Frisco Mail Items

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 50, 15 October 1889, Page 3

Frisco Mail Items

THE AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIP.

(Per R.M.S. Zeaiandia.) (PEE UNITED PIIEB3. ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, October 13. , General summary, with dates to Septernbr 22.

The English Admirals made their reports ou the reuent manoeuvres of the British fleet on September 13. They find that the machinery of their best vessels and of the torpedo boats was constantly in need of repair, and

.." the rate/of.; speed attained fell far below what is considered necessary for 1 j»ffective ;;.work. Almost all the fast failed to steam up to their nominal;' speed, or to maintain the maximum steam pressure when it was reached.. The Protestant Alliance has re solved to strenuously oppose the Government's proposals to establish a Catholic University in Ireland. The following despatch was received from St. Paul, Minnesota, under date August 26 : — " A young Australian named Chas. L. Wateon, employed during the laat three months as a common labourer in this city hats to-day received news of tbe death of his father J. B. Watson, known to , fame as an Australian Bonanza King, by whichhe succeeded to an inheritance of three million pounds sterling, Watson is reported to have sailed for Sydney from San Francisco by the steamer on September 21st, but his name does not appear in the passenger list of the Zeaiandia, which left for Sydney, via Auckland, on that date, and the officers of the Zeaiandia, in Teply to questions asked whilst the vessel was in Anckland Harbour, eaid they knew of no such person being ou board. The boat race between Searle and O'Connor was witnessed by 30,000 persons. The New York Times' London cable, September 9th, says : — O'Connor was beaten to-day as completely with seenvng ease as if he had been an amateur, although in fact his Time of course was the best ever made. His competitor seemed at every stage after Dorsetville had been passed to be sculling slowly, so obvious was Searle's superiority. There was no doubt iv anyone's mind that Searle had greater strength, a better style, and liner, mastery of tbe art than any of his predecessors in the championship. He too may go off as Haulan did, but to-night there could probably be found more money here to back him against the world than has ever been ready to put on any other sculler. Searle's strokes were slow and machine like, with a dagging sweep somewhat novel in their mechanical deliberation, curiously contrasted with O'Connor's nervous pulling. He could have won by much mure than 20sec. if he had chosen for he was visibly fresh at the finish, whereas O'Connor was dead beat before the race was nearly finished.