The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-03
rME snIrH-MoRRIs RACE,
A Description Of the Straggle-whi
Was the Matter with Morriss

A Description Of the Straggle-What
Was the Matter with MorFiss
The race between Warren Smith, Of
Halifax, aud Evan Morris, Of Pittsburgh,
which occurred at Silver Lake, Mass,
Tuesday, Is thus described in detail:
At the start Smith was slightly ahead,
and Rt the half.mile point retained his
advantage by about q length. At the
three.quarteFs the positions OF the men
were the same. ... ~
Atthemilea eand quarter, both were row.
ingat the rate Of thirty.four, in splendid
form, the Halifax man leading by about
two lengths. Both increased their stroke,
sending their boats along at q terrific pace,
when suddenly Morris shaped his course
direct for his stake-boat. Smith detected
the movement instantly, but too late to
save the advantage he had thus gained
over his man. The Pittsburgh man
reached his stake.bOat In nine minutes
and thirty seconds from the start, and
turned a few seconds ahead OF Smith. On
squAring away for home Morris increased
his stroke, and, by good steering and mag.
nidCent rowing, opened gap of three
lengths between himself and Smith.
Frequently he spurted, but Morris res.
ponded every time, and gradually increas.
ed his advantage.
AT the two.and.A quarter mile point
Morris was leading by three lengths,
whereupon he settled down to slow and
steady stroke OF 35. Smith kept up
stroke OF SO, and soon began TO close the
gap.
At the two and one.half miles Morris
still led by about two lengths Of clear
water, and, although Smith was making
repeated spurts and continually gaining, |
yet he pulled his slow stroke OF thirty.
three, which soon fell to thirty.one, and
then to thirty. The cheers for Morris and |
the cries to "Hit her upl" seemed to have
no effect on him; but instead gave the |
Halifax man new life. The slater continued
to gain on his man, who seemed as II he
were half dead.
On reaching the bath house, within four
hundred feet OF the finish, Smith had
closed the gap, and one hundred yards
further on Morris had but half q length to
the front Again, at this juncture, the
friends OF Morris tried to get him to spurt,
but he not responding some were conf.
dent enough to exclaim that "he did not
want to beat Smith too bad" The Halifax
men at this time were exceedingly anx.
ious, and the excitement that prevailed
was what might be termed oppressive.
Men stood q about, mouths wide open and
eyes distended in anxiety for the result.
The agony Of all was soon relieved how.
ever, for, on entering the last one hun
dred and fifty feet Of the race, Smith,
gathering all his strength and straining
every muscle, made terrible spurt with a
long and terrific sweep. His boat fairly
jumped from the water. With every
stroke he continued to close with Morris,
and when within forty feet OF the finish
forced his boat to the front. A few sec.
onds later he had proved himself the VIC
tor by about fifteen feet, amidst the deaf
entng applause OF his friends. The time
made by Smith was twenty.one minutes
and six seconds, with Morris one second
behind.
This time Is the best ever made at Silver
Lake, the three oarsmen making the best
being Frenchy A. johnson, 81 :20l; Plais-
ted, 2l:3S, and HanEon, 2l:4l3.