The New York herald., 1879-07-05
English and American Rowing.


The past twelve months have been dotted
all over with events which will long be
memorable in aquatic annals. Always
prior thereto England had held undsputed
sway at the oar, and never once on her own
waters was she beaten by any American.
But one year ago to-day four modest young
Columbia students, on the most popular
racing water in England, met picked
oarsmen from the long and justly
renowned clubs of the great British
universities and defeated them all
with comparative ease. A little later
the fastest sculler the United States have
yet produced met in friendly contest
man from an adjoining province, who had
already made tor himself wonderfully
brilliant record, and all over the long five
miles so fought him that as they crossed
the finish line scarce half boats length
marked the distance by which the Canadian
had won. A few months afterward this
same game little Canadian whipped the best
man England could put against him with
such ridiculous ease that not even
yet has any satisfactory explanation for
it been offered by the supporters of
the vanquished, while another Canadian,
ready to face anything in England, actually
had to come home without fight. And
now, only the other day, in the chief
and best known intercollegiate strug-
gle in this country, Harvard, for the
fifteenth time out of nineteen, not only out
rowed her ancient enemy, but by more than
she ever did before.
Here, then, in both amateur and profess
sional racing, America has beaten England,
and so unmistakably that the most preju-
diced Briton cannot deny the fact In
boats, oars and styles of rowing also
the change has been equally marked,
the champion of England, for instance.
frankly confessing that he did not know
how to row, and trying to learn what he
could from the gallant Canadian fisherman.
The one great source of regret is that Har-
met Oxford and Cambridge in eights. Had
she followed the HERALD's suggestion and
asked the faculty to let the members of the
crew be examined q month or six weeks
earlier than usual we might and in all
probability would, be now chronicling
another victory Of the crimson over the
blue, and that not before thirty thousand
people at Henley, but million between
Putney and Mortlake.
Canada is jubilant to-day, and will be
more so next week, over the magnificent
work of their countryman fortnight ago
on the Tyne water. But in the depths of
their joy and boasting it may be well to
bear in mind the words uttered by Hanlan on
the night after the great race at Lachine =
81 say on my honor and my oath that
rowed for all that was in me, and when
finished + could scarcely stand or see."
These words, right in the heat of the event
itself, are far more trustworthy than later
vainglorying, and it may be well enough to
confine the Dragging within reasonable
bounds.
One more odd thing may be noted-a
rowing nation now for a whole generation,
we have no Henley, no Putney, and are
seemingly as far from national race course
as ever. But to-day, thanks to the vigor-
Gus efforts Of Senator Wagstaff. our oars
men have at last, like Oxford and Cam
bridge on the Thames, the exclusive con-
troll of wide strip of the Hudson during
racing hours. If the experienced gentle
men who have the races in charge look
carefully to every detail, and the elements
prove favorable. our citizens may, before
nightfall, witness the first of a series of con-
tests destined TO prove the leading national
aquatic events of the future, and, now that
England is fairly beaten, quite likely in
ternational as we'll.