The San Francisco call., 1899-07-29
Regatta of Amateur
OarSnnen.
SENI0RWON BY PENNSYLVANIA
FOUR-OARED TEAMS PUT UP AN
EXCITING RACE.
Three Boats Race Over the Two-Mile
Course in a False Contest, Fail
ing to Heed the Referees
Order to Stop.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

BOSTON. July 2S.-With one exception
the first days races in the big regatta Of
the National Association of Amateur
Oarsmen, held on the Charles River,
proved interesting and exciting, the senior
four-oared race, which was won by Penn
sylvania, easily leading in respect to close
finishes. The first heats in both the inter-
mediate sculls and the association senior
singles was not far behind in the way Of
furnishing excitement, O'Keefe Of Spring
field winning the former and John Ru-
mohr of Rat Portage, Ont, taking the lat
ter
If the two-Inile pull of the intermediate
eights had been allowed as a race that
too would have to be recorded a. a con-
test full OF excitement. but unfortunately
one of the crews, the Vespers Of Philadel-
phia. met with an accident, and the other
three. refusing to heed the referees
whistle kept on to a grand finish, with the
New York Athletic Club in the lead. The
referee decided it no race, ana the event
viii be pulled off tomorrow.
Better water, weather and racing could
scarcely have been desired, and a crowd
of 5000 on the river bank enjoyed all three
immensely. The Charles was as placid as
q typical mill pond, with only a light
breeze blowing up the river which
scarcely ripped the water and died out
altogether before the races were fairly
over. The course was the usual mile and
a half with a turn. all the races starting
and finishing in front of the under boat
club. There was not a protest TO be con-
sdered at the end Of the days sport.
The great senior four-oared shell race
was easily the feature of the afternoon.
Three crews were entered for the race
the Pennsylvania Barge Club of Phila-
delphia the BrOckville Rowing Club of
BrOckvllle Ont. and the W eStern Rowing
Club Of St Louis but the latter crew was
loft ha.faf n a limo from - \ n
sylVania and BrOckViQe were very evenly
matched. but the former had in Dempsey
a stroke that practically won for them the
race. The Canadians had the best OF the
start and with perfect finish stroke and
an easy swing seemed to have little diff
Guilty in maintaining lead to the turn
Pennsylvania, however, was not a length
behind when the mark was reached, ana
would have undoubtedly been the same
same distance off If it had not made a bad
mess al the turn.
Brockville swung its boat around in
quick time and was four strokes TO the
good when the two crews squared away
for home Il was here Dempsey put the
fire into his crew that at the END gave
them the flag. He dug and tore the water
until it boiled behind the frai shell and
at the mile had driven the craft until u
Tapped the BrOckVille she'll From that
point to the finish the contest was exctt-
ing and the two crews were cheered at
every stroke. a hundred yards from the
line Dempsey called upon his clubmates
and he doing TWO mems work himself,
the Pen0Syl ylVduIaS managed to ShOOt thelr
shell over the line ahead of the Canadians.
In the first heat Of the Intern ediate
singles O'Keefe Of Springfield had a hard
time TO keep Greer of East Boston from
getting the flag. The latter pulled a long
easy stroke up to the turn, rounding two
lengths behind O'Keefe and Crawford the
latter of the New York Athletic Club, who
had been having a hot brush 10 the mark
But after heading for the finish Greer let
out q couple OF links and passing CraW-
ford, who had pulled himself out, started
after O. O'Keefe and the two had a grand
BATTLE TO the finish O'Keefe got the flag
but both men will be in the final heat to-
morrow.
John Rumohr Of Rat Portage was the
star in the first heat of the association
senior singles, and his quick. dashing
stroke caught the crowd. Both Kubick
and Lewis gave him a hot race TO the
first and started for home with slight
lead. Lewis however, put on more steam
and almost caught RumOhr at the mile,
and from that point to the line ii was the
hottest kind Of work. Rumohr getting the
flag by q few feet over his opponent. The
time, 6:0S12, was the best of the day in
the singles.
The first race of the senior pair-oared
was between the Pennsylvania Barge
Philadelphia The former had no difficulty
in winning out by four lengths.
Only two competed in the second trial
heat Of the intermediate single sculs, and
Mason Of Toronto almost rowed away
from Frank Kerris of Worcester.
The second heat in the association senior
singles was also in the nature Of pro-
cession. although Pope of the B. A. A.
gave Juvenal of Philadelphia tussle for