The Sculling Championship.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5575, 21 September 1889, Page 2

The Sculling Championship.

Sydney papers to hand show there was great interest taken there in the great sculling contest between Searle and O'Condor. As midnight approached crowds of pedestrians were to be seen wending their way towards the General Postoffice,whero, in waiting for the result, was Mr John Spencer, who with his brother, Mr T. Spencer, has proved himself Searle's most faithful supporter. By the kind permission of the Postmaster-General they were allowed to receive the cablegram actually at the Postoftice, where a comfortable room was placed at the disposal of the party, consisting of the Hon. D. O'Connor, Postmaster-General, and Messrs Warby, Stephenson (the sculler), Matterson sen., Smith, Ferae, J. Thompson, and W. Merriman. At one o'clock, or a few minutes past, the news arrived that Searle had won, and a congratulatory cable was sent to the champion at once. From full cabled accounts of the race in the various papers we cull the following additional particulars to those already published : — The Canadians were so confident of O'Connor being the victor thatontheMonday they cabled £10,000 to London to be placed on O'Connor. This large sum was duly invested, and it had the effect of making the Canadian the favorite in the betting before the race started. The odds before the race were 5 to 4 on O'Connor. The race for the first mile or so was the grandest known, and the time to Hammersmith Bridge is the best on record. Doubtless, hitting a piece of floating wood with his scull, and consequently missing his stroke when off the creek, somewhat dazed O'Connor, and allowed Searle to overtake him there. Searle thinks that O'Connor is the fastest man he ever met, while O'Connor states that Searle is a phenomenon. Off Alexander's boat-shed O'Connor caught a bad "crab." The race was the fastest vet rowed on the Thames. The time for the first mile was 4m in. ftSsec, and (o Hammersmith Suspension Bridge (one mile and three-quarters), Bmin. 38see. These times are unequalled. O'Connor's time for the entire race was 23min. 2sec, or3Bsee. behind the winner.

Searle was interviewed at the finish, and said that had the result of the race been in doubt he could have made much faster time. He admitted for the first two miles he had hard work to get the lead of O'Connor, but after that distance had been accomplished he saw that the Canadian was beaten, and he consequently did not exert himself. In fact, during the remainder of the race Searle says that he simply paddled, and if it had been necessary he could have increased his lead so as to have won by 40 lengths.

On the day after the race Mr Daniel O'Connor, M.P. , who has taken a lively interest in the race, cabled from Sydney the following message to Searle :—"Australia is proud of you. Tho whole people send their heartiest congratulations on your splendid victory."