1905 Palm Beach Motor Boat Carnival

Motor Boat Carnival Opens at Palm Beach

Challenger Makes Her Best Record in High-Speed Race

Rain Spoils Night Parade

Big Crowd Watches the Sport

PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 1---Five races were completed to-day in the motor boat carnival which began to-day on Lake Worth and will continue throughout the week. A large number of spectators watched the contests, among the crowd being many of the automobilists who have been taking part in and watching the motor car races at Ormond.

Only one disappointing feature marred the full enjoyment of the day's sport, and that was a hard rain storm which came up half an hour after the start of the illuminated boat parade on the lake this evening. The start of the parade, with scores of motor boats, row boats, and other craft brilliantly decorated with flags, colored lights, and other adornments, was a beautiful sight, and has never been exceeded in splendor here. Fireworks were set off from the shore almost as soon as the illuminated parade began to move, while the music from half a dozen orchestras and brass bands added to the excitement and animation of the scene. Nearly a thousand visitors, including a large proportion of those prominent in New York society, occupied every available vantage ground to view the brilliant evening carnival. Suddenly, when everything was at its height, dark clouds rolled up, and before many of the boats could reach the shore a terrific downpour of rain put an instant cessation to the gayeties of the evening. Many of the handsome decorations were hopelessly ruined, and scores of participants reached their hotels in a bedraggled and wet condition.

The motor boat races occurred during the day, and were very successful. They resulted in some fast time for the different classes. The autoboat Challenger, which represented America abroad last year in the Harmsworth Cup race, made the best showing she has ever done in a race since her launching. She won the four-mile race for high-speed boats in 8 minutes 41 2-5 seconds, an average of 27½ miles an hour.

The Challenger is forty feet long and is equipped with gasoline engines giving nearly 150 horse power. She is now the property of W. Gould Brokaw, having been purchased by him about three weeks ago. Proctor Smith, who raced the boat abroad, steered the craft, and besides winning the high-speed race for the H. M. Flagler trophy also captured first prize in another four-mile race at handicap, her time in this event being 11 minutes 59 1-5 seconds.

The time made by the Challenger in the high-speed contest at four miles, if continued for an hour would make a new American record for long-distance motor racing. The best time made thus far in this country for a long distance was made by the late Frank Croker's Xpdnc, which in the 136½-mile race on the Hudson River last year averaged 26½ miles an hour. The Challenger's new figures have only been beaten for a short distance by the Onontio, owned by Commodore Harrison B. Moore of the Atlantic Yacht Club which covered a measured mile, averaged above 28 miles an hour. Frank Croker's boat had been entered in all the high-speed contests some time before his fatal accident at Ormond.

With the exception of these two events won by the Challenger, the other three events were for boats of less horse power. The Shadow, owned by G. E. Andrews, won two of these contests, taking the endurance race at eight miles in 44:11 2-5 and the one-mile event for boats averaging less than 12 miles an hour in 5:16 3-5. The summary of the boat races is:

Endurance race. 8 miles. for small powered boats for the Breakers Cup -- Won by G. E. Andrews's Shadow; time, 44:11 2-5, L. P. Petee's Scout, second; time 46:54.

One Mile, for boats under twelve miles an hour, for the Lieut. Willoughby trophy -- Won by G. E. Andrews's Shadow; time, 5:16 3-5; A. J. Sanderson's Olive, second; time, 5:38 1-5; E. W. Histed's Histed, third; time, 7:24.

Four-Mile Handicap - high-speed boats, for the H. M. Flagler trophy -- Won by W. Gould Brokaw's Challenger, steered by Proctor Smith, net time, 8:42 2-5; G. D. Dewey's Comet, second, net time, 12:14 2-5; Grant Ferris Jr., a boat steered by H. C. Thompson, third, Net time, 14:15; C. G. Burgoyne's Wriggle, fourth, time, 20:24.

Four Miles for Pleasure Boats Under 12 Miles an Hour -- Won by T. G. Ronald's Demooy; time, 10:58, W. L. Huffstettler's boat, steered by T. Rose, second, time, 21:58; J. C. Hancock's Globe, third, time, 25:04 1-5; E. W. Histed's Histed, fourth, time, 26:11 1-5..

Four-Mile Handicap for C. F. Bingham cup -- Won by W. Gould Brokaw's Challenger, steered by Proctor Smith, net time, 11:59 1-5; G. D. Dewey's Comet, second, net time, 15:07 1-5; Alex Steen's Shrimp, third, net time, 27:38 2-5; L. F. Pettee's Scout fourth, net time, 28:15 2-5.

(Transcribed from the New York Times, Feb. 2, 1905 )

[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page — LF]