The New York herald., 1871-09-01
HALrFAx, August 81, 1871.


minutes TWO I. M, and, after one Of the most |
brilliant aud closely contested struggles IN aquatic
annals, resulted IN the victory OF Ihe Taylor-lyne
crew, the Pror Nova Scotia crew following good |
second and The American crew good third. These |
three first ooals all passed the stakeboats within
quarter OF miaute Of each other and this, after a
hot contest over course ol nearly seven land miles.
gives pretty good lndcauon OF the spirit and In
Ierest that marked the race.
WEATHER AND TaE WATER.
The first thing TO be looSed at in in Halifax
harbor Is the weather Alter the posponement Of
the race yesterda; sharp wind sprung up, and the
local weather prophets predicted lair skies and
smooth water. Early this morning dense white
mis-, still nung over the harbor; but the got
h,gh light breeze rolled away the log, while 1t
Was, luckily, not heavy enough to roughen the
water. About eleven O'Clock the was IN
Splendid condition, the water as smooth as mill
rond and the sun shining brightly. One wou.d
have thought that having waited 80 long for bright
weather the managers OF the race would have at
brought 1t or. For some reason. however
they preferred TO again postpone the race
pJt one O'CLOCK, and tfis delay doubtless explains
IN some measure the position OF the Prior
crew at the fin sh. Almost directly after noon the
SKY began aga.n to darken, the breeze increased
fast and al the edge OF The horizon seaward might
b, seen huge banks OF fog and mist. IDe water
soon grew rough, and when AZ last the boats were
s.arted the narbor altogether unified or the
contest course subject TO such extraordinary
caprices can never indeed. be the scene o. de-
cisive race. Tits bad waler, however, was, or
course "A great advantage 10 the heavier aud
stronger crew; and the Prior men, who depended
FOR success upon endurance ana brute lorce, rather
than sclegtllc rowing, came defeating the
splend dN disciplined Taylor, and 0 actually beat
tAe American ana Renfor n crews.
LXcITEMENT AaioNG TEE sTECrA-oRs.
Although the carnival has not attracted nearly so
many visitors as were expected this pretty did
not lack apprecative spectators. the sh ores were
iringed with long lines of eager faces and from
every wiDdow along the niie or so OF the town that
tonnianu Il the course wnitc kerchlels filrted en-
cOuragemen, 10 tae competing athletes AID con-
trasteu pleasantly with the deeper tlnts OF tie flags,
Sasly ly requelt several monster stands had
, oeen I, erected ei,,n, ana were gay with the
he nj rar ana e Vessels Gss n Ss of
Iarbor were ecKed with holiday bunting aud
white saiis and cleaning oars. Framed in by the
gently siopns banks ol The haroor, clad IN vefdnre
whose t4nts the ram had br1hteDed into singular
briillancY, and checseed by catches OF somDre
pine ana spruce, tie scene was striKingy beautiful
Should 50 soon be ca tineusa by the saddenins In
nuence OF
LEADEs SKY AND CHILLY WIND
from the WeSt The positions OF coniestng crews
were awarded by lot about eleven O'Clock. Strange
" eDoHgn the two English crews dew sister posi-
tons inshore ana three uainax boats got the three
next places WINE the voice o. fate ex;led CUR un.
be DO DOUBT mat tue Taylor aud Renfcrih crews
thus got decided advantage, ana The ack oI ole-
s2ht Oh the race III nagers asgfdva ed 1t consiuer.
aOiy, at least so lar as The Bign crew
Cefned There haq been constant rumors OF foul |
among the boats, and IN order 10 prevent such |
mishap II was arranged that each boat should start |
rom and round separate sakeboatS. The startiag |
Btake1oats were spread iig1t across the haroor, |
winch AT ihis point s abOu nalf mile broad This |
threw the American boat right into the opposite |
shore aud so paced them thai At was impOss ole
Keep on a straight course without rannias INTO tie
bow oi a schooner some one-eighth oi miie from |
taer stakeOoat- But. oi course, IN merely an
iiaovertency, and the management have done
everything else N her power all aloGg secure
fair play; stll at WAS unfortunate Inign. The
boais could easily bav. been placed a little nearer
together ana ihii would nave given all tue crews
1a.r show.
PREpArISG FOR TIE RACE
AT one O'Clock he heniorIn crew dartel ont from
thelr headquarers and rowed Ia ront oi tic club :
Aeuse. Ihey wore cOi.ls OF whte, broad with !
mourning, III memory OF thelr decca ca conrade.
Tne Am. m.rleans soon followed. Tn,y wore saiofs'
shirts OF b ue EDGED with white, but tney stripped
them on beiole tney started. 1t 10 dis
tngmsn tlem aiier that by their dark bi on
backs The other crews came sIrasgling along,
pretty much together, al wedring wne nannel
cneerel. the Ke1lotth, Prior aud American u.en
beng eVidedtiy III 81 pcpu ar. The hal lax peoJie
naturally wanted tleir own boat 70 win. but II
that was impossible, iney sad. they would like TO
see the Ren orth crew victorious. All the men
looked well, except bIigat, who seemed pale aud
unnerved. Coulter IN spite OF his recent attack OF
ch,Is an1 ieveI, a. pear u IN splendid iom Ii was
only WIN extreme ni.tculty that the course Was
cleared aDd While tue PROCEEDED there was
shouting anu cheering and swearing at refractory /
craft ne crews ed quietly about the cOTrst.
minute or SO the American and ten orth crews
rested side py side aud INDUCED in a iittle Chat I
wnile the .ova scJtans were looking their graft. +
tudc 10 Their Trends ashore or cneeIs OF encourage
meh', ana the iaylor men silently waiting events.
THE START.
Al about ten minutes ol two O'Clock the boats
fnally took their statous. each u; Its own sake.
boat aud the tugooat with the newspaper people
anu steam yacht with the Judge oil the cou Sc
puIed oLt into h. rear OF the course and prepared
10 follow IN the wake OF the race. TDel came
ehrlek OF readiness from The SAFETY valves OF the
steahefs ana u tie gun al the end OF The pier IN
front o ne cluo house. fired al tity.four minutes
Ias, que O'Clock 7 NJ ne signal Tor The START. the
START was mucn oetter Than is usually the case
Tue crews had been laying on their oars for several
minutes, aug AZ me worl go the boats dar'cd for.
ward simultaneously. Win SIX boats II wa. OF
c0urse Impossible TO count the strokes but
Ie was evident that tne Prior crew started OF AZ
Iheif best prOoauy about lorty three 10 A minute.
.ut without very great effort. rue American anj
Nova scotia. b ri n rev went together lor a few
lengths, and then. IN orer TO escape scn oner n
tnen path tho Bglin Boys had 10 row % int the
course OF their neignbor, wnOm. however, tney leu
almost directly u lengD or TWO beuind. 1he Roche
crew from the very beginning dragged and seemed
unable 10 yet tneir boat through the water. Tue |
race for the three miles down TO The sake. |
boat was woddcr ully even. and excitement ran
very bich. On the rnshore the Two English crews
Deareo each other ana rowed, sometimes and /
sometimes the other slightly ahead, a spurt and
extra dozen served TO change their relative post
lions. 10 me GENRE, far away from al ne rest the
Prior steadily nsld on rowing at hlgn pressure
speed, and awakening The fears OF then friends lest
they should break down AT the pace. On The outside
the American and Barton crews Ijrqed along, the
former Keeping the advance II mad won at Tie out
set and apparently unwilling 10 put on .be
steam 20 early In the game for the purpose OF
increasing IL All I'VE boats as near as could De !
judged, were about equal but trey were spread |
out 50 lar about the harbor that hail a dozen I
Ieagths G uld scarccly be appreciated. II was |
PLAN, however, that the pDor crew kept the |
sraRhtest course u It's stakcDoat, as might on!y |
have been expected from their superior knowledge |.
of the ground. The American boat made q wae
deiOur ana took "A curved course 70 their stake
boat. The water eyeI at the upper END OF The har.
lor was rough, but as the bo9tS got 10 Leagues
Island ana nedred the stakeooat> they had 10 dAsh
through little waves, ana they could be 10 rise
aud fall with the sea, wniie the spray new or the
blades Of the oars. There II was appa enty that
the Prior crew, winch had dropued a litile 10 the
rear, again get well 10 the 'front.'. The EnRllsn
crews about third OF u mile from The stakeboats,
were nearly neck and neck when they put on
desperate squirt. the result Of which was that the
hkhlCBfH CKEw FIRST TUkNED THE sTAkEBB.AT |
4. Y. n ".