Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-09
NO JOY FOR THE JkCKiES

ABOUT as QiSmal a EOurth OF July as
ever experienced on board man-o' war"
said an ex-sailor of the navy now living In
Washington, was Independence day three
years ago down in the harbor of Honolulu
The Bennington had an all-star racing
boats crew. The eight had just happened
to be assigned to the Bennington in bunch
before she left for her Pacific cruise, and
several of the oarsmen had been members
of the ColumbiaS crack boats crew that
walfoped all of the British navy's boats
crews in English waters a few years ago.
The Bennington's cutter was one of the
best in the navy, and she had been built
for racer. Before we left the Mare ISL
and navy yard for South Pacific waters
the ships racing crew had easily beaten all
of the other crews of the ships lying at
the yard, including the tip-top crew of the
Olympia, Deweys flagship now, and the
Bostons fine crew. We thought that we
were about as warm as they make EN-
after our crew put 1t on so many other
man-o' war crews, giving them couple
minutes the start of us, too, on numerous
occasions and still beating them disgrace
fully.
"The people of Honolulu arranged an
aquatic festival for the Fourth of July-the
Americans down there celebrate the Fourth
just as enthusiastically as we do up mere
and the Bennington'S crews figured in 1t
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 the one in which our crack
erjack eight was to figure, the other races
having been by sub crews practically
picked at random from among The strongest
seamen. We thought this race was at our
mercy. 1t was to be a four-sided affair
one crew of Kanaka sugar-field workers.
crew of Kanaka policemen and the racing
crew of the yacht Eleanor. belonging to
Mr.. Slater of Providence. R. l., 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 figuring on the distance they
could beat the crew of Kanaka policemen,
which seemed the most formidable.
The race was over the four-miie course
carefully blocked out in the harbor-which
was very smoothly the Honolulu aquatic
sportsmen, and the start was first-rate.
There wasn't man, fore or aft on the
Bennington that didn't stand to go broke to
the extent of at least months pay on the
success of the Benningtons crew, and we
had to give 3 to 1. too, for it was generally
conceded that we had the race at our
mercy.
THE start, as I said, was good, and the
Bennington's crew showed in front first
and started out, apparently, to make run
away Of 1t. The Kanaka poiicemen's
crew trailed after them, pulling steadily,
then the Kanaka sugar workers, and, a
good ten lengths to the rear, the Eleanor's
crew. This was the way it looked for the
finish, when the Bennington's crew round
ed the stake boat and started for the return
trip. Some of the Honolulu men, who had
their money up on the two Kanaka crews,
actually began to square accounts, and the
cry, It's all oVer-Benningtonr was heard
all over the bay. When the stake boat
was rounded it was noticed that the Flea
nors boat was sort O. getting a move on
Itself. and the men were working like ma
chimes at a long, steady stroke that GER
talnly looked as if it was cutting down the
Bennington's lead, and the lead of the two
kanaka boats. Two minutes after the
yya faI ,lo
were right abreast of the Kanaka cutters
and gaining on them with every stroke
and the cox I'm of the Bennington's cutter
hearing the yells of warning from the Ben
nington bluejackets ashore looked behind
him and saw the Eleanor cutter only two
lengths behind him. and coming like an
electric launch Our crew was tired and
that's all there was about it, The Elean-
ors crew had held themselves in for the
finish, and they surely did make Car
rison flnish of it. The yachts cutter shot
ahead of our cutter good mile from home
ana then, to make the thing more CALLING
the crew actually stopped rowing until the
Bennlngtons cutter was alongside again
Ihen they took to the oars again, and from
then on it was bowling farce. The Elean-
or's crew just romped their cutter in ten
lengths ahead of our cutter, and the Kan
akaS a quarter of mile in the rear. You
never saw such Disguised lot of men in
your life as the men and officers on the
Bennington. The Eleanor's ships company
had taken all of the to ! money they
could get on board our ship, for they knew
they had a good thing up their sleeve TIE
EleanorS crew, on the whole trip around
the world that was wound up at San Fran
cisco, had not been beaten once in a cut
ter race, and the yachts sailors had made
all kinds of money in betting on their crew.
1t was minor sort of consolation for us
when we found out that five of the Flea
nor's racing crew were ex-American man
owars men,"