Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-09
AQUATIC CIRCLES ACITATED.
Intense Interest In the O'Connor-
Searle Boat Race.
BIG SUMS OF MONEY wAeERsD.
The Merits OF the Two scuilers
Being Discussed BY Their Par
tisans-Tbc Decadepce
of Boulangism.
To-Day,s Aquatic Contest.
lCopmtoht 1Ssobu james Gordon Bsnae,

LONDON, Sept. S.-[New York Herald
Cable-Special to THE BEE. Both sides Of
the Thames are talking about to-morrows
race for the championship of the world be-
tween O'Connor and Searle. Trees on the
banks, pebbles on the shore, even the mud in
the river bottom, are interested in the event.
Imagine, then, III you can, how much it both
ers the thousands who consider the aquatic
championship among the worlds greatest
prizes. Remember, too, that II requires
something out of the common to arouse en-
thusiasm in those who have seen Hanlan win
in style that seemed to stamp him as diff
ferent clay from his followers who have seen
Beach, who defeated Hanlan, send
such an oar5man as Gaudaur to the rear
who have seen champions almost beyond
number rise and fall Still, people who have
seen all this look forward TO the O'Conuor-
Searle race with as much enthusiasm as IL
the championship races on the Thames oc
Cured four days ago. Betting was 10 to 10
on Searle, and for thirty minutes the odds
ruled to 4 in his favor. The odds were too
big to suit the Australians, whose pockets
were lined with gold. They were too small
to suit the Canadians. The latter wanted 2
to l. but the odds gradually grew smaller,
until to-day they vanished and even money
was the cry.
paThe start is to be by mutual consent. To
such a start O'Connor is unaccustomcd. He
is quick starter. To him the pistol shot
means to get away, but of what use are his
quick starting powers when he is compelled
to wait until his competitor is ready TO go!
He wanted pistol shot or word-of mouth
start, but was overruled, his representatives
being greatly in the minority at the meeting
at which the preliminaries were agreed upon.
Then, too, OConnor has never rowed upon
tide water. ALI his races have been rowed
upon still water. Searle is ut
home tide water. Iu a race be
tween men who are in strength and
skill evenly watched these drawbacks should
count in the betting, but they have failed to
do so, and tonight the indications are that
O'Connor will be the favorlte before the men
are sent on their journey OF four and one half
miles.
The race will be rowed ON what is known
as u dead tide It will be dead only in com
parison with a spring tide, which is current
of from four to five miles an hour. To-mor-
row the tide will run at rate of about three
miles an hour. Watermen who have for
weeks been looking at both men in practice
expect the winner to make wonderful tune.
lHc ldStcSb tiLlc OVER u COURSE
was made a few years ago by Charles
Brightly, who covered it IN something over
twenty-five minutes with the aid of fast
tide. 1t is expected that tomorrow's winner
will cross the finish on a dead tide inside of
twenty-three minutes.
In that race each man will be accompanied
by one of the London Rowing clubs fast
twelve cared boats. Each boat will be
hy ral ,unta + yy1o
supposed that an eightt ared cutter would
be sufficient to show the way-that is, seven
men at the oars and guide, commonly
known as 1.-The man who takes him up,' but
this proved mistake. Such cutter and
crew went out with O'Connor to- day. Ii
contained Wallace Ross George Lee,
Charles Ino Tom Gibson, Bubear and Bill
East. The cutter crew laid down to its
work. AS soon as O'Connor Strengthened
out the man in the bow yelled to his crew to
put beef into their strokes They did so He
yelled for more coal until every furnace
was red hot, but all to no purpose. The sin
gle sculler went away with every stroke.
and it was demonstrated on the spot that
seven oarsmen couldn't carry guide and
coxswain as dead weight and show the way
to the champion Of America
Both sides are in doubt. Each thinks its
man has chance and that about describes
the situation. Most Of the Australians have
bet their money excepting one party, who
carried about 91,000, and that has beer
placed, or very nearly so. Edwin Gee car
ries about 10000, which he was commits
stoned to wager by Spencer Bros, Of
Australia. He is waiting for better terms
Last night both Searle aud O'Connor were
in splendid health and fine spirits Searlt
weighed l63 pounds in his bare pelt O'Con
nor weighed one pound lighter, and none Of
his friends would have grumbled had he
weighed four or five pounds more.
The men are to be in their boats at quar-
ter past O'Clock in the afternoon. Only
tour steam vessels will be permitted to fol
low the race.
A heavy crop of challenges is likely L
follow to-Gay's victory and defeat Georg,
Bubear is the first in the field. He will to
morrow challenge Neil Marterson to rae,
over the championship course for a200 q
side. He had the challenge in his pocket to
MI