Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-25
WORLD OF SPORTS.
Great Rowing Match on the
Potomac.
OCONNOR WINS WITH EASE.
The Canadian Wrests the American
Championship from Teemer.
General Notes.
OC0NNOR WINS WITH EASE

| WASHINGTON, November 24-Willia1
j. O'Connor, the Canadian oarsman, dc
feated John Teemer, of McKees port, Pa
the holder of the title of Champion Oars
man OF America, this afternoon, in
three.mile race On the Potomac river
opposite Washington, for the champion
ship Of America and stake of $1,000
side. O'Connor rowed in splendid forn
and led from the start to the finish
| Teemer at no time being able to overtak
him. O'Connor will now 60 to Austral
and battle with Searle for the champion
ship of the world.
The course selected was three mile
with turn. When the time for th'
race, 3 80 O'Clock, arrived, the Goa
dums, gas works, wharves and boa
houses we're lined with people, fully
10, 900 persons being spectators from OF
shore, while many others occupied seats
on small river craft. The spectators
shivered in the chilly, raw air, while the
preliminaries were being arranged. Bet
ting became quite lively just before the
race, and considerable money changed
hands, the O'Connor men first betting
even and then giving odds of five to four
and when no taker could be found offered
five to three on their man.
THE RACE BEGUN.
1t was twenty minutes after 4 O'Clock
when Mr.. ]. r. Elder, of the Colum bia
Athletic Club, who had been selected as
referee, got the men in line. When a
minute latter he gave the signal ego, z"
O'Connor was off like a flash and was
half a length in the lead before Teemer
could dip his oars in the water. O'Con-
nor, with stroke of thirty-fou to the
gradually gained on the Nc
Keesport sculer, who pulled about two
strokes faster. At the half mile, the
Canadian had a length of clear water be-
tween him and his competitor, and
slowed down his stroke to thirty-two to
the minute.
At the mile he held his lead, but he
was out Of his course and lost some dis
tance, so at the turn he was only length
ahead. Rounding the buoy, O'Connor
put on squirt and With long and pow
erful pull of thirty-two to the minute, he
gained rapidly on Teemer, and dropping
his stroke to twenty-eight, was good
three lengths in the lead.
When two miles of the course had
been gone over, the Canadian sculler
was fresh and every stroke seemed full
of power, while Teemer, though pulling
thirty-two to O'Conner's twenty-eight,
moved ahead slowly and seemed in
labor. From this poirt on O'Conner in
creased his lead, and slowing up towards
the finish line, he crossed it the winner,
about ten lengths ahead of Teemer
The winners time was twenty minutes
and thirty-three seconds. Teemer's
time was not taken but was estimated to
be twenty-five seconds slower.
O'Connor pulled over to the referees
boat and inquired if everything was all
right. Elder told him it was and that he
had won. He padded quietly off to his
boathouse without word. His hackers,
however, were juhilant, and loudly gave
vent to their feelings. Joseph Rogers,
of Toronto, the backer of O'Connor, said
as soon as the race was over, he now
proposed to go to Australia and wrest
the worlds championship from Searle.
O'Connor was trained by George Lee,
and Teemer by Albert Hamm.
THE CHAMPIONS BIOGRAPHY.
VIM. J. O'Connor, who by to-day g
race becomes the champion oarsman of
America, was born in Toronto, Canada,
about twenty-five years ago, and first
came into prominence in 1882, as a
member OF the Don Amateur Rowing
Club of Toronto. In 1885 he won the
senior single scull championship at
Hamilton, Ont, having short time be-
fore with his partner, Enright, won
the championship for the double,
from the Lang brothers. He be-
came professional oarsman in 1885 by
challenging Ritz, Of Pittsburg, to race
for 81 900 side, but the latter declined
to row. In 1887 he defeated Albert
Hamm, but in his next race at Buffalo
his boat was swamped and he only took
third place, Hanlan winning. In March
of this year he defeated Peterson, the
Pacific slope champion, at San Fran
cisco, and subsequently met and de-
feated George Lee, Gaudaur and other
good men. He is feet 10 inches in
height, and weighed 163 pounds to-day.