^58 
FOREST AMD STREAM. 
[Sept. 24, 1898. 
Knockabout Association Races. 
The Knockabout Association, of Boston, sailed a 
series of three races for the regular raceabout class, with 
a handicap for some of the old knockabouts, on Sept. 6, 
7 and 8. The courses were off Marblehead, and Messrs. 
H. H. Buck and E. B. Clarke managed the first two, 
'while Messrs. W. S. Eaton and J. P. Loud had charge 
of the third. 
On Tuesday there was a light and variable S.E. wind; 
Sintram, sailed by W. P. Fowle, very cleverly made 
the most of a wandering streak of wind, and worked out 
a good lead that brought her in well ahead. The times 
were: 
Elapsed. 
Sintram, W. P. Fowler 1 53 41 
Suzanne, F. Brewster j 1 57 58 
Chinook, Adams Bros 1 58 40 
Mongoose IT., A. D. Irving 1 59 00 
Jilt, W. O. Gav "■ 1 59 49 
"Gosling, Clark & North 1 o9 50 
Fancy, C. F. Lyman 2 01 40 
Typhoon, E. V. R. Thayer 2 03 37 
Sparkle, I. B. Mills . . : 2 06 52 
Knockabouts. 
Elapsed. Corrected. 
Jacobin, T. E. Jacobs 2 10 59 2 10 59 
Mayona. C. O. Stearns 2 16 09 2 16 09 
\rbeeka, F. P. Bowden 2 22 46 2 20 48 
Jenny Wren, F. Peabody 2 24 08 2 24 08 
On Wednesday there was plenty of wind from S.W.. 
with a lively sea, making a fine race. The times were: 
Elapsed. 
Typhoon, E. V. R. Thayer 1 51 50 
Jilt, W. O. Gay »"« 1 52 22 
Sintram, W. P. Fowle 1 52 46 
Tunipoo, J. L. Bremer 1 53 o< 
MongooseTl., A. D. Irving 1 54 41 
Amanita, J. Crane 1 55 40 
Gosling, Clark & North 1 57 23 
Suzanne, F. Brewster 1 57 27 
Fancv, C. F. Lyman 1 57 53 
Spindrift, W. H. S. Lothrop 1 59 50 
Sparkle, I. B. Mills 2 01 12 
Chinook, Adams Bros Disabled. 
Knockabouts. 
Klapsed. Corrected. 
Tacobin, T. E. Jacobs 2 01 03 2 00 08 
Arbeeka, F. P. Bowden 2 03 07 2 00 44 
Jennv Wren, F. E. Peabody 2 02 23 2 01 28 
Polly", E. Wadsworth Z 05 58 2 05 58 
Mayona, C. O. Stearns Not timed. 
Louise, Mr. Williams Not timed. 
The last day was marked by a light and fluky southerly 
wind; the times were: 
Elapsed. 
Tilt, W. O. Gay 1 58 33 
Spindrift, W. H. S. Lothrop ,.2 00 21 
Sintram, W. P. Fowle 2 01 07 
Suzanne, F. Brewster 2 01 18 
Fancy, C. F. Lyman 2 04 57 
Mongoose II., A. D. Irving 2 06 05 
Typhoon, E. V. R. Thayer 2 09 35 
Gosling, North & Clark r 2 11 07 
Chinook, Adams Bros 2 12 32 
Cockatoo, C. H. W. Foster 2 12 39 
Amanita, J. Crane, Jr ..Withdrew. 
Knockabouts. 
Jacobin, T. E. Jacobs 2 14 27 
Louise, Mr. McWilliams ..2 29 58 
Arbeeka, F. P. Bowden 2 33 19 
Sag Harbor Y. C. 
The Sag Harbor Y. C. sailed its final race of the sea- 
son on Sept. 5, with a small number of starters, the 
calm weather of the morning preventing half of the 
thirty-five entries from reaching the line. The times 
were : 
Sloops. 
Start. Finish. Elapsed. Corrected. 
Muzzy 3 02 45 4 20 28 1 17 43 
Neuva 3 01 05 4 22 00 1 20 55 
Cabin Cats. 
Isolde 3 01 15 5 45 00 Disqualified. 
Regina 3 05 40 5 51 50 ..... 
^Eolus 3 04 50 5 40 46 2 32 01 
Saunterar 3 06 -iO D.d not finish. 
Open ("ats. ^ 
Wa Wa 3 09 50 6 08 40 2 59 50 
Glide 3 08 20 Did not finish. 
Sharpies. 
Spoon 3 11 31 4 47 10 1 36 39 
Gracie 3 10 58 5 04 05 1 53 07 * 
Edith 3 11 28 5 08 40 1 57 12 
Hogonock 3 11 44 5 02 58 1 51 13 
Volunteer 3 10 20 Did not finish. 
Annie 3 11 48 Did not finish. 
Isolde fouled a mark boat and was disqualified. The 
winners were Muzzy, Mollis, Wa Wa and Spook, 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
The steam yacht Embla, John T. Williams, took fire 
while at her moorings off Shippan Point, on the after- 
.noon of Sept. 7, and was finally scuttled to prevent her 
total destruction. It is said that the fire originated 
from an explosion of gasoline, used in cleaning the 
cabins. The yacht's cook, Frederick Morrison, was so 
badly burned that he died next day in the hospital, 
while Henry Stern, a mess boy, was dangerously injured. 
Every assistance was given by men from other yachts, 
but the fire was soon beyond control, so Capt. Frank 
Yorrey scuttled her in 12ft. of water, at low tide. She 
^'fl§ raised on Sept. 10 by the Merritt-Chapman Com- 
pany, find taken to New York. 
The American yachts which were about the Mediter- 
ranean at the outbreak of the war last spring, and which 
look refuge in nearby ports, have all fitted out and 
started home, Fleur de Lys, schr., George Lord Day, 
laid up at Lisbon, arrived at Southampton on Aug. 29 
and hauled out at White Bros, for repairs. Varuna, 
steam yacht, Eugene Higgins, touched at Gibraltar on 
Aug. 27 and proceeded; Andria, steam yacht, John E. 
Brooks, was at Lisbon on Aug. 29, bound from Mar- 
seilles to London; Valiant, steam yacht, W. K. Vander- 
bilt, arrived at Marseilles from Nice on Aug. 19, for 
coaling and docking. 
Eleanor, steam yacht, W. A. Slater, has been sold to 
Mrs. J. W. M. Cardeza, of Germantown, Philadelphia. 
Capt. Atkinson, lately in charge of Hermione, will com- 
mand her. The yacht is still under charter to Col. O. H. 
Payne. 
Syren, steam yacht, now owned and used by the U. S. 
Government, was sunk in collision with the British 
tramp steamer Topaz, on Sept. 5, at 3:30 P. M. No 
lives were lost, and the yacht was beached in the shoal 
water near the shore. 
The schr. yacht Duen, of Copenhagen, is lying at 
anchor at the Royal Canadian Y. C. moorings, with the 
Danish ensign floating over her taffrail. She arrived 
yesterday afternoon in charge of Capt. Noland, her sail- 
ing master and pilot. The yacht is the property of 
Countess Adeline Grevinde Schimmelmann of Linden- 
borg, and that lady and her friends, Paul Friedrich, O. 
H. Oeumpaugh and Friedrich Wilhelm von Viebahn, are 
all registered at the Royal Canadian Y. C, being met on 
their arrival by Commodore ^Emilius Jarvis. The Coun- 
tess is widely known on account of the deep interest 
she takes in missions to sailors and fishermen. She 
and her friends will remain in Toronto for eight days, 
and it is expected that the Duen will then sail for 
Chicago. With the exception of the Countess, all of the 
party on board the yacht crossed the Atlantic in her on 
the voyage from Copenhagen. The Countess joined her 
vessel at New York. — Toronto Globe, Sept. 10. 
Sylph, steam yacht, recently completed at Roach's 
Yard, Chester, where she was built from designs by 
Gardner & Cox, was purchased by the United States 
Government prior to the close of the war. She' will be 
retained permanently for the use of the President of the 
United States. She is 152ft. over all, 20ft. beam and 8ft. 
gin. draft. 
Barracouta, steam yacht, has been sold by D. P. 
Reighart to Edward Kellv, of New York. 
The Shenandoah River. 
BY THE COMMODORE. 
I. — Description. 
This beautiful mountain river is an ideal cruising 
stream. Flowing between the Blue Ridge and the Al- 
leghany mountains, the scenery is picturesque and beau- 
tiful, and the climate bracing and healthful. The days 
are no hotter than those of New York and Pennsylvania, 
while the nights are always cool. Mosquitoes and 
malaria are entirely unknown, and the bass fishing is 
excellent when the water is clear. The surrounding 
country is a well-developed farming region, where sup- 
plies are easily obtained and railway stations are al- 
ways within reach. The stream is bold and swift, and 
abounds in rapids and falls; and is navigable for canoes 
in the lowest stages of water. 
The river consists of two streams — North and South 
Forks — which unite at Riverton, fifty-five miles above 
Harper's Ferry, where the Shenandoah unites with the 
Potomac. The North Fork rises in the Alleghany 
Mountains, and flows through the Shenandoah Valley, 
west of the Massanutton Mountains. It is the smaller 
of the two streams, and will not be described. The 
South Fork or main stream rises in Augusta county, 
and is formed by the union of three small streams — 
North, Middle and South rivers. It flows through the 
narrow Luray or Page Valley. It is very crooked, and 
winds back and forth across the valley, washing .the 
base of the mountains on one side or the other continu- 
ous]}'. . It has a northeasterly trend, and its fall is about 
800ft. from Port Republic to Harper's Ferry, a distance 
of 156 miles. 
The river throughout its entire course runs over a 
continuous series of limestone ledges, lying more or 
less parallel with each other. Sometimes a single ledge 
will make a fall of several feet in height: again the 
ledges will succeed each other in a series of little ter- 
races, extending for miles down the river. These are 
known as "falls" in local parlance, although the river 
has no literal falls or cataracts that cannot be jumped 
by a skillful canoeist. The ledges run parallel with the 
mountains, or up and down the valley, consequently the 
falls or rapids as a rule are found in the reaches of 
the river running across the valley, while the pools or 
"eddies" are found in the elbows or bends at the ends of 
each reach. 
Before the building of the Shenandoah Valley division 
of the Norfolk and Western Railroad along the river, a 
great deal of boating was done — down the river only, of 
course. The products of the mines and mills were ship- 
ped to the railway stations at Riverton and Harper's 
Ferry in flat boats. To facilitate this traffic a channel 
was blasted through the reefs and ledges, and rough 
chutes were put in the mill dams. This channel is 
easily found by the cruiser, and is of material assistance 
to him. although much choked in many places with 
debris, and obstructed by fish dams, which can generally 
be shot by the canoeist, even in the lowest water. The 
chutes in the mill dams are now generally closed, but 
here and there one remaining open; they are generally 
very rough. The channel generally runs close along one 
bank or the other through the rapids and falls, rarely in 
midstream. In the longer falls the channel frequently 
changes back and forth from one side to the other. 
The force of the rapids varies entirely with the stage 
of water. At dead low water they are not very rough, 
and the finding of the boat channel is a matter of neces- 
sity in order to get through the long lines of reefs at 
all. At a moderately flush stage — say 3 or 4ft. above low 
water — the river is very rough and boisterous, and the 
water rushes and roars down the rapids and over the 
ledges with big, spouting waves, which are apt to swamp 
anything but well-decked canoes. When the river is 
quite high it rushes swiftly and smoothly along on one 
general down-hill level, over rapids and pools, occa- 
sionally breaking up into vast rapids, whose huge waves 
must be avoided. From 6 to i2in. above extreme low 
water ie the best cruising stage. There is plenty of 
water in the rapids, which are then quite rough enough 
to be exciting, while no difficulty is experienced in 
getting over the reefs and falls. 
The last six miles of the river — from Bloomery to 
Harper's Ferry — is very rough, and at a flush stage is 
quite dangerous. There is a fall of about 100ft. in this 
six miles. 
There are numerous springs along the river, and good 
camping places are abundant. The people of the valley 
are hospitable and cordial, and lodging can readily be 
procured for the asking at any of the farmhouses. The 
Shenandoah Valley division of the Norfolk and West- 
ern Railroad runs along the river from Port Republic 
to Riverton; the Virginia Midland road crosses at Riv- 
erton, while the valley branch of the Baltimore and 
Obio road, from Harper's Ferry to Staunton and Lex- 
ington, joins the main line at Harper's Ferry. 
The Grottoes of the Shenandoah are on South River, 
three miles above Port Republic, and one and a half 
miles from Mount Meridian on Middle River. The larg- 
est of these — Weyer's Cave — is one of the old-time 
wonders of Virginia, ranking along with the Natural 
Bridge in point of interest. The caverns of Luray are 
three miles inland from Massanutton. The cruiser should 
visit both these places of interest. 
The most convenient post-offices are Port Republic 
and Elkton, in Rockingham county; Shenandoah and 
Massanutton, in Page county; Riverton, Warren coun- 
ty; Castleman's Ferry, Clarke county, all in Virginia, and 
Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. There are no large 
towns or cities on the river. Port Republic, Elkton. 
Shenandoah and Riverton are villages of from 200 to 500 
inhabitants. Conrad's Store, Newport, Massanutton and 
Castleton's Ferry are mere hamlets which the canoeist 
might sail right by without noticing; and even world- 
renowed Harper's Ferry is but a picturesque t£wn of 
about 1,200 inhabitants, built all up and down the sides 
of the mountain. 
The best place from which to start is Staunton. This 
little city is located on the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail- 
road, but ten or twelve hours from New York and 
Philadelphia. The Valley Branch of the B. & O. road 
also goes through here. All supplies may be obtained 
here. From here the cruiser may ship his canoe down 
the pike by wagon to Bowling's Mill, on Middle River, 
two days' cruise from Port Republic and the Shenan- 
doah; or by B.'& O. to Mount Crawford station on 
North River, one day's cruise from Port Republic; or 
he may drive down the New Hope road sixteen miles 
to Mount Meridien, on Middle River, one and a half 
miles above its junction with North River. If the 
canoeist can spare the time the Middle River trip from 
Bowling's Mill is recommended. Middle River is quite 
a small stream at Bowling's, but two or three canoe 
lengths in width, but it is a beautiful and interesting 
little stream, and the canoeist will be well repaid for 
meandering down the thirty-six miles between Bowling's 
and Port Republic. 
The_ best canoes for cruising the Shenandoah are 
those of the different modifications of the Rob Roy 
type. They should be small and light for easy portaging 
and handling, and of light draft with shallow keels. 
Both ends should be well rounded so the canoe will 
turn quickly under paddle, and will slip easily down over 
the fish dams and ledges. Sails and rudder are useless 
encumbrances. A reasonable amount of sheer and full- 
ness of bow are desirable, to avoid plunging under in 
the big waves at the bottom of the chutes and falls. 
Decked canoes are better than open ones, as the waves 
in many places roll over the decks freely. Open canoes, 
if not too heavily loaded, may be safely used by ex- 
perienced canoeists. Canvas canoes should be well pro- 
tected with bilge keels. 
n.— Pilot. 
The figures along the river refer to the miles; they 
will also be used for reference in the following descrip- 
tion. The cruiser descending either North or Middle 
rivers from Mount Crawford or Bowling's will need no 
special guide, as the streams are small, and what chan- 
nels there are are plainly apparent. There is a rapid or 
fall in North River just above Port Republic that re- 
quires a little care in negotiating. The boat channel 
goes in at the top between the two flat grassy islands 
in the middle of the stream. On reaching the still water 
below the first reefs it veers close in to the right bank, 
along which it runs for the remaining extent of the fells. 
At the bottom veer sharply out to the left, and jump 
the last pitch close to the left of the small, grassy isl- 
and. Cross over to the left bank of the river and fol- 
low the boat channel — which is plainly apparent — 
through the reefs under the bridge, passing under the 
first span from the left bank. 
The Shenandoah begins here at Port Republic with 
the confluence of North and South rivers. There is a 
spring in the right bank in front of the village, and a 
good camping place under the willows across from the 
village. Descending North or Middle rivers there is a 
fine spring and camping place on the right bank at 
Rippetoes, three miles above Port, and another at 
Nicholas', in the right bank, a mile above 
No special directions are necessary for the first few 
miles of the Shenandoah; the rapids are easily run, and the 
mill dams are mostly low structures of rocks, logs or 
brush, and are easily shot at a fair stage of water, or 
portaged at a low stage. The Lewis dam is built at the 
head of a conglomeration of small islands, among which 
the river seems to disappear from view. Shoot or 
portage the dam at the channel nearest the left bank. 
There is a nasty little fall at 3. At a fair stage of 
water go over the reef in mid-stream without trouble, 
but at a low stage the boat channel over against the 
left bank must be taken. 
The channel winds around the end of the reef with a 
twist to the right, and there fa a treacherous mass of 
sharp-edged reef in the middle of it just at the head 
of the shoot. This rock is difficult to avoid, and I 
have seen several canoes wrecked here at various times, 
including my own on one occasion. The boat channel 
through the reefs around the bend at 5 is close to the 
right bank. In running the rapids at 6. below the big 
eddy, go to right of the rocks in mid-stream. Jump 
the fish dam at 6 to the left of center. There is a 
beautiful camp ground at Three Springs. The water 
gushes out of the ground in a great flood, while the 
ground is a sandy turf and well shaded. Supplies may 
be procured at Kyger's. on the hilltop, just above the 
spring. 
The reefs and rapids below Shaver's dam, from 8 to 9, 
are passed on the right. The big fish dam just below 
9 may be jumped near the right bank. Cross over to 
the left bank belo*w the dam, and run the rapids above 
the Island Ford bridge close to the left bank. At 14 
go in to the right, behind the small islands at the 
head of the rapid, until the first reef is passed, then 
veer out into the river. A little twist to the right is 
necessary at the foot of the falls to dodge the rocks. 
The falls iust above the railroad bridge at Elkton are 
