Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-05-06
Land and SEA
RACE PROVIDES
MANY THRILLS
Auto Average 40 Miles
An Hour Down Pa
Dire Island Bea { h;
Boat Makes 80

More than 80 years ago General
Taylor's army moved from Corpus
Christi To Brownsville, some Of his
men going by land and others By
sea in sloops. Yesterday Buick
automobile. driven down Padre -
land By Dewitt Reed and a Dodge
watercar. piloted by X. C. Trow-
bridge. duplicated General Taylor's
undertaking.
Both vehicle and vessel left Cor
pus Christi at s:04 o'clock in the
morning. and the roadster. travelling
on Mustang and Padre Island beaches
reached the southern tin OF Padre
Island at 1910 o'clock. beating the
watercar which was off the pass BY
o'clock.
Some of the hazardous experiences
encountered in the gulf are recount
ed by Trowbridge, pilot OF the water
car which found some very rough
going and had 70 battle wind and
waves 10 reach it, destination.
AT O'Clock yesterday morning
We we're at the Arkansas Pass jettics. I"
said Trowbridge. ''and few minutes
previously the ferry. carrying the
Buick and IT, occupants. had been
encountered in the middle or the
channel We waved at our rivals
and that was the last we saw OF
them. They are reported ID have
made ore or two detours We made
only one detour tn the ls0-mile run
BY water and that was when giant
sea turtle obstructed our path.
$50 Miles Over All
"The length Of the island IA I29
miles This. added TO the 21-mile
channel al Corpus Christi, makes $50
miles "A heavy ground swell. a
contrary beach current and heavy
head wind necessitated tacking which
brought the total mileage covered
ming time, cut down BY stopping q
fill the gasoline tanks and O delay
encountered later near Point Isabel
was slightly more than tx hours
leaving nm average Of 30 miles per
hour
Rough water was encountered in
Corpus Christi bay. but the gulf
around the northern end of this
island was comparatively calm. A
long. lazy swell. negotiated by i
motor with an encouraging dronc
convinced H. that we would reach
/ Point Isabel by noon. At III O'Clock
We slowed down for lunch for five
minutes and at l:4D o'clock We
filled our gasoline tanks. Otherwise
the boat was never running less than
2s miles an hour even after the
lazy swell came.
Leaving the Aransas iettics W.
went seaward and for hundred
miles were never nearer the beach
than five miles and most WI the
time were ten miles away As We
approached the southern tip of the
island we came nearer and nearer
the beach. the last 10 miles having
been run about half mile from
land Most of the time the island
I appeared only a. "A yellow line on
Il horizune of blue.
Il Found Pass Rough
v Mountainous seas at Brazos az
Santiago Pass prevented speedy
1 landing "A surf boat with three coast
guardsmen met Us about two miles
off shore. The guardsmen declared
that IL was impossible I'd bring 4
craft of our type through the pass
with the heavy sea breaking TN
4 the path of the boat. Life preServ.
ers were strapped or and We went
\ through the pounding surf AZ -
miles per hour. X was such a ride
as olc-time mariners, whose dere.
liCts are strewn the length of ths
coast. might have experienced"
II The automobile had t0 negotiate .
\ journey of about $50 miles II was
\ 80 miles from Corpus Christi tc
\ the Aransas Pass ferry, theme.
seven miles on thr ferry across the
bay, two more miles to the heacF
and l2g miles along the beach ~
Hrazas de Santiago pass. The auto
mobile averaged about 40 miles pel
holr. the trip taking just few
minutes over four hours.
" The Dodge wRtsrcar will H. on ex,
hibitIOn Al Point Isabel Sunday. II
is stated here and will ~ available
for inspection by all those who care
tn see I'LL