The Portland daily press., 1884-07-08

abe COntest-The Five Mile Record
Beaten.
The much-talked of, and anxiously waited
for, five mile single scull race for $1,000 a side,
at Lake Sebago, between John Teemer of Nc
Keesport, Pa, and P. Ell. Conley of this city,
came off yesterday afternoon after having been
postponed twice. The men have met, and
Teemer is now fairly entitled to the honor of
being the better man, for he won the race
fairly and squarely-not breath of suspicion
Of any underhanded business being apparent.
Yesterday afternoon the lake appeared to be
In splendid condition-almost as smooth as a
mirror, but, as it afterward proved, the upper
end of the course was quite rough, and when
the men arrived at the starting point both had
quite quantity of water in the cockpits OF
their shells.
At 8 p. m. the judges at the turn John H.
Buckley for Conley and Mark G. Davis for
Teemer) left for their positions, the lake then
being only slightly ruff1ed, and everything
pointing to a good race.
At $50 p. m. the referee, Mr.. Peter O'Con-
nor, first notified Teemer that he should call
the men out at o'clock sharp, then went to
Conley's house and gave the same notice; and
when at the hour be sgnalled them both
they promptly appeared.
The course was laid out in a northeasterly
direction, the start being directly in front Of
the station platform and the turn three-fourths
of mile beyond the west end of Indian ISL
and-the latter being one and three-fourths
miles by actual measurement from the start.
Teemer won the toss and chose the inside
course = or that along the west side of the
lake.
Teemer pulled the race in Paddock cedar
shell 81 IL feet long and weighing about &c
| pounds, fitted with the Davis rig. He was
dressed in white shirt and white trunks, with
a maroon colored handkerchief bound about
his head. Conley pulled in Stevens s. Will
| liams cedar shell (same length and weight OF
| Teemer's) fitted with the Spellman rig. He
| also wore white shirt and trunks, with white
| handkerchief about his head.
Messrs. Eph Morris of Pittsburg and Will
| liam Spellman of Portland, were judges at the
| stake boats for Teemer and Conley respectively
| Each held his mans boat by the stern till the
| referee gave the word, and the excitement
! during these few moments was intense
Sharp on the hour of O'Clock the referee
water slightly ia the lead and started off at a
rattling speed pulling thirty strokes to the
| minute. Conley was right after him with the
same stroke. Teemer, however, drew away
from Conley gradually and at the end of the
hret quarter had clear lead OF three lengths.
| Both men then settled down to 20 stroke and
they maintained their positions till the end of
the mile. Then Conley spurted, increasing
his stroke to 81, and soon closed the gap to one
length, Teemer still maintaining his 90 stroke
| and working beautifully.
These positions the two men maintained till
| they reached the end OF the second mile, they
| having dropped down to 26 strokes for Teemer,
q for Conley. AT this point rough water was
encountered and slight breeze came up. This
| apparently did not trouble Teemer for he made
| Conley, so that as he reached the turn he had
| clear lead of three lengths. The wind and
water. however troubled Cooley, he steered
badly, at one time seemingly pulling right
| away from his course; and by the time he re-
covered and had reached the turn, Teemer had
made his turn splendidly and Gas he expressed
| it, "was banging away from home," pulling q
powerful Sc stroke. Conley also made pretty
turn and started home with 80 stroke.
At this time, quite breeze from the south
| west was blowing, and the oarsmen had it fair
| on their backs. Teemer, however, had the
| game in his own hands, and was dashing awsy
| at rafting rate, increasing his lead, SO that
| at the end of the mile on the home stretch he
had lead of nearly six lengths. Conley
| showed good pluck in spite of his hard luck,
and here spurted again bravely, closing the
| pap gradually, and gaining about one-half Of
| the ground lost; then he settled down to %
| stroke, Teemer also pulling a steady 20 stroke.
But it was plainly evident the Pennsylvania
| oarsman had a "walk over" and he could
have "bathed his face" in the lake several
times and still maintain bis lead There
was no let up, however, on Conley's part. He
kept doggedly to his oars, struggling bravely
to close up the gap, and frequently squirting
and increasing his stroke to 80. Teemer allow
ed him to come up within about q length, then
| braced up and drew away from the Portlsnder
| and thus they continued, Teemer holding an
advantage of three lengths, till on the last
| quarter mile of the race, when Conley made 8
most brilliant squirt, making his shell fairly fly
through the water, and coming in at the end
of the race hardly length short of Teemer-
the former pulling 50 stroke, the latter %.
Teemer's time to the turn was 16m. 10s., and
he won the race in BAN. 10s.; Conley's time at
the turn was nine seconds behind Teemer and
his time home was 34m. IL LIS. Some claim
the course to have been short of five miles; If
it is not, Teemer's time is the best on record,
the fastest recorded being above thirty-dve
minutes.
Both men, after the race pulled directly to
their houses, where they were received by
their friends and admirers. Conley admit
ted that he was fairly beaten, and that Tenn
| er was the only man able to measure oars with
| any des rec of success with Hanlan. Every
body seemed satisfied with the race, and the
losers on betting--which by the way had been
| to on Teemer during the day-quietly pock-
eted their feelings and ''shelled out" 1t is re-
ported by some that nearly $1,000 changed
| hands in the race.
Mrs. Teemer occupied conspicuous position
on the railroad station platform, where she
| had good view of the start and finish. She
iG q Unr IN 0rin and
was the subject OF many complimentary re-
marks. Her face lighted up as her husband
came in winner, and she remarked to lady
| 81 told you John would win, didn't r."
Among the sporting men at the lake yester-
| day were Mr.. Money OF the Boston Herald,
Billy Howard, John Callan, John j. O'Brion,
Boston; Thos. Spelman, Halifax, N. s.,
Michael Hogan, B. Brennan, st. John, N. B. |;
Mr.. and Mrs. Teemer and Eph. Morris came
into town on the evening train of the Portland
q Ogdensburg, and went on to Boston on the
Pullman. Prior to leaving the lake Teemer
sent the following telegram:
SEBAao LAKE, July z.
To George H. Hosmer:
Meet ne at fremont House tomorrow at IL a. m.
to arrange for proposed match.
(signed) JOHN TEEMER.
The proposed race is three miles, $500 side
time and place TO be mutuslly agreed upon.
Representatives of the PRESS, New York
Clipper and Boston Globe followed the race in
the trim little boat manned by that veteran
of Lake Sebago, Capt. Radoux.
Cenley leaves the lake to-day. He will row
in the Calais regatta, July 18th.
After the meeting with Hosmer's hackers in
Boston to-day, Teemer goes to Meadville and
rows in regatta on the 18th. He may pos
sibly be at Calais the 25th, and he rows Ross at
Oak Point, August 2.
Opening of the Chapman Hsuse.
The Chapman House at Rock-bodnd Park
will open tonight. The members of the city