The annual Cottage City whaleboat race announced for Friday, but which was postponed on account of the high wind and the non-arrival of the New Bedford competitors, came off Saturday afternoon at 4 o’clock. Four boats were entered, viz.: The Oak Bluffs, The Edgartown, and the Sixth Ward and Sixth Ward, Jr., of New Bedford. The course was three miles, the boats starting from the judges; boat off the south end of the plank walk and pulling alongshore passing the Oak Bluffs and Highland wharves, thence around the buoy off East Chop and return. In drawing for positions, Edgartown was No. 1; Sixth Ward, No. 2; Oak Bluffs, No. 3; Sixth Ward, Jr., No. 4. The Oak Bluffs immediately took the lead and when passing Oak Bluffs wharf was three or four lengths ahead of the Sixth Ward, with the Sixth Ward, Jr., and the Edgartown side by side, a short distance in the rear. The Oak Bluffs continually gained, and turned the buoy one and one-fourth minutes ahead of the Sixth Ward, and when passing Oak Bluffs wharf on the home stretch was several hundred yards in advance. Continuing the route leisurely, they reached the judges’ boat, and completed the course, in 27 minutes and 10 seconds, taking the first prize, $75. The Sixth Ward made the distance in 29 minutes and took the second prize, $45; the Edgartown in 31 minutes, taking the third prize, $10. The Sixth Ward, Jr., made good time for the first half of the course, when they gave out and were distanced on the home stretch.
The Oak Bluffs crew consisted of Captain, Isaac C. Norton; harpooner, George A. Smith; bow oar, Julius G. Lux; midship, Cyrus B. Norton; tub, Allen Mayhew; stroke, John W. Gordon.
Sixth Ward - Captain, Eliphalet Haskins; harpooner, Curtis Jennings; bow oar, Sylvanus Westgate; midship, Daniel Jennings; tub, G. B. Wilcox; stroke, William Westgate.
Edgartown - Captain, Jason Luce; harpooner, Edward C. Luce; bow oar, Jas. Matchett; midship, Benj. Hawes; tub, F. D. Bailey; stroke, Thomas E. Gardner.
Sixth Ward, Jr. - Captain, Wm. Bowman; harpooner, Frank Lewis; bow oar, John Moore; midship, Manuel Rose; tub, Mat. Sullivan; stroke, Frank Lawrence.
The judges were S. D. Robinson, of Foxboro; H. C. Tillinghast and T. G. Wing of New Bedford.
The entrance fee was $10 for each boat.
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