1905 Palm Beach Motor Boat Carnival

1905 Palm Beach Motor Boat Carnival
Lake Worth, Palm Beach, Florida, Feb. 1, 1905

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 27 1/2 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 136 1/2-mile race on the Hudson River last year averaged 26 1/2 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.

PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 2--The second day of the autoboat races was robbed of interest, first by the lack of a competitor for the Challenger, the 150 horse power boat of W. Gould Brokaw, and secondly by the failure of the Challenger to start in the twenty-mile handicap this afternoon. This race should have had a record result as the Challenger had 48 minutes to make up. The batteries gave out just as the starting line was reached.

In the morning races the big boat walked away with the kilometer race with no competitor in 1:21, a record for this country, and then went a mile over the measured course in 2:11 2-5, or over 27 miles an hour.

The races to-day were between local boats and not of National interest. At the close of the tournament to-morrow, the visitors will go to Miami, and on Sunday will sail for Havana. Edward R. Thomas with his 95-105 horse power French car, H. W. Flocher with the 90 horse power racer of O. F. Thomas, with which he won the Vanderbilt trophy at Ormond; Canaut with the 45 horse power car, winner of the ten-mile handicap; W. Gould Brokaw with his 60 horse power machine, and Maj. J. C. S. Miller, Joe Tracy driver, with the 30 horse power car formerly the property of W. Gould Brokaw, are all entered in the 100-mile race in Cuba.

Edward R. Thomas, William Wallace, and Mrs. Thomas in one party, Walter and Rollin White and Paul Deming in another party, and Major Miller and a party of friends will tour Cuba after the tournament. Information from Cuba is to the effect that great preparations are being made for the contest, several prominent cuban owners having entered high-powered cars.

Herbert L. Bowden will next season place his two four-cylinder motors, generating 125 horse power, under brake test in an autoboat and with his ninety-footer will endeavor to place the auto boat records at a very low notch. With these engines fitted to a novel car of his own build Mr. Bowden drove the mile at Ormond in his automobile in 0:32 4-5 and now he is going after honors on the water as well. the Boston enthusiast to-day watched the second day's races of the auto boat tournament with interest. he praised the course unstintingly, believing it the best course in the South, and second only to the Hull course.. The announcement of his intention to dismantle the Flying Dutchman II does not signify his intention of withdrawing from the automobile field, as he will, with William K. Vanderbilt Jr., Major J. C. S. Miller, W. Gould Brokaw, and others purchase 150 horse power cars for the Ormond meet next year in hope of getting inside the mile in thirty seconds or two miles a minute.

Yacht and Motor Boat Tender Race Four Miles Handicap
Boat	Driver	Time	Cor'd Time
Porpoise	J. E. Clark	29:22 3-5	27:52 3-5
Everglades	Col. Thompson	29:22 2-5	27:02 2-5
Ruffhouse	A. R. Whitney	32:27 1-5	32:07 1-5
Iris Jr.	J. K. Clark	33:01 3-5	32:41 3-5
Lotus Jr.	Greer Herch	33:42 2-5	33:22
Everglades Jr.	Col. Thompson	33:01 3-5	32:41 3-5

Auxiliaries—Four Miles
Boat	Driver	Time
Huma	Ralph Worthington	24:00 3-5
Anderjack		28:13 3-5
Orchid	F. Foster	33:13
King Fish	E. B. Warren	35:12

One Kilometer For High Speed Boats
Challenger	A. D. P. Smith	1:21

One Mile Against Time
Challenger	A. D. P. Smith	2:11 2-5

Motor Boat Under Twelve Miles an Hour Class—Four MIles
		Time	Cor'd Time
DeMooy	T. G. Roland	32:55 3-5	27:15 3-5
Histed	E. W. Histed	33:25	33:25
Wiggler	C. G. Burgerine	36:34	24:34
F. Rose	W. T. Huffstettler	36:43	24:44 2-5
Grant Ferris	T. R. Collins	36:59 3-5	22:03 3-5

Twenty Mile Handicap
Boat	Driver	Time
Grant Ferris Jr.	T. R. Collins (only finisher)	3:06:20

{Later in the year, E. R. Thomas, in addition to founding his own automobile company, which would produce some of the finest early autos in the United States, would also launch a boat that would be the first of a legitimate racing dynasty, the Dixie. She and her antecedents would dominate power boat racing for the next seven years - GWC}

PALM BEACH, fla., Feb. 3 -- A new auto speed record was made to-day by the Challenger, now owned by W. Gould Brokaw, and which was steered in the races by A. D. Proctor Smith of New York. The Challenger made eight miles in the remarkable time of 16 minutes 33 seconds, an average of 2 minutes and 4 seconds per mile, equal to twenty-nine miles an hour.

This is the best time ever made by a motor boat in America, beating the average of twenty-six and a half miles an hour, made by the late Frank Croker's Xpdnc last year on the Hudson River. The latter boat, however, made her splendid average for a 136 1/2-mile run without a stop, so that as an endurance record the Xpdnc still holds the ascendancy. The Challenger showed up in splendid form, her engines working admirably, and the boat has evidently been so materially improved as to be able to finish a fast race without breaking down, as was generally her fate last year.

The fast time of the Challenger aroused some question over the accuracy of the course. The rating distances on Lake Worth, where the boating contests are held, were measured with the utmost care by Lieut. Hugh L. Willoughby, who has done considerable government hydrographic work, and he pronounced the four-mile course, over which the eight-mile event was run, absolutely correct.

Although the Challenger made such fast time in the eight-mile race, she did not win, as the race was a handicap and the Comet, owned by G. B. Dewey, received so heavy an allowance that the latter boat was a length ahead of the Challenger, as the boats were started on their handicap allowances. The Challenger won the two-mile handicap in 5:28. W. Gould Brokaw was so leased with the showing of his boat that he feels inclined to undertake the journey from Palm Beach to Cuba in the boat, but he is being dissuaded from this attempt by his friends.

A parade was held in the afternoon on the lake. Thirty-three boats were in line and they made a pretty picture. To-morrow the endurance run will begin along the Florida coast, stopping at Miami and Key West. Some of the boats may continue from the latter point to Cuba.

Eight-mile handicap -- Won by G. B. Dewey's Comet, 25:34; W. Gould Brokaw's Challenger second, 16:33; Westrel third, 38:37 1-5; T. Rose fourth, 45:59 2-5; Grant Ferris fifth, 44:36 3-5; Wiggler sixth, 43:24 4-5

Cabin Boats -- Won by Enterprise, 12:36 2-5; Izaak Walton, second, 13:52; Kathaleen third, 14:30 2-5; sailing boat Heeler fourth, 28:15; Irene fifth, 34:38; Minnie sixth, 35:23.

Eight Miles for boats under 18 miles an hour -- Won by Wiggler, 43:46 2-5; Demooy second, 43:13 2-5.

Mile Handicap -- Won by Demooy, 7:07 2-5; T. Rose second, 6:32 2-5; Shadow third, 6:51; Westrell fourth, 7:00 1-5; Wiggler fifth, 6:25 1-5.

Two Miles for Palm Beach Cup -- Won by Challenger, 5:28; Grant Ferris Jr. second, 8:29; Comet third, 7:38; Wiggler fourth, 11:29; Demooy fifth, 13:45 3-5; T. Rose sixth, 12:57 4-5; Wiggler seventh, 12:08.

PALM BEACH, Fla. Feb. 4--With two fast miles, one in 2:04 with wind, at the rate of twenty-nine miles to the hour, and the other in 2:05 against the wind, both officially timed, the motor boat Challenger, driven by Proctor Smith, closed the meet here to-day. The 2:04 mile is the twenty-nine mile an hour mark sought, but is not thirty miles an hour, which is the figure eagerly looked for now by auto boat circles.

Two car loads of the visitors started for Miami to-night and to-morrow they sail for Havana to take part in the races Feb. 11 to Feb. 13 inclusive and the power boat parade Feb. 13. Nine cars will start in the hundred-mile race on Friday over the Prado. Edward R. Thomas, Major C. J. S. Miller, O. F. Thomas, and R. E. Jarrett will be the American entry in the contest.

MIAMI, Fla., Feb. 8---W. Gould Brokaw's fast motorboat Challenger made a mile to-day in Biscayne Bay in 2:02, the same time that the boat did on the previous day, when it established a new world's record in motorboating for a measured mile. The trial to-day was to break this record. A new effort will be made on Friday.

The Challenger has made unusually fast time since coming to Florida, and after spending a few more days here will be shipped North where she will make a prominent part in the big motorboat races of the season.