The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-01
BY LANES A. CARYIN
I AUGHTER and a b

7 AUGHTER ana a olarlhg
b. nd drowned out the swish
ing y the waters. The banks of
White river were lined with hun
dreds, who waved and cheered in
the sunlight.
1t was the "Sunbeam's" maiden
voyage.
And it was one Of the great
events of 1918 to indianapolis and
Marion county. Broad Ripple and
White river again offered the
thrill of being on board"
Children, and many of their
parents, who did not know the
feel of rocking boat, waited
their chance to ride.
On the banks were uniforms Of
olive drab and khaki. They rep
resented some of Indianapolis
soldiers on Through, who forgot
the worries of war to see the
Sunbeams first voyage up the
river.
That was fourteen years ago.
Today the story is one of men,
cries, for the hull of the Sun
beam-a charred, soaked
mass-bobs on the water of a
hidden lagoon near Broad Ripple.
Fire Sunday brought an end to
the vessel, which once was the
signal for festivity and gayety.
u II
NTONTHS before the Sunbeam,
1V1 side-wheeler, was launched,
the river held the appearance of
a shipyard. The clatter of ham
mers and the whine of saws gave
pleasure-seekers the information
that soon there would be another
source of entertainment.
Hundreds gathered for the day
when its stern split the water, as
the vessel slipped from its tenn
porary ways.
The boat glistened with white
paint. It's bells changed and new
deck chairs we're reflected in the
rivers surface.
Then came the maiden trip and
other similar trips up the river
and back, multiplied by hundreds
as the years passed.
On her first trip, Captain Ben
Stockdale stood at the wheel. The
Sunbeam was his creation. He
had come from boating on the
Ohio to command this queen of
White River.
He had supervised modelling and
building of the craft. He had
brought to Indianapolis the pleas
ures of the future.
Present at the launching were
George Brattain, 6059 Carrollton
avenue, and j. D. Sullivan, now
of Victoria, Tex, the two owners.
These men had conceived the idea
of building the Sunbeam as an
additional attraction to their
amusement business.
e n
DRATTAIN, at his home today,
Oreeounted memories of the
Sunbeam in past years.
For seventeen years he owned
the boathouse at Broad Ripple,
providing canoes, pillows and pad
dies to Indianapolis SWANS Of
high collars and ankle-length
trousers so that they might en-
joy an afternoon or evening be-
meath the moonlight with the
'only girl
-Four years ago he disposed of
his interests in the business and
the Sunbeam The boat,
stripped of all valuable equip
nlent, was abandoned in a lagoon
north Of the park, its days of
pleasure giving ended except for
Adventures who sneaked aboard.
But in the ten years of service,
preceding her retirement. there
was enough laughter, music and
gayety in the Sunbeam's history
to make her content. Those
years had eased the pangs of her
final desertion.
There were the evenings when
"a fraternity or club would take
over the boat for an evening. An
orchestra would be provided, Jap
anese lanterns would swing gaily
from the upper deck, and for
hours the Sunbeam would be
turned into a floating dance pal
ace.
And then there were the every
day business trips back and forth
from Broad Ripple to Ravens
wood. when the Sunbeam afford
ed residents of the two river re-
sorts a dependable means of
transportation.