THOMAS AND CANNON FOR £200.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1814, 13 December 1879, Page 2

THOMAS AND CANNON FOR £2OO.

[“The Sportsman.”] Recently a match of considerable importance was brought to an issue. This was between Henry Thomas, of Hammersmith, and Joseph Cannon, of Kingston, for £IOO a-ride. An even smaller company than on Monday congregated to witness the contest, and very little public excitement was manifested. 1 he only redeeming feature was that the gathering was a thoroughly representative one, the Tyne being specially well represented. Both men had undergone oare--1 ful preparation, Thomas scaling list 11b and his opponent list 21b. During the morning several small attempts at speculation over the event had been made at evens, Cannon being a slight favourite. Nothing of moment, however, was done until the umpire’s boat moved out in the direction of the Aqueduct, when the company hastened to gather on board and to back the men they fancied. Weight of money was behind Thomas, and and he was quickly rushed to the position of favourite. Five to four on him was offered in vain, but on a point more being conceded some wagerieg took place, though 6 to 4 on the Hammersmith representative was on offer until after the start. On the second boat layers of odds were more liberal still, 2 to 1 being betted on Thomas, and lively business resulting. Mr John Ireland again officiated as referee. Harry Thomas waSjthe first to show out on the water, in his new boat the Kate. In the bow of the cutter engaged to show him up river was seated the well-known trainer George Drewitt. Joseph Cannon rowed in the Young Neptune, and Mr W. J. Innes, his principal supporter, undertook to officiate as his mentor, the cutter being steered by W. Spencer. The river at this period was in capital condition for rowing, the water being smooth, notwithstanding that a smart breeze blew from the southeast ; besides the tide was running up rather more strongly than was the case on the previous day. Thomas gained the toss, and chose the outer or Surrey station, a wise selection of position, as, besides gaining the full force of the tide, it enabled him to avail himself ot tho shelter on the Surrey shore later on when the wind became rather troublesome. At 1.24 the Hammersmith man doffed bis garments, and engaged in a short burst up river. His condition was capital in every respect, saving that he appeared a trifle on the big side. Cannon meanwhile had been making his toilet below the Aqueduct, and he soon came out for a “preliminary canter.” In a few seconds the men got to their stake boats, and Cannon, over-anxious, at once broke away. Thomas did not respond, but a second later went off on a spin of about thirty or forty yards, an example which was followed by Cannon. Once again the men backed to their stake boats, but some little time was still destined to elapse ere hostilities commenced. Cannon broke away no fewer than three times without inducing Thomas to respond. At length an understanding was effected, not at a particularly lucky moment for Cannon, as the water in his vicinity was considerably disturbed by the paddles of the umpire’s steamer. Still he secured a fine grip of the water as a preliminary, and settling down at once into a well-pnlled stroke of 42, ho secured a trifling lead in the first tweity yards. Thomas contented himself with putting in 40 during the first minute, and he, too, succeeded in getting a rare pace on his boat. Fifty yards further Cannon suddenly veered out of his course towards tho Middlesex shore, and by the time that he had straightened his boat the rivals were on level terms. Thus they progressed to the foot of the Concrete Wall, where the Kingston sculler, going very strongly, began onco more to show tho way. Half-way np the structure named he had half a length to the good, which he maintained, despite the exertions of Thomas. At the top of the wall the relative positions were unchanged, but Cannon ben- ing down to work with a will, though he still betrayed a tendency to veer Middlesexwards, crept steadily more to tho fore. Coming out slightly into the river Cannon had a length to the good at Walden’s Wharf, the time to which point was smin. Csec. He was apparently greedy for work, for he kept up his fine stroke, and at the mile point (time, smiu. 2Ssec.) he had left a quarter of a length of daylight between the boats. Here Thom is was obliged to swerve from his course to avoid a barge, and this gave Cannon a shade more advantage. The Hammersmith man, however, was by no means flurried, but he kept well at work. Offers to lay 3 to 1 on Cannon were now made on the umpire’s boat. The latter still progressed rather erratically, but at length he went over Surrey wards, and gave Thomas the wash of his right-hand scull. The manoeuvre was rather risky, as a foul might have occurred. The Crab Tree was reached in Cmin. 37sec., and. here, Thomas having quickened up, the sculls of the opponents were in perilous close company. No accident, however, occurred, and a terrific struggle, amidst tho greatest excitement, occurred right along to the Soap Works, Thornes being less than a length in the rear, just before the odorous factory was reached; time, Bmin. 2sec. Camion's cutter having fallen considerably to the rear, the Kingston sculler swerved right out of his course into the river. He was vigorously signalled back, but seemed to go out still further, losing much thereby When at length he did pull hard wiih the left hand ho had lot Thomas np level, and immediately afterwards the latter went slightly in front. The pace was hot up to Hammersmith bridge, which Thomas passed in 9min. 35iec. from the start, Cannon's time being 9min. 38sec. Hero, unfortunately, the cutter which bore Mr Innes had dropped so far to the rear as to he practically useless, and Cannon had to trust to his own resources. It was evident that ho was weak with his left hand, for he repeatedly yawed out into the river, and generally steered a very bad course indeed, with the natural re-ult of allowing Thomas, who was progressing splendidly, to creep still further ahead. Cff the Doves Thomas had a lead of nearly a length and a half. Here an accident to Cannon’s cutter was within an ace of happiuing. It bad fallen into the rear of toe umpire's steamer, and the swell created by the large vessel catching it broadside as nearly as possible swamped it. At the top of Chiswick Ait Thomas was cutting out the work with two and a half lengths in band, Cannon still taking a dreadfully bad course, and losing tv. tremendous lot of ground. As Chiswich Church was neared he had the narrowest possible escape of coming into collision with a Lugo piece of timber which was floating in the water, and which, hud he rowed against it, would simply have shivered his boat to pieces. Thomas’s time to tho edifies named was lumin. 9sec., and be was then six lengths of his rival. After this the water became somewhat lumpy, but tho Hammoismith man feathered high, and clearly avoided it He made the shoot ot the river in splendid siyle, while Cannon, on tho contrary, found it very difficult to keep his boat straight at all. Still the Kingston sculler had plenty of power left iu him, for approaching the Bull’s Head, Barnes, ho put in some heavy work, and drew up to within two lengths of bis antagonist, A large crowd had acscm-

bled at the hostelry mentioned, and they vociferously cheered Oannon. Thomas passed Barnes bride in 2ltnin. 13sec., his opponent s time being 21min. IGJseo. Once again the Kington representative applied his ocullt with astonishing power, and got along at a rare pace, which he maintained for some distance. Thamas responded, and at length Oannon found that he could not hope to overhaul the leader, who, going along, won by about three and a half lengths, in 24min. Bsaec., as taken by Benson’s chronograph. Thomas afterwards collected between £5 and £6 for his defeated rival, and several gentlemen paid Cannon for his colours as a tribute to the pluck he had displayed.