B14 
FOREST AND STREIAM. 
[Dec. 28, 1901. 
American Ganoc Association^ J900-J90J. 
Commodore, C. £. Britton, Gananoque, Can. 
Secretary-Treasurer, Herb Begg, 24 King street, West Toronto, 
Canada. , 
Librarian, W. P. Stephens, Thirty-second street anu Avcnne A, 
Bayonne. N. J. 
Division Officers. 
ATLANTIC DIVISION. 
Vice-Com., Henry M. Dater, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Rear-Com., H. D. Hewitt, Burlington, N. J. 
Purser, Joseph F. EaBtmond, 199 Madison street, Brooklyn. N. Y. 
CENTRAL DIVISION. 
Vice-Com., C. P. Forbush, Buffalo, N. Y. 
Rear-Com., Dr. C. R, Henry, Perry, N. Y. 
Purser. Lyman P. Hubbell, Buffalo. N. Y. 
EASTERN DIVISION. 
Vice-Com., Louis A. Hall, Newton, Mass. 
Rear-Com., C. M. Lamprey. Lawrence, Masa. 
Purser, A. E. Kimberly, Lawrence Experimental Station, 
Lawrence, Mass. 
NORTHERN DIVISION. 
Vice-Com., G. A, Howell, Toronto, Can. 
Rear-Com., R. E:aston Burns, Kingston, Ontario, Can. 
Purser, R. Norman Brown, Toronto, Can. 
WESTERN DIVISION. 
Vice-Com., Wm. C. Jupp, Detroit, Mich. 
Rear-Com., F. B. Huntington, Milwaukee, Wis. 
Purser, Fred T. Barcroft, 408 Ferguson Building, Detroit, Mich. 
Official organ. Forest and S«keam. 
'Mid Reef and Rapid,-XXXn. 
BY F. R. WEBB. 
With all our skill and address, we were most unmerci- 
fully knocked and banged about by the heavy, rough water 
among the reefs of this half mile, which we managed to 
work through, reef at a time, by making a shoot as it 
offered, and then lying by in some friendly lee to 
figure out the next shoot, now pitching head first over a 
4ft. fall into the big, yeasty waves at the bottom; again 
making a long cellar-door slide down the long, sloping 
face of a reef, anon bringing up with a terrific smash 
against the ledges, in some unpromising shoot that we 
were obliged to take as the best that offered. 
The water was over the floor boards in my canoe, and 
the others were no better off. Evidently the tough can- 
vas skins of our poor, abused canoes were succumbing 
to the fatal rocks, but if the boats would only hold to- 
gether fifteen minutes more, we would pass out of the 
Shenandoah into the Potomac, and the cruise would be 
ended. Several times I threw open my 'midship hatch 
to see if the whole bottom of my canoe was not smashed 
in, but the boat still seemed to be hold'ng together, and 
I determined to stick to it as long ^s it would stick to me. 
Finally, one last landing to reconnoiter, one last plunge 
over the crest and down the face of one of the largest and 
riskiest reefs of all, with desperate paddling to secure the 
proper sharp twist to the left at the bottom, to avoid a fatal 
smash on the rocks, a cellar-door slide of over 20ft. down 
a long, sloping ledge, a fierce, rough shoot at the bot- 
tom, with the big waves smashing into spray over our 
decks and drenching our faces and shoulders, and our 
keels crunching ominously on the hidden reefs, a dizzying 
swing around, bow up stream, in the edd}^ at the bottom, a 
sharp side thrust with the paddles (whose ends and edges 
were frayed into splinters) against a mass of rock as big 
as a town lot, which loomed up high above our heads, to 
keep the canoes from being crushed like egg shells in a 
sidewise collision against the saw-tooth-like edges of the 
rock, then a sharp pitch down a steep little shoot and the 
thing was done, and nothing lay between us and the 
Potomac but a couple of hundred yards of swift, deep 
water, free from rocks and reefs. 
Just as the 6 o'clock whistles were blowing and the 
workmen at work on a steam hoisting scow, anchored in 
midstream of the Potomac, alongside of a pier of the new 
railroad bridge in course of construction by the Balti- 
more & Ohio Railroad people just above their great bridge 
over this stream, were knocking off work for the night, 
they were greatly surprised — and with one accord stopped 
to stare — at the quiet appearance of three small boats of 
novel and peculiar shape and build, each occupied by a 
disreputable looking man, who paddled up from under 
the middle of the railroad bridge, while, without a 
word, the three boats were laid alongside each other, a 
glass and a suspicious looking flask produced from some- 
where and the trio solemnly proceeded to pledge each 
other. 
That was us. We had finished the cruise and had ar- 
rived. 
We were all thoroughly tired out with our afternoon's 
work; indeed, the day's run for the last six or seven 
miles being incomparably the most arduous and difiicuU 
part of the cruise; it took us from two o'clock until six 
to make the two and a half miles from Bull's Falls to the 
Potomac: and, although we had intended to paddle back 
up the Shenandoah one hundred 3'ards or so. and camp 
under Loudoun Heights for the night, just across from 
Harper's Ferry, so that we could pack next morning 
and drop across the river to the freight depot, to which 
ignominious resting place the canoes were to be con- 
signed, we were far too exhausted to think of stem- 
ming the strong tide that came rolling down that gorge. 
So we listlessl)'- drifted back down under the railroad 
bridge, into the waters of the Shenandoah, which shot 
swiftly far out into the broad bosom of the Potomac, 
and leisurely paddled across, and finally made a landing 
on the flat, sun-baked reefs on the banks of the Potomac, 
under the shadow of the majestic mountain peak where 
the Blue Ridge breaks off to give passage to the river, 
a couple of hundred yards or so below the mouth of the 
Shenandoah. Here we drew up and unpacked our bat- 
tered, leaking canoes; sponged the water out of them, 
and carried them into position for the night, and put 
the tents up over them; and after dry clothes and a good, 
substantial, hot supper, we felt much better. 
Our location was a picturesque one, lying, as we did, 
fairly inside the portals of the world-famous gorge. To 
our left Loudoun Heights towered aloft in tree-clothed 
majesty 1,000 feet or so toward the clouds. Across the 
Ibroad Potomac, whose flat, still waters were completely 
obscured by gigantic masses of rock—the debris of the 
scooped out mountain chain — standing high above the sur- 
face, the bare cliffs of Maryland Heights reared their beetl- 
ing frontlets nearly as high; while in front, in the angle 
formed by the two rivers, with the bridges stretching 
their steel lace-work gracefully across the foreground. 
Harper's Ferry nestled at the foot of Bolivar Heights, 
up whose mountainous side the houses and churches 
straggled. 
Our camp was a singularly noisy one. Just opposite 
us the railroad company were boring a tunnel through 
a projecting angle of Maryland Heights, th& better to 
approach their new bridge, also in course of construc- 
tion, and the work was being prosecuted night and day. 
And the coughing engines, the clang of locomotive bells, 
the screech of steam whistles and the thunderous, earth- 
shaking blasts from the tunnel, were the last sounds that 
assailed our ears before we fell asleep and the first to 
greet us in the morning. We were too tired to take 
notice of such trifles as these, however, and our sleep 
was not particularly disturbed by the infernal din. 
' I was out next morning some little time ahead of the 
boys, and shaved, rearranged my clothes-bag, dressed for 
the trip home and packed my canoe while they were still 
enjoying their morning nap. There was no hurry — our 
train did not leave for home until one o'clock that after- 
noon — so I let them sleep. 
While I was pottering around my canoe, putting things 
to rights, one of the waterside characters always to be 
found in river towns, pulled up alongside in his hont and 
disembarked; and after his curiosity had been satisfied 
concerning our boats and the trip, he told me that we 
could easily have avoided all of the last mile of falls and 
reefs if we had slipped under the head gates at the pulp 
mill dam, up below Bull's Falls, and had come down the 
canal to the pulp mill; and that by carrying around the 
mill — which is built directly over the canal — and launch- 
ing the canoes in the canal again, below the mill, we 
would have had perfectly smooth sailing from Bull's Falls 
to the Potomac. Indeed, at a lower stage of water, no 
other course is practicable, for the pulp mill then absorbs 
all the water in the river, and the mile of reefs and falls is 
then almost entirely dry and bare of water; and not 
navigable for any sort of boat, however small and light. 
After a farewell breakfast of bacon, eggs, potatoes and 
onions and coffee, the camp was photographed and 
struck, the canoes packed, and, in due time, hauled across 
the bridge over the Shenandoah (at a rate of toll suffi- 
cient to buy the bridge had we crossed a few times more), 
and deposited in the freight office. 
From the exorbitant rates of carriage charged us, it 
is evident that the laboring population of Harper's Ferry 
do not often get a chance at unsuspecting strangers; 
and when they do, they feel in duty bound to make the 
most of the opportimity. At an}^ rate, our experience 
here, in this respect, was such that we vowed, should we 
ever be unfortunate enough to end a cruise at Harper's 
Ferry again, we would camp on the Loudoun side of the 
Shenandoah, above the Potomac; and, after breaking 
camp, paddle across to the town and hire a couple of 
darkies at fifty cents apiece to carry the boats up to the 
freight depot for us, or carry them ourselves, rather than 
again fall into the hands of the Harper's Ferry 
wagoners. 
Before packing our canoes we stowed away our worn 
and dingy canoeing habiliments, and attired ourselves in 
something more presentable, in which we looked a shade 
less disreputable; and after the boats were off our hands 
we took a stroll, in company with the kodak, around the 
quaint, picturesque environs of the village; and climbed 
up the shoulders of rugged old Bolivar Heights through 
the little, alley-like streets cut in terraces in the solid 
rock, until, climbing Jefferson's rock, we were rewarded 
with the sublime view which people have crossed the 
continent, and even the ocean, to gaze upon. Far away 
in front, and hundreds of feet below us, the whitened 
waters of the Potomac, dashing and surging among the 
obstructing rocks and ledges, flashed their foam-crests in 
the sun, as they made their way through the great rent 
in the solid mountain chain; while at our feet, and from 
far up the defile at our right, the "'Beautiful Daughter of 
the Stars" came smiling and dancing down her mountain 
gorge to greet her lord and master in a glad embrace. 
The densely wooded heights of Loudoun smiled down 
upon us from their superior elevation on the other side, 
the while her trees and bushes gently swayed their 
branches to the caressing touch of the breeze, and the 
shimmering leaves displayed every conceivable shade of 
living green. Across the broad Potomac, on the other 
side of the marvellous gateway, the bare, perpendicular 
cliffs of Maryland shone warm and bright in the glare 
of the morning sun. At our feet the houses and spires 
of the village nestled; and from the principal business 
street, in whose center, hundreds of feet below us, a 
rock lightly tossed would have fallen, the hum of traffic, 
mingled with the ceaseless murm.ur of the waters, fell 
drowsily upon our ears. 
We looked long and lingeringly upon the sublime 
prospect spread out before us, and then descended the 
steep mountain point, down the flights of irregular steps, 
cut out of the living rock and worn smooth and uneven 
by the tread of generation after generation of sight- 
seers, and regretfully took our seats in the train and were 
whirled swiftly and smoothly back up the valley, down 
which we had so deliberately and laboriously worked our 
way; and our long, adventurous, delightful cruise — the 
great cruise of '93 — was a thing of the past. 
I say delightful advisedly; for while it had its discom- 
forts, trials, and actixal perils, the pleasant memories of 
beautiful and imposing moijntain and river scenery, 
glorified by the bright, golden, autumn sunshine, whose 
alteratioBS of lights and shades on mountain spurs and 
mirror-like reaches were exquisite in effect. Of long, 
shady reaches of still water, mirroring the bluffs and 
headlands; of exhilarating, rushing rapids, where every 
nerve was thrilled and every resource brought into play; 
of imposing mountain views and lovely pastoral 
glimpses; of pleasant, companionable days and nights in 
camp; of the unrecorded, every-day enjoyable features 
which made up_ the greater part of the cruise, will linger 
in our minds with an ever-increasing fragrance long after 
the trials and perils arid inevitable petty discomforts will 
have beep forgotten. 
— ^ — 
Designing Competition. 
In view of the continued and increasing interest in 
yachting, a desiging competition will be opened in the 
columns of Forest and Stream. In America the yacht- 
ing season is comparatively a short one, and such a 
competition a.= has been determined upon will serve to 
stimulate the interest in the subject during the winter 
months. The competition is open to both amateur and 
professional designers. Three prizes will be given for the 
best designs of a yacht conforming to the following 
conditions: 
I. A pole mast sloop. 
II. 25ft.. load waterline. 
III. Not over 4ft. draft (with centerboard hoisted). 
IV. At least 50 per cent, of ballast outside on keel. 
V. Sft. headroom under cabin carlins. 
All abnormal features must be studiously avoided in 
the design; and the construction, sail and cabin plans 
should be of the simplest character. It was our idea in 
laying out the conditions of the competition to make 
them simple as possible, so as not to hamper in any 
way the designer, and yet convey to all that we wished 
to produce a safe, comfortable cruiser on which two or 
three amateurs could hve with comfort for a period of 
two or three months and cruise along our eastern sea- 
board from New York to Halifax with safety. A center- 
board boat of moderate draft was decided upon, as so 
many more harbors would be accessible to a boat of that 
type. 
DRAWINGS REQUIRED. 
I. Sheer plan, scale lin. = ift. — showing center of 
, buoyancy and lateral resistance. 
II. Half breadth, scale lin. = ift. 
III. Body plan, scale lin. =ift. 
IV. Cabin plan, scale lin. = ift. 
V. Sail plan, H'm. = ift, showing center of eflFort. 
The sails should consist of a jib, mainsail, spin- 
naker and balloon jib. No topasil will be carried. 
A table of offsets and an outline specification must 
accompany each design. The drawings should be care- 
fully drawn and lettered. All drawings should be made 
on white paper or tracing cloth in black ink (no colored 
inks or pigments should be used). The designs musi 
beai a nom-de-plume only and no indication must be 
given of the author. In a sealed envelope, however, the 
designer should inclose his own name and address, to- 
gether with his nom-de-plume. All designs must be 
received at the office of the Forest and Stream Publish- 
ing Company, 346 Broadway, New York City, rtot later 
than February 28, 1902, All drawings will be returned, 
but postage should accompany each. 
The Forest and Stream reserves the right to publish 
any or all the designs. 
The prizes offered are as follows: ist prize, $25.00; 
2d prize, $15.00; 3d prize, $10.00. Mr. Theodore C. Zerega 
offers an additional prize of $10.00 for the best cabin plan. 
Honorable mention will also be made of meritorious de- 
signs. 
Mr. Clinton H. Crane, of the firm of Messrs. Tams, 
Lemoine & Crane, has kindly consented to judge the 
designs and make the awards. Mr. Crane's professional 
standing is so high that he needs no introduction, and 
every confidence will be put in his ability and fairness. 
1901 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the winning of 
the America's Cup, and the year was duly observed and 
commemorated by three international events. The races 
for the America's Cup between Sir Thomas Lipton and 
the New York Y. C. ; the match for the Canada's cup be- 
tween the Royal Canadian Y. C. and the Chicago Y. C, 
and the match for the Seawanhaka cup between Mr. 
Lorne C. Currie, of the Island Y. C, Cowes, and the 
Royal St. Lawrence Y. C, of Montreal. On the other 
side there were two boats interested in the big race — 
Shamrock I. and Shamrock II. On this side there were 
three boats — Columbia, Constitution and Independence. 
It was no easy matter for Shamrock II. to beat the old 
Shamrock, and many considered the older craft the faster 
of the two. In the Clyde trials Shamrock I. had not been 
recently scrubbed, the water was smooth, and besides her 
unsatisfactory sails, she had much heavier fittings through- 
out than did the new boat. With all these handicaps 
Shamrock, and many considered the older craft the faster 
this side of the water the results were very great surprises. 
The two boats. Constitution and Independence, of which 
so much was expected, made but an indift'erent showing, 
while Columbia, in peerless form, outclassed both the 
former. Constitution, while an improvement in design 
over Columbia, could not be gotten into shape, and with 
her imperfect sails was a most inconsistent performer. 
In Independence Crowninshield turned out a wonderful 
boat, considering that it was his first attempt at a 90- 
footer. This boat proved, as had already been demon- 
strated, in the smaller classes, that the scow type of boat 
does not show up to advantage in light airs. In a breeze 
oyer a triangular course Independence was a match for 
either of her competitors. Her erratic owner, however, 
and the exceedingly unwise management of the boat oper- 
ated constantly against her, and the general feeling among 
the most expert yachtsmen is. that justice was never done 
her. and now that she has been broken up, her real 
qualities will never be known. 
The Tpswlts of the final races fof the America's Cup 
