BARRY V. TOWNS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14383, 28 November 1908, Page 4

BARRY V. TOWNS

ENGLISH SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIP. YOUTH WINS AGAIN.. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 16. The result of the sculling match for the championship of England was just what those expected who knew that Barry was a fitayer. Tho young man's youth—he had 13 years the advantage of his opponentwon him the race, which is said to have been rowed in the fastest time on record. Hero are a few comparisons of tho contestants and their equipment:— / Towns. Barry. Age 3il vears 20 years Height • sftßiin . Cft Weight llst'llb list 61b Length of boat 23ft 27ft Length of sculls 9ft GJin 9ft BJin Tom Sullivan (for Towns) and Mr 11. T. Blackstaffo (for Barry) tossed for position, and tho latter, winning, ciioso the Surrey side of the river. There was a splendid ticlo coming up the river, and the water was a lit lb? johbly. The tjvo boats got away without delay. Towns caught .water first) but Barry had th> greater length in his earlier strokes. The Australian registered 20 for the first half-minute and 38 for the whole minute: Barry'only put on 36, and was left, nearly half a longth in tho rear at the end of the minute. At the end of tho first, mile, which was cut out in 4min 44sec, Towns was a, length and aquarler ahead. He then made across to the Surrey shore, but Barry came at him so determinedly that he .had to go back to his own water. Without quickening his rate of striking, Barrv il'-pw up so fast that by the time the Hammersmith bridge was pessed he had reduced the space to half a length. Tho excitement of the crowds on the towpaths and the following steamers, which was now intense, was turned to indignation when a launch, steaming past the scullers and 400 yards ahead, gavo both a heavy Wash, Barry so" much that he'could scarcely keep his boat straight and fell hack to, his old position a length and a-half behind. , . .. However, the pace was beginning to tell on the veteran, and Barry, rowing o. steady 28, pulled up and raced up Chiswiok Eyot on even terms. At Chiswick steps he was 2ft ahead, but although he-gradually unproved his distance, Towns hung to him in. a desperate manner, twice spurting m response to a call from'TomSulliva.n, who was "showing him up" from a cutter. At Barnes bridgo Barry was two lengths ahead. He increased this to three, but, in doubt as to where the finish was, lost some of his advantage again and won by ] two longihs. The distance was covered in 21min 12 2-sscc. There, was never any danger of a. foul, and the race was one ot the gamost and best ever rowed. I WILL WEBB. COME HOME? _ The next thing loikcd for in rowing circles here is a match between Barry and tho winner of the Wcbb-Arnst race for the championship of the world. George Towns said after the race that be had really intended when ho handed oyer the world's championship to' his brother Charles to retire from sculling. He had had his dav. and was getting on in years. But when 'Barry left the amateur ranks and ohallcnacd 'him for the championship of England, which he had held since 1899, it 6eemed to be a, good opportunity for his wife to see her friends in.England, so he had come. He hoped the result would resuscitate interest in sculling in England. DICK ARNST NOMINATED. He added: "You have now a champion, but I have ft man out yonder who I think can come over here and boat Jihn. His name is Dick A.rnst; of New Zealand, who is matched to row Webb on December 15 next for tlie world's'championship. He is a magnificent cfeponent of tiro art, and if brought to England will, I think, prove himself a credit to .the counts to which I am returning a vanquished man." Towns will return to Australia by the Oromz on November 27. Curiously enough, in his first matoh for the English championship in 1898, Towns was defeated by Barry's eldest brother, W. A. Barry. WILL HE COME! Mr Spencer • Gollan, who furnished Towns's lacking, said to Barry after the raw: "Well, the next best'thing for you to do is to come over to New Zealand and row Webb. It would be a good match." "I'll bo pleased to row Webb," replied Barry; "but I'm not going to leave my wife and kiddy for that, and I can't afford to take them so great a distance. If Webb will come to England I'll row him." An effort is to 'bo roado to induce the winner of the Wcbb-Arnst match to come to England to defend the championship of the world on the Thames, but it is most unlikely the holder of that title, whoever he may be, will ever forgo tho right estalished by Gaudaur, to defend it in his own wafers. • • THE CHAMPION. Ernest Barry was born in London in. 1882, and was taught to scull' by his brother William. As a lad ho was apprenticed to a Putney oar and sail maker. His first race of note was the Putney Coat and Badge in 1893, in which he was second. Since thdn he has been successful in many handicaps and scratch race.;. In 1903 he won the Doggctt's Coat and Badge, and in 1902-3-4 tho Staines Open Sculls. •