The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-12
AMERICAN BOAT-RACING ABROAD!
The Boys of the Brooklyn and the Shenandoah
at the 0ar-An Excellent Race Under Try
ing Circumstances-A Hard Tug for Vic
tory-The Crew Of the Brooklyn Wins
United STATES STEAMSHIP SHENANDOAH.

II the city OF Brooklyn Is displaying on solid
ground the march OF improvement and growth OF
power, her no less illustrious namesaKe OF the
United States Navy bids fair to shed lustre on her
own history, manifested in the same manner on
watery fields and distant coasts, and 1t happens
After this wiseThe irrepressible spirit OF rivalry
among boats crews. and their pride In their several
boats, has burst forth In the usual manner on the
congregating together OF the European squadron at
this place. Cutters and barges are continually, in
the day time. being pulled about the harbor from
the ships to the landing and the reverse and it is
the most natural thing In the world for two boats
when coming alongside Of one another, to indulge
In trial Of speed, ana they are hardly restrained
from TINS, but by discipline, when engaged In boat
exercise. After all, racing is but thorough boat
exercise on refined and enlarged scale, and the
suit very generally Is that rival crews, who COM
mence with sporadic attacks OF trials OF speed in
his manner, eventually have the complaint spread
itself among them after the character OF an cpl
damc Thus boat will put or from q sister
ship. pull under the bows Of neighoor and denanty
toss oars. This q challenge sailor man Is only
too eager accept, ana this, too sometimes the
Rlenderest judgment His argument Is that one
man Is as good as another, ana his reasoning Is
hardly detectives; but 1t does not always appear that
one boat is good as another; and this made
s0rTbwfully manifest to the Shenandoah's this
Afternoon.
7HE BROOKLYN AGAINST THE SHENANDOAH.
1t seems that the United States steamer Brooklyn
IL the lucky OWNER OF fast cutter, and has been
ambitious TO measure with those Of the She
nandOahs boat, which defeated the helicon's barge
at Havre last winter. With the peculiar and almost
1doatrous feeling among sailor men, the crew OF the
second named American ship considered her well
nigh lnvncible; so that, on overtures being made
on the parL Of the Brooklyn, they were met on the
part OF the Shenandoah with an aacrity and &C.
copied ina confidence not to be estimated by the
binary standard of racing folk who are apt to
differ among themselves as to MINOR points, wrange
about position or odds anu dispute concerning
judges.
THE STAKES AND HOW RAISED.
With JACK however, u race means pull, and pull
only, and the sooner the rival boats can contend
for supremacy-training being very incomplete at
times-the sooner Will he be satisfied but very far
from contented. purse was made up on either
SHIP which. by the contributions OF nearly all tue
men, In sums ranging from five to forty
francs reached the aggregate OF 1890 francs, max.
ing the whole amount 10 be commended for, there
fore, 1900 francs The element OF c0ntagion was
30 concentrated that one OF the bumboat women.
who comes alongside with provisions for the men,
embarked twenty francs 10 the enterprise and was,
OF course, loundJ applauded Tor her generous SYM
pathy.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RACE.
Mldshpmen Holiday and Jacoby-tne former Of
the Brooklyn, the latter OF the Shenandoah-ar-
ranged the distance placing Of the buoys, terms Of
the race, day. time OF starting and the general es
Bentlal preiminaries The course was to be straight
one, Of about one and three-quarter miles, ending
nearly opposite the Wachuserr, requiring the rival
boats to pass the flagship Wabash, the Shenandoah,
the Plymouth ana the Junlata In their course,
before tossing at the winning buoy. Each boat had
It's starting and mi snng point SO that fOuling was
out Of the question. Mi dshpman Sumner. Z. Paine
was appointed umpire.
THE DAY
" as about as wretched aud unpleasant one
whether Tor a boat race or not, as could be con-
cocted by an expert caucus sitting IN solemn foul
weather committee. The wind blowing .
driven several small Craft-amOng the rest little
English brig, with her mantopmast carried away
to seek shelter In the harbor among the shipping.
The ram was peltng and driving down In the most
disorderiy and distracted manner as II IL had been
wateriag.po rendering any effort az projection by
an umbrella q broad farce, and that useful article
itself deluslon ana a snare. There was an enter.
tainment on the Waoasn during the afternoon, and
the distant strains OF music from the band railing
or complaint against the understandable liberty
taken by Tue weather, Tor attempting To mar their
pleasure.
was much too broken and confused for fast time
and there was DRIFT OF at least quarter or knot,
II was hoped to avoid some Of the WIND and to get
into tribe smoother water, close under the high
land which 5klrs The eastern shore OF The bay, SO
the course ald from under the lee OF Point
Mala and along It's attachments to nearly the bottom
OF the narbOr-a distance az before stated OF about
one and three-quarter miles.
BOATS CREW OF SHENANDOAH.
The ShenandOahs cutter Is oil regular man -of-war
build; length. IS ieet IL inches breadth OF beam,
feet; draught OF water aft, with crew. 12H inches,
weighing about 1900 pounds. The names OF ner
racing crew are as iollows:-JameS On1eld, George
Lane, William Hornkelth, Edward seymour, Edward
Anderson Frank Upton, Thomas N; stewart. sam.
Conway, Edward w. Watson.
The boat was coxswalned by John Mcguire, sea-
man.
BOATS CREW OF THE BROOKLYN.
The BrooRlyn's cutter Is higher out OF the water,
having false gunwae OF OAK, and III ner motion
shows dangerous buoyancy LII engtn sac 80
feet; breadth OF beam feet draught OI water, IL
Inches ait; weight ABOUT =, 200 pounds The names
OF her racing crew are as iolows:- James McCarty,
Andrew klnnebnk, john A. Williams, Jonn Green,
Thomas Clement. James Ward, MOTHS sham,
Robert Connel, Joseph Cannon, William :. Jones
David Creemen and William Kline
The boat was coxswained by John Kelly. seaman.
GETTING INTO LINE.
There was some apprehension on the part Of the
contestants that the rain would prevent tae race,
but al Ave minutes before four O'Clock Z. Nj. the
Brooklyn's cutter was observed In tow Of ner steam
launch, Just rounding under the Lows OF the Juniata
standing out TO the buOys. The launch OF the Wa
basn gave line TO the Shcnandoal's cutter and
she started IN company with the nrst. ON reaching
the buoys the toss for the cEolce was won by tue
Shenandoah who selected The inside one nearest
the shore.
THE RACE.
Inc arrangements had been so satisfactorily
made that al once the boats were got INTO position,
and almost Immediately they got away at A. 15m.
10s., with as Iair ana even a start wit.
messed. From the word "gOn the race bid fair 10
be good one as 10 pluck and muscle Fast time
was out OF the question, aud the Victory and prize
were 10 the best bellows and quickest stroke. The
latter was tremendous and led OF with forty-three
10 the minute, increasing " iorty.our ana times
10 forty-Hye. The Shenandoan's boat drew almost
impcrceptibly ahead until at one time she
nearly two boats lengths In advance OF her antago.
nist aud tnls advantage sac maintained until
nearly IN line Win the wabash me crew OF the
Shenandoah, who could now see the relative posi-
tious OF the rival powers, broke out Ia cheers
EXPLANATIONS loud and longs but tuey were destined
W pe speedily sesuppressed; Tor as the Brookyn's
boat passed the Wabash-peThaps little
before--her coxswain urgec the humber OF strokes
to forty EIGHT In the minute, which his crew MAN.