1910 Hudson River Water Carnival
The National Carnival on the Hudson River
The National Association of Boat and Engine Manufacturers must certainly have great influence with the Clerk of the Weather, for the equinoctial storms were side-tracked and three very pleasant days handed out to them at a time of the year when such could hardly be expected.
Unfortunately, however, the Association failed to "fix" Neptune’s Street Cleaning Department, and, as a result, the aforesaid departments evidently made common cause with the Bureau of Encumberances of the sea god’s domain, with the result that the most unholy bunch of junk that ever floated down the great North River, since its discovery by the late, lamented H. Hudson, Esq., made itself very much in evidence during those gorgeous September days, which saw nearly forty boats struggling for victory.
Skippers, who entered the events with high hopes, were glad to run their boats ashore with considerable moisture in the cellars and souvenirs, ranging from passé mattresses to discarded arm chairs, hanging on to their propellers. Certainly, as one contestant observed, the Hudson River is no longer the place for a hard working motor boat owner who wants to run a racing craft and still retain a fair chance of remaining a Christian.
The prizes in the tree-days’ carnival fell to the following boats: Thos. F. Chesebrough’s Restless, 40 feet over all, with a 200-horsepower Herreshoff engine, carried off the International Championship Trophy; Tartar, Ralph D. Slavin’s 60-footer, with a 30.56-horsepower Speedway engine, won the National Trophy; A. E. Smith’s 20-foot Edith II, with a 31.41-horsepower American and British engine, annexed the Inter-State Trophy; Avis, a 65-footer, with an 84.82-horsepower Craig engine, owned by F. C. Haven, won the Motor Yacht Trophy. The Cabin Launch Trophy fell to Spindrift, 41 feet 6 inches over all, with a 26.18-horsepower Ralaco engine, while 21-foot Bunk III, with a 4.40-horsepower Rochester engine, owned by Clement Firth, Esq., took the Open Boat Trophy. Edith II also carried off another prize—being first in the Poughkeepsie race for speed boats. James Simpson’s 28-foot Peter Pan III, with 31.41-horsepower American and British engine, took the time prize in the same event, while among the cruisers of the Peekskill race, F. D. Giles’ Elmo II, 34.13 feet over all, with an 18.84-horsepower Standard engine took first prize in the under 40-foot class, and M. Frank Dennis’ Caroline, 66 feet 3 inches length over all, with a 37.63-horsepower Standard engine, was the winner in the cruisers of over 40 feet.
The find of the season was undoubtedly the Tartar, designed and built by the Gas Engine & Power Company and Chas. L. Seabury & Co., Consolidated, of Morris Heights, New York City, for Ralph E. Slavin, Esq. A big boat in every way—she is 60 feet in length—she did not show her bigness; and she went so easily through the water and kept herself and crew so dry that it was hard to realize that she was making over 35 miles an hour.
The number and the quality of the entries showed that the association had certainly succeeded in interesting a representative body of boat owners. The manner in which the races were started and the splendid accommodations furnished by the houseboat Nadjme left nothing to be desired, and if, next season, the association will select a really good body of water for holding the events, there is no earthly reason why representative craft from all over the country should not make it a point to attend.
The traffic on and the drift in the Hudson River are increasing to an extent that makes it an undesirable course for future regattas where lightly built racing craft are entered, and for the comfort of the contestants, Northport Bay would certainly prove far preferable, and it is to be sincerely hoped that this latter location may be chosen for next season.
(Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page — LF)