Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-05
YANKEE ROWERS IN LEAD
Vesper Boat Club Beats the Cambridge
Grew at Henley.
GREAT INTEREST IN TOOATS CONTEST
Vesper and LeRnder Crews VIII Row
for the Grand Challenge
Coach Demsey is Com
Adent.

HENLEY, England, July 4--The crew Of
the Vesper Boat club of Philadelphia cele-
brated Independence day in England by
winning it's heat against the best uni
versity crew competing at Henley this
year and by making the best time of
any eight Indeed. all Henley seemed to
be celebrating the Fourth of July. Ameri-
can flags were flying all over the pretty
Thames-side town, and as the American
boat swept on to victory the Stars and
Stripes were waved from all parts of the
grand stand. The shores were filled with
record gathering Of Britishers and Ameri-
can visitors.
Race for Grand Challenge Cup.
The great contest between the Vespers
and the Leanders tomorrow unquestionably
will be the most interesting event from the
international as we'll as the oarsman's
view. ever known in Henley. The most
expert critics OF rowing differ in their
opinions and the Englishmen hold that
the American style cannot prevail over
that of Leander ON the ground that the
Americans use sculling style and fail
20 put in body weight. In today's results
however, when the Club Natique OF Bel
GUM beat the Thames Rowing club by
using much the same style with short
oars, the blades OF which are somewhat
ellililhE 10 AllhHt Ut NNt +AlntIlGdnEs the
theories OF the rowing sharps were upset
and consequently tonight there is much
guessing over tomorrow's struggle. which
unquestionably will decide who will be the
winner OF the grand challenge cup, though
the successful crew will row against the
Club Natique,
Coach Dempsey Of the Vespers said to
the Associated Press:
IT believe the American style to be
much better than the British"
His belief Is strengthened by observa-
tion OF today's racing Mr Dempsey is
confident OF success and said that none
of the men was the worse for today's
contest
BiE Event of the Day.
Outside the grand. challenge cup, in which
the Vespers OF Philadelphia, Pa, and the
Belgian crew were competing there was
little Of interest in the regatta The rae
ing started with the first heat of the grand
challenge cup in which the Leanders, on
whom the British pin all their hopes Of re-
tanning the trophy I'm England. won prac-
IDEALLY as they liked from Jesus college
Cambridge. The Belgians won an easy
victory over the Thames Rowing club.
Then came the big event OF the day. the
heat for the grand challenge cup. In which
the Americans led all the way ana d.
feated strong Cambridge collegiate crew
All anticipations regarding today's heats
Tor the grand challenge cup were thus full
hlled. except that Christ college gave the
Nespers = harder row than expected. A
slight wind toward the Bucks shore gave
the Americans. who had the Berks side a
slight advantage. The Vospers got well
away, led almost immediately and at the
quarter distance were more than a length
In front, while at the half way post the
Americans were leading BY two lengths
At that point the Cambridge men made a
splendid squirt and steadily oVerhauled the
Philadelphians until there was only a
length between the bows The Vespers
stroke Quickened, the crew samely re-
Soonded ana ~ Americans completed a