Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-10
SEARLE CHAMPION SCULLER.
The American Champion Badly
Beaten by the Australian.
IMMENSE CROWDS PRESENT.
A Plainly Evident Lack of "Get
There" Quality Noticeable I'm the
Work of O'Connor-The
Bookmakers Win.
O'Connor Outrowcd.

world. He gained the title by defeating
Peter Kemp on October %. 1888, and in De-
cembcr following clinched his right to the
title by winning the Australian sweepstakes
at Brisbane, in whicn he had for
competitors Beach, Kemp, Matterson
and others. In his boat Searle
looks champion wonder. On land
there is nothing particularly striking about
him. He Is simply fine looking fellow
with face not bit older than his years,
which are twenty: three. That Searle is fit
to be the champion sculler of the world none
who saw him defeat William O'Conuor. the
champion of America, to-day, will deny
Searle not only defeated O'Connor, but he
also demonstrated In the most painful
manner to OConnor's frienos that there
was either something out of joint with the
American championship, or O'Connor has
crept into class in which he does not be-
long. The race tells Its story, but the fact
was so patent that it is but proper to give it
place. After Craver Steps had been passed
O'Connor, barring accidents, was not in it.
There has, perhaps, never been race
rowed over the Thames championship course
in which the public was so much Interested
and at the same time so much abroad regard
ing the result. The public is generally gov
erned by the betting on all events to which
suspicion of unfairness does not attach.
Professional events in ali lines of sport
are IN these days of hard common
sense scarned with searching scrutiny.
AT no stage of the proceedings
has any person of standing for moment
doubted that the race for the sculllng
championship of the world and e5O0 side
between Scarle and O'Connor was bona
fide test of strength and skill. On
the surface certainly everything was fair
and aboveboard. and now that the race is
over and O'Connor has been beated not even
the men who lost their money on hin-and
some lost thousands of pounds-insinuate
that he did not do his best all things con-
sidered, to win.
To Putney boat racing will never grow
tame or old-fashioned. AT | O'Clock to-day
one-quarter of Putney was afloat, and the
other three-quarters ashore, but certainly
Putney could not in its palnest day lay
claim to one-tenth of tho people
who were yesterday at this particular hour
within its borders, or, rather, it's river front
There were crowds on both banks of the
river, but the difference between them was
that while with patience and perseverance it
was possible TO count the crowd on the Mid
dlesex shore, no account of perseverance, and
patience ana several other similar qualities,
could enable anyone possessed of a single
scintille of modesty to even estimate the
crowd on the Surrey side. The shore seemed
to be paved with heads and
half of the pavement was in constant mo-
ton. An army of people faced the river ana
was only prevented from falling into it and
blocking it up by an iron railing that was
not visible simply because 1t was enveloped
In waistcoats and other wearing apparel.
The railing had simply been driven into the
front rank of the army by pressure from the
rear.
Behind this stationary army was another
that was not stationary. 1t moved up and
down the road as if practicing for a start. 1t
was, indeed, practicing for start. 1t was
at Putney to see start, and its intention,
having seen the oarsmen go, to gather up its
loins and start on run at a six-minute gait,
cut across the common and strike the Thames
again above Hammersmith bridge.
There is only one aquatic course in the
world where this feat could be performed,
and this course is from Putney to Mortlake,
for although this course by water is four
and half miles long, by land II is about two
miles shorter If straight course is pursued.
Had the water been perfect in its way as
was the sun. Searie and O'Connor would
have had nothing more to desire except
straighter course.
The water, however, looked uneasy, prob
ably because fresh southwest wind per-
sisted in ruf1ling its surface to an extent
known as lumpy. Americans, who knew all
ABOUT O'Connor's record, looked at the
water and grew suddenly doubtful. They
.l.. L. T..
tide water and that u lumpish surface was
fashionable in neither the United States nor
Canada, but their doubts were forgotten
when O'Connors hacker and small but
sturdy and light-hearted contingency of
Cannucks came aboard the umpires steamer
and took several offers of even
money. They felt much easier. too,
when John O'Conner,. his brother, walked
up TO Joe Thompson, tho big Australian
bookmaker, and laid an even couple of hun
dred that Searle would bo beaten. Good
betters We're these Canadians, with the
chances against them AS those who were in
their confidence know, they sent
their own to the post favor
ite at 100 to 80. This result was
not reached without an expenditure OF some
cash, for when the Canadians came aboard
the Fuchsia at Putney the betting was even
1t was forced up TO IL to 10 and finally 100 to
50 on O'Connor.
Suddenly the mighty multitude took a
full breath and then as suddenly
let II loose. All eyes were
instantly turned upon the river
aud toward the Surrey shore. Shooting
down the stream, the sunlight glistening
upon the dripping blades. was O'Conner's
cutter crew II was n cutter crew to be proud
of. Twelve men, each of them an expert
with the oar, sat in that beautiful invention
of mana racing shetland almost lifted it
out of his element as they bent TO their
oars. In the bow sat Charles Gibson,
the man who was TO take OConnor up.
Wallace Ross, splendid bronze color, was
stroke. Behind him sat Bubear East, Tom
Lees and Gibson and six others. all good
men, one acting as coxswain.
There was another hoarse cry from the
thousands ashore. II was nine minutes past
o'clock.
"'ris Searle," cried hundreds, "iris
O'Connor,n cried other hundreds.
1t was O'Connor. He shot from the boat
house to midstream before he began padd.
ling down the river to the starting point,
Just above Putney bridge This
rig contained the American colors