Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-15
LOCAL BOA TING FANS
TAKE TANC|ER CRUISE
Captain Tom Kerse and Friends En-.
joy Visit to Unique Commun-
ity in Bay.
CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF PEOPLE
Bury Their Dead in Front Yards.
Cockney Dialect Still Evident I'm
Their Speech -"Evelyn" Passes
Through Fleet and U-Boat Nets.

| FlceI anu S-BO6C NeISs
Tucked away in odd corners OF tho
Old Dominion are many novel and
| unique localities where, because Of the
circumstances under which they live,
are people whose lives are as interest
ing as IL they were OF another nation.
Quite unknown to the majority of Vir-
| gihans. they follow their curious GUS
toms and live their simple lives far be-
You'd the whirl of modern times, and
| II is only to those who seek their out
| door recreation in motor-boat cruises
or long automobile tours that they are
| familiar.
| One Of the least known and most
| interesting of such localities in Virginia
is Tangier Island small bit of land
off the mouth of the Potomac River in
| the Chesapeake Bay. where exist some
1000 direct descendants Of the English
settlers In the seventeenth century.
They are curious people. living their
| quiet fishermen lives with small know
| ledge or interest In what is occurring
| in the outside world.
Thither crufsed a party OF Richmond
sportsmen recently and the log Of the
| Evelyn" the handsome cruiser owned
J and captained by Tom P. Kerse, in
which the trip was made, gives an eS-
| cellent description of the trip from this
city The cruise itself was interesting
and thoroughly enjoyable. while the
party of local adventure seekers found
much to entertain them after the island
had been reached.
| The start was made early In the af-
| ternoon from the city wharf. Captain
| Kerse. his father. Sergeant Kerse. Pas
senger Jim Carneal. Cook Herbert STILL
Billy Herndon. Bill Shields. Lookout
Tooner and Bob Cushman composed the
party that was aboard when the Eve
1rn cf In hn har a ~.
down the river.
3, Wartime Activity Noticeable.
Maintaining an average speed Of ten
| miles an hour. and negotiating the
! narrow channel near City Point. where
| the hustle of wartime activity plainly
was seen from the river. the party CON-
tinued the cruise until Q o'clock when
the anchor was dropped off jamestown
Island and preparations made for
| spending the night. Before the adven-
! turers retired. however, running lights
were observed and Captain Cooke. of
| the Mary Lou, soon brought his craft
| alongside.
| An early start was obtained tho fol-
lowing morning and breakfast skill
fully prepared by Chef Still. hardly
had been finished when the huge grain
| elevators, cranes and smokestacks OF
| Newport News were discerned lin the
distance. Passing through host OF
shipping. In which was included vessels
! from many foreign nations. the Eve
| lyn struck course for Old Point.
Many grim representatives of Uncle
Sam, looking sullen In their dull war
paint and with monster guns keeping
| careful watch over the roads. were
| passed. while frequently destroyers or
| the fitting little mosquito craft rushed
past. Above, aeroplanes circled con-
stantly.
Old Point presented a wartime ap-
| mi af
| securing morning papers. Captain Kerse
| again gave tho command and the
Evelyn headed away. Submarine nets.
guarding the entrance of the bay
! forced Captain Kerse to halt the Eve
! Ign, but he was permitted to pass
| through the gates after short parley
and, In the course of short run, Buck
roe Beach was reached. Then the Mary
Lou and the Merle. Captain Butler. also
! of Richmond. Joined the Evelyn and
the three craft headed up the bay to.
| Eether
! Porpoise. rolled ahead Of the yachts
| and flying fish leaped flashingly through
the afr at frequent intervals; but, save
for these. the trip was uneventful until
Wolf Trap lighthouse was reached.
There tho adventurers discovered that
vegetables can be raised almost in mid
ocean. for the keepers operate their
own garden on the decks Of their home.
BY o'clock fringe OF land was OBJ.
| served and an hour later the adven-
turous craft had tied up at the Tangier
Island wharf. or one OF them, for almost
the entire island Is a wharf.
Log OF "Icveiyn- Interesting.
The following admirable description
| OF the island and It's people Is taken
from the official report Of the cruise
| made by Bob Cushman:
Tangier Island is about five miles
long and one or two miles wide. 1t was
In ha
| teenth century. and ne English cockney
dialect plainly is noticeable in the in
| habitants' speech. The island has
population OF about $500 fisher folk.
about 1000 OF whom are children. all
of them unusually healthy and many
o. them exceedingly attractive. Across
TanSier Souno 40, twelve miles Is
Criafield. Md. the largest crab market
In the world. The Tangier fishermen
supply over half OF the Crisfield mar,
ket.
AS soon as possible after anchoring
me crew C tho Evelyn must need go
ashore--there could be no waiting for
daylight. and a party set out at once.
The wharf at which the Evelyn was
locked was out some distance from
shore. and was lot ir the best Of repair.
therefore. the journey to town In the
dark proved rather a perilous und-r-
taking. However every one got safely
ashore with the exception OF "Bll'
Shields. Bill, 1t seems. being out Of
his head on account OF seasickness, for
the moment thought he was an Indian
chief and becoming entangled in the
blanket be insisted wearing. lost
his equilibrium and fell into the briny.
Captain Tom. an expert swimmer. at
once dived overheard. knocked Bit
unconscious with q single blow and
dragged him to safety by his scalp
lock. Darkness had fallen when the
party arrived In town and therefore
very little was to be seen. Captain Tom
called on his old friend. Inspector Daily,
whom he had met on previous trip.
and who very kindly assisted tho party
back TO their boats and gave much
valuable information in regard to tho
island and its interesting people.
TanEier Resembles Dutch Village.
Monday morning. after hearty sea-
food breakfast. all hands went ashore
on tour OF inspection. The town OF
Tangier Is just as ono would imagine
Dutch village. The houses for tho
most part. are two stories. very neat
and clean, with trim little lawns Tho