Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-22
%REASU SURE! Goldl Ducatsl
Pieces of eight! Where are they
to be found? Aboard the old

| II u a . u n Il. GTOldI OuCabS!
Pieces of eight! Where are they
to be found? Aboard the old
Flora Elsie, now on the bottom
Of Buzzards Point. Such is the popular
belief. Hidden treasure has hold on
| most folks minds that no other subject
has and all are willing to invent story
where no basis for one exists. The
Flora" is just another example of this
failing.
It is the popular belief that "some-
thing" of great value exists aboard the
old boat and from many sources I have
heard this belief expressed. Some are
convinced that there are tons of lead
and other valuable metals waiting to be
Salvaged from her and others incline
to the idea that there is a considerable
sum of money hidden somewhere within
her hull. Alas, these are but fancies.
Her ballast is Of stone and her greatest
treasure memories of the days when
she was queen of the Chesapeake, racing
under her mighty spread of canvas and
showing her heels to the best of great
heet-a fleet, by the way, without equal
IN the history of the sea, where numbers
and wealth of cargo are taken for
measure.
For the man able to talk her Ian
guage, for the man gifted with hind
sight, for the fellow whose imagination
Is bolstered with bay lore-for him
alone a real treasure exists. Picture her
footing it up the bay, her great sails
flled to the Sou'weSter, bone in her
teeth and laughing bay folk at her
wheel waving a blight of line at the
slow steamers of so years ago as she
leaves them in her smoking wake.
AYE. thar's picter fer ye," as Cap'n
Charley would say.
A ND referring to Cap'n Charley, we
"A mean Cap'n Charley Chesser of the
FLORENCE Northam, four times winner
OF nrst prize in the bugeye class in the
annual workboat races held on the bay.
some critics maintain that it is only
Lnree, as IN one of these races he won
oy default, there being no competition.
IN this particular race, held of Hamp-
ton, he had greater competition than any
boat or man could offer-a nor'easter
That "scairt" the gulls inland and made
the hardest fishing folk haul their craft
ashore for better weather.
Charley arrived at Hampton from
Chr1sneld In the midst of 1t, to find the
race committee stormbound aboard An
OLD schooner and no other racers on
i nano when the hour of racing arrived.
ing to do but award the race to Flor
ence, provided she sailed the course as
scheduled.
=. So out he went in a wind and sea
tnat Is still remembered where such
things are ordinary, and, figuring on
giving the spectators their moneys
worm. cracked on full sail instead of
Tee1ing down and taking 1t easy, and
rote around the course at staggering
Tate. IN the words of an eyewitness,
cap Slr, that air boat jest flew!'
Inc Florence races again off st
Georges next June, and if you are lln-
able to get to the cup races in New
York then, why go and watch the Flor
thrill. eN''V~'
FALLING these craft workboats gives
~ rather false impression to the
u!nnltlated-that OF heavy, slow craft,
incapable OF anything more than a
numbering progress not associated with
racing. Think it over, from craft OF
TINS type our present-day yachts came
INTO being, and the records for fast
passages and speed are all held by
Workboats. Look over the America
there's something more than a resem-
blance in rig and hull to these same
craft. Last Summer saw a laden
schooner out of Annapolis "hold" a
schooner yacht out of New York on the
run down the bay, to the amazement
OF the folk aboard the yacht and the
gr1nning joy of those aboard the work
boat" Don't let a mere word fool YOU.
WHAT price Byrd, Lindbergh and
w some of our other national heroes
who go adventuring with all the latest
modern improvements and inventions,
whose incentives are fame, wealth and
honorary titles, as compared with one
Capt. lambs, his wife and 5-month-
old son. These lambs folk are Nor
wegians who are making a voyage
around the world in 40-year-old Colin |
Archer sloop Of pilot boat type named |