The Morning News - St. John, N.B., September 12, 1859

Saturday opened most beautifully - it was one of the clearest and warmest days we have ever had since the first of June; and as might well be supposed all St. John was shut up and on the qui vive, from 8 o'clock until a late hour in the afternoon. The 8 o'clock morning train from Hampton, brought upwards of 400 passengers - at every stopping place along the line crowds of persons poured into the cars. The grand pageant of the Army of Italy entering Paris, could not have been more attractive. People came from all parts, far and near, to witness the Regatta. The 8 o'clock train from St. John (15 cars) had about 1500 passengers; but the train that left at half past nine was a marvel. The people, men, women and children, were literally piled on top of one another. At a rough estimate we should say there were 2000 persons on board; and if all the money and tickets could be collected while going that distance, it required more than ordinary activity among the conductors. We imagine that during the day there could not have been less than 10,000 persons passed over the line, both ways inclusive. So that the Railway had a pretty good harvest, and we intend to present a claim for a season ticket (as soon as we get among the beggars) for we have some reason to believe that a paragraph in the News a few weeks since, had something to do with the Regatta taking place this year, and on the Kennebecasis. However, we let this statement go for what it will fetch.

At 9 o'clock the River (or rather let us call it Lake) presented a most pleasing aspect. It lay as smooth and placid as a mirror, with occasionally a gentle breeze ruffling its bosom. On approaching the nine mile station of little sail boats entering the river from below. By ten the whole bosom of the Lake was dotted with white sails, skiffs, wherries, gigs, canoes, punts and tubs. The wonder was where all the boats came from. The shores and hills were crowded on all sides, thousands of persons took out their dinners with them, to eat upon the grass. It was the Pic Nic of the season. Imagine all the previous "turn outs" among the Sunday School folks uniting for a general burst, and you will have a faint idea of Saturday's event.

It is most astonishing to us that we have not heard of serious accidents, from persons getting off and on the cars in motion; but we did not hear of any. In the United States they generally manage to kill about a dozen persons for every ten thousand set in motion.

The rush to the ticket office at the Railway Station was immense-it was almost impossible to get near the window at all, and hundreds went on board the cars, preferring to pay the extra price, to being crushed in the attempt to get a ticket.

The scene at the Station previous to the departure of the half-past nine train beggars description, Hats were "stove," coats torn, women's dresses were compressed into the most extraordinary looking shapes, in some cases the shawls were torn from their backs; and every available mode of entrance into the cars was made use of and females apparently twenty-four feet in circumference managed to crawl through the windows; so eager were they to obtain seats in the cars.

The number of passengers conveyed from St. John to Appleby's and the Nine Mile Station was about 7000. At each end of the train of cars there was an engine; it would have tried even an iron horse to draw the crowded cars that went over the road on Saturday.

So far as we could learn no accidents-beyond an occasional upset, in which nobody was damaged beyond what they sustained by immersion- of a serious nature occurred on the River.

Several of the River Steamers were at the scene, laden with passengers; the Forest Queen had a large and merry party on board - the Freemason's Band (Fredericton) having been engaged and the excursionists, in additions to the music, improvised dancing parties, and were just as happy as could be.

The number present on the water and on the banks of the river, has been estimated as high as 13,000; and though this figure is probably at the outside, yet we venture to say it would not fall far short of it.

Although liquor was to be had in abundance, there were very few drunken men to be seen, and no rows of any serious nature occurred, though there were occasional "scrimmages," which were promptly repressed by the police.

The Races

The first race was of four-oared gigs, for a prize of $200-distance five mile-four boats were entered, viz: the Retriever, Ariadne, Eclipse and Neptune. From the moment of starting, the Neptune gradually gained on her competitors and she easily won the race, coming in a long way ahead. Soon after starting two of the boats fouled, and, we understand, a protest was entered against the race on this account. The names of the winning oarsmen will be readily recognized, they having become celebrated throughout the Lower Provinces: they are John Morris, Dennis Morris, Daniel Morris and John Lambert. The winning boat made the distance in about 33 minutes. When rounding the stake boat the Retriever (Indiantown) turned quickly, and in doing so filled with water, which prevented her from continuing the race. Were it not for this, her friends say the contest would have been very sharp between her and the Neptune.

The second race, for the same description of boats, pulled by boys under twenty-one years of age, distance the same, for a purse of $80. Eight boats entered: Retriever, White Wave, Alert, Eclipse, Quickstep, Lucy Dashwood, Experiment and Three Lambs. The Indiantown boat Retriever won the race, but the contest was very sharp. The names of the successful crew are: Geo. Reynolds, James Logan, Samuel Dunham and John Curry. The time made by the winning boat was 36 minutes and thirty seconds. The Reed's Point boat "Three lambs" came in second.

The third race was two-oared boats for a purse of $40; distance two miles; four boats entered, Ariadne, Sovereign, Aurora, and a boat from Carleton, not named in the programme. The Aurora won the race-the Carlton being second. The winning boat was the one that in the former race took the prize as the "Retriever."

For the Wherry race, distance one mile, prize $30, three boats entered, Gipsey, Lutestring and Friendship. The Lutestring (Indiantown) won the race.

The next race was open boats (third class); four boats entered: Alice, Micmac, Ripple and Callyally, for a prize of $40. F.P. Robinson's "Callyally" won easily.

For the Wood-boat race there were four entries: Conductor, Ariel, Alma and Samuel. Prize $80, distance 10 miles. The Conductor came in victor.

The race of the first-class sailing boats was considered the race among those most interested in Aquatic sport. Seven boats entered: Petrel, Sylvie, Nell, Ada, Circe, Flirt and Lady Stewart. The prize was a handsomely executed Silver Cup; distance ten miles. The boats started beautifully and kept pretty well together for some distance while running before the wind, but Stackhouse's Sylvie gradually shot ahead and was the first to round the stake boat, and while beating down against the wind, left her competitors a good distance behind, which she managed to increase considerably after passing the lower stake boat and running up to the winning post. She came in some distance ahead. The Petrel, owned by Mr. Simonds, came in second, and Flirt, by Mr. J. Harrison, third. The appearance presented by these boats (looking from Appleby's) when passing the upper stake boat was very fine. The gig and punt race created a great deal of merriment. The time allowed to catch the punt (pulled by "Dick Patchell") was 15 minutes-but at the end of that time the gig was no nearer doing so than when she commenced. The gyrations of the little craft as she spun round her comparatively huge competitor were very amusing.

For the canoe race there were four entries, and it was a very warmly contested affair, the winning canoe coming in only the length of herself ahead.

The Tub race did not come off as there was but one entry; but the appearance of the 'Tub,' her crew consisting of one man, his boots serving as a rudder, his head as the bow, and hands as paddles, created much merriment.

We were disappointed at not being able to obtain the official account of the time, etc., made by the different boats, but the lateness of the hour at which the Umpires announced the victors in the different races prevents us giving anything more than we make up from our own notes. They will, we think, be found correct.

Considerable time was lost in starting the boats, and the very time when the first class sail boats should have been sent off (soon after noon) at which time there was a good breeze, they kept idly beating about the River. When they did get away the breeze had slackened off considerably, and when the race was over there was hardly any wind at all. Had there been thirty races they might have all been "put through" in the time occupied on Saturday, by the number given above. The time lost made the day tedious to those who went for no other purpose than to see the Regatta.

The general success of the affair is no doubt very gratifying to those immediately concerned in it, and will, we hope, induce them to take steps to have the Regatta on the Kennebecasis of yearly recurrence.