The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-16
THE VIRGINIA REGATTA.
First Anndai Contest of Amateur
!. -: Oarsrncn In Virginia.

. .ztS-~S.
.st Oarsrncn In Virginia.
GREAT DAY AT FREDERICKSBURG AND
WARM BUT PLEASANT AND NTEgEs-
ING ocCAsION-FoUR RACEs-R1CHsrUs
BEATS PETERSBURG; THE UhIvERslT
.VANQUIsH THE HOSTS; ROBERTS. Q
WASHINGTON, WINS THE slNGLE-sCUL
CONTEST OVER HARDY. OF NORFOLK
Z THEPoToMACss STUCK IN THE MUD-FoC
THOUSAND SPECTATORS PRESENT.
The first annual regatta in the State G
Virginia was inaugurated ye,terday a
Erederlcksburg under the auspices OF th
virginia Association Of Amateur Oarsmen
Under cir circumstances so favorable as thos
which attended their initiative step tn
Association may DE congratulated, and thci
eff0rtto establish permanently sport 81
manly as boating, and one which has hither
10 been almost entirely unknown in Vir
gina, IS as pl plaiseWorthy rs we trust it ma,
be successful.
THE INTEREST MANIFESTED
Ia and 'ar6nnd Fredericksburg, and, ih
deed, throughout.the State, has been abun
dant, and even more than commensurate,
with the efforts OF the oarsmen. The Rap
pahannock Club, OF Fredericksburg, mad,
extensive preparations for the regatta. They
built spacious grand stand at the lower
end Of the picturesque little island which il
situated between the railroad and wagon
bridges, and made ready other prelimina
ries necessary to conducting the races. The
astoniShment Of the good people OF the
burg ut these novelties, great as it was, wa:
as nothing compared to the eXclamations oi
surprise ellciled from the sable Africans tc
see the arrangements in progress. The
slender shell-boats were as much subiect
OF wonder to them as the animals OF me,
nagerip. and such eXeamations as "Good
CORD; jess look ut dat man setten, in dat
thing; | dunno how come it don't busS
it look jess like a hoppergrass made outen
a piece OF paper" were not infrequent.
THE DAY ... ,.:- ..-.
was uShcrcd in as clear and beautifully ho
as the most ardent friends OF the regatta
could we'll have desired, and visitors from
Washington, Charlottesville, Baltimore, and
elsewhere began to flock to the town rs
early as Monday, so that by yesterday the
streets bore the appcarance'nf some grand
fate. 1t was grand gala-day for the usually
quiet old Fredericksburg. All cares seemed
forgotten in the excitement OF the hour and
The heat. The town had already assumed &
holiday appearance, when the excursion
trains from Richmond and intermediate
points, bearing some six hundred people,
discharged their living cargoes OF dust. clad
humanity to swell the sweltering throng,
tried TO look festive in spite OF 4 burn.
pg sun. Beside this, the prospect OF
hours Of
PATIENT WAITING
where best they could for the hotel ,rere all
ull, with nine in :; rooml until the sport
should commence, was most entertaining.
Happy was the man who had secured 4 scat
n the parlor OF the hotel. Ladies were
seated on the Doors, and deemed it 4 gracious
privilege to have obtained such Il luxury
we're they not disturbed in its possession.
On the main thoroughfnre all was hustle
md confusion. Every other man wore Il
badge OF one club or another, and even the
aides donned the col0rS OF their favorlte
'reWs.
THE CLUBS ENTERED
we're four in number-the AppomattoN, Of
Petersburg; the Rappahannocks, OF Fred
,riclsburg; the Rivcs Club, OF the Uni
,erSity OF Virginia, and the kanawhas, OF
Richmond. The Petersburg and Richmond
JOYS could not, unfortunately, compete for
lie Challenge cup in the four. cared gig
ace, from the fact that they had not sult;t-
Die boats, though they did good work and
afforded much sport by the spirited contest
hey gave in the race for working boats"
The members OF the crews were
AppomattoX: J. w. Pegram, coXswain !;
". II. Cuthbert, No. /; j. IL. Cabannis.
10. 2; Fortesque Whit!le. No. 5; and Car
cr r. Bishop, No. +. C0lors, naTy-bluc
md white.
Kanawhas ". =. Lee. coyswain ThOs.
Christian, stroke; David Walker, no 3;
4. s. peticolas, No. s; and d. z. Morton:
10. /. Colors, blue and white.
RivcSe> Johp Il. Redwood. coXswain
Charles Lee Andrews, stroke; De Courcey
rhom,s No. =; B. D. Gibson, No. 8; and
T. y. Carter, bow. Colors, cardinal and
gray. ,f.
Rappahannocks I. C. Daniel, cox>wain
James Carswe], stroke; S. Brooke Daniel,
No!2; William II. Grattan, No. 8; and
Josiah Hazard, Jr., bow. Colors, light blue
md white. ''t.. ~.
we're given By the Potomacs, Of Washing
on, in 4 race between their heavy and
lightweight crews, as also by a singlc-scull
race between Messrs. Horace Hardy, ~
Club OF Norfolk, and W. f.
Roberts, Of Potomacs. The Potomac crews
verc-Light Weight j. $. Ziesler, bow !;
". S. Snyder, No. ,; w. 9. Roberts, No!
3: and Arthur Snyder stroke. Heavy
Weight: z. I. Dodge, bow;. Claude ~
poni, No. ,; J. S. Schaefer, No. 3; and /.
l.. Croplcy stroke.
TIE COURSE
was beautiful one OF clear mile and ha's
straight away. and was most tatlvantaEcously
situated for spectators: viewing the sport.
During the time of yesterdays regatta IL
was seen at its worst, for they were caln-
pclled to pull both against stream anu t!ae.
This could not be avoided, for it was, 200
hot earlier iii the day, and TO have put II
later in the evening than 5 O'Clock would
have thrown the contestants into the nigEt
in finishing the races. The visiting crews,
however, notwithstanding this, spoke III
the highest praise OF the excellence and
beauty OF the course.
Long before the approach OF ha-hour iol
the contest crowds Of spectators began to
tbrons the banks OF the river, seeking the
most eligible points for viewing the great
races. and soon thereafter the grand-stand
was filed teits uttermost capacity. Not
since the dlretu! days Of 1862 had the banks
OF the since. peaceful Rappahannock wit
messed such lie and animation. Bur how
different was tie result Of the TWO contests
the one spreading death, destruction, ant
devastation, while tie other marks the se
turn OF prosperity With. peace, in whaci
even tlss little cares OF dai!T life were for
gotten in the manly sports OF youth.
Ee.sniclI's Band, oiRichmond, dlscei'rse(