The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-27 00:00:00

THE

GREAT SKIFF RACE ON THE

TYNE-VICTORY OF CLASPER.

The great skiff race between Harry Clasper, of Derwent-
haugh, and Pocock of London, for 100/. a-side, concerning
which an unusual degree of interest has been excited for some
time among the lovers of aquatic sports, came off
on Tuesday on the Tyne, and resulted in favour of
Clasper, who won by a distance of several hundred yards.
The occasion, as might be expected, caused an immense
turn-out of spectators, both on land and water. The Tyne
bridge, long before the expected time of starting, was densely
crowded, while multitudes lined both sides of the river for
several miles upwards. The steamers, too, of which there
was about a dozen, were filled, even to inconvenience. Spe-
cial trains, carrying hundreds of passengers, also started
from both the Gateshead and the Forth stations of the New-
castle and Carlisle Railways.
The time fixed for starting was half-an-hour before high
water, and the distance agreed on was four and three-quarter
miles—from the Tyne Bridge to Leamington Glass-works.
The weather was favourable, if we except the wind, which
blew rather strongly from the north-west, and caused a
heavy swell in the river. Shortly after twelve o'clock
Clasper entered his skiff from the south side of the river,
at the east end of Pipewellgate' and rowed about for
fifteen or twenty minutes, till Pocock, whose skiffwas launched
in front of the Mansion-house, followed. At this time,
the river and the bridge presented a most exciting
and interesting scene. Clasper's boat, which was little
more than twenty-nine feet in length, and extremely
light, seemed to dance on the water in such a
manner as to excite fears for its safety. Such fears,
however, proved groundless, for the brave rower
and ingenious builder had so covered it, both fore
and aft, and even where he was seated, that scarcely
any water entered. The London boat was nearly
two feet longer than Clasper's, and of exceedingly beautiful
mould and construction ; but, owing to its not being sufficiently
well covered to prevent the ingress of water, it was at once
seen to occupy a disadvantageous position when com-
pared with its rival. Both men, on rowing in front of
the bridge, seemed in excellent condition, and equally well
pre?ared for the contest. On the previous evening,
they had " tossed " for the side of the river they were to
occupy, when Clasper fortunately gained the north or lee side.
This circumstance, coupled with the state of the wind and
weather, effected a material change in the betting, and gave
the odds in favour of Clasper. Parties who on Monday
night bad backed Pocock freely gave five to four on Clasper
on the following morning; and the latter may be said to have
been the general rate of betting previous to the start.
The referees were—John Rayne, Esq., for Pocock, and
David Gaddy, Esq., for Clasper, and the umpire, John Currie,
Esq. These gentlemen were on board the Twilight steamer,
which followed the boats the entire distance. .

-----
About half-past twelve o'clock, both Clasper and Pocock
rowed alongside each other, a few yards above the bridge,
and without any signal, made a fair start amid the most
deafening shouting and cheering of their respective friends.
Pocock at once shot a-head about a boat's length, and main-
tained his position till near the Mansion-house,
when Clasper advanced, and, after keeping side by
side with his opponent for a few minutes, distanced him at
the Shot-tower, by several yards. The race at this
time was the finest possible. Both men pulled man-
fully and skilfully; and contrary to expectation,
Pocock again gained on Clasper, and kept up with him for
a little, till, unhappily, the boats, which were running close
to the river side, " fouled."
On re-starting, Pocock took the lead and maintained it till
the Herd's-house, where Clasper overtook him, and another
" fouling " took place among some wooden piles. Pocock
was the leader once more, followed hard by Clasper, who here
displayed his extraordinary powers in a manner that elicited
one universal shout of applause from the thousands
witnessing the scene. Here, indeed, the abilities
of both men seemed to be better tested than at any other
part of the race. Pocock, as we have already stated, took
the lead after the second " fouling ;" but Clasper, having put
his mettle fairly to the test, gradually lessened the dis-
tance between himself and his opponent, and, when
near Elswick-house, darted before him in the most masterly
and beautiful style imaginable. This sudden change in
the position of the boats may be said to have virtually
decided the contest. Pocock's boat was evidently fillingwith
water, and moved less swiftly, although he pulled with all the
power and skill for which the Thames boatmen are justly
celebrated. Clasper was now fully fifty or sixty yards in
advance, and slowly, but surely, increasing the distance
between him and his opponent. Pocock. seeing this,
and fearing he might be swamped, pulled on shore op-
posite Elswick-house, and, after emptying his boat, now
almost filled with water, again resumed the oars, and, with
indomitable perseverance and ability, struggled onwards. The
effort, however, was a hopeless one. Clasper maintained
his advanced position, and, for a long part of the way,
was about a quarter of a mile beyond his unfortunate
opponent. Both pulled energetically; but, owing to
the distance between them, the interest in the race
seemed now to have materially lessened, and nothing was
heard but loud and enthusiastic congratulations on Clasper's
success. The keelmen in their boats floating down with the
tide cheered and shouted lustily ; while, from either side of
the river loud prolonged applause rose from the assembled
multitudes, who appeared in ecstasies at the victory
of the worthy son of old father Tyne. Clasper
reached Leamington at five minutes past one o'clock,
running the entire distance in thirty-five minutes. Here he
turned and rowed back to meet Pocock, and on coming
alongside the two rivals shook hands. Pocock then went on
board one of the steamers which had sailed after the race,
and returned to Newcastle. Clasper rowed home to Derwent-
haugh, whither he was followed by his enthusiastic friends
and admirers. . . .

•
The result of this contest, it is almost unnecessary to say,
excited the most lively feelings of joyous satisfactiea in the
town and neighbourhood. Young and old seemed delighted
with the victory achieved by this now unrivalled champion of
aquatic sports. The fact of the Tyne having a second
time vanquished the hitherto unconquerable Thames ap-
peared to afford an unusual degree of pleasure to the sport-
ing circles of our " canny " town. The amount that has
changed hands in betting is said to be very considerable.
We heard of one stake, probably the highest, of 600/. to 4001.
in favour of Clasper. We are certainly within the mark when
we say that from 3,0001. to 4,0001. changed hands on the
occasion.

CHARGE OF MATRICIDE.—OH Tuesday, Mr. Payne,
the coroner, held an inquest at the Sir John Falstaff
public-house, Kent-street, Borough, on the body of Mary
Horrabin, aged sixty-seven, who died on Saturday night, of
an injury which, it appeared, had been inflicted upon her per-
son by her son, John Horrabin, a labourer, aged twenty-two.
The jury returned a verdict of Manslaughter, and Horrabin
was committed to Newgate for trial
Mr. Higham, Secretary and Comptroller-General to
the Commissioners for the Reduction of tha National
Debt had an interview with the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer on Tuesday, at his official residence in Downing-
street. The Earl of St. Germans had also an interview
with the Right Hon. Gentleman on Tuesday.
We understand that the officers of her Majesty's
Customs have been for some time past watching, and have
at last succeeded in tracing, a most valuable consignment of
foreign articles, consisting of 300 gold watches, brooches,
cameos, &c., imported into this country from Germany
without paying the high duty chargeable theron. They have
been removed from place to place since they were landed,
and were finally deposited in the house of a dealer at the
west-end, where they were seized by the officers. As further
investigations into the subject are now being made, it would
be premature to mention names, or enter into details, as it
might defeat the object the officers have in view.
BRUNEL AND ins BIRTH-PLACE.—The village of
Hacqueville, in Normandy, is deserving of mention as the
birth-place of Mark Isambert Brunel, the engineer of the
Thames Tunnel. He was educated at the College of Gisors,
and when the vacations called him home, his favourite re-
sort was the shop of the village carpenter, whose tools and
instruments had greater attractions for the youthful en-
gineer than Latin and Greek, and his allotted holiday task.
He has frequently described the wonder and delight with
which he, for the first time, beheld (1784), on the quay of
Rouen, the component parts of a huge steam-engine just
landed from England. " When lam a man (he said to him-
self) I will repair to the country where such machinery is
made."
The Gazette of Tuesday night contains two Orders in
Council, one admitting pot and pearl ashes, and specimen
illustrative of natural history, into British possessions
abroad free of the duties imposed by the Act for the
Regulation of the Trade of British possessions; and the
other permitting the French to import into St. Helena,
from the dominions of France, such goods being the produce
of those dominions, and to export from the said island to
any foreign country such goods as they are permitted to im-
port or to export, respectively, into or from her Majesty's
possessions in the West Indies and America.
NEW EMPLOYMENT FOR PAUPERS.—A communi-
cation from the Poor-law Commissioners was laid before the
Hertford Board of Guardians at their last sitting, authorising
them to employ the poor in the workhouse in extracting the
flour or starch from diseased potatoes, free of expense to any
poor person who should send them to the house for that pur-
pose.—Chelmsford Chronicle.
SERIOUS AFFRAY WITH A RAILWAY SURVEYOR
AND HIS ASSISTANTS.—On Friday afternoon last, a serious
affray took place near the village of Appleton, about eight
miles from York, between Mr. William Higginbottom, a
railway surveyor, and his assistants, in the employ of the
Cambridge and Lincoln Extension, and Lincoln, York, and
Leeds Junction Railway Company. It appears that Hig-
ginbottom and about nine others, his assistants, attempted
to enter a field in the township of Appleton Roebuck, which
field forms a portion of the estate of Sir W. M. Milner,
Bart. Their progress was opposed, however, by the watchers
and workmen in the employ of Sir William, which gave
rise to a very serious conflict, the surveying party having
made a most determined attack upon the men who ob-
structed them. The latter at one time were likely to have
been overpowered, but having obtained a reinforcement, the
surveyor and his men were obliged to make a retreat ; but
he and six others were taken into custody and conveyed
to York. On the following day (Saturday) the defendants
appeared at York Castle, under the charge of having
riotously assembled together, and assaulted Thomas Cart-
wright and others. During the investigation it was shown
that one man, named James Foster, one of Sir William's
party bad been dangerously wounded in the head, and Cart-
wright had received a severe cut in the head, as had also
Davies, one of the defendants. It was urged by Mr. Ander-
son, that Sir William Milner having refused permission to
the above railway company to survey his estate, the de-
fendant (Iligginbottom) had caused to be brought from
a colliery in the neighbourhood of Leeds, a number of per-
sons, of whom the defendant formed a part, to enable him to
make the survey in spite of Sir William. The magistrates
were of opinion that the assault had been proved, and they
therefore bound Higginbottom over to keep the peace for
six months, himself in the sum of 301., and a surety in the
same amount. The other defendants were required to enter
into their own recognizances of 20/. each to keep the peace
for six months.

BIRTHDAY or THE DUKE OF Buccr.Euctr.—A
numerous party of the Duke of Buccleuch's tradesmen dined
together on Tuesday at the Freemasons' Tavern, in honour of
his Grace's birthday. Mr. Butler presided, and was sup-
ported by Mr. Stultz, Mr. Cuff, Mr. Cobbett, Mr. Staunton,
Mr. Tucker, Mr. Pugh (who officiated as vice-chairman),
&c. The " Health of the Duke and his Family," was
drunk with enthusiasm. The musical department was, as
usual, under the management of Mr. toter. The evening
passed off most pleasantly, and the dinner and wines were
excellent.
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—KING'S EVIL OR SCROFULA
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terrible complaint have been made by the powerful virtues of
these universal medicines. If space would admit, the par-
ticulars of some few cases might be cited, which would no
doubt astonish our greatest medical men. Suffice it to say,
that many who bad been cripples for years have been restored
to the use of their limbs, their wounds being completely healed;
while perfect health, by means of these pills, has been the
portion or blessing of all who have been so fortunate as to use
these admirable medicines. Sold by all druggists, and at Pro.
fessor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London.