1906 Hudson River Water Carnival - The Reliability Trials

The first day's racing of the Carnival Week, of the M.B.C. of A., off the club station, 112th St. and Hudson River, New York City, was run off without a hitch. The first event of the programme of the week, was a reliability contest for the performance of engines based upon the awards, which were made according to the highest ,marks received. The maximum number of points being as follows: Reliability, 100; Speed, 100; General Condition After Trial, 50; Arrangement and Protection of Fuel Tanks, and all Pipes and Fittings, 35; Economy of Fuel, 30; Efficiency of Reversing Arrangements, 25; Arrangement of Design and Finish of Installation and Cleanliness After Trial, 20; Ease of Control, 15; Starting of Engines, 25.

Twelve boats were scheduled to start in the trials, but three failed to show up; and, of the nine which started, two dropped out.

No.	Name	Owner	Engine	H.P.	Builder	Price
1	Simplex VI	A. D. Proctor Smith	Simplex	30	S&M	$4,000
2	Decoy	James L. Breeze	Simplex	30	S&M	$4,000
3	Tauntress	W. S. Howard	Howard	20	Howard	$1,500
4	White Fox	W. Ferguson Jr.	Stamford	37.83	Stamford
5	White Fox II	W. Ferguson Jr.	Stamford	40	Stamford
6	Peter Pan	W. Ferguson Jr.	Stamford	20	Stamford
7	Brown Witch	L. L. Haggin	Hurd & Haggin	50	H&H	$3,000
8	Torino	E. R. Hollander	Fiat	40	Hol-Tan	$10,500
9	Yvonne	J. R. Johnson	Mohler & DeGress	50	F. A. Seitz	$2,800
10	Blue Peter	C. D. Holmes	Holmes	28.36	Holmes	$2,500
11	Ralaco	T. W. Purdy	Rathbun-Lacy	18	R-L
12	Sparrow	C. J. Swain	Packard	31.8	Packard

The starting gun was fired at 11.35 A.M., and the whole fleet got off for a very good start--all the starters, with the exception of Torino and Ralaco, being of the open speed type. An interesting fact noted was that all the boats were equipped with 4-stroke engines.

Tauntress made two rounds of the course, and dropped out owing to the water circulation in some way becoming stopped. Blue Peter ran out of fuel and dropped out on the fifth round. The other boats all kept running, and were under way when the signal to stop was fired at 5.30 P.M.

Sparrow took the lead shortly after the start and was never headed. She completed nine rounds of the course as did Simplex VI, the other boats making between that number and four rounds, which latter was the score of Ralaco.

At present writing the Regatta Committee have not completed the calculations; but, barring unforeseen circumstances, Sparrow wind easily, with Simplex VI second. Both boats ran without a stop.

On the morning of the start of the Reliability Trials, an observer was chosen to represent the regatta Committee, on each of the contestants, to report performance of the engine.

Many were the comments of the unlucky, and the nine lucky(?) "obs." proudly took their stations in the respective boats and prepared for a pleasant sail.

It was the writer's fortune to be assigned to Sparrow, a sweet little speeder, which runs as smooth and comfortably as a cruiser, but which is equipped with a gating gun exhaust pipe, which squirted hot gas, grease, and smudge directly on the observer during reliability trials.

We got off to a smooth start, and had the satisfaction of assuming the lead shortly after the start, a position we held throughout the day.

Conditions were perfect, hardly a ripple on the water, and no wind to speak of, the sun doing a good business at about 95 degrees; this was noticed later.

The first couple of rounds were chopped off at top speed; and, as we had a considerable lead and the river was full of driftwood, the owner, who ran the outfit, slowed down and proposed lunch. a thorough search brought forth a caviare sandwich, which had been partially launched in the bilge, and a bottle of warm beer. it was evident that some fellow observer had pilfered the lunch; and we carefully scanned each observer in sight to detect, if possible, any signs of feasting, but we were too far ahead to see and returned to a contemplation of the mangled sandwich and the warm beer--a day's rations for three enthusiasts who had omitted breakfast, and supped some six hours or more in the distance.

The luncheon was first offered to the engineer who balked at same, not liking the look of the end that had become slightly disintegrated. The owner then courteously offered the remains to the observer who, in a mad fit of politeness, kindly but firmly refused same. This was a mistake.

To shorten a long and painful yarn, we didn't eat; the sun kept on shining, and we began to know the location of the docks and factories on the course by heart.

With the exception of Simplex VI, we passed all the contestants from one to five minutes and finished the run at 5.38.38, taking 6.03.38 for 9 rounds, or 92 1/4 miles. The engine performed perfectly, not stopping once except at command of the committee, and could have been run at the same speed all day; but the owner was unfamiliar with the race conditions, and on some rounds loafed and on others careened around at top speed--on one leg of the course, having a fine race with the fast Albany Day Line Steamer New York, beating her easily. On our second round, we received the gun to stop and reverse, which operation from full speed ahead to full speed ahead--after reversing until boat had sternway, stopping engine, and continuing on course--occupied less than a minute.

After the time limit had expired, we made for the clubhouse to feed up; but were headed off by the Committee, who chased us over to Hoboken to fill up tanks with gasolene, to determine consumption.