The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-02
SEA AND SHORE.
A Youngsters Lucky Escape.
Saved by His Father.
A Great Boat-Race in CalIao- American Pluck
and Muscle Win After Hard Pull.
Movement of Vessels.

A crowd Of old sailors were sitting around
the fire up at the Home, talking about the
war in Chile, when one of the number re-
marked that the best ship in the Chilean
Navy was the Huasear, captured during the
last war with Peru.
" So the Huascar belongs to Chile now,
does she?" said old Tom Connors, short,
thick-set sailor. Every time hear about
that ship puts me in mind of race / saw
down in Calla0 on the Fourth of July, 1875.
/ tell You, boys, it was the biggest race ever
pulled in the Pacific Ocean, and if you care
to hear about it / don't mind telling you
about it.
''The Huascar had sixteen-oared cutter
that had beaten everything that tackled her,
and she still held the blue flag she had won
in her first race. The natives got up big
regatta for the Fourth in honor of the
Americans, and hung up purses for five
races, besides offering $1,000 to any boat that
could beat the Huascar's in fiye-mile race
This was announced three weeks before the
Fourth, in order to give the crews some time
to train.
PREPARING FOR THE FRAY.
There were several war-ships in Callao at
the time, and quite lot of boats were out
night and morning getting ready for the
races. The United States ship Richmond
was lying there. and when she agreed to
race boat for the blue flag everybody
laughed, for no one believed she would be
in it at all. 1t seemed that they had in
tended giving the Huascar's boat trial
anyway, and for this purpose the crew
picked for their cutter had got what train
ing they could before they got TO Callao, and
the offer of $1,000 only broke the ice. w hen
the Peruvians found ont their Intentions
they offered to bet $500 more on the race,
and the money was at once covered by the
Richmond's men. All interest at once CEN
tered on the big event. and as the day drew
near large bets were made, with biz odds
on the natives.
Both crews worked hard, and many
Thought, as L did, that the American crew
had no show. Their boat was not as W ide
as the Huascar's but il drew more water
The native crew were all big, powerful
men, aud with the great reputation they had
gained made it look hopeless for the light
crew of the Richmond's cutter.
THE YANKEES MAKE FRIENDS.
But the Peruvians little knew the stuff
their opponents were made Of, and as the
day Of the race drew near the hard, faithful
work done by the American crew won them
many friends among the ships in the harbor.
This was especially the case with the crew
OF the English man-of-war Tenedos, who
had such faith in the RichmoHds men that
they bet every penny they could raise on
Americans all backed their countrymen,
and by the Fourth there must have been
several hundred thousand up on the race"
Old Tom refilled his pipe and then re-
Sumed his story.
The morning of the Fourth was bright
and clear, with not breath of wind. The
regatta began at 10 o'clock with mile race
Tor ships gigs and TO the surprise Of every
one was won by the American store-ship
Onward. The Iened0s took the next race
II hair lalaF fAa- ,-,ll
f2-oared cutters next appeared for trial of
speed over two-mile course. This was a
tight race, and was won by the Richmond's
second cutter by half length.
A PUNT RACE.
1.-THE most fun was when five copper
punts came out for race of half mile,
manned by hremPn, who used shoVelS in
stead of oars. Before they went far one of
them capsizrd. and the crews of two others
began 10 fight, to the great amusement of
the vast cruwds looking on. This race was
lso won by the TenedOS The next event
" as for officers, in boats of the Callao Boat
Climb, and was won by the Huascars, they
beating the rest badly.
LAS the time for the big event drew nigh
every vessel in the harbor was packed with
people and six large steamers that were to
follow the boats were so crowded that there
WAS hardly standing-room on their decks.
j had tIne view of the race" said Tom,
'as was on the judges boat, and as we
towed both boats out to the start we had a
show TO size them up. Both boats were
hlack-leaded and stripped of everything
that could be taken out of them.
THE BIG EVENT.
Mccarthy, the boatswan of the Huas-
car, steered his beat as he had done In all
his previous races. His crew was fine big
lot OF men nd-Ooked as if they could eat
their opponents without salt. The Amer-
can boat was Steered by the lghtest seaman
IN their ship and her crew wore look that
boded no good to their opponents. At the
stake-bOat both crews heard the rules gov
erning the race read and then prepared for
the struggle. The Huascar crew were
stripped to the waist, while the Richmond's
men wore white sleeveless shirts.
1T took bat short time to get ready, and
moment later the firing of gun started
both on their way. 1t was evidently the
plan of the native crew to wear the Ameri-
cans out at the start, and accordingly they
went of at a terrible pace, but the Rich
mond's boat stuck to them like their
shadow, and when the first mile was passed
their own.
THE PERUvIANs WORRIED.
"This seemed to worry Mccarthy, and he
did all he could to urge his men to greater
efforts, but they could no more gain an inch
on the other boat than fly.
THE boats were still neck and neck as
they passed the second mile, and the look on
McCarthy's face would make fgure-head
laugh, said Tom, as ne moved a little closer
to the fire, 'Ior the RichmoBd's men were
still keeping up the same stroke they had
started with, and. what was more, they
seemed to like it. Mccarthy swore, pleaded
and stamped his feet, but it was no use, the
famous crew had met their match at last.
he third and fourth miles were passed
with the boats in the same relative posi-
tons, as it was part of the American crews
plan 10 let the PeruVians make the pace.
VICTORY IN SIGHT.
'iBut at the fourth mile a change took
place, and for the first time the coxswain of
the American boat began to take an interest
in things. Rising to his feet he shouted:
Now, boys, you've got EN-; give them
- Then the stroke became quicker, the
work, as the Americans, cheered by the
voice of the little coxswaiD, almost lifted
their boat out of the water. The Huascars
could do no more, and in spite OF their effur,s
the Richmonds' boat rapidly drew away, 60
ing at a tremendous pace. As they passed
the ship at anchor outside the cheering was
increased, and to add to the uproar every
whistle In the harb0r was blowing.
HIP, HIP HURRAH!
"As the American boat passed the Tenedos
her crew nearly went wild, and one man fell
overbosrd with excitement, but was picked
up by passing boat
80 Richmond's boat won?" asked a
long German who had followed Toms story
through. "Now," said Tom in disgust, II
should say they did, by nearly half mile,
as the Huascar's men stopped when they
seed they had no chance. They were so
mad they took their boat ashore and smashed
her all up"
SUNDAY ON THE WATERFRONT.
In spite of the stiff breeze blowing yester-
day large plumber of people visited the
waterfront and listened to the several
iiinerant preachers that are to be found
there every Sunday. Whole families were
to be seen each with fish-line and al