The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-13
c.wnY THE NEwsTO WHEELING.

FeJSing "Ihe Wheeling Tramp De
fcais One OF PiItsburgh's Most
Prominent ORrsmen - LSberger
Weakened Before Reaching the
EOuy, Which FeIsiDg Turned Eight
Lengths in The Lead-An EaSy Vie
for Our Man.
LAST Saturday will be long remember
ed rs being the day that Lewis Felsing,
of the Hegner boat club, this city, defeat
ed Nick Lsberger, of the Mckee club, Of
Pittsburgh, IN three mile single scull
race, for purse Of 5000 Although
there was some excitement about the race,
there was bat little displayed the evening
before, or the evening of the race. Friday
night pools sold at $50 to $40 IN favor OF
the Plttsburgher, while many offered
even money on the success OF the Wheel.
ing man. Betting among the spoTtI Z
fraternity went very slow until Feslng' ;
friends arrived from this city on the day
of the race, at which time our boys be-.
Gan TO bet cautiously, waiting for large
odds, which the PitLsburghers did not
seem disposed to give.
All day Saturday the wind was
high and cold and the waters rough, but
about 80 o'clock the winds began -
subside and the waters quiet, until about
7 o'clock, when the two contestants left
their respective boa. houses and rowed
to the foot of Nineteenth street, South
Side, at which point the tug Ella NJ Ciss.
KEY stood with the referee on board.
The course was over the lower Monon-
gaEela river, ard was one aud halt
miles and return. At 1903 Referee ThOs
Rees, an old time sculler, now lat
but powerfully built, and heater at
Lewis, Oliver X Phillips mill, on the
South Side, gave the word and the two
sculers darted OF with Laberger ahead,
pulling thirty ight strokes to the minute,
while Fclsing followed with a steady
pull, at thirty-fve. Felsing WAS lett II
coacn himself, whilst the Pittsburgh man
was most excellently coached by four
Dared crew from the Mckee Club, bat
] his lead oil was only temporary
as Fclsing at once began to gain on him,
and when opposite the Brownstown mill,
! about half mile from the start, had
pulled up even with his opponent ana IN
few strokes led him by half q boat
length. Felsing continued TO gain until
be mad distanced Lsberger about e'ght
| boat lengths by the time the buoy Wa:
turned. The distance continued widen
ing until Felsing was not less
! than two hundred yards ahead
when he began to lay on his oars and
rest. After he had slackened his pace
Lsberger thought something was wrong
and attempted spert, but WAS badly
mistaken when FesIng rowed away
from him and kept q short distance
ahead, crossing the line an easy winner
by less than eleven lengths, in twenty
three minutes and ten seconds. Labcr-
/ gers time was twenty-three minutes and
! tiity-hve seconds.
THE BOATS USED.
Felsing rowed in a borrowed paper
boat twenty-nine feet long, eleven and
one-hslt inches wide, SIX inches deep and
owned by the Rolf club. L4berger
rOwed in bis own boat, a neat piece OF
workmanship by John Maxwell, OF
Pittsburgh. 1t is thirty feet long, twelve
inches wide, six and one-hslf in
ches deep. Layberger rowed at l55
pounds, and Felsing 40 pounds.
In conversation with Referee Rees we
learned that Felsing entertained a notion
Of challenging Billy Scharf to row SIN
Gle scul three mile race. This race gives
to Wheeling her Third victory over
Pittsburgh competitors, the other two
bang " Iesgarber against Morgan and
the same against Denmarsh. Since
Wheeling's oarsmen are becoming so well
known it is thought that they will receive
challenges from some of the champion
single scu!lers Of the couusry. 1t is ru-
mored among boating circles that Fell
sing will become member of the Nail
City Club, as it was that ciub, or several
of It's members who backed him in Satur-
days race. He is a young and active
man and would, with proper care and
training, make good five mile sculIer.
The next race will probably
be with Weisgerber, who stated at
the race Saturday that be would chsl-
lenge Felsing whether he WOE or lost.
Should race come of between these
two men, it will be the most exciting
one, in all probability that has ever
been rOwed IN this city.