ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 131, 26 February 1908, Page 8

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

DELIRIOUS SCENE OF ENTHUSIASM. IDEAL CONDITIONS;- , (dt telegsaph—press association.) Wanganui, February 25. Now Zealand stiil retains tho .sculling championship, and AVebb's fino effort to-day proves that the- honour'is in worthy hands. Ho rowed a fino race throughout, liis display in the early stages earning him the warmest praises from both Australian arid New Zealand experts. Although ho only won by a length and three-quarters (the oliicial verdict was 2} lengths), it is. believed that ho could have improved 011 this' if necessary. Against this, however, there is the opinion that ho bad had enough. Tho fact,:- however, is that he won, and won comfortably. Wanganui has been -soothing with excitement for days past, and this feeling culminated to-day in 0110 of tho most delirious scenes of enthusiasm, ever witnessed in the Dominion. Tho rain ceased; bc-foro tho course was reached, and tho conditions were then jdeal—water like glass and a light wind blowing down tho rivor. It' was" the general opinion that tho- conditions could not bo fairer, and Australians were delighted at the prospects. Webb-set' an example in punctuality, as he reached the starting point just about' 4 o'clock. To tho cheers in.bot-h.English and Maori ho nodded acknowledgment-; "By Jove, Denny has got 'him a perfect picture," was the cnthusiakt!6 comment of' one spectator. :

; Webb wore a light-bluo-'jeVsey,, with an engraved fern leaf and Neif Zealand across the' centre. ■ It was some minutes-late?'before' Tresidder was seen paddling up, streaßi. Tho Australian looked in.fino trim, much bigger than. Webb. - Ho wore a white jftrSfty,- : with bluo crosses and engraved kangaroo ontho front. Tresidder, looked a lot more -> alixious than his rival) and there were/ill thA indications in his movements .that-lie was nervous. The appcaranco of the men had set . light to commercial instincts, and tho,offer to lay odds on Webb in fairly large, suras', wds eagerly snapped up by visitors, v. v :-' V Webb took up a position "on - ;,the inside. There was, however, little advantage, as the conditions wero so favourable.. 1 It was arranged that the men should start by mutual consent, but if they..failed after- -twenty■ minutes the official starter was to'send them off by-gun fire. ; I'. •• THE CONTEST BEGINS. After. Tresidder had, warmed himself up with a few spurts, tlie' men lined ,up, ana each made'a break. ' Then they eyed each other, ahd, ! as if shot', simultaneously out "f guns;-they . dipped, and; another..rafcoj for the sculling championship had'begun. ; . -Webb, roweil 28 strokes, and Tresidder 30 fbr the first minute.. ; Both men were rowing excellently, in a; busine3s-liko fashion. . The sculls were striking .the water cleanly, and the rowers were getting . weight into , their strokes.. Webb, .however, .was.,doing the better", work, and.-'-pulling a' long, swinging stroke,'-he gained a. slight advantage. Tho first Tiend. of. the river,-about a quarter of-a mile from the start-, §aw him - with his nose in front. Tresidder wobbled .'slightly as they reached the lialf-milepost, while Webb,: inshore,and. under - tlie-- sade of the '.willows,. 'kept on-.,the • oven : ,'tehor>'of his way as-steady as a rock.,. . From this point the spectators,ashore took a hand in the game. ' HundredsVof' horsemen oh cacli side kept pkee with the rowers. From the umpire's boat 1 it appeared that Webb was slowly getting - 'a good lead, but the scullers wore too far off for this to be reduced to certainty. "Presently, however, the Australian turned his head, and looked for his opponent. ■ That; was; the first distinct indication .to- the "crowds •• on the steamer that the New Zealander was getting 'away. /•;■.-■ ■■■ ' .- , WEBB, WI.NNINC. , . '

i; The news was received liko. tlia'fc the relief, 'of Mafeking. Webb was 'winning, and ashore and afloat the cmtement was intense. But the Sydney .contingent was not at all satis'-, lied, and one' of them called out:,"Don't .crow'yet," and,they encouraged their own gallant oarsman with l cries ot "Good boy, Dick." . I Here again Tresidder seemed to.: lessen .the gap, but it was _only momentarily, and" as •theyiraced past tlie milo in 6min. lsec., Webb \yas a: length ahead. > Up till this point the steering of both men had, been excellent, Tresidderyespecially, but WobbJseemed to ,'be; getting.''close;, to' the willows,-and alarmed bis'supporters. . Forests of 'hands; waved , hiftr to tho-'centra of . the river, but be seemed to know where .lie was, and, keeping out in the stream again, 'put the crowd on the steamer in' good'spints. From this stage tlioTace was-really over, as Webb, still further.increased/his 'lead, until' thero were about three, lengths between the scullers, a' fact which, was not lost.upon tho thousands, who watched .the: struggle from the overhanging hills,; from' the deck of the

steamer, and the: roads';-, 'The-two-mile post was passed, in 12min..6sec.- Webb 'was Vowing grandly, and never 'at; aiiy piirt' of tho raco did he do finer work than when'he rounded the which, put him on to tho last stretchfor home,'-nor did he at; any: point of the'race so'inspire, his, supporters. FRANTIC ENTHUSIASM. ; They yelled with frantic enthusiasm as ho swept across the river and took Tresidder's water, having then' quite four lengths to the gooil. • - , . - .- • Then' for the first 1 and - only time in the rac6 there was a period of arixietv for tlip New Zealand champion.: -The-big 'Newcastle miner know that his case was now.desperate. The wianing post vas; in, sight/ and the

roar of thousands of voices down the river told him. that, it was getting nearer eve 17 minute. Ho made a tremendous effort, %ni when it was seen that Webb failed to respond as the excited crowd wanted him to,' there was a spasm of keen anxiety, and men looked at each other 011 the steamer and dared riot express their thoughts; but i,t was only a flash. The gloom* disappeared in. a few seconds, as it was seen that Webb meant to fight desperately every inch of tho way.

The Australian had gained on him, certainly, had reduced his lead from four lengths to two and a half, but beyond that he was not going without William Webb proving that while Australia could .attack, ' an d could defend. So improved. Presidder had made his effort and'reduced the gap .to about, two and a . half lengths, but this was the nparest tho plucky Newcastle man could get to tlie champion, who passed the post in 20min. 28sec., two and three-quarter lengths to the good. ' ~ ; 1 i l7 , r J n S the gun, which announced that W ebb nad again succeeded in holding the championship for New Zealand > and Wanganui, was the .signal for an outburst of frenzied .enthusiasm, in which pakeha and Maon joined. The white man cheered and ye I loci frantically, threw his hat and umbrella in the air; the brown man in a big waka waded with Maoris began a haka, led by Takarangi Mete Kingi. The Maori'woman, "ok her share in tho festivities. - .. Webb, after shaking hands with Tresidder, was- assisted out of his boat. • The tension over, and William Webb still began ,I ° n ' P e ll-mell rush for Wanganui Tressider, when tho race was over, headed his boat for Wanganui—that is, after finishing a hard race of 3J miles ho rowed another ft miles. Lvery passing steamer cheered him, and when ho finally landed thero was a great storm of applnuso for his splendid perromance. As tlie elated passengers loft the a\ aione one of them was heard to remark, . X m glad the race was not ten miles 1"