Recalling accidents of past Regattas
TRower drowned in 1919
Three drownings in 1884
he collision of a couple of boats which dumped some rowers into the pond at the 2011 Regatta was as alarming to the patrons of the Regatta as it was to the members of the Regatta Committee.
The accident occurred at the turning of the buoys and involved Quality Plus, with coxswain Dan Harte and rowing in the Miss Labatt, and Lamb’s, coxed by Diana Gibbons in the Good Luck, colliding in Male Amateur Race last Regatta Day.
Fortunately, apart from a few bumps and bruises, there were no serious injuries. The Good Luck was taken out of competition for the day.
The event caused some on the banks to recall events in Regatta history including two that ended in tragedy.
In 1884 and again in 1919, rowers drowned following incidents that occurred after turning the buoys. The most recent loss of life at the races took place at the Regatta of 1919 which was attended by the Prince of Wales.
The Prince arrived at 10:30 a.m., watched a race and then left. The program was proceeding well.
However, the weather began to change. The winds increased and near 1:00 p.m., quite a lop had developed during the Mercantile Race.
As the boats rounded the buoy, the Guard and the Nellie R. took on water.
The Nellie R., with coxswain Shotty Rogers, continued the race but at about five- or six-boat lengths past the buoys, it was struck by a heavy wave and began to sink.
Rogers advised the crew to remain in the boat and keep their oars extended.
Sergeant Charles Peters of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment jumped into the water and never came up. It was claimed that he suffered a heart attack when he entered the water and sunk below the surface.
The Bowring’s crew, rowing in the Guard, also had a rough time turning the buoys and had taken on water.
The cox told the crew to head for shore and they pulled in not far from the troubled Nellie R.
There the crew bailed out the water and two oarsmen choose to stay on shore rather than continue rowing. The remaining crew were determined to finish the race and set out up the pond with just four rowers.
Still not aware of the tragedy suffered by the Nellie R., the Guard won the race with the time of 10:52 1/5.
The Regatta was stopped and a search for the body was carried on until stopped by darkness.
At 7 a.m. next day, the body of Charles Peters was recovered.
Although there was loss of life during the “Cabmen’s Regatta” in the 1920s, the only other tragedy at the St. John’s Regattas struck during the Young Fishermen’s Race in 1884 when three members of the Torbay crew drowned after their boat took on water and sunk turning the buoys.
That race got underway at 2:30 p.m., but by the time they reached the buoys, a high westward wind swept the pond causing high rolling waves which swamped the Torbay boat, Terra Nova.
Unfortunately, the crew failed to listen to the advice given them by their coxswain Pat Ryan, who wanted to bring the boat to shore after noticing the rising waves.
The boat sank 40 yards from the north shore. It went down head forward and then floated bottom up.
By 9 p.m., the bodies of all three victims had been recovered.
The three young men who drowned, all below 18 years of age, were Sam Gosse, Mogue Power and John Martin.
While the loss of life during the competitions on Regatta Day is extremely rare, mishaps on the pond are not.
Keyin Tech’s accident in 1995
This pond mishap took place a week after Regatta Day while the Keyin Tech ladies crew was training for the national fixed-seat Championship in Montreal.
The crew had not noticed that a single sculler was also on the pond and the two collided.
The sculler’s boat turned over tossing its rower into the water and Diana Hogan jumped into the water to assist him.
The male rower had gone beneath the water but when he came up he was angry enough to threaten a law suit. A speed boat came along and took the male rower aboard, while Hogan returned to her own boat.
Hogan commented, “It was nobody’s fault. It was just a shock for everyone.”
Ignored gentlemen’s agreement
In the 1970 Regatta, the Native crashed into the Viking and had to be taken off the pond for the day.
There was a gentlemen’s agreement among coxswains that the right of way be given to the crew leaving the buoys.
That rule was not honoured in this race as the Domac Crew, with Chick Stone as cox, was coming out of the turn at the buoys when hit by the Native.
In view of the possibility of a rower being injured or not able to row, crews began registering spare rowers by mid1940s.
Rules required the spare to stay sober, at least, until the boats passed the committee tent. After that he was on his own!
This had nothing to do with the newspaper reports that days before Regatta Day, flying saucers had been spotted over St. John’s.
This one takes the cake!
During the District Race at the 1967 Regatta, the Warren’s Crew competing were rowing hard but getting nowhere.
Mickey Dwyer recalled, ”No matter how hard we pulled, the boat was dragging on the one side. By the time we figured out what happened, we had already lost valuable time.”
Fortunately, they discovered in time that someone (another coxswain) had hidden a length of railway track in their boat.
Despite the handicap, they went on to win. But the coxswain who pulled the practical joke avoided the Warren’s boys for the rest of the day.
“And a good thing he did,” Johnny Warren later recalled.
Lost oar
On Regatta Day 1956, in the American Services Race, the Air Police stroke lost his oar. It was a spirited crew and they went on to win the race.
In the Municipal Worker’s Race on the same day, the City Engineers, running second behind the Streets Department suffered a setback when their stroke collapsed. They stayed in the race and ended in second place.
The Royalist 1955
At the 1955 Regatta, the Fishermen's Race proved to be a thrilling one for fans. Competing were two Torbay crews — the Kid Line and the senior crew from Torbay and a Portugal Cove crew.
A Telegram sports writer described the race, "All three boats took off as one with Portugal Cove seeming to have just a slight edge.
“The senior Torbay crew took over for some distance while bringing up the rear was the Kid Line rowing in the Bob Sexton and guided by Dick Morris.
“Nearing the turning point at the bottom of the Pond, Portugal Cove was out front by about two boat lengths.
"Disaster struck the Royalist as the turn was completed when stroke Bill Day broke an oar.
“In spite of the bad break, the Portugal Cove crew grimly carried on and even without a stroke, they continued to hang to the lead until as far as the Hangar, they were finally overtaken by the senior Torbay crew."
Wrong lanes
Sometimes, as was the case in the 1952 Regatta, the coxswain made a mistake that cost his crew a win.
That was the case in the Bakery Race that year. It was close all the way with Walsh’s Bakery crossing the finish line first.
Frank Murphy, who rowed with Walsh’s Bakery, recently recalled that after winning the race, they had the win taken away from them by the judges.
“Our coxswain, Shotty Rogers, had taken us into the wrong stake. East End Bakery was awarded the win.”
In 1955, Shotty made the same error when he brought the favoured to win St. Pat’s crew to first place across the finish line but was quickly disqualified for using the wrong stake.
He claimed that the bright sun affected his judgement. The Patrician rowers were upset with Shotty, but forgave him and in 1956 when he brought them a championship win, taking the title away from the U.S. Air Police.
In the All Comers Race in 1945, the Star of the Sea carrying the Holy Cross “Gas House Kids” collided with the Coronet, which was carrying the Logy Bay crew.
The Holy Cross crew was dumped into the water, and their boat suffered the loss of part of her stern.
The U.S. Army safety boat came to the rescue of the Crusaders, and their boat was towed to shore for repairs.
Sixteen years later, in 1961, a Holy Cross crew had a similar accident with a crew from St. Pat’s.
Holy Cross was rowing in the Royalist while the St. Pat’s Number One crew rowed in the Telegram.
The Holy Cross crew crashed into St. Pat’s while attempting to turn the buoy. This time, the Holy Cross rowers were able to row safely to the boathouse.
Tossing oars at opponents!
A three-boat collision during a race at the 1914 Regatta had officials worried but there were no injuries.
During the Society Race the Cadet, its first year on the pond, collided with the Guard and the Shamrock while rowing up the pond.
Tempers flared over the crash and a rower on the Shamrock tossed his oar at the Cadet’s coxswain.
The judges ordered both boats off the pond. Repairs were made to the Cadet and it returned to complete its remaining races.
Mishaps from the start
Thomas Brookings, one of the founders of the Regatta, had a near accident on the pond at the 1829 Regatta but remained in the race to finish first.
As they neared the turning point, the two boats collided, causing damage to the rudder on Brookings’ boat.
Ignoring the damage, Thomas went on and won the race. The Regatta in 1829 was held on Sept. 10 following the hay harvest.
The Mary turned the wrong buoy and struck the Volunteer during the Tradesmen’s Race in 1875.
Although the Mary crossed the finish line first, she was disqualified by the judges who awarded first prize to the Lady Hill.
In 1881, other judges viewed a similar occurrence differently.
In that case, the dispute was between the Hawk and the Dora after the Hawk fouled the Dora.
The Hawk’s crew argued, “It was a consequence of two boats at the same time turning the buoy. The aft of our boat sheared against their shearing oars.”
The win was awarded to the Dora.
Weather had caused the 1888 Regatta to spread over two days.
On the second day, the Gypsy suffered a broken plank and started to take on water while turning the buoys.
The coxswain and crew, remembering the 1884 tragedy, agreed to row immediately to shore.
The same day, it seemed there would be a repeat of the 1884 tragedy when the Torbay crew, rowing in the same boat used in 1884, and renamed the Myrtle, took on water after turning the buoys but went on to win the race.
By the time she crossed the finish line, the water was just a few inches from the gunwales.
Dirty tactics
In 1893, Bowring Brothers Grocery Department challenged the Grocery Department of J. D. Ryan Grocer to a rowing match on Quidi Vidi Lake.
The race was held at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, and was well attended.
The Bowring crew rowed in the Gypsy and Ryan’s in the Mascott. The race sparked controversy because Bowring’s zig zagged in front of their opponents, making it more difficult for them to row.
Although Bowring’s won the match, the bitter feelings caused by the “dirty tactics” remained for some time.