Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-10

crowded bridge he nodded his head
quietly TO several friends whom
he recognized on the Fuchsia.
O'Connor looked too fine, and the words of
one of his closest friends, spoken on last
Thursday, "He ought to be four or five
poun DIS heavier" came back to the writer,
but he looked full OF grit and as if all his
senses were on the alert.
Another roar goes up from the multitude
shore. This time it Is Searle. His
boat, like O'Connor's, is of that
reddish orange tints, which Gvarnish
gives to cedar. AS the Australian rowed to
the starting point there was little to choose
between him and O'Connor in style. Both
rowed long, sweeping, clean-cut stroke
that drove the boat forward without ruffiing
the water Searle's skin looked as fair al
most as awoman's IN comparison with O'Con-
nor's The Canadian is black haired and
brown-eyed. The Australian is blond from
head to foot His head was bare. His ier-
sey was blue and white.
Meanwhile tho bookmakers yelled, "A
hundred to eighty on Searle."
IA hundred to fifty on O'Connor" yelled
an enthusiast.
A cold FLOODED Australian grabbed the bet
as if he were afraid it would get away from
him, and he grabbed it none to soon.
Five seconds from the start O'Conuor
looked like a sure winner. Ten seconds
from the start he looked like
winner Thirty seconds from the start he
looked like an almost certain winner. Two
minutes and thirty seconds from the start he
looked, to those who had seen him row be-
fore q beaten man. Not for moment did
Searle lose his head O'Connor started with
a stroke of thirty-six to the min
ute, but he hardly maintained it for
more than moment, dropping to thirty-two
and Jhirth-three. Searle rowing a stroke a
trihc slower, pulled up on HIM slowly but
surely. The men had not gone less than half
a mile before it was patent to those who
knew them that Searle was the
winner, and it was just as
patent to those who had seen O'Connor in
other sculling matches that he was not in
championship form. Three hundred yards
from the start both men We're pulling
a long, steady, clear stroke. but at
every stroke Scarle gained a few inches.
The expression on Searle's face told
that he is still ahoy. Even
while he was behind his face
was as composed as if the
race nau Deen rOWeu uayS ago anu ne nau
been winner. He did his work like
a machine perfect in ali its parts and
with capacity that had not yet
been tested. He kept his eyes on George
Perkins, the man who was to take him up
Perkins knelt in the bow of the twelve cared
boat and right on the left as he desired
the sculler to go. More than once, however,
Searle failed to pay close attention to the
h,,t \
until he had taken the lead and probably felt
he was sure winner. Just as O'Connor
was approaching point opposite Waldrons
wharf he made misstroke with his right.
This was followed by stroke that was
almost as bad. He was ahead when this Ca
tastrophe occurred. When he had laid down
to his work again Searle was ahead, and,
once ahead, stayed there. "It's no
racen cried an Englishman aboard the
umpire's boat. He was correct in
one sense but trihe ahead of time in the
opinion of those who had money on O'Con-
nor. There was ground for the complaint,
however, when the crab tree was
reached, for O'Connor seemed to be
simply exercising His scull swept
through the water gracefully and
his style was quite as finished as mis- most
ardent admirers could have wished, but his
boat did not glide through the water as if
there was life in the sculler. There was an
evident lack of 'get there" about O'Connor;
so evident, indeed. that about the time the
crab tree was passed the bookmakers on the
Fuschia began shouting, Thirty to
twenty on Searle ~ The Canadian
contingent made no more bets. They began
to look bit anxious, but managed to smile
when asked if their mau was in difficulties.
Mr.. Rogers knew when the men shot from
Wadrons wharf toward the soap works that
the money laid on OConnor was no longer
his.
AT the soap works Searle was almost
two lengths ahead, rowing about thirty
strokes to the minute. O'Connor was rowing
about the same number, but was gradually
falling more to the rear. Twenty to S on
Searle was offered as the men passed the
soap works The odds now told the true story
1t was thought for while that O'Conner
was lying back in order to rig the market,
but before the race was half finished 1t was
seen that there was something wrong with
him, although what thai was it was difficult
| to imagine as his stroke in the last four
| miles of the race underwent scarcely any
| change.
| going long distance to see. Everybody in
and about Hammersmith was not on the
bridge, simply because the bridge was too
| small to accommodate them. The Surrey
| bank of the river was planted with peo-
| pie from the waters edge to the
| point at which the river was invisible.
Farther back even than this point there was
! an army busily engaged In making forced
| march from Putney to Mortlake. The peo-
| Pile on the bridge and on the Surrey bank
cheered until the Jumps in the water were
driven out Of sight by the DIN. They were
cheering Searle, who shot by the bridge
more than two lengths ahead "Fifty to five
ON Scarlet" roared "Chippy Norton" on the
| umpire's boat There were no takers.
| Searle's time to Hammersmith was IN. 3S =.
| O'Connor's was m. Al s. One and three
| quarter miles had been covered. OConnOr
looked tired enough to drop his sculls,
but did nothing of the kind. He kept up his
steady stroke of thirty, dropping occasionally
To twepty-eight, but showing no sign OF Civ
ing up until the race was rowed. At the
| Doves, two miles from the start,
| Searle was three boat lengths
ahead. "Oue hundred TO ten on Searle !''
roared Bookmaker Jarvey. Searle passed
Chisswick church in 10 m. 5S IS, pulling long,