The New York herald., 1872-08-19
MEN-0f- WARS MEN AT THE OAR.
Boat Race for the Championship Of the United
States Pacific Fleet.
c,.. .ra nm tho California and saranac IN Contest
or pa ,ai.s The Match. tho Prise and Pre-
umiu. riss-sSsttins Scene or Pam
anna. Tho Start the Struggle. Time
and viotory-"John Bulp'
Give. aFriendly Huxsa.

and viotory-"John Bulw
o;v.. Friendly Huxsa
PANAMA, July "a 1877.
r,,u ro,,ao,.s -, .t,, 'sually rather monotonou
town wore ravorsd ross az, ming by the spectacle
an event In man -of-war boat. "s "nn"s'
wo ha,. ro,v In o,- ~. 80 three vessels bcarinl
the Stars and Stripes-the flag. up o@NOt"'a' ~ TN
United States steamer Saranac q "o oo"'' ou'
vey steamer Hassler; also one Brit '"''' '"' '''f
Ofwar Chameleon.
The saranac has among her boats ' 'oar'cen
cared cutter. formerly belonging to A o"''o
States steamer Kearsage. Few America. 10 "'
have lived on "this side of land" since 10 % o"'
have forgotten the fame Justly enjoyed by tsv 0"'
ter as racing boat. Hardly had the KesrA, w
reached the Pacific In 1866 before her boat Iaaas
rated its career of victory by beating shorebuiA
whaieboat, until then the "cock of the walk" In tc
harbor OF Talcahuano Chile Since that time British
french and American boats have all tried cOnclu-
sions with their noble fourteen-oar, but with O.
Illuminating lack OF success the champion boat
hanging on to its wcllearned title In spite of every
effort made to dispute 1t, so that at last no boat
could be found willing to challenge her. We heard,
therefore, with some surprise, about o fortnight
ago, that the black cutter was once more called
to custom, tossed under the nagshps bows to see
II the frigate could furnish competitor.
The California crew could not let such chal-
lepge pass unnoticed. Their third cutter, also a
fourteen-oared boat, was selected to accept the
dea after some elaboration. this being the first
race the California has engaged in, none OF her
boats having ever been used in races before
THE RIVAL BOATS
The contrast between the two rival "shes" was
decided one, the champion BOAT appearing mucn
hnt 0yUin fc h1o roo
and to wellearned prestige the Saranacs were at
once the fav0rites and few doubted that the re-
boat" boat A'' ~ ''' "A''A0' "'"-p" vi ''' ''"0~
The challenged party made the conditions Of the
course iour miles, without turn, fixing the 23d
OF July as the day and the start 70 take place be-
Both boats were out every morning before
rise and evenings after sundown practising, and on
board the ships as well as on the shore great inter-
est In the preparations was manifested The Sar-
anacs did their pulling under the supervision OF
their coxswain, but the CALIFORNIA; jwho, by the
way, train almost altogether in out of the way
placesl were coached at their request, by Mdship-
formerly member Of the Naval Academy Rowing
CLUB. TO his indefatigable exertions In leading
this "fororn hope all attribute, in measure. the
intense, the sailors, with Jacks proverblal
boats without any regard for such things as 'odds.
or "late quotations" the Calllornias covering all
their oiicers held to the opinion that the race was
hopeless for them Indeed, many OF the
nagshps officers are said to have bet on the Sara
Lieutenant Costar, the commander OF the "white
boat" on duty was nc one time almost the only
backer she had among the gold lace gentry. Last
evening at halfpast four the Caforna's steam cut
ter took the rivals both In tow and steamed Off amid
and "whteJ boats, to the buoy inside the harbOr
that marked the starting point on the fOur-mil0
course as laid out by the navigating officers OF the
AT THE STARTING POINT.
On strPping ior the race the Csormas n,, snowed
Ing probably ten pounds apiece e, more more, than ths
At 5h. Som. $685. Lieutenant Commander Ken
nedy, OF the Hasscr, gave the word ''go," and the
The CALIFORNIA; took the water like lash, ana
after half dozen rapid strokes to secure headway
astounded the spectators, who were massed In hum
deds on the battery to see the start and first OF
minutes from the start the white boat had lead
OF couple OF lengths. which the Saranacs at one
time seemed likely to decrease
The CALIFORNIA; pulling was excellent; indeed,
for man -ofwar boat like theirs, almost beyond
drill and systematic work
They kept their stroke at the same point nom
beginning to end-forty eight.
The Saranac crew seemed evidently demoralized
and that may have atrected their rowing, but thcir
coxswain's excitement was inexcusabie as it lost
them great deal OF ground, their boat appearing
at times to yaw very much while the 'white cut
ters" made the "bee line" evidently determined
to do their best in every point,
gap, passing the first man-0f.war on their way, the
Chameleon Sboat two miles 1s, OUT hin I'M & sss
were, however impartial enough to accord o like
greeting to the Saranacs.
The course lea past all the men,oIwar. no, the nag.
the last one to be passed. The Pacific Mail tender
Panama was anchored near the California, her
decks being crowded with spectators from ashore.
THE FINAL STRUGGLE AND VICTORY.
The black boat made last gallant effort to over.
haul her antagonist when opposite the sarsnac.
stroke up to hfty-three, but the lead already
obtained was too much foI them to make . up;
able, onicers aud men manning the rigging, and
shouting themselves hoarse over their Representa-.
tives' splendid display, and the result so dinerent
from the most sanguine hopes.
The latter never stacking their stroke, shot across
for the whole four miles with favorable b9eese, but
against the mood tdel, being 3Sm o3s.
The ,Sd winning boat A = asavy isps pa n o.
Both crews Immediately repaired aboard the nag
winning crew, and where vict0rs and vanquished
seemed completely absorbed In their expressions Of
which the Saranacs took their unexpected defest
was the subject OF much favorable comment ana
Goop FEELING AND aALLANYRY ~
After spending an hour or so on the California,
the saranac Cfcers who had gone over thare ae
the close Of erace, returned to their own ship.
Not TO be outdone by them in courtesy, the oicera
OF the frgate repaired aboard the smaller vessel
later in the evening with their dne band, and ten
dered thelr late opponents q seSenade az COM
pensato for their defeat, the evenings entertain
msns ending as III Ss
odds had been the wrong way for those who gave
them,
MURDER. Or SUICIDE.