Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-04


The Races
Promptly at 1880 o'clock the bang
or a pistol sent scores of small youths
boys under stxteen-splashtng head
long from their float near the Walnut
street bridge in the hundred-yard
swim.
hardly climbed out after the finish
line at Market street had been crossed
when some of the prettiest contestants
OF the day lined up for the ladies'
quarter-mile canoe race. And then
the cheers that followed that event
were still startling the shades of the
duskier maids and warriors OF the
the other events were run off in order.
Fifteen minute intervals were allowed
oy the committee for each event on
the program and V. Grant Forrer, as
slstant park superintendent, secretary
or the Navy. referee and clerk-or-
course. adhered to that program until
the last shot was fired at 5 o'clock to
send the war canoes on their way.
or course there were other races
a halt-mile canoe race in which the
husky athlete In sleeve-Jersey and the
pretty companion of IIiany a moon
light spin, padded their own canoe
for prize; the 1o0-yard swim for
Tor men only; hundred-yard swim
Tor girls-which by the way kept one
hsuratively and literally on his tip
toes-a half mile doubles event for
male canoeists; 4 quarter-nnile swim,
and a canoe. race for mems singles.
And IL the races didn't provide
enough thrills, the .specialties' surely
did.
Girls Aqua-PIane
The big event--if one coudl pick
out any in particular--was the girls
aqua-planing stunt. Harrisburg had
never witnessed anything quite like II
before, but--take ii from the throngs
that cheered the swaying girls--Har-
risburg will surely see 1t again and
again. It'll be q permanent feature of
future Kiponas.
Perhaps the fact that two pretty
high school athletes came down from
Williamsport to show how 1t is done
by g1rls-had something to do with
the popularity of the event. They
were Misses Jane Agnes Krouse,
daughter of President Charles c..
krouse, of the Williamsport Board OF
Trade, and Miss Reba Whiteman. The
girls are chums at school and they
made wonderful hit at aqua-planing
during Williamsport's recent carnival.
President Krouse and his party got
in here shortly before noon and
Secretary c. L. McColgin Of the
Chamber of Commerce welcomed the
visitors. After lunch they were taken
directly to the bathing-fioat on the
course.
Aqua planning?
Easy. so it's said If you know how
to do 1t. From the float or the bank
it looks something like this: For some
distance behind swift racing motor
boat, board is left to trail behind in
the wake of the powercraft. And on
this precarious footing. dainty Misses
Krouse and Whiteman gracefully rode.
MAN Fishing
Then, too, there were mere men
aqua-planing events, and a man-fish-
ing contest and a three-man standing
double paddle event, and an obstacle
canoe race and a fitting contest. The
man-fishing event was new too; so was
the obstacle race. From off a fiat a
husky fisherman" in bathing-suit-
sort of a safety first precautionary
measure-actually "hshed" for a hu.
man "hsh"-a husky athletic young
swimmer who added the brains Of
regular man to the fin swim ging ability
of a regular fish. B. Frank Mead had
expected to do the fishing with Rich
ard Rauck but the former had to call
off his end of the job because of
serious attacks of y-poisoning. So
a.
r. Michener volunteered.
The titlting contest added as much
fun as the umbrella and the tub races
somehow the folks who just looked
on got heap of fun out of just watch
ing one 'tilter" trying out another
jousting stunt from canoes. The OBJ
stable canoe race was an amusing af-
fair for the spectators but mighty
wearying for the contestants One
had to paddle, over-turn his canoe,
right it, slide over a telegraph pole
and do some other heart breaking
things before he finished. The three
standing double paddle event was an
other interesting stunt-and Richard
Rauck, Clarence Beck and Frank Roth
gave a real exhibition of balancing
and padding simultaneously.
War Canoe Race
And finally there was the great
war" canoe race.
Central. Technical and Steelton
highs and the Harrisburg Academy
fought out the question of who's who
as the Navy cup winner
Eleven husky athletes OF the four
schools who had been giving glimpses
practice spins during the last few days
got down to it in real earnest under
a late afternoon sun, sweated heart
breakingly down the course that was
lined with cheering thousands.
New London, Poughkeepsie. Lake
Cayuga, Princeton the Schuylkill -
they've got little on Harrisburg now,
bet you, was the general comment
after that splendid four boat chase
that wound up the biggest river spec
tacle Harrisburg has ever known.