New-York tribune., 1873-07-28
REGATTA OF THE NORTHWESTERN BOAT
ING ASSOCIATION.


always looked devoted IN them, il they have
not always looked well. Amateur boat-racin2
must be the most gcnteel OF all sports where
one may gain strength and lose money In oil the
thousands that hronged the banks Of the Maumoe yes
eday and to-day have hardly OF that class OF
faces which passing police judge might fne $50 and
costs sight Now then might have been seen, it
Is true eerng over the piers OF the Cherryt bridge
vssge that turned States evidence against ITSELF but
never saw more re spectabe looking crowd. whole
The Western American OF either gender viii perhaps
average the handsOmest type in our continent. The
malarious yellow Is disappearing from the complexion
even here on the Maumce, where fever and ague and
small potatoes we're set to music living long after they
had pershed from the valley in the immortality OF in
different song:
"The potatoes they grow small
On Mdumee, on Maumee,
And nd taey Ms,Got. eat hem a tops and ALL
The Maumee at this season OF the year, is as
.slow as the lyric slander on its name. That
$ one OF the that IL affords an ex-
celent course for rowing regatta. The races
which have closed today have taken place almost
IN the heart OF the city. The river for mile and half
IS well nigh straight here, and here accordingly the
course laid out The contestants In the threemile
races have, Therefore, TO double the me-and-a-hah
stake instead Of rowing the three miles straight ahead
As they did az the late College Regatta. The unprofes
si0nal reader will understand that the turning takes
tme and that the record is never SO good where
doubling the stake is necessary.
At o'clock yesterday afternoon the fifth annual
regatta Of the Northwestern Amateur Boating Associa-
ton began Chicago Detroit, Saginaw, and Toledo were
the only lake cities repres ned The weather then
It has been to-day clear and warm, with just wind
enough down 10 make the water little umpy.
An aquatic nfOrnatv called a scrub Bshercd in the
important work OF the day. This FOR pleas
and working boats and open TO all comers Ontside
the Association, pulling double souls from the gunwae.
The distance three-quartCrs Of mile and return.
% the half dozen boats entering, started ludi-
crousy at the signal Of the gun not intended to shoot
them Of but TO get them in readiness The other boats
started after and the winner was believe, the
last boat TO start. The judges had not yet got TO their
stands there is OflcaI time given. The winners,
however did some very good rowing The second race
for Senior fOur-oared shells distance and half
miles and return. For this, the most exciting contest Of
-he day, everything in readiness. The river
outside Of the course thrOnged with all OF
craft from steamboats, at anchor 10 dug-outs Of
monolOgous paddle. The grand stand was mot
icy with far women and brave men, the lumber
piles and bridge restles swarmed with the gamins OF
the lesser and larger growth. Carriages lined the cas-
tern shore Of the river The Signal officer stood on the
upper bridge and the Judges in their boats, hafat
the starting and half at the turning buOys. The Com
mOdore was a1Oat in his handsome barge and at the
rs signal the three competing boats slid lightly down
from somewhere above the bridge and waved tnem-
selves in manycoored :estoOns to their places in lne
The western side, the left going down stream was the
preferred position, owing to TIE danger Of weeds TO the
oarsmeu who should crowd the eastern shore too close.
Tho three entered this took their places in
the following order: The Wah-wahsums, (Which
l believe means "ightnng," iu the musical
Indian Of Saginaw first the Exclusions OF Detroit sec
ond, and the Undiles of Toledo third Tie Wahwah-
sums are stalwart LOT OF men, who have carried of
audit he
The Undne had trained together only week. IN
the shell with which they entered the race. But suH
the Toledo men nsked their the result as the
Detroit people did the ENcelsiOrs. The whole be-
pooped landscape eager for the start and finally
The flag waved and the gun doomed and the struggle
began. The Wah-wah-sums took the water best; the
Lxcesors were more deliberate. and efcollected; the
Undnes started with 30 strokes, but settled down to
perhaps the sowes Of any, is 1000 feet down stream
from the Cherry-5t bridge to the new Pennsylvania
Railway bridge.
AZ that distance the Uadlnes had crawled up and
taken the lead Suddenly the sliding seat OF No on
the UDdnes boat gave way and caused moments de-
lay. Here the Wah-wah-sums passed the Undnes.
While the latter making spuTt TO catch up again,
and barge made stupdy across the for the
fhip-yard directly in the way of tic Excelsors The
Uadnes rode 60 the ghtof IL the swels, while the
cOekswaIn Of the Wah-wah-sums tried to pass be-
tween the dock and the tug. The stroke
here broke an oar, aud by tie carelessness, or
vulfulness or idiocy OF the captain the tug
ran into the Wah-wahsums, aud wrecked their boat.
Meantime the excitement and betting increased on
the grand stand, where all these movements were not
visible We could see of the boats approaching the
lower bridge; as they drew nearer we could see that
they were the Undines and Excelsors but the scarlet
and white Of the Wab-wah-sums were nowhere to be
seen They had disappeared somewhere behind the
tow Then we saw that the Undines were the
first 20 come under tine bridge, and the cheer
ing echoed from shore 10 shore. steadily
On and on they came, the uproar OF the
city to see its own about 10 win after ALL increas
gtl it topped by the cannon that announces the
race decided Then the uprOar breaks out again and
is scene Of tumuluOus huggng and handshakng. Dr.
Bailey. who steered and trained the Undnes, is the
temporary hero Of Toledo. We find that the winners
notwithstanding the broken seat have made their three
miles IN q minutes and 81 seconds and that the Excel
sors OF Detroit have taken 225 10 80 the same distance
st nothing Of the Wah-wahsums is seen by us at the
grand stand; that Is unless we look through a glass;
aud then We perceive tug coming up below the rail
road flushed with them their red shirts streak the
gunwae Of that craft Then that they and their
ruined boat have been picked up, and finally,
The story Of the tow gets abroad and then every body
Is indignant There Is talk OF ynching the captain OF
the tug because they begin 10 remember that this same
captain ran down boat at the regatta here four years
ago There are all Of theories about this captains
motives including that Of tnickset old fel-
low IN shabby black silk hat with decsyed black kid
gOveswbo says put-up job" 10 take the race
away from Saginaw He is evidently swell" from
Michigan, and has, much more evidently, lost money
On the unlucEy boat. As there many more fools
than sinners in the world any way, 1t is always safest
and nearest the truth, think TO credit man with
stupidity when you don't know HIM 10 be a criminal
seems generally the impression here all sides
That the captain Of that tug ID simply an ass.
The next race that Tor junior sixoared Shells distance
Il miles and return, competed for by four boats,
tvO belonging respectively 20 the Deros" OF Detroit,
ahe "Excelsiors" Of Detroit. and two % the Undne