WORLD’S SCOLDING CHAMPIONSHIP.

Evening Star, Issue 12061, 4 March 1907, Page 7

WORLD’S SCOLDING CHAMPIONSHIP.

TOWNS RETAINS THE TITLE. x*ress Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY. March S. Net sinoq Beach met Hanian. twenty years‘ago has the championship race been decided on the Nepean River, and, like the historical' struggle ol ’ 1837, the international pliaractet pf elm event to-day added gre*tlv to the public interest in the race, tad, like it, too, the result added laurels io the Australian sculler. Beach won a. great race from Hanian, and IVrirhs to-day-demonstrated his right to retain the championship of tho world after a hard-fought ftrngglo. Notwithstanding that the weather was dull and accasiopat-showers were falling, a large number of people journeyed by special trams from both the city and inland towns. Towns won the toss and chose the Penrith side of the river. Owing to the rain the start was delayed till 4.30 p.m. From a good start Human quickly led Towns by a length, hut only for a hundred yards- Xha New South Wales sculler soon got going at a strong'pace, winch quickly took him ahead of Human, the Canadian's stroke appearing short. By the time half a mite pad been covered Towns had a length and a-half advantage, and at the mite, which was reached in 6min 19Scc, he was leading by two and a-half lengths. The Australian was rowing easily with a longer stroke, and appeared to greater advantage than Dnrnan. Towns hid in- | creased the gap to four lengths when a mile and a-half had been covered, but the Canadian began to close up a little, and passing the two-mile post he was throe lengths in the rear, Towns’s time being I3min 45sec. Thee© positions were maintained for another half-mile, and then Human, rowing in earnest, began to overtake the champion. For the last halfmile it was a “ding-dong go,” great excitement prevailing. Human, however, found the task too great, and tired towards the finish. Towns passed the post with an advantage variously estimated at from one to three lengths, in 22min 27sec. I Towns, who started favorite, received an ovation, and Human wan greatly cheered , for his game struggle. The length of the course was three miles ! 320 yds. i Towns says: “Tho race was as hard as I want. It was a good race till within three-quarters of a mile from home. ’ Then I was satisfied I could win.” Human looked quite exhausted at the finish. He says it was a hard race for him, but a fair one- He declares his racing days finished, and that ho will never j row again. No sculler could have tried harder than . Human.* He showed that he had made wonderful preparation, but he succumbed ; to a cleverer and faster sculler and to on ; oarsman who, competent judges declare, ! la tho best man in the world. All the leading oarsmen tipped Towns when they saw the Canadian afloat, but Human’s friends stuck to him in the belief that he : was going to effect a huge surprise. j Ten thousand people witnessed the raoc, i though as a spectacle it fell far short of the great contests on the Parramatta course. So few boats were available that no difficulty was experienced in keeping the course clear. 1 Human rowed faster strokes, but Towns’s umchine-liks strokes were more efficacious. It was officially announced that Towns won by four lengths. THE COMPETITORS. —George Towns. — Writing recently about the training operation of the two men, a reporter of tho ‘ Sydney Bally Telegraph,’ speaking of Towns, remarked :—“ For a middle-weight, such as Towns is, to win the blue riband of the sculling world is a remarkable achievement, and, looking at the champion casually, on© wonders where ho gets the strength from necessary to propel a wager-boat through the wafer faster than any other man extant. He is long-limbed, and - moves about agilely, factors which alone would not make him the king sculler of the world. He has, however, a more than ordinary pair of shoulders, and is deep through the chest—and that is where the secret of his power lies. Both Towns and his Canadian adversary drink nothing stronger than tea, and eschew smoking.” j By occupation Towns is a boatbuilder, and himself built the two wager-hoats that he now has on the river, one for practice and the other for the match. With what j he won when he defeated Tressider, tho , champion invested in a homo and boat- j sheds on the Parrarpatta River, and dur- ; ipg the last couple of years is said to have 1 bruit more outrigger shells than any other man in the world- . —Edward Human. — Human is taller than Towns by an inch or so, of swarthy complexion, and is the champion’s junior to the extent of some five years, being thirty-three, while Towns is in his thirty-eighth year. He has liad Jim Stanbury with him as rowing companion and trainer. The Canadian’s stroke is said to ho something different to W'hat Australians are accustomed to sea in their leading scullers. His knees are kept well together during tho whole of the stroke, and some of tlicse who understand the theory of rowing regard this method as an advantage over the orthodox action of opening and shutting the legs. Certain it is that Human has a wonderfully easy action in driving his ihell through the water, and he impressed local judges very favorably. The real point at issue prior to the race was said to be his staying power. WINNERS OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP. Tho following table shows the winners of tbo world’s sculling championship since 1876: 3876 —E. Trickett beat J. H. Sadler, Thames. Time, 24.45. 1877—E "Trickett beat M. Bush, Parramatta. Time, 83.27j. 1879 E. Trickett beat E. Haycock, Parramatta, 25.39. 1880 E.. Hanian beat E. Trickett, Thames. Time, 26.12. 1881— E. Hanian beat E. 0. Laycook, Thames. Time, 25-41. 1882— B. Hanian beat R. W. Boyd, Tyne. Time, 21 £5. 1882— E. Hanian heat E. Trickett, Thames, Time, 28.0. * 1884— E. Hanian beat E - c - Laycock, Nepean. Time, 22.45. 1884— W. Beach beat E- Hanian, Parramatta. Time, 20-28j. 1885— W. Beach beat N. Matterson, Parramatta. Time, 24-lli--1885—W. Beach beat Clifford, Parramatta, Time, 26.0. 1885— W. Beach beat E. Hanian, Parramatta. Time, 22-51-1886— W. Beach beat J. Gaudaur, Thames. Time, 22.23. 1886— W. Beach beat Wallace Boss, Thames. Time, 23.5. 1887 W. Beach beat E- Hanian, Nepean. Time, 19.55. 1888—P. Kemp beat E. Hanian, Parramatta. Tune, 21.26. 1888—P. Kemp beat E. Hanian, Parramatta. Time, 20.30. 1888— H. Searle beat P. Kemp, Parramatta. Time, 22.43j. m 1883— H. Searle beat W- O’Connor. Thames. Time, 22.40. 1800—P. Kemp beat Neil Matterson, Parramatta- Time, 21.134. 1830—P. Kemp beat J. M'Lean, Parramatta. Time,' 21.45j. 1290—1T Lean beat P. Kemp, Parramatta. lime, 22.13. 1891— J. Stanbury beat J. Parra- ■ matin. Time, 22.164. 1891— J. Stanbury beat J. M'Lean, FarraTme, 18.25* m 1892 J. Stanbury beat T. Sullivan, Parramatta. Wme. 18.2 L* 1896 J. 'Stanbury beat Harding, Thames. ' Time, 21.51. - 1896—J- Gaudaur beat J. Stanbury, Thames. Time, 23 A. 1297 —Gaqdaar beat F. Johnstone, Vancouver. Jjine ttPfc given. 1901 —Q. Town* meat J. Gaudaur, Canada. Time. 20.30. ’ 1804— G. Towns beat R. Tressider, Parramatta. Time, 21.485. ( ISOS—J. Stanbury beat G. Towns, Parra- | matta. Time, 19.47. I 1806— G. Towns beat J- Stanbury, Parramatta- Troe, 19.5351907 —GV Towns beat E. Human, Nepean. Two, 22.27. I rpfcfi course in 1305 wu not too usual one, ■fid ibe time was unofficial. * The course was made shorter than usual b> then events. 1