THE SCULLING RACE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7269, 27 October 1910, Page 3

THE SCULLING RACE

ERNEST CARRY'S RET CRN. ENGLISHMAN'S TRIBUTE TO ARNST -I DO NOT WISH TO MEET A FIXER OITOXENT." THAMES RACE LIKELY'. FXIOM OVU SPECIAL COtIHESI’OXDKNX. LONDON, September IG. Ernest Barry, the- ficuiloi, returned to EngUir.U on Saturday t;om the Zambesi, where lie was defeated by ArirA, of New Zealand, in the race for the world’s sculling chumpionshil). Barry landed iu excellent spirits, and looked extremely well. sTjitnraiiy enough he is disaopointed at tne result of ino race, the winning ot which he had looked forward to with confidence, but it has not affected his health. He has filled out considerably, and to-day must bo well over Ifist iu weight. Almost tho first words tnait ho said were: ”X am sorry that t did not win alter such spiendid support; but X did my utmost from start to finish. 1 was not myself/’

Xu tho course of a long interview with ”'X ! he Sportsman,” Barry had some interesting things to say about the race and his -Sow Zealand conqueror. "Aintt,” he said, "is a very fine sculler, ami ho was certainly not overrated, 110 gets his sculls iu easily and has only a light beginning, but. gathering power a. 3no goes along with his stroke, ho lira a tremendously strong finish. XXo finishes with his arms and el-oows out and away from his body. Xlis clogs are very close to him, and at the eud of Ills stroke his knees and cheat are utmost together. lie is a lino sculler and has splendid strength, as you can gather !by lus proportions and height, the latter being Git. lie raced with seven-inch blades, and had a magnificent boat that was built for him by George Towns. It was built iu one piece from stem to stern, and was a beautiful model.”

Row did you get on with Arnst? “1 found him a delightful fellow and as straight as a gunbarrcl. He is as good-natured and generous as a schoolboy. I do not wish to meet a finer opponent. Jack, his brother, is a ‘trump/ and also wishes to come to England, Arnst ia sure to be popular if ho pays us a visit. 0 NOT UP TO FORM. Did you do yourself justice, and were you at the top of your form? “I was not. My sculling iu the race was equal to that I showed against Towns, but it was not up to the standard of nxy acullmg at .Putney a week prior to leaving. Thqre were several causes for that. In tfle first place, there was the accident to my ankle. That kept Hie out of the boat for four days, and then again for three days. It was much swollen, and is so now (Barry lifted his foot and showed that such was the case.) I do not wish it to be thought that this accident alfected my rowing. Indeed, I did not feel it, but the ‘let up' kept me short of work and condition. I do not think I was so good again afterwards. Arnst almost fell over the same mat. There was also the important question of air, I found that breathing in the rarified air was extremely difficult. It prevented me from doing anything laborious or quick for any length of time. After a spurt it made me feel as if the inside of my chest was .burning. : One had to stop spurting owing to the breath giving out. It was' very hot, and I suffered from dry thirst, and my lips split." Were you on the course sufficiently long to do yourself justice? “No; I think x should have done better'with a longer spell there. At the (Same time, I recognise .that on the adjviso given to my advisers they could ;not have 'acted ocher than, they did." What were your personal impressions ;of the race, and did you lose hope when .Arnst led you? “X never lost hope at any time, and lit was . difficult to realise that 1 was ibeaten. Tho inexperienced people thought | when they saw’ Arnst leading by two or 1 three lengths that he was winning ea&Nily; but I was pushing him along all :tlie time. About a quarter-mile from jhome I realised that an effort wasneces;sary, and I went alter him. Arnst had 'taken my water, but had to go out •again, and presently I saw' him. He had to spurt too, and then it was a toss-up who would stop*. My breath gave • out. and about 100 yards from the finish, although not physically tired, X had ito stop rowing. Arnst. who was also rowed out, managed to get across the jline. Afterwards, he was much done up land took some time to borne round. As ,a matter of fact, ho was feeling the ,cfiect of the race three days later. I jwas all right an hour afterwards. Arnst isaid to me, ‘lf you had not stopped I should have had to do so/ Arnst, who has generally won his races early, was much surprised, for he thought that when three lengths ahead he had as good as won.,” , Rowing men think that the heavy (water was against you? . “I think so as well. It w r as the heavilesrt water I have ever rowed in—like [treacle. What with that and a hot | wind at our backs for three miles and ,a half that was as strong as a brick wail it is only reasonable to assume that the stronger and more powerful man was favoured by the conditions/* Did these conditions cause you to alter your methods? “In the dead water I tried to strike quicker, but tho rarified air .was against that. On the Thames, when, a sonller tires, he can, if ho is clever, 'conjure' a little, but you cannot do that on the Zambesi/' Was Arnst at his best?

“X think so. Ho worked so very hard that towards the end of the training h© had to let up in order to regain his weight. He rowed at 13st 81b. I wua list 91b/' “A SECOND GEORGE BUBEAR/'

Barry added that ho was. certain he would do better on the Thames, and he expressed the intention of rowing throughout the winter to keep in fair condition, so as to be ready to meet Arnst if the latter, as is likely, comes to London next April. "I am still hopeful," he said, “and as ambitious os ever to win the title/'

Barry's trainer. Bossy Phelps, remarked that Arnst was N a very fine sculler. “Ho is a second George Bubear/' ho said, “but is Sst heavier. He is very powerful, too, and has not been overrated. The conditions, however, were all in his favour. The heavy water made tho work much harder for ,my man than for Arnst/'

Guy Nickalls, who was one of Barry's staunchest supporters, considers that the race was mod satisfactory, and rowed in a sportsmanlike ,way. Arnst he described as a generous winner. They had put up against him th© best English «culler of to-day, but he hoped that there would be a contest on tho Thames,

in which case Arnst might find it more diOicult to pull through. As a gcullor, Barrv is the m-ettiest, and up to the day of the race ho had thought him fmk-x -’uvf* ’or as a waterman; but on the day Arnst never made a mistake, rowing magnificently, while Barry made Aoru* errors which ho had expected A rust to make.

NiHiaßs «p-.cia!lv remarks on the ex-vaord-nmv depth' of avusUs sculling. Anyone but a man of giant strength Mould break is arm with such deep strokes. AUNST’S PROMPT JUSTICE. CAMERA SMASHED AND OWNER’ EVICTED. Wo hear on excellent authority (says “Tho Sportsman”) that the race did not pass without an incident that caused wino unpleasantness, at least to one individual. Among Arnst’s followers was a person who wont from New Zealand to Livingfetono with tho ostensible purpose of Liking photographs. During tho negotiations Mr U. Spencer Gollun received from this individual a letter in which it was suggested that he, tho writer, had Arnst under his thumb, and that they could all make “piles of money” if they could got him to leso the race. Tho writer therefore suggested that Mr Gollun should help to persuade Arnst that that was the best course. Per anybody to make such a proposition to Mr Gollan would have been laughable had it not been so serious. Mr Gollan at once handed the letter over to Air Nickalls, who decided to consider what action should bo taken, tie first informed Barry, who kaid that Arnst should bo spoken to on the matter, as ho had himself been approached bj* the same person, who said ‘“that it was their duty to get what they could." Arnst. when told by Mr Nickalls. was taken completely by surprise, and -was greatly disgusted. He, however, took •smart justice. Proceeding to his camp, where this' individual had been allowed ! to stay, he broke ever negative, emash- | oil un his camera, and pitched him out. A rust took a copy of the letter, which remains in tho posse-sskm of Mr Guy Nickalls,

Wo only mention this matter because it has been diecussed in -South Africa. A DISPUTE OVER EXPENSES. GUY NICKALLS'S PROTEST. In the “Sportsman" this week Guy Nickaiis gives i\io following version ot an unfortunate disagreement which took place shortly before the race in regard to Arnst’s expenses : “Fifteen, days before tho race Arnst and his supporters met our party at dinner and agreed upon and signed th«> articles. I need hardly say that we gave way to them on every point raised, and agreed pro tem to accept the new conditions invented, by them to control the race. Everything, I may say, was amicably agreed upon, and hud a typist been handy the articles would have been signed -that might, but at the request of Arnst three fair copieg were ordered to be typed in the .morning. By the time they were ready Arnst w r as back at his camp, and on taking them down for his signature ho refused point blank to sign them and said most definitely that there would bo no race until I produced a further hundred pounds for his expenses. I expostulated in vain He said he would pack up his traps and leave by Saturday's mail unless the money was immediately forthcoming. I explained that I had no money at my disposal, and pointed out what a hole he was putting me into so unexepctedly only -the day before the race. The only conditions on which he would sign wen© that I would personally guarantee him a further hundred, and this, much against my will, I had to do to ensure a race. I need hardly say what I generally thought of over this business. Ho was badly advised, and I look to New Zealand to make good to me."