The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-09-10
The Great Match for the Aquati
Championship.

day.
The Great Match for the Aquatic.
Championship.
The great aquatic championship be-
tween James Hamill and Walter Brown,
at Newburg, has, after two postpone
ments, taken place. The race was to
have taken place on Friday last, but
owing to the boisterons state of the
weather, and the consequent roughness
of the water, the race was postponed to
the following day. The crowd which
had assembled to see the race was es-
timated at $4,000, and the most entense
excitement prevailed. Thursday night
was passed by Brown at the United
States Hotel, while Hamill remained at
his training quarters at Cornwall, some
half dozen miles above Newburg.
Walter appeared in the very best trim,
and though silent, seemed full of conf
dence. Hamill was in choice spirits,
and, it is said, never in his life appear
ed in finer condition. Early on
Friday forenoon the correspon-
dent of the New York Tribune
visited Brown at his quarters at the no.
tel, and found him lying on bed, sur
rounded by half dozen of his personal
friends. He looked well, and said that
he weighed one hundred and forty eight
pounds, having been trimmed down
from one hundred and eighty seven. He
declared his willingness to pull in any
water, and seemed sure of victory. Joe
Coburn, the pugilist, offered $500 to 500
on that, which was not taken. The
same correspondent also visited Hamill
on board the steamboat, where he was
waiting for the "chop" to cease in the
waters of the Hudson. He said that he
weighed one hundred and sixty-one
pounds, having been trained down from
one hundred and ninety-one pounds.
He looked very we'll, but much f1eshier
than Brown. He did not wish, however,
to pull until the water settled, while
Brown averred that "any water suited
him." and became excited over the de-
lay, stating that he could pull all
around Hamill.
At 6 O'Clock, P. NJ, the water not yet
being smooth enough, Stephen Roberts,
the referee, made speech from the bal
cony to about five thousand people who
were assembled in front of the United
States Hotel, very much excited and
shouting. Some were crying out for
Hamill, but the majority were enthu-
siastic for Walter Brown. Roberts said:
~ am sorry, hut it is impossible for the
race to take place to-day. The water
is too rough, and i cannot honestly per-
NIT the race to 60 on. All I wish is to
have the best man win" [Cries of
"Brown," "Brown,"-"Wot's the matter
wild Hamill i'' "Is he sick, or has he
funked i"1 Three drunken men were
making speeches at the same time with
Roberts, land it was almost impossible dis
tinctly to hear what he was saying. Joe
Coburn said to Brown in his bed
room before the race: "S-a-a-y, honey,
Jest you win this race, and then think
how you will be received by her Majcs-
ty when you take that outrigger of
yours to Ingland; and jest think of
what the gals will say about ye. Why,
all the servant gals are wild about you
now." Considerable fighting took place
during Friday night, and but for the
presence of strong detachment of the
New York police, who used their clubs
freely in maintaining order, bloody
work might have been expected. There
were six thousand strangers present
from New York, and more than half OF
them were thieves and pickpockets, and
of the latter some thirty were arrested
while plying their profession during
the day.
1Saturday morning opened very inaus-
piciously, the river being still high, and
the water, if anything, rougher than on
the preceding day. The spectators had
become impatient, and were, of course,
anxio us to set the race come off, but the
referee refused to order the men out, as
the articles called for smooth water, and
another postponement was the result,
The race was then, of course, postponed
until Monday morning yesterday II
will be seen, by reference to our tele'
graph columns, that the race took place
yesterday morning between six and
seven O'Clock, and q decision was given
in favor of Hamill on claim of foul
against Brown. An immense concourse
of spectators was present, and
the water was tranquil. AT
the start Hamill shot ahead
and was four lengths ahead at the dis
tauce of two miles and half. 1t was
claimed, however, by HamilPs judges
that as he was turning the stake boat
Brown rushed his boat down into VIC
lent collision with Hamill's boat, cut.
ting its stern almost entirely off. After
this, Hamill ceased pulling, and drew
out. Brown, however, pulled over the
entire course in forty-one minutes and
fifty.six seconds. Undoubtedly, there
will be great dissatisfaction as to the
result of the match, and the question
will be deliberately argued by the