New-York tribune., 1871-08-24

bank put into carriage, and driven to the little
tavern the cove, where he had spent the three
weeks of his training, He never spoke again, and
died about Q o'clock The physicians pronounced
the cause of his death to be pulmonary apoplexy
brought on by excitement and over-exertion.
THE WINNING CREW.
The st. John crew meanwhile had not stopped OF
even slackened their stroke. They kept steadily on
to the stakebOa which they reached and rounded
in 1S minutes and started their return with their
stroke slackened TO 40. lusty huzza went up from
the multitude upon the shore and on the decks OF
the steamers they passed down to the judges boat
Their time was announced at 80 minutes ~ oo
seconds There was as yet no suspicion in the
throng that Renforth had been stricken with death,
and the rejoicing over the unexpected Victoiy VI
Fultons men had not this melancholy knowledge W
check it, l.,
Two of the st. John crew, as soon as they i'o
landed and dressed spent half an hour liAins up
collection for their vanqushed ANTAGONISTS anu eO'
their hats full of silver and their ears
full of cheers wherever they went ""o,i
the news of Renforth's death got aproau'
there was no more rejoicing, and the peopie "o,.V
quietly back to the city to see the fiags hue a' nan
mast and to gather in groups on the streel-ooin"
and in the hotels, to talk of the sad ending OF the
III. Il
feet health when he stepped into his boat, ana MS
sudden death is the more remarkable from the TACT
that he was a man of unusually powerful physique
His appearance denoted great strength and endur-
ance and he was never subject to attacks OF illness
A post-mortem examination of his body will be
made.
HISTORY OF TIE RACE.
The great interest i'm the race of to-day arose from
the fact that it was return match between the
crews that rowed last year at Lachine near Mon
treal 1t will be remembered how on that occasion,
the St. John crew. who had carried off the prize at
the great Paris regatta of 1861 and had earned the
title of champion crew of America by beating the
Ward Brothers of New-York in 1868, were badly
beaten by an English crew from the Tyne, who
rowed right away from them, to the great disap-
pointment of all the patriotic spOrtsmen of the Do
minion. who had backed their men literally with
enthusiasm and money. The st. John men did not
rest easy after that discredtabe defeat flor such it
was held to bel until they had arranged with their
conquerors for a second contest. They had lost the
Lachine race they believed, by the roughness OF tie
water but Others held that their defeat owing
to too great confidence and too little training This
time they were not chargeable with either fault.
They trained faithfully and did no boasting.
BY the articles of agreement it was stipulated that
the race should be rowed on the 23d of August be-
tween and 10 a. M. If the water was perfectly
smooth; if the water in the opinion of the umpires,
or in case of disagreement, by the decision of the
referee is not smooth, the referee shall be empow
cred to postpone the to the same hours on the
day following and so on from day to day until the
| state of the water is favorable" The st. John
crew was to row without coxswain and Renforth's
to have the option of rowing either with or without
one The race was to be for G5OO side and the
4 obo oh; ba bOun1 them
selves to pay Renforth's men ECO in consideration
of the expense of the journey across the Atlantic.
THE TYNE CREw-RENFoRTH.
With the exception of James Renforth, the
| Tyne crew all new men who did not pull In
the race last year, but they welknown oarsmen
on the other side of the Atlantic. Renforth,
who was the champion sculler OF Great
Britain, was a short, thick-set, sturdy fellow
looking as if he were made of the tough
est kind of muscle from head to foot He
weighed 14 pounds and was feet n inches in
hight His disproportionately short legs gave him
an awkward, clumsy look while walking, but this
pecularty of form was to his advantage in rowing.
He was a quiet uncOmmunicative man, spoke when
he spoke at all, with q broad North-of-
England accent and looked as if his train
ing had gone to make muscle rather than brains
RenfOrth born near NeweastleonIyne ana IN early
life was soldier in East India regiment, After his
return to ENGLAND he first haeame famous as swimmer,
and 1t was not till 1866 that he began TO make reputa
ton with the oars His first great victories were In 1868
in singescu races with brothers Robert and James
Boyd The same year he beat Henry Kelly, the Thames
! champion. He then became stroke oar OF the Tyne
champion crew, which was beaten by London
four at the Thames regatta In 1869, but
afterward two races against the same
men with James Taylor. He rowed tWooared match
against Kelly and sader after but lost the race
| faufpar I'll
victory was at Lachine, Canada last September, over
| the St. John crew. His home was at Newcastle where
he kept the Sir Charles Napier Inn on the ynea house
much frequented by boating men.
No 2in his boat this year was Robert Chambers,
Of famous family OF Newcastle boating men, and an
exhampiOn. His age is 81 and his weight 1856 He looks
little like Renforth, and like him is smoOthaced and
wears closely clipped hair. The mdship oarsmanis Rob
ert Kelly tall backhesded, rather handsome man, 80
years weighing 154 pounds. James Percy the bow oar
is thin and short, weighing but 14s. His age is 2s.
The champions crew arrived from England nearly four
weeks before the race and took up their quarters for
training IN cosy little roadside public house, six miles
from st. John and about mile from the cottage occu
pied by their antagonists. They were intending to go
from here to row in the carnival races at Halifax next
week and entered for race at Saratoga In Sep.
| tember. Their boat is one, built on somewhat
novel principles, by Jewet the wel-known Tyne boat
| builder.
The st. John crew is composed Of professional oars
| men, who spend most Of their time upon the water.
They first distinguished themselves In 1866 when they
| made the fastest time In a sx-me made in
America. This in st. John harbOr-the time being
| SO minutes and 90 seconds. Next year they TO
Paris and in the International Regatta both the
yenie and the mile halt races. At that time the
Ward Brothers tho champions Of America The St.
Iohn,fen challenged them after their from
France, and in October 1868, took the championship
laurels from them In sixmile the Connecticut
River The time in this contest 39;0si. The next