The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-02

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 of their opponents. The Century team had won the first heat, and it was a royal contest
 As each crew came slowly around and passed the judges stand, the men were cheered. The men said 1t was a fault less race, the representatives of the Vest ern club setting great store by the two heats that were expected to follow.
 Demourelle and Bigler, the crack oars- men from New Orleans, were ready for the single scull race which was second to the program and they were given hb- eral applause when they appeared on the river. In this race the spectators were given an opportunity to witness the start, and it was exciting. Demourelle. the champion, wore a white shirt, and Bigier was distinguished by blue shirt.
 The course was to be from the finish line to the white flag half a mile up the river. around the stake and back, one mile.
 The men lined up close in to the judges stand and were sent off by a flag. The start gave the audience an opportunity to observe the methods of the men. Against the current Demourelle pulled with a long, steady and apparently slow stroke. Bigler kept close by his com petitor, pulling more quickly and appa- rently with less nerve force. The quick VOydBe up LHc TlVeT Wa8 Inau6 III leSS than four minutes, and Demourelle went around the stake half a length in ad- vance of Bigler. the smaller and young er man. As they rounded the stake, De- mourelle was pulling about thirty strokes to the minute. He went in too far on the turn and young Bigley caught the stern of his racing machine and held on for a second or two. Then he pulled up on close speaking terms and quickly flashed by his famous rival. It looked as though the man with a national reputa- ton had committed a grievous error, but he soon proved that he knew some thing about the game. Steadily he came about the stake and swept down the riv- CT. Young Bigler was bending for home and the roller seat was sliding back and forth like a wlndswblind before hurri- cane. Demourelle took a few reaches and closed up on the flying Bigler..
 Two hundred yards from the finish line pemourelle lay alongside Bigler and was keeping his position with apparent ease. Slow. long and steady strokes were dip- ped into the water, as if he was out for pleasure jaunt, but the craft was cut ting the water like a blade. Fifty yards from the finish line. Demourelle was showing Bigler the back of his neck and the champion dashed over the line a winner by half length.
 The third event was one that drew the greatest interest of the spectators, be- cause it was between crews from two great cities. It was the double scull race between the crews of the Century Boat Club of St. Louis, and the Young Mems Gymnastic Club of New Orleans. A. J. Eveson was in the bow and Ernest J. Hess was the stroke for the St. Louis club. J. Wells was in the bow and J. Ravanack was stroke for New Orleans. The men wore the colors of their respec- tive organizations, the New Orleans oars men being clad in old gold and black.
 The course for this race was the same as the single scull and the opposing crews lined up at the judges stand at 3:45 o'clock. The bo'sun of each had his eye on the flag, but when 1t dropped the New Orleans crew hesitated as though waiting for another flag. The olive-hued St. Louisans shot up the river, but the hesitation bad cost the Crescent City men nearly the length of a boat. Quickly they drew themselves together and away they went. One hundred yards from the start Ravanack dropped his oar and 1t looked as though the New Orleans team was doomed to go down fin defeat The plucky Orleanian recovered the spoonbill and plunged it into the water again. Quickly the Century crew was overtaken and the men bent to their work. Around the stake the crews went pulling forty st. kes to the minute. The Century oars men had gathered a lead on their rivals and were now nearly two lengths ahead, and rowing for the honor of the splendid organization they represented. But Eve sen, in 8 fatal moment, took his boat too far out Wells saw the advantage and shot the New Orleans machine close in and came around. It was a great race, and when they cape flying down the riv- CT, the big crowd stood on it's feet and yelled.
 The Alaba mians had been initiated Boat racing was equal to the turf
 A tall, raw-boned individual, who prob ably never saw a stream so large as the Alabama River before, seemed as though he would split his lungs.
 Come on, boys!' he yelled, "come on and winv'
 Two hundred yards from the finish Wells crossed the bow of the St Louis boat, and it was seen that the race was over. This was a daring but skilful act. He threw the little New Orleans machine directly in front of the St. Louis boat. Under the rules covering a rowing race, if the St. Louis men could have touched the boat which was leading them, the leader would have lost. But Eveson and Hess could not touch the flying Ravanack and Wells, his partner. They flashed across the line two good lengths ahead and were wildly applauded for their clev- CT method of snatching the race from the apparent jaws of defeat
 It was a noble struggle. however, and as the men came slowly by the judges stand, the ladies in the lower tiers of seats waved their approval and the men cheered both the crews.
 The great crowd thought that the days sport was over and the combined ef- forts of the megaphone man and the committee could not make the people un- derstand that the two heats of the four cared contest was yet to be raced. Thous- ands left the scene greatly pleased with the events. Others stayed. but there was no further race. This was due to the fact that the long, slender four-oared d craft of the Century Boat Club was ac- cidentally fouled by the Western Club just after the start for the second heat. The men had been given the signal and got away. They were close in and rac- ing for dear lifes sake when the steer ing gear of the Westerners' crew went wrong and one of the oars plunged into the port side of the Century racing ma chine about two feet from the end of its | long gOosequill bow and just above the water line. The wood Is as thin as paper and it was apparent that the heat was off.
 | Under the circumstances, the Century crew could have claimed the heat and having won the heat it would have been their race They insisted hOweVer that