BLINDED SOLDIERS ASOARSMEN

Evening Star, Issue 15909, 15 September 1915, Page 7

BLINDED SOLDIERS ASOARSMEN

RACES ON THE THAMES. Of all the boat races which have started from- Putney Bridge those which took place on July 27 were surely among the Strangest and most -. remarkable. " The . mere idea of a boat-race of blind soldiers and blind boys is starring ; the event was of tlie nature of a revelation. It was, as Mr C. A. Pearson said at the luncheon to the crews in the Vesta Club, " a great and important event which would bring encouragement to blind men all over the country.' It showed that a blind man was still a man capable of competing with other men on terms that were almost equal." t There -were three races—a single-sculling race, a double-sculling race, and a race in tub fours. The competing trews were soldiers from the St. Dunstan's Hostel for Blinded Soldiers, Regent's Park, and bovs from the Woi-oestet College for the Blind. A Steam' launch followed the boats; on its deck about 50 blind men. from St. Dunstan's Hostel stood to cheer their friends , and make of this new adventure a jovous! festival. For it was in the spirit of hope and courage that these events were carried out; a hope which shamed doubt and a courage which overcame it. There- is no looking backward in this new world of the blind., The men who rowed rowed with all their strength, and displayed the most sportsmanlike enthusiasm;, the men who cheered, made the river banks echo to their good spirits. The fliood was infectious; it disarmed pity and sympathy, neither of wliieh. sentiments is asked for or welcomed. There I was something • greatljv-iinspirinjr j n t ue sight of Captain Owen, of the Capo Mounted Rifles, wjho loet lu's Sight during the recent South. African fighting, strahv Ing in dogged determination to pass the tmseen rival, Mr J. J. Tracy, who just succeeded m beating him over the course of 1,000 yards to Beverley Brook. And the same feeling was still a'gain when two privates, A,. J. Woollen, of the 2nd Wilts - a-nd 0. Cromwell, of the sth Territorial Gloucesters, fron pluckily over a course of three-quarters of a mile from a. couple of lads, L. W. Passmore Brown and B Ridjre, who fought the race out to the last 6troke. The four-oar. race was the big event, and aroused tremendous enthusiasm. Privates'" Jock " Steel (2nd Cameronians) and Milhgan (Irish Guards), Gunner Bate* (Royal Horse Artillery), and Corporal Petht (king's Royal Rifles) made up the St. Dunstan's crew; the Worcester College crew consisted of Messrs Wilkinson, Allison, Mende, and Taylor. St. Dunstan's won by a good length after a vigorous race of three-(ruarters of a mile in whidi their'rowing \vu& reallv astonishingly good. It was so good that no casual spectator would have suspected that the crew were, not then in poesessiou of nil their physical faculties. They rowed in perfect time, yet it is a fact tha.t onlv . one man in the St. '.Dunstan's. boat had rowed at all before training was bei'im on the lake in Regent's Park." " "