THE RACE BETWEEN LAYCOCK AND HOSMER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2995, 31 January 1881, Page 4

THE RACE BETWEEN LAYCOCK AND HOSMER.

Unusual interest attached to tho meeting of Elias C. Laycock and George H. Hosmer over the the championship course on November 2, from the fact that Australia and America have never previously been pitted against each other on the water. The weather was fine. There was a large crowd at Putney, and four steamers accompanied the scullers. Betting wae 2 to lon Laycock on shore at first, but it veered round to only about 6 to 4 at the start, the men getting away from boats moored in the centre of the river above the Star and Garter, Laycock to the southward. There was nothing of a tide, and but smooth: water. The men lost no time in stripping, and at the first attempt dashed off, Hosmer rowing 41 to the minute, and the other 40. The moment they lay well down to their work it was a certainity that Hosmer would make a race of it. Plying his sculls with great rapidity, quite half a length separated them at the boathouse, the Antipodean making for the south shore. Under Barn Elms Laycock had all he knew to do to keep within distance while Hosmer got uncomfortably close, and right up to Hammersmith stood every chance of losing the race on a foul. At the top of the concrete wall, the old point, the American sculled away as fast as he had started, and Laycock cast glance after glance at him and worked harder and harder to lessen the gap; but the time had not come. Hosmer still kept his lead, being three-quarters of a length ahead at the Grass Wharf. Erom here to Walden's, however, Laycock woke up, and under the sheltered bank got up to 41, the American rowing the same. Eagerly they watched one another, and Laycock's spurt had the desired effect, for he got his boat's nose up the forward canva3 of the other, and the race now commenced with greater desperation than had been exhibited all along. Hosmer, with his head almost between his feet, dashed his sculls in with almost superhuman efforts, but the steady pulling of the Australian was destined to overeoire all his exertions. At Rose Cottage Laycoek drew nearly level. Hosmer answered the call of Green very well, but it was evident that his strength was fast failing him. He, however, stuck to his work, and at the centre of the Soap Works Bridge again nearly placed his boat's nose level with that of the other, bub ho fell off again and steered out too much, a foul being previously imminent. Up again he went as they approached G Wynne's iron foundry, but Laycock put in half-a-dozen as they approached the shade of Hammersmith Bridge, and this doing him good suit and service, he was just about clear under the structure —time, 9 minutes 32 seconds. Hosmer spurted again off Biffin's and overlapped his man well, but he was obliged to fall back again, as hie repeated efforts further weakened him. Again at the upper end of the Mall he looked as if he might avert the misfortune of the day. Laycock, however, was full of rowing, and laid ovit all his vast strength to great advantage. About 100 yards below the foot of the Eyot at Chiswick the end came ; Hosmer's head fell, and for a dozen strokes he only dropped his sculls in the water. Laycock, of course, drew away, and virtually paddled the rest of tho distance, allowing the Bostonian to come up now and then, and tben again leaving him further astern. Laycock, in the end, won oasily by four lengths in 25 minutes 17 seconds. The winner received a perfect ovation and a handsome collection was made for Hosmer on the boats.