AQUATICS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1677, 5 July 1879, Page 3

AQUATICS.

KEMPSTER AND SPENCER. i [From the “ Field.”] 1 A scullers’ race for £IOO a side was rowed ( between Joseph Kempster, of Sunderland, and William Spencer, of Chelsea, on the usual metropolitan course from Putney to y Mortlake, and resulted in an easy victory of the Northcountryman, although there was a magnificent race for two miles. Joseph Kempster, who is 28 years of age and j weighed 9st 101 b, first commenced sculling r in 1872, when he beat several men of minor repute, including Lally, who was subsequently drowned, and others, and in the spring of 1873 defeated Walker in a match on the Wear, though in August, when he had a race with W. Hill bstween Putney and Mortlake, he was disqualified for fouling, j At the commencement of 1874 he defeated , Hill in a second match, but was compelled 1 to succumb to W. Nicholson, A. Hogarth, , and to J. Cunningham in a match on the Wear in 1876, but in 1877 he twice beat J. Gallon. William Spencer is 33 years of age, t and weighed 9st Clb, and ho has won the : majority of the matches which he has been engaged in, having suffered defeat only twice out of thirteen times. Three steamers ac- ‘ companied the race, one of them being j chartered by some persons independent of the two sculleis. Hr F. 8. Gulston was , umpire, and viewed the race from the Dahlia, ' which had an average number of spectators , on board. The wind blew rather hard from the north east, and veered round rather more to the north during the race, so that the , elements were not favorable for fast time. The men appeared at the post shortly after j two o’clock, Kempster being piloted by A. Hogarth and Spencer b G. Drewitt, and while they were taking their preliminary ! spins a good deal of betting took place on board the steamer, 2 to 1 and 9 to 4 being laid on Spencer, and freely taken by the supporters of the Northcountryman. Kempster having won the toss took the Middlesex side, with Spencer on the Surrey side. The men got away on even terms, Kempster in a few strokes drawing out a slight lead, which he increased to half a length at the Duke’s Head and a whole one at Simmon's, 2 to 1 being offered on Spencer. Nearing the London Boathouse Kempster bored Spencer over to the Surrey side, so that off the flagstaif of the London Bowing Club two or three feet of daylight intervened between the stern of the Northcountryman’s boat and the nose of Spencer’s. The Northcountryman f.-aring a foul, spurted and increased his lead to a length and a half at the Bishop’s Creek. Between this and Craven Cottage Spencer made a splendid rush, but he was unable to overhaul the Northcountryman, who increased his advantage to two lengths at the half mile post. Nearing Craven Cottage, although in the worst tide, commenced to gain slowly ; and, as Kempster was rowing across in front of him, the friends of the Thames man called upon him for an effort, and he spurted past the Grass Wharf, gaining a good length by the time that he had reached Walden’s signboard, where the Sunderland man was barely clear. Crossing the water, the men met quite a miniature s»p, the wind blowing nearly straight down Crab Tree Beach ; and Spencer still kept steadily gaining on his man, eo that, by the time Bose Bank was reached, the Northcountryman was only a few feet in advance ; but odds were still offered on Sponcer. At the Crab Tree Spencer had perhaps gained an advantage of a few feet, but seemed to be rowing short, and to be suffering from the tremendous exertions he had been making ; while his opponent, on the other hand, who had at Craven Cottage appeared somewhat distressed, now seemed to be sculling more within himself. Spencer, however, kept on spurting, and still led at the . Soap Works dummy by two or three feet, being rather too close to the Surrey shore. : Kempster, in the better tide, here rushed • rapidly up to Spencer, and, heading him at [ the upper end of the palings of the Soap i Factory, went in front, his boat’s nose first i showing a few inches in front, then a few feet, until at the Distillery he was half a i length in advance. The Thames man, how- - ever, in obedience to the calls of his pilot,

again made an effort, and from the lastnamed place to the Suspension' Bridge a ding-dong race ensued, the two men rowing stroke for stroke, and neither gafning an inch, so that at the Bridge—(time' IGmin 40sec) —Kempster was still half a length in front. No change occurred until they reached Biffen’s, where Kempster again commenced to draw away, and at last cleared his opponent at the Lead Mills, odds still being laid on the Londoner. At the Doves, where Kempster led by a length and a third, Spencer spurted, but he was answered by the Northcountryman, and, as the effort of the former died out, Kempster drew rapidly away, so that at the Oil Mills ho was two lengths to the good, and it now became evi dent that he had outstayed Spencer, and that, accidents expected, the Sunderland man would win. Odds were now laid on him, and he went ahead fast as he passed Chiswick Eyot, and held a lead at the church of three lengths. Opposite the Duke of Devonshire’s meadows the leading sculler was driven out of his course by a skiff ; but, though he lost ground somewhat by this, he drew away again, and led at Barnes Bridge by about five lengths. From this point to the finish he sculled leisurely in front, and won a gallant race by about five lengths, or rather more, the time being 25min 3s*o. The winner, who sculls in good form with a capital reach, hardly uses his back enough, but there is no doubt that he is a wonderful stayer, and will probably win some good races in the future. Spencer, who is one of the best second-raters that we have ever seen on the Thames, rowed most pluckily, and his efforts to wrest the lead from the Northcountryman from the halt mile to the Doves were something out of the common.