The New York herald., 1879-07-12
Hanlan's Return Home.

The story of Hanlan's recent incursion
into England, and the Ginning rout
he gave the chiefest of her oarsmen. as told
by himself and his intimates to-day, only
serves to deepen the interest in his won
derful exploits, and to urge people to try
harder than ever to get at the secret of his
strength and of his unprecedented sue
cess. man who, by actual measurement,
is nowhere especially large or strong. not
nearly so powerful as dozens of the cotton
TANNERS and others who rowed this week at
Saratoga, goes to England, picks out one of
the best of her second rate men, van
quishes him with great ease, and
then, trying the admitted champion
of them all, beats him nearly twice as tar as
he did the other. and says that although he
had intended to beat him az far as he could.
he actually hated to see. him SO badly de-
feated. and out of pure pity Stacked up and
only led him by mere dozen lengths at the
finish. 1t is safe to say that in friendly
contests of physical strength England was
never before beaten SO badly as now. And
her confidence in her champion seemed SO
we'll grounded, too. It comes out now
that he is indeed no ordinary man.
That he is not only forty-six inches
about the chest and Of immense
physical power, greater even than Rentorth,
but that over and over again he beat the best
time ReAforth could ever make by some
seconds to the mile. Here, then, had Renforth
and Chambers and Kelly and Sadlcr, and
all the great English scullers of the past,
been matched with Elliott, it seems that he
would have beaten the whole field without
trouble. and as often as they wanted to try
it, and yet when Hanlan gets a chance at
this same Elliott he whips him with such
ridiculous ease that it is difficult not to
laugh outright. That there have been an
omalies before in the rowing world no man
will dispute, but Hanlan this time fairly
outstrips them all.
His friend Wards description of the eff
feet OF Hanlan's victory over Hawdon is
truly amusing. Boats few in to Swaddle
& Winships shop from all over England
until, as he says, sit looked like a hospi-
tal." Everybody wanted ''Hanlan swivel
rowlocks," and 'Hanlan slides," and
"Hanlan oars" as if these things were
what won him these famous victories. Help
to they certainly did but there was some
thing else beyond all that something de-
MED even to rowing England, with all her
long half century of light boat rowing. 1t
does seem most curious that, with the
volumes which have been written on rowing,
II: 4
voted to it, no one until now has found out
how best to use his legs in boat. But it
surely looks as if such were indeed the case.
One other interesting fact also stands
out There is no doubt that Hanlans
hardest race was not at Elliott's hands, but
at Courtney's, and it is equally clear that
he thinks Courtney can beat Elliott with
ease. 1t is too bad, then, that he and Court
ney should not try each other again, and
that right soon and on water fit tor shell
racing. If, Notwithstanding Hanlan's won
derful skill, he will yet only row Courtney
on water he must know better than the lat
ter ever could, unfair as it really seems. let
Courtney walk up and try it. What people
in this country like is to see man face
the enemy, even though he gets beaten o
mile. All men like Elliott's pluck for
walking straight up to the danger in the
way he did. Now let Courtney do like
wise. If on water wholly unfit he pushed
Hanlan SO sharply, very likely this time
he might get by him and win. If he will
once do that great as is the rejoicing now
at Toronto, Courtney will receive an ova-
ton that will throw even it in the shade,
and the champion OF America will reside,
where he rightfully ought to, in the United
States.