The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-12-15

Contest 1t Honolulu Which Emptied tho
Pockets and Lacerated tho Feelings Of
Uncle Sans Jackies.
about as dismal Fourth Of July
as ever experienced on board a man
o'war," said an ex-sailor Of the navy
now living in Washington to q report
er, twas Independence day not many
years ago down in the harbor Of Homo.
lulu. The Bennington had an all star
racing boats crew. The eight had just
happened to be assigned to the Ben
nington in bunch before she left for
her Pacific cruise, and several Of the
Oarsmen had been members Of the Co.
lumbia' S crack boats crew that walloped
all of the British navy's boats crews in
English waters few years before.
The Bennington cutter was one Of
the best in the navy, and she had been
built for a racer. Before we left the
Mare Island navy yard for south Pacific
waters the ship racing crew had easily
beaten all of the other crews Of the
ships lying at the yard, including the
tiptop crew Of the Olympia and the
Boston's fine crew. We thought that
we were about as warm as, they make
'em after our crew put it on SO many
other man-o'-war crews, giving them
couple of minutes the start Of Us, too,
on numerous occasions and still beating
them disgracefu1ly.
1.-THE people of Honolulu arranged
an aquatic festival for the Fourth Of
July-the Americans down there cele-
b1ated the Fourth just as enthusiastic-
ally as we do up here-and the Ben
nington's crew figured in it largely.
Our ships colors were at the fore in the
two races that were run with picked
Kanaka crews, and the third and last
race of the day was one in which our
crackajack eight was to figure, the other
races having been won by subcrews
practically picked at random from
among the strongest seamen.
eve thought this race was at our
mercy. It was to be four sided affair
one crew of Kanaka sugar field workers.
a crew Of Kanaka policemen and the
racing crew of the yacht Eleanor, be-
longing to Mr.. Slater of Providence,
! that had pulled into Honolulu harbor
from Japan few days before. Our
crew didn't pay much attention to the
yachts racing crew and were only fig
uring on the distance they could beat
the crew of Kanaka policemen, which
seemed the most formidable.
1.-THE race was over the four mile
course carefully blocked out in the har-
bor-which was very SIN ooth-by the
Honolulu aquatic sportsmen, and the
start was first rate. There WASH t man.
fore or aft, on the Bennington that
didn't stand to 60 broke to the extent
of at least a months pay on the success
of the Bennington's crew, and we hai
to give to l, too, for it was generally
conceded that we had the race at ou1
mercy.
"The start, as I said, was good, and
the Bennington's crew showed in from
first and started out apparently to maxi
q runaway race of it. The Kanaka po
licemen's crew tailed after them, pull
ing steadily, then the Kanaka suga
workers and, good ten lengths to tn
rear, the Eleanor's crew. This was tn
way it looked for the finish when tn
Bennington's crew rounded the stake
boat and started for the return trip.
"Some of the Honolulu men who ha.
their money up on the two Kanak
crews actually began to square accounts
, and the cry, It's all over-Bennington
was heard all over the bay. When tn
, stakeboat was rounded, it was notice.
, that the Eleanor's boat was sort of get
ting a move on itself, and the me-
, were working like machines at long
. steady stroke that certainly looked as
it was cutting down the Bennington
lead and the lead of the two Kanak
j, boats.
: 1.-TWO minutes after the stakeboa
was rounded the Eleanor's gang WEI
right abreast of the Kanaka cutters an
|, gaining on them with every stroke, an
the cox I'm of the Bennington's cutter
= hearing the yells Of warning from tn
!. Bennington bluejackets ashore, locke
= behind him and saw the Eleanor Quite
only two lengths behind him and CON
ing like an electric launch. Our ere,
was tired, and that's all there Wa
about it.
\ 1.-THE Eleanor's crew had held them
selves in for the finish, and they Gel
= tainly did make Garrison finish Of i
The yachts cutter shot ahead Of OF
= cutter good mile from home, and the1
:, to make the thing more CALLING, I'll
. crew actually stopped rowing until til
, Bennington s crew was alongside agar
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