
make "A level run, the boat had to car
rom. billiard-like, up against the en-
bankment OF the canal. and then pre-
cariously resume its uncertain course.
Presumably the occupants of the
boat had neither desire nor opportu-
nifty TO admire the surrounding beau
ties OF land and sky. but felt more as
II they were sophomore students of
a geological survey party, having had
frequent views of various kinds of
strata and soil that they unwittingly
dislodged from the canal embank-
menI.
Il Is 70 be remarked that in that
boat one did not hear the usual hila-
rious laughter and cheerful song that
generally forms accompaniment TO
such and like cruisers. for there was
noticeably lacking that spirit of I'M
bounded joy and ELUSIVE merriment
that one feels in glorious exultance
and hearty appreciation of pleasures
untold on the contrary, all were in
an over-wrought condition of mind,
never knowing when Of ever they
would reach the promised land of Sill
yer Springs. All We're badly shaken
up In body as we'll as in mind, after
their futile and ludicrous attempts to
maintain their equilibrium and thus
help TO balance the shaking. rolling
and tOssed-about boat AS for main
was impossible as we'll as impractical
Bile. for. 10 attempt the latter, meant
90 be- unnatural and constrained, and
60 try the former meant sudden
dOuche IN the uninyiting and cold wa
tiers Of the canal
Thus il was that they found them
selves az the mercy of wind. wave and
motor. until the latter refused to work
any more and finally gave up the job
entirely evidently as utterly disgust
ed as oyer.vorked
The trip 70 Silver Springs was final
d completed however in five hours,
hours OF worry over the trip, regret
~ their departure and longing hope
lcssly for safety and security from
the waters OF the canal. After land
ING at the springs. on account of the
lateness OF their arrival at that point
they had perlorce to content them
selves with a short stay there, and
hurriediy ate their lunch. Even this
luncheon ala not in any way tend to
raise their spirits. for during the trip
" y
messed up. and one may rest assur-
81 that Il was not hearty meal they
sought 10 partake OF. after their i'm
mediate and previous experiences. So
the party soon found themselves COM
PEELED 10 make hasty preparations for
a hurried departure hOmeward
The much-abused motor kicked, of
course. and II We term its former ac-
tion as risky and frolicsome. then it
most assnredly went Wild and crazy
0n the return trip. careening any
where ID pleased along the banks of
abe canal. now acting like a batterng-
ram aeain Stimulating the circuituous
movements Of snake. gyrating like
rotating windmill and everlastingly
persist.ug iu turning about and going
ln the opposite direction TO that in