AQUATICS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1684, 14 July 1879, Page 3

AQUATICS.

HANLAN AND HAWDON FOR £IOO. Edward Hanlan, of Toronto, and John Hawdon, of Delaval-upon-Tyne, on May sth sculled over the Tyne Championship Course from boats moored off the Mansion House to the Suspension Bridge at Scotawood, for the sum of £2OO a-side. Hanlan trained for his engagement at the Ord Arms, Scotawood, and was brought into the finest possible condition,

pealing on the day of the race 10at 131 b. Hawdon, too, progressed well, although on turning out he perhaps erred slightly on the fleshy side. His weight was 10at 121 b. The Race. The start was effected at 1 471 precisely. Hawdon contrived to get the first good grip of the water, and so heavy a stroke did he take that he had covered nearly half a length before the Toronto man was on the move. The latter, however, was in no way daunted, for he resolutely went at it, and leaning forward until his chin seemed almost to touch his knees he took a tremendous sweep with his sculls, following it up with another, which drove him level. The Delaval man was striking forty-two to the minute in his usual light style, but was progressing rather unsteadily, the spray flying from the blades of his sculls, and his skiff being a little off her keel. The contrast between the styles of the competitors was remarkable from the very outset. Hanlan, instead of driving away at twenty-eight per minute, his customary pace, whilst exerting enormous power, was dashing in his sculls at the rate of quite forty, every stroke ho took seeming to make his skiff almost fly along. Barely had he taken half-a-dozen pulls when he had secured a slight advantage, and he drew away from his man with almost amazing rapidity. Before 150 yards had been covered ho had a length to the good, the next moment he had drawn clear, and with one or two more terrific strokes when off the east end of Wylie’s Quay, had left half a length of daylight between the boats. Still he did not decrease his slaughtering stroke of forty, and accordingly at the end of Skinner Burn he had another length to the good. He now received a signal from Bright to take matters easily, and ho responded with light-ning-like rapidity, dropping down at once to thirty-two. Hawdon by this time had settled down into his well-known staying stroke of thirty-six, and his boat was travelling much better than was the case in the first rush of getting away. The time to Skinner Burn was Imin. 18sec. At the western end of the steamboat landing the iCanadian was leading by two and a half lengths, and he was then striking at about thirty to the minute. From this point he seemed to take veiy little more notice of his guide in the cutter, repeatedly looking round to see where he was going to, and seemingly,'fearful that he should encounter some floating rubbish. Hawdon, on the contrary, never took his eyes off Jas. Percy, and receiving a signal from that personage, he quickenedS [up to thirty-eight. He, however, gained no advantage from this, as bis steerage became very bad. At one moment he bored in towards the northern shore, whilst the next he pulled hard with his left, and veered out aga’n as though afraid of bringing about a foul. About the foot of the Q-rindstone Quay Hawdon made a fine effort, sweeping his sculls through the water in beautiful style, and increasing his pace materially. His rival noticed the manoeuvre, but did not respond in the slightest degree, and consequently allowed the Tyne man to approach within half a length of him. Hawdon continued his exertions, but do what he would ho could not get alongside his opponent, for a few yards below Redheugh-bridge the latter, with a slight exertion, once again shot away. This circumstance was duly noted on board the official steamer, and ten to one on the Canadian was offered in many quarters. Some business was the result, for £IOO to £lO was accepted several times, the admirers of the Delaval representative no doubt thinking that the wonderful staying powers of Hawdon might enable him to pull through at the finish. Getting even nearer to the bridge Hawdon still further quickened up to forty, but the Canadian would not suffer too great liberties to be taken with him, and banding down to work once more he went through the bridge with a leead of fully two lengths—time, 3min. 40sec. The moment the competitors rounded the bond just above this point they experienced the full strength of the wind d and the water was very choppy right across the channel. Indeed, there was very little in the choice of positions. Hanlon got as near the northern shore as possible, Hawdon rowing possible in his wake, and thereby perhaps experiencing a little back wash. All along by the Lead Works the Toronto man was looking round and picking his way most cautiously, and this step was not unnecessary, inasmuch as there was a good deal of rubbish and other impedimenta. Just below Cooper’s Stairs the American Champion commenced a series of manccuvres which were certainly never before observable In any great race in this country. Every now and then he stopped rowing completely, and seemed to be more bent on looking at the spectators on shore than in attending to business. It was remarkably comical to notice the style in which his head kept turning from side to side, and there were frequent bursts of laughter as he was noticed to be apparently admiring the scenery, and forgetting that he was not out on an afternoon’s pleasure excursion. Nor could it be said that the Tynesider was by any means settled, for he was going along in capital style, with a stroke of about thirtysix, and of course whenever his antagonist indulged in a pause he pulled up considerably. Hanlan, however, repeatedly went ahead with the greatest ease, though just off Cooper’s Stairs he had barely a length to the good. The time to this point was 5 min. 43sec. Hawdon now dropped down to thirtytwo, the rough water seeming to puzzle him greatly. Still he feathered high, and avoided the waves, as the other sculler had done from the very outset. The cheering at this point was something immense, as the spectators on shore, of course, were not aware of what had transpired further down, and seeing the men so close together they imagined the race was a pretty close one. Hanlan took a beautifully-judged course from the end of the New Quay corner to the Dunn street gangway, making a straight run, and getting all the shelter available, whilst Hawdon was ploughing on through very rough water out in the river. The time to the bottom of Dunn street was 7min. 56<cc, the Transatlantic sculler having two lengths to the good. Not the slightest change occurred up to Waterson’s Gates, one mile from the start, the time being 9min. 4jeo. Many thousands _ of people occupied the haughs at Low Elswick, and their plaudits were heartily taken up and responded-to by an enormous mass of onlookers at the bottom end of the King’s Meadows. Some rather strongly-worded “ entreaties ” were now levelled at Hawdon by several of his friends, and in response he quickened up materially, a movement which elicited a huge roar from the company on the Meadows. Hanlan was progressing in the most indolent style, stopping every now and again, and at length he allowed the Delaval sculler to decrease his lead to three-quarters of a length. The former smiled pleasantly at the excited demonstrations made on shore, and shortened his strokes, apparently for mere amusement. Then ho let out once more at the rate of thirty-two, and rushed three lengths ahead, only to stop for about the twentieth time and have another look at the people. The time to Armstrong’s Shearlegs (one mile and a half) was 13 min. 5 sec., Hanlan leading by a length precisely. At this spot the latter discerned a basket floating in the water, and he gave a comical twist of his head and turned round to have a good look at it. When nearing the floating obstruction he hoisted his sculls into the air, and allowed himself to drift past it, the quaint proceeding evoking another burst of laughter from the onlookers. Hawdon had now gone well over to the south to try and get some shelter under the lee of the Meadows, leaving his rival dashing through some very heavy waves, which repeatedly broke over him. Still the Canadian was as cool and collected as ever, and at the Elswick Gangway (time IStnin. Saee.) he was leading by two lengths. The two miles point is Armstrong’s Platform, which was reached by the leading man in 17min. 50sec. Hera the water was in a truly bad state, Hawdon being by far the best off, and had he had much energy left in him he ought to have drawn away. Though the heavy waves, however, the Canadian went ahead with the utmost sang froid. On one occasion, observing a heavy roller coming, he burst into a broad grin and stopped sculling until it had passed, regarding those on the umpire’s boat with a grimace as though to indicate that he considered that the proper way to act under the circumstances. His eccentricity of course took nearly all the way off his boat, and Hawdon profited by this to draw up nearly level. Hanlan laughed heartily, and- bending down to work with a few powerful strokes again credited himself with three lengths to the good. The head of the Meadows was reached in 20min Issec. A hundred yards further on Hanlan accomplished a feat which we should imagine is entirely without precedent in this or any other country. Looking down into his skiff he ascertained that he had shipped a good quantity of water, and pulling a length or so more to tho fore he quietly drew in his skulls,

and stooping down proceeded to sponge out his boat. The novelty and absolute audacity of this trick regularly convulsed tho spectators with laughter, whilst they could not help applauding the man who displayed such nonohalanco. The circumstance, however, will give our readers an idea of the confidence the Toronto man had that he could win just as he liked. Really no further description of tho race, if race it can be called, is necessary. Hanlon, striking twenty-eight, passed Paradise in 23min. from the start, Hawdon putting in thirty-two strokes to the minute. All along Sootswood Haughs the American did little else except look at the spectators, though once, as if in pure bravado, and just to show what ho had left in him, he put on a spurt, and went eight lengths ahead of Hawdon. After this he merely paddled, passing under Sootswood Suspension bridge with rather more than five lengths to the good. Time, as taken by Benson’s chronograph, 32min. ssec. The Canadian at once rowed up to his defeated rival and heartily shook hands with him, amidst great cheering from the spectators. Later on the men returned to town by tho umpire’s boat, £ls being collected for the unsuccessful sculler. remarks. "We seized the opportunity on Wednesday last of fully drawing attention to the peculiarities of Hanlon’s style of rowing, which gave him such an immense advantage over his rival, and we may briefly repeat them. The Canadian, as we have remarked above, makes full use of a sliding seat which traverses no loss a distance than fully IGin. He is thereby enabled to exert to tho utmost the enormous strength of his legs. When about to take a stroke he slides right forward until his knees well nigh touch his chin, and then with a vigorous thrust ho propels his body in the direction of the bow of his boat. Thus he not only imparts tho power derivable from tho muscles of his legs to his work, but ho gets the full impetus the swing of his body gives, whilst the muscles of his arms and shoulders are brought into full play. The swivel rowlocks allow of his taking this tremendous sweep with the sculls, and the latter, being exceptionally wide in the blades, give him a splendid hold on the water, and enable him to put forth his efforts with the best and most telling advantage. Hawdon undoubtedly rowed pluckily and well. Though he must have been terribly disheartened by beholding the style in which his antagonist literally played with him he never relaxed his exertions, and all that grace and neatness before observable in his sculling was displayed on this occasion. Ha, however, was decidedly overmatched, for tho pace ho could assume was as nothing in comparison to that now and again put on by the Canadian. Tho match must prove exceedingly interesting, as teaching tho advantages of the Canadian style of rowing as compared with that which has hitherto found favor in England, and our scullers will do well to profit by the example set them.