The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-29
THE REGATTA AT WATKINS.
TEST RACES FOR THE CREWS TO BE
ENTERED At HENLEY.
Adopting q system by which the Best Oars.
men May he Besten-The Atainntas Win
ming the Honors In the Pnir-Oared Race.

Adopting system by Mhteh the Hest Oars.
men May he Beaten-Thc Atainntas Win
ming the Honors In the Pair-Oared Race.
WATKINS, N. Y, May 2s.-Thc three days
racing Of tho national amateur test regatta
began this afternoon. The Watkins Regatta
Association stand as sponsors and will send
the winners in the fours. pairs. and singles to
England to represent Uncle Sam at Henley.
July and 5. About twenty clubs from all over
the country are represented. and. Judging from
the famous crews here. the racing on Wednes-
day and Thursday bids fair to rival In interest
the great international regatta Mt Saratoga in
1876. when the fours. pairs and singles made
the fastest time on record up to that datc. The
only drawback here Is that the very unfair and
unsportsmanlkc system Of trial heats has been
adopted. by this n poor crew may defeat
good one under certain circumstances. II
proved dead failure at Philadelphia. and, ex-
ccpt to prolong the time Of the regatta. no OK
cuse can be urged for it here. Seneca lake il n
pretty sheet Of water. forty miles long and
averaging two in width and at its southern point
here there is no difficulty in rowing dozen
crews abreast. Thus n satisfactory test could
easily be- made 10y starting all crews together.
instead OF in heats and though the best crew
may win In each class, 1t is possible that 1t may
not. by this pernicous system the Beaver
wycks came ont champions M the Centennial.
though coming in last but one u month previous
nj Saratoga. The course for ali trial and final
test heats IL one milo and flve-si Nteenths
siraghtaway. the same length exactly as tho
Henley course. Sandwichcd in between these
heats will Ice special contests and the racing
will wind up on Thursday with the four-oared
rare Of the National Association Of Amateur
Oarsmen. for three miles. with turn. which
this year for want OF room
The attendance to-day was principally local.
outside Of the adherents Of the different crews
number largely. At2h =. NJ. tho hour fixed for
the first event. II 81 IN broczo from the northward
caps rendering rowing impossible. This state
of affairs continued for hours. during which
the brass band on the grand stand ran through
all ns music to Sweet By and By" and then
started oyer again. The innuiucrahle sweat
cloth. envelope. and knife games in the mean
time turned many an honest penny. or dollar.
At ans the wind went down little. and
the pair-carrd crews 10 get into line together.
| thus making much prcttier and at the same
time fairer race than II it had been rowcd in
John H. Cligg and W. c. J. Campan North
1r Downs 3F9 SnG TG9 ff%fs?pN o An
western f. Haven and ". u. Curtis. All caught
| the water close together, Jcrome's Northwestern
ono hundred yards had been rowcd the Ain-
lantas sent their bow tip slightly to the fore with
scullcrs had n well-denned second place If
quarter Of length; and Curtis Northwestern
rev wN wcr bdl hr " to 9e TaA t IT %S
crews. About here the stroke In Cur
tis's boat slipped his sent. and before
| he could recover about six To eight seconds ~
valuable time was lost. which on only mile
| and nvc-siNteenths course. virtually put this
tie Ktalantas were pulling 81. the Dctroiis 80
| to 40. and Jerome's Northwestern 30. Running
| lead 10 over two lengths. and Jcromcs crew
| came rushing up on the Detroiters in gallant
| style and they had IL hammer and tonrs all the
| way down the course. At the three-quarters
| the Atalantas continued t. increas" their lend.
Notwithstanding the desperate efforts Of the
| second place although hut little clear water was
| TO be seen between their stern and Jerome's
| bow tip. The Curtis crew pulled along man
| fully. but the handicap they had received at the
beginning made their task almost hopeless. At
| and they slowed down their stroke To- 30. The
| Dctroiters NJ this time rowcd 81 and Jerome's
| crew &c. This time the game was virtually up.
| barring accidents. and the Athlanta crow CON
| tinued to maintain the lead to the finish. The
| D"truiters and Jcrome's crew had II hot down
| the homestretch, and dashed across the finish
with their bow tips almost on line. The Alta
lanta's time was minutes seconds: Detroit
sculers minutes Is seconds; Jerome's crew
minutes " seconds.
This decides the test race for palr-onred
crews and the Ataanta Boat Club II New York
city Will have the honor of being represented at
ne Henley regatta IN tn pair-oared race on
June !. Much feeling exists among the Nnu-
rair. Wash and Levion being ruled out on cor
tnin te'huicalities SO far ~ their being con-
| sidercd professionals. from having rowed with
| FL; smith OF the Ar'.onauias who was dislua
|
| Association. II IA only fair to say that men have
| entered for these races Who ARE far moro pro-
| frssiOuuIS than either one of the three named.
| The next race was for junior singles. two
| miles with "A turn. for handsome piece Of sill
! yer presented hy the Watkins Regatta Asso'ia-
| ton. The starters werr 4. McLutlrrty of Wat
kius. Robert Harmon II L niou springs. George
t,aisrl lGrumercyI ~ Now York city. and A. N %
Mullen lCoumhlal of Allegheny city. II was
now nearly dark. and every oure IN a while the
contestants shot into Il shadow. which rendered
u difficult To- distingu sh them II was "a heau-
tiful race 90 III" turn. VI Mullen jumped into NJ
Htrilng lead al the start. bat for some distance
the bow tips OF all four were nearly abreast.
aud this continued M t. the half mile when
Gaisel slipped To- the front and NJ Laflery took
SECOND place. At the three-qunrter Gaise
held N" Lad. though strongly pressed
wv McLaneriy. just before tho turn tn,
latter spurtrd and he and Gaise turned
together in I minutes 10 seconds Tn
fortunately. Just after turning Gnisel was foulod
by McMuurn, who almost cut Galscls boat In
two pieces. THIS gave McIaIerty good Load
with only Harmon To follow Mactook itlesurrlS
down the homestretch and came in an easy
winner IN Is minutes II seconds.
Tomorrow there Will be the trial heats Of III,
tours and senior singles and tho pair-oarot
sperinl race between the Detroit Srullers' Clul
ana W. H. Curtis and mate Of the Northwcsterns