ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 532, 12 June 1909, Page 12

ROWING.

fflt MKnctTHT.X Juno 22.-World's Championship, Webb v Arnst,. Wanganui. .'.--.■■.. Reports from Wanganui state that intcroet in «?i e ?K'^.'.W^ h ,,'S- < ;g' ; MuaUy i ;,bocbming intense." It"'could easily' do.'so" without causing any wild oxcitcmont, as the -preparations for tno big event are being treatod with a surprising degree of lethargy by the public, which coolness is the more marked on'account-of the feverish excitement and discoursive newspaper talk occasioned by tho last meeting of the men. As a matter of fact, tho publio is not treating tno present match as seriously as perhaos it d& serves. Tlus is regrettable, but .there is no doubt that many are looking askar.ee at the whole tlnng-an unfortunate state of affairs, probably occasioned by the. suddenness with which the match was made, the fact that both scullers were supposed to be of the same-partv' in. Akaroa, and the, unoharitablences o"f humau.nature. Perhaps, as tho rnco becomes nearer, interest m it, will quicken. In the meantime only tho vaguest -news trickles down, from .tho. seat of ..war. . We are told that both' men do so ranch work a day, and that both/are fit 7?f w ?".-an'I i that Webb had a new boat and likes it, and that is all. Perhaps the "set. baok incurred by the Wanganni cognoscenti when. Arnst wrested the title from -WVob-the occasion when fte multitudinous faults debited to Arnst a account were very apparent in the newspapers and very much to seek in his seullmg-has mado tliem,ohary about submitting too olose an analysis of tho Bcullers' form o the pub he. Which is wiße on their pa™ m view of the vehement remarks mado by the public when it realised the extent 'to which it had been misled on the previous occasion • Particulars are now to hand of thoPcarceritlWr^." 11 Australian chainfrom the Sydney "Sun's" account of recent dato:-Harry Pearco yesterday beat Ben Thoroughgopd wa sculling match for thei chamd S ]" P ft Of Anstrali V lvd £ } w n-sido'on the Parramatta River. Pearce has rowed several fine handicap races and matches, but'rosterday s pftort excelled all previous ones. Most peoples-judgment was based upon Pearce C ing a "milor" only hut his raw against Arnst the present world's champion, was lost sipht pushed Arnst very hard and h^sn^^^ r«.KP«v ro,v . in f t a tr ™™dous]y hard fmile, but Pearce carried too many guns for him ves erdav, and lasted more thafthe mile 3 fo rowed a masmficcnt race, in fact, and upon go ting a solid ead of two lengths in the first that , he H avod off " the man y fine efforts "vl J T U f W- 'I Wear i,u down ' Tllo »ce really lasted for two miles and a quarter Thoroughgood was almost in it up to "bit F,°c\,i t Peareo, against all predictions, lasted out the course wonderfully well,- and shattered all ideas as to him being only a great > e , r- -ft e ca " so as t'ar as any presont-dav sculler there is no doubt, and on yesterday's perlormanco appears to bo next best man to Kiehard Arnst, champion of tho world. I enrce s victory was a surprise to most people, but it was greeted to the echo with rounds of enthusiastic cheers. Fearce had never won a match in Australia, having been beaten bv lresidder nnd Arnst, two of tho world's best' "f r-c.=.i-t He defeated W. A. Barry of England.-ond Hackney, of Canada, ei-»ht years ago, and then suffered two defeats on the Parr... j..a in succession at the hnnda of Tresiiidor nml Arnst. A well-built . fellow, and with plenty of beart, Harry persisted in proving that ho could row more than a mile,.and yesterday he succeeded in the third attempt iipdcmor. (*truting it. .

Iso.time was lost by the scullers on the mark and, amidst great excitement, they dashed off at tho first attempt, against a tide wh-ch was about an hour ahead of the ebb, and a liehf north-east breeze. IWc«, rowing beautifully, was ahead at tho first few strokes, and Thoroughgood's supporters, who knew their man to do :i tremendous mile, were somewhat perplexed. At a hundred yards Pearee-wns a length .ahead, rowing 31 to the minute, against Thoroughjrood's 28. Two hundred yards from the start Pcarce was two clear lenpths ahead and at Ulir s Point (quarter-mile) Pcarcc was still two lengths ahead. The time to this point was Imin. 4,Vec. Pcarce was now rowinß stroke for stroke with Thor"U(rhgood, and it was apparent that ho was taking a momentary spell, hut Thorouglmeod's admirers were shouting'. "Even money Ben," "Go it, Ben," whilst Penrce's friends cried, "Good boy Harrv; stick to it.," Both were sculling clonnlv. nnd cettiiiß prcot pace, but Pcarco was palnably, nlthangh rowing the fastest stroke, his own. 'Approaching the luiie] where 7'earce v;as supposed to shut up, Thorougligood was exhorted to try his best, and break his man up, but Pcnrce responded to a linn smirt of his opiionent's, and raced nast tho mile-just a bore length ahead. Tho time was Gmin. lSsec. which, atrninst tido and wind, was goni , .. I'earce cut in.«ido tho beacon, but ThorpughgacHl' went round it, nnd within a fmv moments Pearce was again two lengths ahead. At a mile and a quarter it was eithor mnn's race. Thorouglignod made a terrific j effort, and his boat overlapped Poarce'n, but I Poarco steered & p>od ooßise, and getting in I

Bu> lee of Putney Point, responded again, and drew away to two lengths. They raced past Putney with Pearoe a bare length ahead, th« tamo being 9min. fiDeco. for the milo and a half. From here they crossed own- to the Gasworks, and Pearce made a great mistake in not keeping fnrtbor to the northern shore and one of the tide. Instead, h« rorcod dead ahead of T&oroughgood, over to tho southern ehoro, oloso to the Gasworks. Horo wae a oriticai point in the raco. Thoronghgood spurted very hard, and tried to wear down Ms opponent, who was nearly all through rowing a faster stroke.

Thoronghgood'e boat appeared to be again overlapping his opponent*s, and, amidst terrifie excitement, a desperate raoe ensued for th« next 300 yards. Thoh Thoroughgood, great 6tay«r as he is, failed for a few moments, and Poajco's great etaraiaa, which he showed against Arnst, asserted itself, and ho drew avray with a glorious • epnrt to three lengtha clear. Off Tennyson (two miles) Pcaroo, rowing the bettor of the two, was still three longtkfl ahead, and Stanbury laid 2 to 1 on Pearce, tad Beach was heard to exclaim, "Pearoo has Rot him.' . They rowed stroke for etroke, notwithstanding that Thoroughgood was using biggor blades, and was tho etrongor and heavier man. Then came Thoroughpood's last effort.. The men were then ncaring Cabarita(2} milee). Thoronghgood made, a tremendous effort here. and got almost within a length of Pearoo, ana they raced past the wharf, with, Pearce a length and a half ahead, the time being 17 minutes. Pearco's response to Thoroughgood'e spurt was a magnificent one, and ho drew away to throe lengths npain. Tho race was now over, for although Thoroughgood tried again and again to make an impression to woar down his opponent, Pearce more than held Mβ own, and oasily held his opponent to' the finish, winning by two lengths after one of the finest ™ece_ ctot seen on the river. The time for the fnll course was 21min. 1950 c,, which irai splendid timo against tide and wind.