New-York tribune., 1876-09-05
THE CENTENNIAL REGATTA.

| THE LONDON AND HALIFAX CREWS WIN FOUR
DARED HEATs-THE "PARIs' MEN DIsrANcED--
RACE OF THE wHALERs WON BY THE vEsTA
MEN-FIvE SINGLE scULL HEATS.
| IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuSE.l
| PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 4-The arrangements
for the press bad to-day that observa
| tion and description OF the impossible For
some reason unknown, without apology explana
on reporters deprived OF the little steamer
which has heretofore been placed at their service, and
obliged to 20 board large boat filed with In
vltcd guests OF the Regatta Committee They took pos
session of the bow the upper deck the only toeraDe
position seeing but ordered to give up their
places to the ladies' To make the matter verse, the boat
lay to qria ter of mile above the starting buoys and
stopped again Just half mile below the stake boattne
most critical point raees that double the corseso the
reporters unable to either the start the turn or
the finish Of the four-oarcd contests, and would have
known as much about thorn il they had remained on
shore.
The afternoons sport began with two trial heats for
professional ours starting from Rocand, going up to
the Falls Bridge rounding the stakcbOats, and return
ing 10 the start making distance Of three miles, which
has be the standard length OF courses for pro-
fessional No shorter distance brings out so
well the quality OF endurance which valuable In
long race than tie power TO mako great speed in
spurt. The famous Thames four accepted here as the
strongest crew England furnish was matched In the
first heat with a NewYork crew improyised for THO
regatta out material that formerly belonged In part 10
the Bign crew and in part to a good Boston four. Ex-
cept Ward brothers IL probably as powerful crew
as could be got together but IL lacked practice, ana
proved IN the end wholly incompetent to mako
an equal contest with the Engshmen The exclusion OF
the Wards because they day or two TOO late with
their entry was an act which the Regatta Consittee
were severely censured the te and for which they
came in for new to-day when 1t Was seen how
easily Thames away from the only American
crew admitted TO the contest
On the way up the river there was fair show OF
GOOD race Tho NewYorkers got the lead and kept 1t;
but the Engishmen were only playing with them and
entertaining their crowd along the banks They would
row quietly WHILE losing distance all the time, then
squirt up to their antagonists and then drop behind
again, as IL exhausted by the effort When
almost I'D to the stakeboats however, they
shot q little ahead, and appeared from tno
reporters point OF view, half a mile below, TO get
around their sake-boat in much the better shape,
an TO start the home-stretch with A
least four strokes the advantage The fooling
was over now. Away went the Thames men, with
swinging, regular and powerful stroke, forging ahead 30
rapidly that 1t evident that the struggle was over
IL half mile they gained six lengths and aerSard ap
pearcd 70 easy keep far IN the lead as they cared TO-
At the finish the NewYorkers spurted lttc but gained
nothing The London's in Is minutes, q sec
ouds they could have 1t in 49, doubt, pushed,
New-Yori following in Is minutes 81 seconds The per-
sounel Of the is as follows Loudon-W Spencer.
II Thomas, John Higgins, and 4. Green, stroke New
York-u. Paisted j. Flanrie, 81. Mahoney, J. W. Max
well, stroke.
The second heat was almost iasco. crew Of
Halifax fishermen, tough, muscular fellows and good
oarsncn but appearing together for the FIRST time in
race beat and badly beat the vauntcd Paris crew Of ST.
| John, ew-Brunswck who won the championship OF
the world on Seine in 1867; the same four men who
carried OF the prize in Paris and gained the name they
have borne ver since; tho whO pulled at ST. John
| cltor.l
Tynesie oarsnan Renforh fell dead IN his boat in mid
eaurse the boast Of Ncw-Biunswek aud The winners Of
provincial races without number and these four men,
supposed form of the finest crews IN the world,
dtanced SO badly that they must feel their defeat
/ as q disgrace
Halifax took the lead from the word 60. gOt two
three lengths the advantage on the first mile, and won
the other before the stake boats reached rounded
her boat in fine stye and shooting down the river
past the steamer eight ten lengths ahead. The st
John crew working hard, with quick, erkY stroke.
but they lost constantly They do not tic sliding
scat circumstance greatly TO their disadvntage-nor
have they the swinging English style OF rowing but
sort Of tOuclandgO manner of their own, das,ing the
oars in very vigorously and bringing them ont in snap
pish way They appeared to be doing great execution,
and TO be rowing much faster than the IS 20 the minute
that they actually making After the first half
| mile the home-stretch, the Nova Scotians ran
| away from them rapidly that it
question not as to lengths advantage at tho
dnsh actually dozens Of lengths. To crown tho
lshap the Paris crew. their boat By nexcusably bad
steering got in the weeds at the head OF Peters Island
and lost 30 yards in getting tie course again. Tine
Halifax 1888; Paris taken Names Of ercws-IIa-
fax Obcd smith, Caleb NckersOn. W. Smith, John Nick
crson stroke); Paris, George Price, Samuel Hutton,
Elijah Pike, Robert Fulton (stroko).
After these acgravatngy onesidcd affairs Il
fcshirg to witness genuine struggle and OF homo
kinda welcome break to the wcarisome monotony Of
fragile racing Shells propelled By half naked athletes.
Three whaleboas, propelled by stout sea-bronzed men
from New-Bedford, upon the course In each
there five oarsmcn, three the starboard and
two on the port side, aud coxswain who kept the
heavy craft upon her couise by long oar hanging
astern timed the stroke with cOmcal Jerking Of the
body who encouraging the men by shouts TO do their
best The ccowd Of spectators shore and the parties
on the entered into the spirit OF this droll
with hearty Cheers and laughter rang the
water, ana the solemn set ON the ,mpres boats
forgot gravity Of teir position for the time to join
in the inn. When tho three whales came down on the
mesrctei almost bow and bow II was iohg pun and
th ft !fmilc Vcsla earned. by tough work, mrs:
Cenennai iciiowing nest nud sixth Ward ming :S
good third the ilultudes the stands and the shore
3 ug s en Tey as T e SOa rSr vent Sa bS Shouts
Five beats for sngo sculls followed, and there
not IA single tOlerGbly good race among thcRi all In
tre Grst, Thomas OF ihe Ihames four gave up after
pulling less than mile, and leit the race 70
TO have been close pull, but for the famous
Pittsburgh sculer ounged over the course ad tho Cana
dian won 2l:3l by 10 IL lengths. IL tho second
heat Obcd Smith OF tho Halifax failed TO appear
Green of the London fell out after pdling ha way
uD 10 the turn, and this Baylcy nf 81. John tho
Face time, 2:lIa IN the third heat Spencer Of London
stayeI out and Lis Ward OF II udson
easily bat Pen of Philadelphia IN 222ola. The fourth
| heat a close match between Higgins OF London and
Luther of Pittsburgh with Morris, another Ptsburgher,
hanging Ou tho Luther won, but Higgins claimed
lon SDd ihe umpire ordered tbs TO hc rowed
| again Tomorrow. Luther's tne 2l;o0a IN tho
as heat Fcd Pais.cd and John Mckc starred but tno