THE COMING MAN AT AQUATICS.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2643, 28 June 1877, Page 2

THE COMING MAN AT AQUATICS.

A professional sculler is gradual 1? working his way to the top of the tree— if, indeed, he is not there alreadjr—who two years ago was an unknown man on the Thames. This is T. Blackman, of Dulwich, who in August, 1875, made his deput in the Sculls of the Thames Begatta, for men who had nere? rowed for a stake of £100: At that lime he was pointed out as one who would some day be champion of England, if he were but properly taught. He rowed then by little more than the light of naUire, and was only eighteen years old, but he showed himself a thorough, stayer, and by going as. fast as he did when rowing in bad'style, gave good grounds . for inferring that if erer he should learn a- g< 3d style there would be few, if any, who could beat him. Since then Blackman has been steudiiy improving in both strength and style. He last year won the sculls for the second time at the Thames Begatta in August, and beat Strong, of Barrow-in-Furne3i, in a match. Iv the November Thames Begatta he beat Higgins, who was short of condition; but. could not then go fast enough for Boyd. His next performance was that of last week. B. Lumsden, fcis opponent has been some time before the public, and was thought good enough id August last to be matched against Trickett for the championship, but he forfeited on account of festered bands. He* like Black'-vv, had been beaten by Boyd when last I-■ vet the latter. The Tyne W33 the scer.t L • clion- The east wind-raised.a good :1 of surf, aa: 1. Lumsden who had wont, loss, had much the more sheK tere.' Nation. It had been expected that Lum^den would be the faster at first, though Slackman's stamina might wear him out in the three-mile course upon a stream that doeV not flow as fast as the flood tide of the Thames. But Blackman surprised even his own party by cutting down Lumsdea at tLe outset, and from the rougher station. For a mile and a-half he held a lead varying from two lengths to one, according as the rougher water in which he rowed hampered him. After this, getting with.some heavier surf^he was overtaken and : led by a few feet by Lumsden, but only for a minute or so. He got away again before tyro miles had been rowed, and bed the race in hand, leading by some eight lengths, when Lumsden fouled a lighter, and enabled him to row to the end at his leisure. From the slight, line offered in November between these - two men through their rowing with Boyd in that monLh it is plain (hat Blackman has improved many lengths in the course of the I last six months. In the autumn he could not hare beaten Lumsden like this (and from so inferior a station on a windy day), and might not hare beaten him at all. We do not think we hare yet seen the best of Blackman; a year hence he will be capable of still more. Boyd and Higgius are matched for the championship on the 2Sth of May, and Blackman may be tempted to challenge the winner before the summer is out. Anyhow, within two years, with more maturity, he should be able to prove himself a better man than either of the present condidates for the championship. He has more height, rc-ch, and strength than either of them. Meantime, now that it is evident that we hare at lea,sfc three men capable of beating J. Sadler with far more ease than that with which Trickett won the championship in June last, how is it that the rowing men of England do not send out a representative to Australia io attempt to win back the lo3t title for us P—Home News.