The New York Herald Newspaper, July 26, 1873, Page 8

8 THE REGATTA RIGHTED. The Referee’s Final Report of Springfield Contest. THE BLUNDERS. ——— The Line Wrong and the Guu for Calling the Crews Together Omitted. The Race and Seen by a Disinterested ‘Witness. To THE EpITOR OF THE HERALD:— I am expected, through the medium of the HEALD, to make 4 final report of the late Gollege Regatta at Springfeld, and, on receipt of tne evi- dence of the eleven judges appointed by each of the contesting crews, to decice the positions or order of all the contesting boats at the finish, Ow.ng to the fact that only six of the eleven judges have seen fit to make areport—viz., the judges for Yale, Wesleyan, Harvard, Amherst, Co- lumbia and Dartmouth, I shall refuse to award any other positions than those already awarded—Yale first, Wesleyan second and Harvard third. The honor of fourth place being claimed by the judges for Amherst, Columbia and Dartmouth respeo- tively, 1 shall be obilged to leave them to fight it out on “that line, tf it takes all Summer,” The duties of umpire are at moat times anything but pleasant, and, 1 may safely add, have been particularly disagreeable in an affair managed as this has been. I consented to a nomination for the position at the request of Yale, and, on being electe:l and accepting the office, had every reason to suppose that proper Means would be provided for me to :ollow the race. ‘The steam yacht Crest was chartered by the Springfield Club for the purpose but found on trial to be totally madequate, and, to make bad worse, came to the courss.on the day of the race without suficieut coal, Thanks to the courtesy of Mr, Blakle and the timely presence of thé HERALD steam yecht, on which I was ofered a passage, or the Frestiman race would have been rowed without an umpire, and no time taken. During the Freshman race the Crest had shipped a supply of fence rails for iuel, and thinking to do better, it being a larger yacht, I left the HeraLp boat and took my position on the Crest for the University race. ‘he Crest started fully three- fourths of a mile in adyance of the crews, and though steaming as fast as it was capable o! going, yeached the finish too late for me to form any cor- rect idea of the winner or order of arrival of any of the crews, being some halt @ mile to the rear ot the line ag the first boat crossed it, It was? apparent from the position of Harvard as tho crews passed the yacht, and to all the spectators on the east shore, that it was the winning crew. I ordered the Crest to run alongside the Harvards, wen [ covgratulated them on their success, heard their claims, and then left ter the judges’ ‘stand on the west bank. In regard to the presentation of colors, | would say tuat they were not in my charge, nor did Lever see‘them until tney were handed over to the stroke of the Harvard crew by an over-vitic.ous gentleman in whose care they had | been piaced by the regatta committee, wio took upon himself the responsibility of awarding the end before the umpire had given a decision. Varvard’s captain put inaclaim oi foul agaiust Yale, which Yale also ciaimed against Mar- yard, This was disailowed on both sides. On arrival at the judges’ stand on the west bank the astonishing information was obtained that Yale was the winner, Wesleyan or Amherst second and Harvard third. Further the judges could not agree. Alter hearing the testimony of the judges | at once awarded the race to Yale, snd reiused to place any other boats until later in the evening. 1 then made a careful survey and examimation of the finishing line, the incor- Tecthcss of which was most apparent, which, stead of being set at right angics with the true course of the river or direct courses of the boats, Was piaced diagonally some five hundred iee: from ilg correct itiou, the eastend being set down the. river for some unaccountable object. The error of those who thought Harvard the winner was then easily accounted for, and likewise the confusion of the e:even judyes, only two or three of whom were on the line, the remainder being scattered along the shore aud mid-stream in a boat. I have no reason to change my former state- Ments in regard to the position of this line; in iact, alter hearing subsoquent discussions, the evidence is stronger that 1 am correct. It matters pot who latd it out, the Regatta Committee or the United States engineers, thoagh, if the iatter, the ghost ofJobn Phenix,” with his “go-it-ometre," must have gone down the cast hank to station that flag. In a recent letter and diagram 1 took occasion to explain this blunder, with a view of showing why such a variety of impressions were formed, from the various stations at the finish, as to the winning and following crews. Lhad not the pur- pose in View which has been so unjustly charged to me—that of showing particularly why Harvard might have beaten Yale—but to explain the confu- sion of the judges, no two of whom could agree on their own evidence. It would be in much better taste for the crews who have been fortunate enough to have positions assigned them to remain silent, not tor- getting that tere are other crews entitled to the same consideration and doubt as to where they would have been placed had the finishing line been correctly stationed. In conclusion | would add that an be a due the public from some one for keeping the ten {uousand spectators wafting for two hours aiter the time appoluted for the start. It was fully understood tnat the Regatta Committee would pro- vide a gun or piece of ordnance to call the boats in Mine, Bad that the gun should be fired thirty min- utes prior to the specified time for starting the races, at which time all boats not appe: atthe starting line should be di to This arrangement was perfect and would have insured ctuailty, but at the last moment it was v= ered that no gun had been provided. I appointed Mr F. OG. rown the starter, who, with the assistance of Mr. 0. T, Johnson, both of the Nassau Cinb, of New York, city, and neither connected in any way with the Regatta Committee or any of the colleges, at their own ex- | she engaged boata and rowed to the different jadquarters to notify the eleven crews, stationed miles apart, that no gun was provided and to get outon the line as soon as possible. This blunder ba sh hee spoked te - © appointment of eleven judges by the Regatta Committee was done against the cxprened orders of the captains of the crews, and was an insult to the umpire, who has the appointment of his own judges if ne desires any assistance. This blunder pene the umpire from placing the boats only so | lar as the judges choose to agree. Boat racing and the management of regattas is now a branch of a colle; education, lessons of the past will undoubtedly ie preted bye Treturn my sin me #0 much courtesy and consideration, and hope e very few who have seen fit to reward my Seereton rere ~_ will, on careful con- auy 26, 1678, OHN C. BABCOCK, — The Story of the Finish Related by an Bye-Witnese—Pictures of the Stru gle Vale First—Harvard Third—Harvard’s Fair Fervor Over,the Misdelivered Col- orse=Their Restoration to Yale, To THE EDITOR OF THR HeraLp:— The story of a battle, or of any contested event Im which masses of men are engaged, either as par- Ucipants or spectators, is always diMcult of exact Feproduction, and often utterly defies harmonious record, Each of those concerned relates, in his own way, colored by his misconceptions and preju- @ices, that part of the affair visible from bis stand- point, and, believing bis version and vision to embrace the whole ficid, disputes every ac- count which contradicts or varies his own, The recent college boat race at Springtield is no exception to this remark. Writers in influential Journals in New York and elsewhere are yet labor- ing to show that Harvard, and not Yale, was really the victor, after all; and, uniess their efforts in this particular be corrected by reproduction of the exact facts, they may succeed in establishing an impression in the public mind that Harvard is wronged in the accepted record of the event. In- deed, if their erroneous arguments were to con- tinue unrefuted the young gentlemen who rowed the Harvard boat might conclude Mnally,that they were the, infact, victors; and, what would be far More mischievous, might conclude that victory May be better won by words afterwards than by prowess in the battle, In the first place, there is nothing in the sugges- tion which has been made and repeated in the Dewspapers that the line which marked the “finish Was placed too far down on the eastern shore, making that side of the course the longer, It was Placed no further down than at right angles with ‘te general course of the river: in fact. no further NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1873—WITH SUPPLEMENT. down stream than was necessary to compensate the eastward bend of the river in the lower third of the course, Any number of parallel tines which you may draw from the northerly line to the southerly the line, as these lines were fixed and marked by Nags on either shore, would be of exactly equal length. Couid Mmits be fixed more fairly? The limit of the course at the finish betng indicated by an imagin- ary line drawn froma fag fixed on either bank of the river, whichever boat passed this line first was the victor, no matter how near either shore the boat was rowed as it passed. These line flags Were white, w:th @ large red square inaide, or they may be described as red flags, with a white border, Amehored in the river, immediately below the line of these fags was tne “lower stakeboat,”” containing judges and a few members of the press. The writer of this, having a ticket of admission to this stakeboat, resorted first to the flag on the West side of the river and made tnquiry of the judge stationed there.(this was some hour or so be‘ore the College race was begun) #8 to the exact locanty of the stakeboat, inasmuch as there were several boats anchored er afloat near. By the way, the finish line fags stoo@ @bout the height of a man’s eye, and were fixed firmly ip the sand, a Teach of which, trom flteen to thirty-five feet wide, on either shore sloped to the water, Above this beach there was a bank, grass- covered, of height varying in places from six to twenty fees, On thia bank it was that the grand Stands, so Called, were erected on either shore for the accommodation of spectators. Seats were pro- vided, for which some charge was made; more- over, fifty cents was oun each person who stood withim an enclosure bounded by board fences O: this grass-covere! pleco of ground. ‘There were thousands of tere gatuered at either stand, A skit, vided by the Regatta Committee, was ready to me and my companion, Major D., to the stakebeat,.but we employed it instead to set us over to she east oank, inasmuch as we had taken the im mn, irom the study of the river (througa: 4 that the boats at the finish would press to the east shore, since near thai is beat water, the channel trending quite siarply to” the eastward from the bend about a mile above the finish line selected or the contest. Not only cee that side o1 the river, if the ageeptea maps be accurate, furnish the most desirable ater, it being impossibic to make rapid headwi racing shells m very shoal water in which boats will scarcely fluat, but also the current, Of course, follows the channel, and, 28 this was @ race with the current, whatever help was to be had from that could only be got by tending to the east bank. In the sequel, as we shall see, Harvard was the only one of the conapicuous boats likely to win which took this course, Wor does the writer doubt that.tt was the bast ones 2f Harvard made any mistake in stecr- ing it was in not coming cast eariler. It may be'that she had found it dificult to stop coquetting with Wesleyan, that Metaodist maiden into whose lap for @ mile of the way, more or less, Harvard's oars threw water by the bucketial, which in time male way back into the Connecticut through the Wesleyan rowlocks. One of the latter crew told me that Harvard urged them sharply with such attentions, veering towards their bow as o.ten as tiey sought to shoot by, thus pressing upon the Peaitics of a “foul.” Harvard beiug on the easterly side of the river; for reasons, as we have shown, kept more posi- tively towards the eastern shore, following the channel as marked on the map. Yale and other leading boats kept mid stre: anything nearer to the westerly sile, As the whole line of boats frst developed to the view, nearly two miles distant from where we steod on the eastside at the lower extremity of the course, tt was one of the finest sights ever witnessed. I scarcely expect to look upon its like again, No gun had anneunced the siarting. ‘the spectators hud tired o: turning to meet di appointment as mischievous crics, “They are com- ing!*from time to time were raised. But now there was a low, intent hum among the: eager thousands—thongh nothing was seen nor distinetly heard—whieh ‘oreboded the approach of the boats, In fact fhe groure stationed along the bank from the startimg-boat, three miles away, had in turn given a short, sharp, involuntary cry as the boats shot in signt. It not a cheer; it was not loud, this cry. zt was not repeated, and it ceased the instant thé boats got by. But ft was cont:nuous, It flung itgelf along either bank of tbe liver like a flash alo the magnetic wire. We felt it before we heard it. The shores quivered with its quicken- ing vibration. Then flashed a line of white light across the wide river, against a background of dull sky, @ foreground oi dark water. The giasa detected this glittermg line before it was visivle to the unassisted eyo, and for minutes, 80 it seemed, before boat or'man or likeness of either object waa visible. It was the play of the boats, the dash of the oars on the still water, the gisam of the oars themselves, the light from the white boata, the white shirts or bare backs of the men, all fusedin one wave of light that stretched and played across the wide river—the boats, started seventy feet apart, if they had kept their distance oveupied nearly eight hundred teet—for a gooiliy interval belore we could see man or boat which made this strange light, of light became visible to the naked eye, and our crowd in turn gave the short, sharp cry of recoz- nition which had toliowed down the river, and thon, as the crowds above, it relapsea into eager silence. Presently emerged from this welt of light raised by the College oars, strained against the dark bosom of the river, three boats, as we looked at them, head on, and by their motion upon the opaque water, fixed the Vision. Presently two of these boats shot ahead oi the other one; then one of the leading two shot sharply ahead of the other. They were now nearing the line. My companion and mysell, taking down irom the eye the glasses with which we had watched them, both simultaneously exclaimed that the race was alreat won, The gap between the first and second boats was too great for the latter to make up in time to win. The score shows how nearly the gap was subsequently filled. These two boats Were passing nearer the opposite side of the river, which, at that point, is three thousand or four thousand feet wide. counting in the little cove in which on vhe west bank the finish line flag stood. We could not distinguish colors in these two voats, nor did we know till af- terwards which they were. One satd the foremost one was Bowdoin, one named another boat, but Yale none mentioned, Fame was behind her, and had not caught up. Where was the third boat? Pulling more nearly to our side of the river. Pres- ently the many Harvard boss in our general crowd made. her out, ‘Harvard !’’ was the short, gasping cry. There was not time or thought to intone the peculiar “’Rah! ’rah! 'rah!’’ of the college. She shot on with mighty vigor, the color of her crew's capa now plainly distinguishable, jut the two boats over the way were nearing the line, pulling magnificently, » Muscle, nerve, on highest tension. The long gap was Closing be- tween them; was closing faster and faster as the line was neared. Would the rear boat win? There was achance forit. Now, with the permission of the jndge who stood at the line flag, a clear-headed, cool Dartmouth man, whose name I did not learn, I sightea across the flag line to the other shore. A row of dark caps shot under tt. Just at this moment, for the first time, some one oi those near mentioned Yale. Then the second boat went over, not a length behind, “Yale ahead?” sald several, Inquiringly, rather than asserting it. Wesleyan pulled up at once, almost square on the line, not more than a boat's length beyond it. Yale, for some reason or other, kept pulling on for hundreds of feet beyond the line with unabated speed, as if the devil instead of plous Wesleyan re alter them, + Just now Harvard. igh ie the line. Splendid fellows, jing 4 full, magnificent, ever steady stroke. They wore so hear to us on the shore that we could sé¢ the whites of eh eyes, They were slackening their pace, apparenily’ &s if théy Tec- ognized that thetr rival had passed the ine, Just at this moment the great crowd on the bank, aroused and excited by the vision of these brave fellows shooting into view beneath them, and discerning their color, and they (the crowd) not knowin, clearly where the line was which Harvard crovaed too late, raised one loud, continuous, unremittin cheer—"Harvard! Harvard! Harvard! Harvard !' Then, as it were upon some new impulse—perhaps @ flasbing thought tuat they had mistaken the line and that victory was still within their grasp—the Harvard crew flung themselves upon their oars and hurled tneir beat ke a cannon shot for many lengths through the water beyond the line, Making sure that they had now ‘ passed the os , and Cg | that the steamer which bore the starter, the referee and a part of the judges bad now arrived at the stakeboat with the prize flags waving from it, they pulled for that little craft. As soon as the great crowd on the bank paused in its cheer jor Harvard, while its echoes were dying away, under its inspiration the six men,’ as wi | one thought and impuise, were ‘makin, i | Rew spring for victory, there bounded down | the bluff to the sand beach where we stood by th finish line fag Yale men—haif a dozen or more of tuem. They were too excited t rgue that Har- vard and the erowd were wrong, and that the vic- tory was with Yale, but cach one, shaking nis roll of bank notes aloit, shouted, “A ‘hundred Yale has won!” “Fifty Yale bas won! “Five hundred Yale bas won!” There were no takers. At once these Yale men crowded to the shore, and, seizing skis and other boats waiting there, pat off to the vpposite bank or to midstream, wherever they could find the victorious boat’s crew of their color. Meantime Harvard pulled, not, of course, at its best stroke. but with a certain eagerness, towards the referee's little steamer, from which the prize colors—a biue ensign and @ small copy of the na- tional Mi were Waving. These happened to be held for the moment, so the writer is informed, by one of the judges appointed on behalf of Har- vard, When the Harvard shout arose from the east bank the referee spoke, as if to himself, saying, “Aiter all, perhaps, Harvard has won! “Harvard has = won’? was word enough, so it proved, for the enthusiastic holder, of the colors. The Harvard boat had come up unfoticed by the referee, who Was observin the sequeuce of the arrival of later boats. Stil unnoticed by him the flags were handed out by the nervous Harvard man in the steamer to the crew of his favorite boat. They, perhaps as much as any amazed at the act, nevertheless took the colors into thelr custody, They had started side by side with Yale; bad touched oars at the start. Was thera a foul? ib bean ruled against Presently this line | | Com. Yale and ip their favor, and were they thus the victor? Fag may have flasbed through the minds of the boat's crew. At any rate they held the colors, the tangible evide: birast upon the flags is not know,, nly to three at least of the speci: A dience to which they were then being brought t! coming was marvel and @ mystery. myself, = es sag oo) fend D., and the mouta judge, who stood at the flagstaff. Neither of us, of coursa, knew till alterwards how the prize colors had got*away {rom the referee's steamer, Had Yale gone afoul of the Harvard boat at the start, and thereby lost her victory? If so she had lost. But how, even then, had Harvard wont ad the second boat fouled her also? Was ever victory won by two coincident 1ouls among eleven boats starting? But, plainly enough, there were the token and sign, the pledge and guerdon of victory, in the hands of the Harvaid crew, right under our eyes, ‘ Meantime these yonths, not able to land from their boat in the shallow wator, sprang over the gunwale, in spite of the adjurations of their captain, and waded ashore with the flags. Then rose another great shout. Then the Harvard boys * shore for the victorious crew, seized them in arms, hagged and kissed them, and finally bore them, still holding and waving the colors sloit upon their shoulders, and up the steep ban! ten feet high, into the midst of the genera crowd, which cheered and yelled and crica with tears, and finally auay across the Gelds they bore the victors, the crowd surging after them in two tides, one following one color and one the other, ‘Thus in the middie of the meadow the crowd stood divided tuto two gatherings, one cios- ing around the bearer of the blue culor and the otner around him who held the Stripes and Stars. The cheers were renewed from time to time, a8 without seemiag aim or purpose the crowd would halt or start iorward. Presently I left them for the shore again, int sears how the other less fortunate boats fared, The dags somehow in the midst of the crowd, as related, got up to the train on Longmeadow, ene of the special trains of the day between the course and Springfield, and thence, itis said, to Woros ter, on their way toCambridge. Arrested by tele- giaph at Worcester they were gracelully returned by ths Harvard boys to Yale, to whom that even- ing, by prompt award ofthe judges and referee, they were assigned, ‘ It Weslcyan is named above ag the second boat the reader will understand that it is because that place was awarded to her by common report soon after the race ended. 1 do not undertake to say that it was not the Amherst boat that was second, as some claim. Iwas wo far away from the point where the first and second boats passed the line to determine the identity of either. I saw the six dark-colored caps in the training boat, I believe it is untversally conceded that these were the blue capsor Yale. Whether Wealeyan pulled second, alter Baivara’s too close attentions to her, and after Harvard struck towards the easterly shore, is a fates on which my eye and glass were too poor to provide sitive testl- mony. I conjecture, however, it will be concedod in the end that it was Wesleyan which ftoilowed Yale so ciosely in. all a mile or more from the finis!. lime, Captain Merrill, of the army, telis me he stood upon the west bank as Harvard, Yale and anowicr went by, Harvard for the monient leading. Just then there, he said, Yale buckied to taeit work in the final stride for victory. Their lony, tho-ong.. it pull, seemingly slow hitherto, quickened, but lost | none of its stretch and scope. ‘Ter boat jumped through the water, {jt s:emed to him, twice as fast as Hurva «i's, thougn the latter was pulling its splendid oke with un- abated vigor. This stroke was i.cintained until near the line, When we at the richt signal flag heard the cry of “Harvard!” as above related, it was the first intimation to us of the Harvard boat's near approach. Turning in that direction we saw tt clear that the Harvard could not get over the interval to the finish line in 8.ason to be first nor even second, though she was pullt: strong, good stroke, rap: But she was too positively no signs Of distress, behind. We tind no sufiicient reason to agree with those who condemn the Springfield course, It 18 not the best one In New England or cisewhere. Frob- ably the Thames at New Londun furnishes a much better one; but not, in our judg- ment, the Thames between Mortlake and Putnoy. It must be kept in view, however, that Springfield has tar better and ampler hotel accommodations than New London—an_ tn- portant consideration, imasmuch as the time has already come when from ten to vwenty thousand people, attending the annual college regatta, have to be lodged in hote:s. Tam one of those who quite resolutely oppose the plan of selecting @ lake tur the course. Let us have the currents, the shoals, the sand bars, so that the boats can get over, by, through or around thom, and in fair time reach the score. These ign- pedimenta, these sources of danger, try ine ba acity of the captatns Of the tuats and give opyor Thy th. precise judgment. and “discretion in the fleeting moments of the rac it would not be well to have it all plain sailing. And, moreover, I am decidedly in iavor of having the regatta at some place where the most rigorous police regulations can be maintained. It was fortunate that at Springfle!a on the night ef the 17th one indispensable elemeat of noisy revelry was wanting and not to be had. Had in- toxicating drinks been purchasable, the victory might have been celevrated to the stage of disgracefl debauch. ‘ihe aver- age collegian, in the presence of temptations to ex- citement, Is much as the rest of us and even more 80, Yale and its Niends would have drunk deep in the exhilaration of victory. The defeated crews and their friends would have drunk to drown the recollection of defeat, and, moreover, poured fresh bumpers to better luck next time. All the outsido world present would have drunk in sympathy, and by contact canght the prevailing rage ol repeating drinks. The prohibition of the sale of liquor in the, city and the State checked all riotous tendencies, We all, perhaps, might have resolutely abstained had spirits en a3 easy to be had as water; but still it was better that we should not be led into temptation and that the ranks of the State constabulary were two deep. There was no rioting, no disgrace; all Was maniy and creditable, this year with many who hitherto liad looked but coldly upon boat-racing practice. It 1s comipg to be recognized that it 1s well that our youth train their muscle in some degree is well as their intellect in an age when the professional gladiator finds favor with the professional poll- ticlan, None can tell how soon the neptune may need the quick arms as well as quick brains of those who, educated in the inspirations of patriot. ism, may be relied uson for prompt work against foes domest.c or foreign. Itis not doubted that for the race of 1874 the entries will be as many as this year, er even more. believe that, as to place, the committee cannot do better than to stick to the Spring- field course. We have buat _hinte at me ol the strong reasons which render it desir- able to hold the regatta there or elsc in some other place in Massachusetis offering equal accom- modations. There being no such place, a chal to another town without that State should nut made except for most pressing cause. dD THE GREAT WESTERN TELEGRAPH OOM- PARY IN LIQUIDATION. For some time litigation has been going on in the Inots Courts with @ view of forcing the Great Western Telegraph Company into bankruptcy, The creditors’ claims amount to only about $50,000, while the property of the Company consists of over 1,500 Joes Of telegraph line, with ofices, office furniture, Instruments and other appurtenances, and is worth at least $250,000. It is estimated that this property has cost the stockholders $400,000, The Executive tee who ye not meeel, to meet these claims thus cau ana the stockholders to submit to U assessment. The 4"estion for cach stock- older te answer, as a busine.“ Man, is, shall 4] fine property, worth five or six time: debt against it, be swept away for such anti ficant sum? or is it wise to add 20 or 25 per gaat to tne investment already made, to save the 75 oF 80 per ceutalready invested, and make the prop- erty a paying one ¢ Yesterday morning Captain Allaire, of, the Twenty-first precinct, brought to the Coroners’ oMico, No, 40 East Houston street, Patrick W, Sulll- van and Hogh D, McCuliough, the young men who found the bodies of the unknown woman and the boy Noating of the foot of Twenty-eighth street, East River, as previously stated in the HERALD, Peputy Coroner Leo examined the witnesses, and Mr. ullough testified that last Wednesday week he saw @ woman and a boy on the pier near the boat house foot of Tweuty-cighth street, East River; the woman was smoking a clay pipe, such @ one as was found on her person; the wo- man scen by the witness wore spectacies, and the shawl tied around the body of deceased resembled the one the witness saw with the woman on the pier, and in his opinion the woman and boy are the same persons he sam alive on the pier, ‘fhe woman looket like a vagrant, and, judging from Sopestences, she was addicted to the use of liquor, The investigation is not yet concluded, Captain Allaire wtil search testimony, Sullivan's evidence was oe ae tne portance. ORUSHED TO DEATH BY RalL, Catharine Donovan, @ child turee years of ago, died yesterday at the home of her parents, 1,339 Third avenue, from injuries received the evening revious, at the corner of Seventy-sixt Thing avenue, by car i of the This Avents* Oba pany running over hor. The hind wheel of the car passed over the thigh and lower part o1 deceased's abdomen. Coroner Keasier has taken charge of fae” William Herriott, the driver, was ar+ rested, i DETERMINED §UICIDE, On Thursday night a man about forty-five years of age, whose name is unknown, jumped into the dock foot of Grand street, Bast River, and, being rescued by some citizens, plunged overboard again, He was taken out the ecund time, but soon expired from exhaustion. ‘The t ta tha Dorsne. Where an inquest wil we cid. eT ‘The regatta won tavor | Tho “Public Improvements” To Be Continued— The Doings of the Park Commissioners, of the Street Commissioners and Others. After a standsti!l of many weeks the various city departments are beginning to show a little life, and the workmen who have been so long idle, and, idiing, sorrowfal, are at last to have their hands full of work, if not their pockets tull 0° money. The Department of Public Parks, for instance, has at last contrived to get out of its straightened pecuniary dimiculties, and, availing itself of the round million of doliars granted by the last Legislature for the continuation of work on the various parks, is gradually PUTTING THE MEN TO WORK whom it had to discharge peremptorily for over a month because of the old apology, “lack of funcs.’” It will be romembered that there was considerable haggling in the late Leg:s'ature over the necessary appropriation for the park works, and that a dis- position was manifested by many O; the rural mem- bers to give absolutely nothing to help the Commissioners out of their diMiculties. Indeed, even after the hagglers gave way, and allowed the appropriations to be made, the samo ugly obstacles that had worked such mischief by Albany manipulation cropped out in the Comptroller's oMce, and for awhile every- thing was at a complete standstill so far as the parks were concerned. Now, happily for the neces- sary improvements and jor the rapid continuation of the work to be done in the parks, nothing im- pedes THE PLANS OF THE COMMISSIONERS, Union square Is to bs attended to at once. It has been in a very demoralized condition for some time past, and has provoked more than one fusila le from the press generally on account of the un- finished condition in which every “improvement”’ in tt was leit for weeks, The cottage on the north side is to be completed soon, and but for the fail- ure of the contractor who was engaged to supply the iron flagstaifs which are to adorn the curb on either side of the cottage, the plaza at least would have presented quite a different appearance from what it now docs, About five hundred men have already been re-cmployed and some three hundred more are to be engaged. They are not, however, to be set to work on the Park at once, but will be set to work in small doses, as tt were, 80 that, gradually, the whole working force will be in @ good state of labor-discipline when the full force is engage: So far as it is possible and consistent with the pubic ssrvicé to do so, all men pit to work herea‘ter will be selected from among those who have heretofore been employed by the Commissioners. It should be stated that the little grcen that some people call A PARK IN THE FIVE POINTS will be put in complete order in a few weeks, and a nice little fountain wiil be erected init for the benefit of the poor people of the neighborhood, who will no Goubt go into eostasies over It, eats are also to bo erected ior the accommodation, where those poor neighbors with their little ones, who live in tenements, can find a sort of country change of air and comfort, ‘The Department of Public Docks is also waking up. Presidont Westervelt says that the Commis- sioners have not # very largeforce at work, but that the men who are employed are well employed, There is not a man, he says, who has not got bis hands full, THE WORNOUT PIERS are being reconstructed rapidly on both rivers, but the chief work, in an engineering point of view just now is the building of the stone bulkheads near the Battery. By next Fall Mr. Westervelt says he hopes to see the work compicted a8 far as mer No.1 on the North River. The extension of ine stone bulkhead system will, when «nally Ginished, be on the East River from the Battery to Grand street, and on the North River from the same point to Sixty-second street. Of course thid work wili be the work of many years to come, but What cun be done is being done now to complete the bulkheads, the foundations for which, under water, have already been laid in many places. The Department of Buildings under its new Bupenaiadenels not laggiog. The Department of Docks say they have no trouble now in getting and the Daneceeene puciven by the Comptroiler, i ment of M4 Tipllgina same comiortadle Londione e Hd Betthe tendent is an old hand in the Department and is | consequently not waiting to learn what ho has to do like so many new superintendents in the other Departments. The appointment of his Chief Deputy is just now A MATTER OF SERIOUS IMPORT with him, but it is believed tnat the whole matter wil be settied in a few days, Meanwhile the en- gineering of the Department ts not lett to rust. In addition to their ordinary duties the inspectors have just been instructed to make a thorough inspection of all the hotels in the city and all places of public resort where crowds most do congregate, and to report their observa- tions, with suggestions, as soon as desirable. B; this means tt 1s he that in the future we will ae no more Filth Avenue Hotel disasters, and thal BUILDERS AND HOUSE OWNERS generally will look to the safety of thelr Arcuines and caravansaries. The Department of Pubile | Works 14 striving hard to get money enough to re- pair the wooden pavements and the damaged stone pavements, but the Comptroiler’s personal Matice scoms ta stand inthe way, and it ls earcd that the streets will have to remain for months to come in their present lamentable condition. ~+ Another Dull Day—Tho Aggrieved Tax- payers Overhauling the Uptown Tax Lists. Another day of inertness among the ppiitic'ans closed yesterday at the City Hall, and business has got to beso terribly dull now that Mayor Have- meyer manages to leave lus office nearly every evening by or about hall-past five o'clock. In the “good old days,” three months ago, when every- body wanted to be appointed to an ofice the Mayor was frequently found in his office as late as eight o’clock; but nearly everybody has got what he wanted or else found out that he can’t get any- thing, ana go stays away, and affords the Mayora chance for an early dinner. The only business of public interest trangactet yesterday Was the inspection by dirsatisiled property owners of the tax books of the Twelth, Nineteenth and Twenty-second wards. The members of the special committee of the Board of Supervisors—Messra. Koeh, McCaf- ferty and Cooper—having charge of this matter, were in attendance ali day. At the opening of the session, at eleven o'clock, there was quite a large aitendance, probably amountiug to sixty or seventy property owners. Supervisor McCaterty then stated that the com. tice Wag Yow prepared to entertain complaints ‘Om any itizgns. 10 felt themsaieas « sane The orst Toi, r plaint was made by a ge named Gillette, who said he represented J Jerse, gue sw Come to protert agains eyo assesstuents On tas Vacant lots 7 aud 48, forming block 647, at Pith avenue 4 Fiity-ninth street. They were rained! respe: from $20,000, $10,029 arr $10,090 fo $25,00", ¢ and $12,000, and he insisted that these weie mere “ancy” prices, He could notstate wiat tie AChWal value of the lots was, but there was nothing to warrant any increase in the asaessment, Mr. Gil- lette also peotested agaipet the assessment on three other lots, belonging to Mr. Avderson, in { seventy-fifth street, and flied an application in each case to have the assessment reduce t, Mrs. Catharine Sexton also fled an application to have the assessinent on her property, No. 2 527 Second avenue, reduced. Mr. Abraham’ Lee, owner of @ house and lot at Sixth avenue and Mifty-fifth stroct, stated that nis property in Isl was assessed at $12,C00 und that | this year the property was assessed at $20,000, | ‘The house was let to tenants in fata, and yielded | an aggregate rental o! about fonr thousand doltars, | Taking into consideration his insurance taxes and expenses on the building, tt W aid pay him best, if the present Igh assessment was maintained, to make the city a present of the rental His com- plaint was filed, Gompiaints were fied and statements of griev- ance made by Mrs. Delia O'Brien, owner of three | Jota in Seventy-seveuth street; Dr. J. B. Mcvaffrey, owner of two houses in Kighty-fita strect, tween Lexington and Third avenues; Vv. K Stevenson, owner of twelve lots on Madison aves nue, between Fifty-eighth and Fifly-ninth streets, and numerous others, Aiter the receipt of quite a large number of these applications the committee adjourned. ‘he books Of the three wards will be kept open until the 7th of August, COMPTROLLER'S RECEIPTS. Comptroller Green reports the following amounts pald yesterday into the city treasury :— BUREAU OF COLLECTION OF ASSESSMENTS. Aasegement for street openings and and interest. BURKAU OF ARREARS. Arrears of taxes and assessinont interest... . Croton water rents, pi MAYOR'S OFFICE, Second Marshal....... Total... BURNING FORESTS. Extensive Conflagrations om Long Island—Great Destruction of Property. ‘The general apprehension, growing out of the experience of former years, that tue long-continued disaster at the east end of Long Island would finally result in exteasive and disastrous confisgrations in the great wooded tracts of that regiun, prove to have been well founded, The farmers generally, with the wisdom gained trom costly experience, have been very watchful of late, amd in several localities patrols have been organised to guard against possible conflagrations, which might occur through ettber accident or carelessness, Along the region between Farminzdale and Riverhead, on the Long Isiand Ratlroad, and extending south to the localities traversed by the Sogth Side Rail- road, from Babylon to Patchogue, 18 an extensive tract of pine ‘and, commonly known as the “Wild Dis:ric:,” and belonging originally to @ grant known as the old Cornell Patent, This region has been frequentiy devastated by fires, the peculiarities of the soil and grewth offer- ing special facilities for the spread of Names; once fairly started, the dead pin: cones and leaves, lying sometimes several inches thick upon the surface of the ground and impreguated with tur- Ppentine, affording them constant and rapidly con- suming fuel. All precautions, however, have proved unavail- ing, and the region described is now being visitea by fires almost oquai in extent and wesiructiveness to those of former years, and the whole available force of the inhabitants is brought into requisition to subdue the flames, if possible. or at ali events to save farm houses and other buiidings irom destruc- tion, During the week several small fires have occurred along the line of the South Side allroad, but they have been extinguished withour much difficulty with but little damage. Simitiar fires have also oc- curred on the Long Island road, with no dumage of consequence. On Thursday morning, however, the flames got headway near the Loog island road, at Lakeland, about forty-eight miles irom New York, and it was found impossible to overcome them. They spread with great rapidity so. thward, under the influence of a brisk northeriy wind, and finally, burning over @ tract about u mie wide, traversed the intervening country to the vicinity of Patchogue, cn ihe Sontn Side Railroad, burning several dweiings in their progress. A small settlement known as Kden- ville, near BAL was lileraily swept out of existence, every building in it veing destroyed, and at one time’ Patchogue village was also in danger oi total destruction. «ne small dwelling on the outskirts of the village was burned and the occupants of several otuers hurricuiy packed up their household effects, in the ex, cctation of being driven out by the flames. Fortunately, however, through the united exertions ol all the inhabitants of the neighborhood, who turned out with plouyhs and other available appliances, ine progress of the fire was stayed und the danger was overcome. It is impossible yet to estimate the extent of the losses consequent upon this fire. vouvtiess much cut wood was destroyed, and the damage to the charcoal kilns, with which the region abounded, must be very considerable. ‘The value of the standing timber destroyed cannot be very large, as it was principally scrub pine.* Tne builaings burned were the amount of insurance upon tuew could not be ascertained. Some time must eclapso before the actual amount 01 logs can be ascortuimed. Serious fires also broke out m the ‘Wild Dis- trict,” between Yaphank and M.na, on the Long Island Railroad, on Thursda:, and at last accounts was sull raging. aay were extending on each side of the road with great rapidity, and bad already spread over a large area 01 vaiuabie wood- land, estimated at considerably over two miles square, The quantity of cord wood d stroyed was very great, and @ number of farm hous2s were jousty endangered, North of Lakcland tie fire was spreading rapidly toward Lake Ronkonkoma, and there appeared to be littie hope o! its being subdued, There are & number of ine country dwellings in this direction, und 1t was feared tuat some of them must necessarily ve destroyed, ea He that part oi the ‘1 .1d District” threat- ened by the flames were quite a number ot rest- dences of poor people whicn have doubtless been swept away. FIRE AT MELAO3E. At about half-past three o'clock yesterday morn- ing a fire broke out in the nouse of Mr. Miller, The origin of the fire is a mystery, some believing it tobe an accident, while others consider it the work of an incendiary. It appears, from all that can be learned irom those who lived in the buiid- ings which were destroyed, that at avout haif-past three an explosion occurred iu some p.ace around the premises, which awakened the occupants ot both Mr, Thomas’ and Mr. Miller's houses, Shortly after the explosion there came a dense vol- ume of smoke, accompanied by cries ol “Fite!” Then there wasa general rush for the street, and the tenants, many of them ina state of nudity, congregated on tie cast side of Courtland street to watch the course oi tie wre. The fire engines soon arrived, but owing io lack of water were unable to do anything to stup tue progress of the fames, It has been said by certain members of the Fire Department that, had there been twenty pails of water. convenient, the fire coald buve been put out. The refusai of the town trus- tees to have fire cisterns made at conventent pumping distances tirough the town was yester- day severely commented upon. here were three buildings burned, Involving a oss 01 about $25,000, The following ts @ list o1 the losses and insar- | ances:— Mr. John Thomas, two tree story houses, valned at $18,000; insured in the .kina Insurance Com- pany, of Hartford, tor $8,000, Mr. Schmit, saloon and fixtures; insured for $1,000; joss, $900, Tne 8ix colo:ed iamilics who resided in the house were ; completely buined out, they having save i nothin: Mr. occupied a8 a tailoring establishmpnt, los:, with his house and stock in trade, to the amount of $5,900, ‘This fire sould open the eyes of the town officials to the necessity oi making & fire c.stern lor the | eed: of property, as yesterday's fire might ave been put ont by a iew buckets of wa! FIRE IN THES BOWERY, A fire broke out yesterday morning in the base- ment of the four s‘ory brick building 167 Bowery, | occupied by Samuel Marks as @ vat store. Dain. age, $10); insured in the Mannattan Iosurance Company for $1,200 and in tae Yonkers for $800, BROOKLYN OITY MONEY TO BS TAKEN CARE OF. At a meeting of the Brooklyn Sinking Fund Com- missioners yesterday it was resolved that for the tuture the city money should be placed on deposit in the city banks pro rata, in accordance with the capital of the banks. The venas of the city on de, osit With the Brooklyn Trust Compiny were, it will be remembered, in excess of the capital of that institution. The capital of the several banks of Brooklyn is as tollows:— Lrookivn srusi PANY eee changes Will be made by the Cit, rer jorthwitt, bbe re xf BROCSLYN BANKS NOT ATFuOTED BY KIM. BALL'S FALLU wi Tho report circulated to the etfect that the fatl- ure of H. J. Kimball, of Atlanta, » mvolved a luss of $100,000 to the Lroukivu $96,000 to the Fulton Natic foundation in fact. The of a. avings Bank and il Bank, 18 without 81 the jatier insti. tobou deciare that they never loaned jamballa | dollar, nor have they ever hod a Georgia state | bond, he Fulton Bank peovie stave that t ey did loap tue State of Georgia $30,090 to pay the Legis- Jature of 1871 avd 1372, but these bonds are held to be valid by the present Geor.is S:ate government, BROOKLYN REP WiTh A Vo GANOB, A youag German woman appli dat tne residence Of b.is Athony Barrett, 1.5 Lexington avenue, near Bedford, Brooklyn, yesterday, trans ver to an advertisement for a servant, she was toid to con- sider herself engagod, As soon as her etipidyer’s attention was calied in another direction sie laid violent hands upon a gold watcn and cpain, worth $300, and made off. BROOKLYN DRUGGISTS’ TROUBLE, The United States Marsual’s officers have been going about Brooklyn among the druggists search- Ing for those who failed to expose in their respec- tive establishments their special tax receipts as dealers In liquors and cigars. The iaw requires that these receipts shall be displayed im a conspicuous place in the stores, Yesterday three dragyists were arrested, They are D. Maiuken, of No. 206 Park avenue; Charies Wenda, No. 124 Park avenue, and J, B. Winter, o: No. 118 Franklin street, Greenpoint. Their cases will be beard by Commissioner Winslow, The penalty for violating the law in this respect is, when Only neglect ts | shown, the full amount of the tax and tie costs of Court; but when wilful negieet or refusal is shown pe) io (8 twice the amount of the tax and the Con eneraily small und 10-priced, and | ilier, Who owned the tiurd house, which te | SANITARY MATTERS, Complaints to the Board of Health of Nuisances. in Different Parts of the City. RESOLUTIONS PASSED. The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held yesterday afternoon, Professor Chandler in the chair and all the Commissioners present. Com- munications were reveived irom the Hoard of Po- lice informing the health authorities that the police would protect them while removing all nuisances from the surface of the city. Officer Henry Eulner reported that the night-soll boat at the foot of Rivington street was unabie to recel' any soil after sixty-six loads had been put inwo her, and the oficer was compelled to send the carts which went laden to Rivington street to the foot oi Weat Twenty-fifth street. inspector Post in- formed the Board that alter the re- moval of the booths at Washington Market the roofs and sheds that remain overhanging the sidewalk are, in consequence of being inadequately supported, Iabie to tumble down and so endanger the lives of pedestrians, Captain Walsh, of the Seventeenth precinct police, reported that Mr. George Heucken, Jr., proprietor ol the pork packing establishment Nos. 212 and 214 First avenue, is in the habit o1 rendering fat on his premises every Sunday, and on last Sunday after- noon and evening, July 20, the stench and odors emanating from this place and pervading the air in the surrounding vicinity caused a universal complaint from the residents. Captain Walsh in- formed the Board that he sent officers to the establishment and they found the doors barricaded and bolted, Complaint was made by Inspector fudson to Sanitary Superintendent Day that tweive cases of rotten Sausages were found in the bonded warchouse 102 Greenwich street. Dr. Judson pronounced these sausages as decayed and unfit for ase, appar- ently from being packed before they were thor- oughly dried. isp> ‘gor Patten, who 1s assigned to the manure dumping growpis, in the neighbor. hood ot Forty-fifth street, East River, reported that the dumping has ceased, and that a tence around the lots ts in process of erection, The street pavements in front 01 No. 419 East Tweltth street, Nos. 8, 107 and 10 Hester street; Nos, 81 and 60 Suffolk street; Liberty street, between Nassau and Wiliam, and Nos, 134 and 135 Orchard street, , were tn a bad condition. ‘The foilowing resoiutions were passed :— Resolved, That the Sanitary superiniendent be and hereby is directed 10 caue tie district bounded by ‘Vhirvy-cighth street, the Norih Kver, Forty-second siree and hourly, day an night, by inspectors of this opartinent, and that saic ispectors pe directed to cause the immediate arrest af auy and all persons found, directiy or indirecily, en- kaged in siolating ie sanitary code, and, that they be also directed to report to.he Attorney o! this “oard tag circumstances of each and every such violation asthe Dasis ola warrant ior ihe arrést ol the proprietors or other persons under whore orders such violations are made; also that the said inspectors be directed to pay especial attention to the mature duinping grounds we works of W. I, McNeil, the «iffereat slaughter houses, the hog and sheep yards and the works of the Metro- politan Caslight Cowhpany. tesolved, That the sanitary Superintendent be and hereby 1s directed to place an inspector on the rendering ai, Io be relieved trom tuoe to ume, sv that he mi ascertain when and where the rendering is conducted and thatif it should be jound thet rendcring is carry on arywuere in New York or its waters, or that « flensive ass ure liberaced, the inspector be ordered to cause the | # libera‘ed, the i tor be ordered t th Qrrest of ail the persons diroctly or mdlrectly aged | in suen rendering, or other oen-Ive operations: utr thes, to report to the Attorney of this Board such facts as may s.Fve aga basis 01 # warrant for the arrest of tho officer o. the rendering company. Resolved, That in order that no unnecessary Injury to proverty. be occastoned in the matter o the removat ordered of the stalls and s:ands around Washington Mar- ket, in the neighboring # roo, which, have nut yet be ved, the secretary be directed to again’ call the of the owners and occupant: of the stalls and tremalning to the orders of the Board for their and to the necessity of removing this nuisance jeventh aveuue to be patrolie: immediately, Kesoived, That in case the atoresaid s‘alls and stands are not forthwith removed by the owners and oceupants thereof, inspector Gridicy by, and ie is hereby, author: ized and direc'ed to proceed at once, and at any ume ‘after twelve o'clock noon, Saturday next. to remove tho same in the same manner as were removed the other rf er order uf the TEGAINEY exnonse he rules and recu’ ot the first, be held at ony Present, with or ot the meeting.” regulauons be ais Amended by adding at the end thercot the following :— “Two tours’ notic. by telegraph wiven Ly the Preside or the Secretary, addres-e1 fo the rexideucos of th We ‘And atro a special ali the Commins without | And sectio hat the thanks of the Board tendered to the police tor the ve a by them during Wedne rnin’, July 2s aan 1.3, operation In effee ing t complished by th tor Walling, { { a ston | pains Copelaad, Van, Dusen, | Ca sliiamson, Ulan, Petty, Kennedy, Williams, | Garland, Tule, Caict of verectives Irving, aud the ott cers and men under their comin. ‘The premises 0: J. H. McNeil were ordered to be | taken down in the same manner as the booths at Washington Market. Resolved, That Inspector Gridley be and that he heresy | fe ordered to repair the wuimentional damage to to | root of Washington Market, on tho West street sido which was intlicied by per-ons neting for this Board, w | that he be suthorized toimenr any necessary expense therein, with the approva! of the Finance Committee. ‘The following report vas received trom the ins spectors on the west siie:— anitary Superintendent :— | with your directions we aye | hrough the “hog slaughtering dis- n forth venti street, North ‘ere dumping their b 8. w York Keutering any, foot of %. A strong smell Was civen out by iho nd disease meat trom the market, espe» y the manure ver, at which Fi | heaps fout of red carts d—Th Thir dead horse cially from the latter, when had not been disintected. Third—William McNeil & Co. ‘thirty street, The tanks and cvolers were fille i’ with (allow, and ren- ar rooced ing. Fowth—William MeNeil & Co.'s fat warehouse, Tenth enns and For:y-tirs: street, was filled with fat, trom which # powertut udu: ‘cry poreoptible. Fith—William | Mc & ent sloop and schooner, foot of Fortieth 8 rect. AN intolerable xtouo resul.s trom the uncovere:d barrels which pre loaded om Is tor trauswite’ uy ine river. On if qniew ft into the upnok part a8 not quite so perceptible Gok 4 percept a ance Sixth—Donoghue, ‘thirty-eighth stree Guly 25), was ‘rendering iat, whic strongly. ‘Sevonth—The Algonquin, On Wednesday and Thursday nights we were reiuced admittance, and on the laiter night the gang plank w: ved. On Wednesday « large quantity of coal was taken on board. Arghth—W. ‘Tilden & Co., Fortieth street. Refused ad- ness hou mittunce except during bi 8, Ninth- We would also call attention to the condition of first street. A large quantity of the above “dl ver a this morning was swelling | the sewer soot of oflal has accun wlated et the mouth of the sewer, witch is complerely exposed ai low tide, giving forth an intols | erable stench. | | devi—A strong smell is given owt trom the lightor of i ong Island Bone Company. ‘ ‘The altering of the two sections of the rules and Togniations was done ty appease the Mayor, who kicked up mightily about the Washington Marke: ation to tin “at their wre Mavor seni a comman H action wonld be hgreéauie ty sume e Provesso Chandl-r answered that He y not Le got together veiore the tune lad toe clearing away of the cooths, and thas the of+ drrsef the Board weuld lave to be carried oot This roused “old man's” Ire, und he demanded why the Board should not be ready to meet at any hor ot t¥o day or night, when the interests of fiends wer€ involved. The Board immediately fell upon its kiltes and beued pardon in tie alters ing of the sections yesterday to their present ab. surd shape. log shiughtering is tHe vexed question of the hour, The Board pretead they whi have to pass an ordinance to meet the diMeulty; but u the or- dinane. is not passe! and the nuisance swept away the public may expec: some interesting revelu- tions. The first indication of the “sugar” curing infu. e the hog business may be :oun.t in the re- port rent into the Board yesterday by the Inspec. tors detailed oy Dr, Day to look aiter the fith on the west side. These gentlemen found every other juflvence strong in the air, but tuey declined to “go the whole hog” or even notice his presence in tie neighborhood. Previovs to this every report sent In on the subject was load m condemnation o! the hog, but this last document, the work of many hands, Ignores tim al*ogether, It would be a vod thing ior the people living i the district if hey could follow the examp.e oi the taculty, THs SMELLS, No Improvement tn the Odors of Thirty cig Street, The varlegated odors of the city continue to hold their ownin their especial neighborhoods, the ren- dering boat remaining complacentiy at anchor in the m dst of the Hudson and bombarding the city with its horrible stenches. The dock still receives its offal and the fat meltersin the neighborhood continue to ply their odorous vocation, There seems to be bo penalty for these violations of the sanitary code, or tise uo one seems to ‘e any authority to suppress them. Six inspectors are supposed to look in of all these nvisances and in- spect them every hour of the tweaty-four, buat what they do beyond inspecting is a mat. tor of specuiation, ‘hey have no power CONTINUED ON NINTH PAGR