FURTHER PARTICULARS. SEARLE WINS AS HE LIKES. London, last evening.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 402, 14 September 1889, Page 5

FURTHER PARTICULARS. SEARLE WINS AS HE LIKES. London, last evening.

The start took place at 1.25 p.m-to-day. Betting was five to four on Searle. The iatter chose the Surrey side of the river. At the start, O'Connor was the first to get away, having the advantage of about half-a-length, and rowing a fast race. Searle got level with him when the men were passing Crabtree, and was leading by half a length when the soapworks was reached. Searle then gradually increased his lead, and it was at once apparent that he had the race well in hand. He was leading by a length at Hammersmith Bridge, and again by two lengths at Cheswick, and was gradually increasing the distance between himself and O'Connor at every stroke. O'Connor then spurted but very , weakly, and the attempt to regain his lost ground was unavailing. O'Connor began to show distress at Barnes's Bridge, and thence to the finish the race was a hollow procession. The time was 22mm 42sec, or usec slower than when Beach beat Gaudaur in 1886, the time on that occasion being 22mm 29sec, the fastest time on record for the Thames course, which is 4^ miles in length. The weather was splendid and the water all that could be desired. There were a hundred thousand spectators present, and Searle was enthusiastically cheered at the finish. Searle rowed the first mile in 4 minutes 53 seconds, the distance to Hammersmith in 8 minutes 38 seconds, ' and to Barnes's in 19 minutes 3 seconds.

Henry Ernest) Searle is a native of Grafton, Clarence River, New South Wales, having been born there on July 14, 1866. His height is sfb lOin, chest measurement 41£ in, and he is 16in round the calf. His weight, when rowing, is about list 61b, but out of training he scales 13st 31b. Searle's first experience "in rowing was gained during his school days, when he had to row to school and back, a distance of about 3 miles each way, both morning and evening. A row of 6 miles per day, for a mere boy,, must necessarily have hardened both muscles and constitution, and there is no doubt that this early training was the primary cause of his turning out the splendid sculler he is at the present time. Searle's first race was on Nov. 9, 1884, when he won a waterman's skiff contest. During the four following years he won several skiff contests, and on January ,2, 1888, at the Clarence River Aquatic Carnival, in his first attempt in outriggers he scored an unexpected win by beating' Chris. Neilson, from whom be received 3£ lengths start, and ,'Hearn, the champion of New Zealand, who had to concede to him 1\ lengths. After this Neil Matterson took him in his care and has trained him ever since. On June 16th, 1888, he rowed Wulf over the Farramatta championship course, for £100 a-side, and won easily. On the 13th of the following month, he met Stansbury for £100 a-side, and after a splendid race Searle again scored a victory. In this contest Searle broke all previous records in any race over the Parramatta champion course, the time being 19min. 53Jsec. On September 14 he completely ran away from Neilson and won another £100. His next race was against W.Hughes, to whom he conceded lOsec. start and won in a ridiculous easy manner, stopping several times to bail out his boat and to fix his rowlocks. Searle challenged Hanlan, offering to back himself at £500 to £250, but the Canadian evidently knew too

much of his abilities, as, the offer was declined. Searle's friends feeling sure that they had a man fit to wrost the championship from Kemp, issued a challenge, with the result that on October 27, 1888, he won in a most hollow manner and stamped himself as the greatest wonder who ever eat in a wager- boat. As Beach, who assisted Kemp in his preparations, remarked, " We have been beaten by a betterman. Searle is a wonder. I never saw so last a mani nmv life." J

William O'Connor, «f Toronto, Canada, the champion of America,; was born in 1864. His height is sft lOfcin, and he weighs, when in condition, list 111b. He measures 41£ in round the chest, and 16in round the calf. O'Connor first started rowing in 1883, when, representing the Don Club, he won the junior single sculls at the Canadian A.R. A. meeting. In 1884 and 1885 he and Enright won the double - scull shell race end the inrierged double sculls. In 1885 he won the senior single sculla at the Canadian Amateur meeting, and about eighteen months ago he succeeded in beating Peterson at San Francisco. After this he met and defeated Hamm, Teemer, and Gaudaur, all scullers of the first water, and then bojdly challenged Searle for the championship, with the result that he was beaten by 10 lengths.