The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-21
FAMOUS BROTHERS
Tom Dempsey At the Park Thea
tire Talks of Rowing Condi-
tons About Philadelphia.
PENNSYLVANIA BARGE
CLUB EIGHT SPLIT UP
Its Coach, Best Oar and Most OF
the Champions Desert for the
Rival Vesper Club

Tom Dempsey, who is playing at the
Park theatre this week. is well known
to Worcester boating men. He is "a
brother of the famous oarsmen of Phil
adelphia Pat Dempsey, coach of the
celebrated Pennsylvania Barge club
eight, and Jim Dempsey, an oarsman
of that eight, who is considered Won
der in the aquatic line. The latter has
stroked the eight and rowed number z
and also number Z oars, and done as
well on one side of the boat as the
other. He weighs only 1872 which causes
wonderment among followers of the
sport. He was stroke of the ,Pennsyl-
vania barge eight that defeated the
High Schools two years ago on the
Schulykill.
The Pennsylvania Barge club eight
broke all records in this country by WIN
ming the senior championship three sue
cessiVe years, and it was coached each
year by Pat Dempsey. But the Penn
sylvania eight, which was considered
an important factor in the fight for
the worlds championship at Paris next
year, is out of it. There. has been Sc
rious dlssension as result of which
Pat Dempsey will coach the Nespers,
rival club of the Schuylkill navy, ana
Jim Dempsey and several other mem
bers of the speedy eight will go with
him.
Mr.. Dempsey talked at length on
auuatics with a reporter of The Spy
Yesterday. He said the extent of the
dissension isn't fully known, but it Is
certain that the Barge club eight Will
not be worth considering next year.
How many of the eight will go with the
coach to the Vespers only the coach
knows, but the probability is that the
entire crew with may be a single eXcep-
ton will follow him. He said Marsh and
Fxley, the scullers and pair-oared
racers, intend to join the Vespers. The
latter will build up a crew that VIII
try for the national championship and
later for the worlds championship at
Paris.
It isn't necessary for Mr.. Dempsey to
tell Worcester boating men the posi-
bilities of the Vespers with most OF the
former Pennsylvania Barge club men
rowing In the eight. In spite of his l32
pounds it is doubtful if there is as good
a stroke oar in the country as little
lin Dempsey. AT the last national re-
gatta in Boston in July, on the day
before Ned Ten Eyck rowed rings
around Joe Mcguire, Dempsey maze
a great performance. He stroked the
senior four of the Pennsylvania Barge
club which won the race by Two 4eet ~
! the greatest finish ever seen in such a
race. IT was the wonderful power
which Dempsey put into the finish that
won the race. Boating men looked on
with ewes bullying from their head at
the wonderful power of endurance that
he showed. The crew got poor start
but by hard rowing placed itself on al
most even terms on the way up
However, things went wrong at the
stake and coming back the crew fell
so far behind that not one of the 10000
spectators would give cent for ITS
chances. That was because they didn'
know the possibilities of Dempsey. Set,
| ting a stroke that fairly lifted the shell
from the water the crew jumped up
on their opponents on every stroke and
| in the final squirt went ahead just
enough to win. With Dempsey as
stroke Of the Vespers and the majority
| of the three times champions behind
| him the rival club on the banks of the
| Schuylkill will make the blue and
| white of the Barge club look tired.