THE SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9179, 8 October 1888, Page 6

THE SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIP.

Concerning the sculling match between j Peter Kemp and Edward Hanlan for the championship of the world and a stake of £1000, which was decided in the former's favour on September 28th, the Sydney Morning Herald gives the following account :— The weather was all that could be desired. The attendance of spectators was smaller than usual, and perhaps never before in the history of aquatics had so little public interest been taken in a race for the sculling championship of the world. There was not much wagering over the event, but what there was constituted Kemp a firm favourite. The majority of the public were convinced that Kemp would defeat the Canadian this time as he had done before. Hanlan, who weighed list, used his boat Melos, and Kemp, scaling list 41b, rowed in the A. F. Smart. Hanlan won the toss, and elected to pull on the southern side. Precisely at 4.33 the sculls struck the water together by mutual consent, Kemp rowing 40 strokes to the minute, and Hanlan striking 41. One hundred yards from the bridge they were racing on level terms. Kemp appeared to ease on a little in the next few strokes, and then Hanlan went up, but gained no appreciable advantage. A few seconds later, Kemp, who was rowing a splendid long sweeping stroke, shot up, and the men were again level. At this stage of the race both were pulling somewhat close in under the southern shore, when suddenly it was seen that there had been a foul, as Hanlan was holding his hand up. Directly the foul occurred, Kemp stopped rowing, and his rival moving on, soon gained a lead of more than half a length. The Australian then plied his sculls with great energy, and speedily drew on Hanlan. At Uhr's Point—time, 2min.—the men were level, Kemp striking 36 to Hanlan's 38, the former's long even stroke being magnificent. Half a mile from the start they were about level, but a little lower down the river Kemp was just in front of his rival. Approaching Blaxland's Point, the Australian spurted in fine style, and shot past his opponent with consummate ease. Kemp cleared the mile beacon in 6 minutes 10 seconds, having a length to the good. The champion now spurted, and drew away steadily, leading by fully two lengths at Putney, his time to the point being 9 minutes 38 seconds, the fastest yet recorded to Putney in a match race. Passing the wharf at Tennyson, Kemp led by three lengths. From this point to the finish the race needs no description, as the Hawkesbury sculler was able to increase his lead whenever he felt inclined. One Man Wharf was passed by the champion, who was 100 yards in front of the Canadian, in 18 minutes 55 seconds. After leaving this point astern Kemp gradually slackened his pace, and finally passed the winning beacon 19 seconds before Hanlan reached it, the Australian's time for the whole distance being 21 minutes 25 secondsvery good time when the force of the wind is taken into consideration. After the race, Hanlan hacked over to the umpire's steamer, and, looking up to Mr. Myers, who was seated in the bows, said : " Referee, I claim the stakes on a foul." The umpire : " I cannot allow it; I saw the foul—it was your fault." Concerning the foul, Kemp stated after the race between three and four hundred yards from the start we got close together. Suddenly Hanlan stopped pulling, and held up his right; seeing this, and thinking there must be something wrong, I also stopped, and backed water with my right scull. Whilst so doing, to my astonishment Hanlan again started off, and by this means he obtained the advantage of about a quarter of a boat's length of me. You may be sure that I was not long in going after him, and after a smart struggle I caught him at Uhr's Point." Hanlan stated that he would have won the race, had it not been for the foul which occurred about Uhr's Point. He said that on approaching Uhr's Point he v/as leading by about half-a-lcngth, when Kemp pulled into his water ; their oars touched, and he called out, "A foul, Kemp," and Kemp replied, " Yes, a foul." He then considered that the race was his, that he could claim it on a foul, and added that although he chased Kemp down the river, he never attempted to win the contest afterwards. He expressed much surprise at the decision giv*n by the umpire, condemned it as unfair, and said he intended to enter a protest. He said he was quite willing to row the race over again, in fact, was anxious to do so. He also added that it was his intention to meet Kemp again, and he was confident that the result on the next occasion would be different. At a meeting held the evening after the race, Kemp's backers agreed to match the champion against Henry E. Searle, the Clarence River oarsman, for £500 a-side and the sculling championship, the race to take place this day four weeks. This race, which will take place on the Parramatta, will be looked forward to with a great amount of interest. Speaking with regard to Searle, the Clarence River sculler, the champion said he was perfectly willing to meet him within a fortnight or three weeks from the present time, but would wait no longer, because, he said. " Searle is lit, and I'm in trim, and it would save both time and expense to have the contest decided at once." In reply to queries as to other oarsmen striving for the championship, Kemp said, Teenier is a good man, and, if he is the man the newspaper accounts make of him, he should come here. In my opinion, I think there is a good deal of puff about him. Any time he likes to come here, I'm ready for him; but as to whether I shall go to America or not, I shall certainly think twice of undertaking such a journey."