US National Course Sculling Champion
The following text has been transcribed by Charles Francis Galanaugh, West Milford New Jersey from a framed collection of newspaper clippings, which are in his possession. This computer file was transferred on November 12, 2000.
Daniel J. Galanaugh, the great-grandfather of Charles Francis (Jr.), the transcriber, is reported to have been born, September 1, 1857 in Ireland, and moved as a child, in 1864, to St. John, NB, Canada. As a young man he moved with the family to Philadelphia, PA, probably in 1884. He was the son of Edward Galanaugh and Mary A. McClelland. He married Margaret McMonigal, and died in 1914, as reported in the clippings. Other, information, including a photocopy of the clippings, and a photograph of Dan with his three sons (Edward Anthony, Daniel and James) are available, in the possession of the transcriber, whose grandfather was Edward Anthony.
Newspaper Text Transribed
NOTE: ***** Asterisks are used in the text in locations where the print is either illegible or unclear.
Galanaugh the Winner
***
Pat Dempsey Defeated in a Splendid Three-Mile Race
***
The Best Single-Scull Time Ever Made Over the National Course
***
Hanlon's Great Record Beaten -
The Race Witnessed by Immense Crowds and Many Ladies
***
Brawny Dan Galanaugh broke the record for the fastest time over the National Course and return when he sent his shell shooting over the finishing line at sunset yesterday, two lengths ahead of young Pat Dempsey. The shouts of the people and the shrieks of steam whistles saluted the victorious sculler. The course was from Rockland to to the Falls Bridge and back, the distance being three miles. Edward Hanlan, an obscure Toronto sculler, sprung into national fame when he made the swiftest three-mile record on the Schulykill at the great regatta in 1876. His time was 21 minutes and 9 seconds, but Galanaugh's achievement of yesterday was done in 20 minutes, 53 1-5 seconds. It was a lovely day for the race. Mild breezes drifted over the hills of the Schulykill and tempered the rays of the sun that made the smooth bosom of the river like a silver street.
WATCHED BY LARGE CROWDS
A great army of men, women and children were clustered on the picturesque east bank at Rockland. People were massed on the driving part, while hundreds looked down on the water from the lofty rocks. Boys and men were packed on the Columbia Bridge, while a big flotilla of shells and barges were constantly interlacing
each other on the water opposite Rockland.
Crews from all the Schulykill Navy boat houses were among the aquatic display, the brightest feature of which was the scores of pretty, gayly dressed girls who peeped from beneath sunshades or bravely faced the scene with their bronzed, muscular companions in the barges.
The steamer Rockland was crowded to the water line with guests who paid fifty cents to follow the race, while the judges' boat, the tug Harry, was constantly shipping water. Clarence Steel, of the Crescent Club was named referee; Pat Holt, himself a clever sculler, was named as judge for Dempsey, and Frank Henderson, the Malta Club's best oarsman, acted in the office for Galanaugh. When Joe Liebert had been agreed on as judge at the finish the judges boat made a tour of the course and plowed back to Rockland.
CHEERS FOR THE CONTESTANTS
There was mighty cheering when the rival oarsmen of the Schulykill appeared. Galanaugh wore a white knit shirt and blue trunks and Dempsey was dressed in a faded green shirt and white trunks. When the men were told to get ready Galanaugh took the west bank, Dempsey being to the east. It was just two minutes before six o'clock when Referee Steel gave the word "Go!" and the two shells shot over the line. Both men caught the water at the same time. They were rowing a 36 stroke when, urged by the cheers of his friends, Dempsey spurted a little ahead. He kept the slight lead for a short distance, when Galanaugh closed the gap and the race toward the bend was a pretty one. It was nip and tuck as they shot along, both near the west bank, along which a running crowd of youngsters shouted encouragement to their favorites. As they swung around the bend and headed for the turning buoys they were about even. Then the nose of Galanaugh's shell pushed ahead. The people on the boats were wild with enthusiasm. Galanaugh's stock went up higher as he forged still further to the front, and the sports who were laying $10 to $8 in favor of Galanaugh moved their odds up a notch or two. As the buoys came nearer in sight Galanaugh increased his lead, but Dempsey again spurted. Galanaugh turned his buoy 9 minutes and 44 seconds after he had heard the word go. Dempsey was only a length and a half behind him.
ON THE HOME STRETCH
As the men turned on the home stretch Galanaugh was as fresh as a daisy while Dempsey seemed to be working hard. "Go in Pat!" shouted hundreds of voices and Pat spurted but Galanaugh kept his lead, and in answer to the cries of "Go it, Dan!" increased the lead to four lengths. The men were lost sight of when the Rockland almost crashed into the judges boat, but the two boats quickly swung off and took up the chase after the swift shooting shells. As the scullers neared the finishing line, Dempsey made a grand spurt, but Galanaugh flew across the line a winner.
Dempsey was but two lengths in the rear, and when the shell came around Dempsey threw out his hand and shook the fist of his conqueror, while the thousands of throats sent up a mighty hurrah that clashed with the shrieks of the whistles, while the Vesper eight who won the national championship at Chautauqua, almost upset them- selves when they reached out and enthusiastically congratulated their old trainer, victorious Dan Galanaugh.
The race was for $500 a side.
The Times / Philadelphia
Aug 28, 1887
Galanaugh will Coach the Vespers
Daniel J. Galanaugh, the local professional sculler, was chosen yesterday as rowing coach of the Vesper Boat Club for the coming season. This choice would not be considered unusual were it not for the fact that Galanaugh figured prominently during the past month as a prospective coach for the University of Pennsylvania crews, and that for two years, namely, 1893 and 1894, by virtue of its victories, the Vesper Boat Club was conceded to be the champion amateur rowing organization of this country.
** the determination of Captain William ** and Lieutenants Gustave Roehm, J.B. Love Jr., and F. Lewis Herr to not only duplicate the achievements of the club ** 1894, but if possible surpass them.
In view of the proposed "Henley Week in America," to be held on the Schulykill river during the week of July 4, an unprecedented interest in rowing is being shown by members of the club. It seems to be the aim of the members to *** ything before them this year and to accomplish this *** deemed necessary. *** his first bulletin last night, ordering all candidates for crews to report on March 1. There are already 85 men at work in the club's gymnasium in Fairmount Park and it is expected that this number will be supplemented by 25 more by March 1. A new eight- oared shell is being built by Waters, of Troy, N. Y., while Hoyle is turning out a new single shell for Cresser, one of the club's crack scullers.
Galanaugh, who's skill as a trainer has always been underestimated, will now have a golden opportunity afforded him to demonstrate the value and result of his methods. The Vesper boys are enthusiastic oarsmen, rowing purely for the love of the sport. The new coach is popular with the boys, and the officers and members of the club will doubtless do all in their power to make his effort successful.
As a coach, sculler and all-around oarsman, Galanaugh has had a most interesting career. He was brought to this country from Ireland when but 9 years old and was taken to St. John's N.B. When but 13 years old he was apprenticed to a Canadian fisherman where he gained his first experience as a boatman. He took naturally to rowing, and in 1867 with "Dick" Nagle, Charles and Hugh McCormick, Galanaugh pulling No. 2 in a four-oared working boat, defeated all the crack crews around New Brunswick. They were nicknamed the "Kid" crew, and won five straight races. Subsequently, they were conceded to be the champion four-oared crew of the country.
In 1882 Galanaugh came to this city and allied himself with the then celebrated Mountain Rose six-oared barge crew. Their *** races with the Polliwogs, which were coxswained at that time by Ellis Ward, form bright spots in local rowing history. The first year Galanaugh won for himself a seat in the Mountain Rose boat, pulling No. *. The race was rowed on the Schulykill river, from Chestnut street bridge to Gibson's Point, and Galanaugh's crew won. It is estimated that upwards of 10,000 people viewed *********.
The next year Galanaugh blossomed out as a sculler and was matched against William ** who, at that time was the undefeated champion of the Delaware river. The race was rowed at *** of one **** with a *** Galanaugh won. His career as a sculler *** over the next three years, during which he once rowed three miles, with a turn, in 20 minutes and 53 seconds, and subsequently went over the national course in 19 minutes and 53 1/2 seconds.
During the latter part of 1885 he announced himself as a rowing coach, and on New Year's day, 1886 began duty at Yale College teaching the candidates for the 'Varsity Crew' "watermanship." Harvard had beaten Yale in 1882 and 1883 and again in 1885, and the rowing mentors of "Old Eli" had begun to feel despondent at the apparent reversal of form. Galanaugh's ability to teach a man how to handle an oar was at once recognized.
Galanaugh soon worked marvels with the Yale candidates. He remained in New Haven until May 12, when he was forced to return to the Quaker City on account of his wife's illness. Suffice to say, however that the work done by Galanaugh with the Yale crew by 1886 bore fruit, as on July 2 of that year they simply rowed away from Harvard at New London, finishing strong in the fast time of 20 minutes and 41 1/4 seconds.
In 1887 Galanaugh started to train boat club crews and during that year coached the Vesper Boat Club's eight, which ****** town, N.Y.
Since then he coached the Staten Island Athletic Club's four and eight-oared shell crews, which won four out of five races rowed. The spirit of rivalry between the Passaic and Triton Club crews on the Passaic river, at Newark became so intense that Galanaugh was employed to coach the Tritons for two years, and they won both regattas and were champions of the river during that period.
Galanaugh is probably the only *** in this country who has applied the Cook stroke to sculling and he has mastered that stroke theoretically as well as practically, and above all possesses the faculty of imparting his knowledge to others.
AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE
Oarsman Dan Galanaugh / Comes Near Losing His Life on the Upper Schulykill
HIS HORRIBLE POSITION
With His Head Under Water He Has to
Un - loosen His Feet From the Boat
Dan Galanaugh and McClelland were rowing double yesterday near the Goose Pen when an accident occurred. The water was rough and "crabs" were numerous. McClelland caught an oar in some driftwood and in the effort that followed to right the boat, Galanaugh's left oar left its lock and the boat capsized. McClelland got free easily, but Galanaugh came close near losing his life.
His feet had been strapped down in order to make more certain headway against the rough water, and when the boat capsized it was necessary for him to release his feet before he could
GET HIS HEAD ABOVE WATER
He realized that drowning was inevitable if he lost his presence of mind, so he deliberately went to work to unloosen the straps, which were made still tighter by the cold atmosphere and the water.
It was a thrilling effort, in which Galanaugh finally succeeded in getting free from both straps and came to the surface. To use Mr. McClelland's own words, "I was pretty badly scared, and
THOUGHT DAN WAS DROWNED
but when he came to the surface, almost as black in the face as a , I came near letting go the boat in horror, as he looked just like a drowning person coming to the surface. When I saw he was alive, it was like taking a thousand pound weight off me!"
After being in the water for over half an hour both men finally managed to reach shore in a completely exhausted condition.
After being thoroughly rubbed with coarse towels, and getting on a change of clothing, Messrs. Galanaugh and McClelland returned home, inwardly and outwardly thankful that they had escaped from any serious consequences of their accident.
- News Clipping / Source Unknown
DEATH OF LOCAL SCULLER
Daniel J. Galanaugh, Ex-Champion Oarsman
of the Schulykill
Daniel J. Galanaugh, ex-champion sculler of the Schulykill, died Wednesday night at his home, No (818?)* North Twenty-first street, aged about (54?)* years. Galanaugh, in his time coached numerous crews of the Schulykill Navy and was also assisting to Bob Cook as rowing coach at Yale one season. Last year he coached the Manayunk Club crews.
For years Galanaugh had a boathouse under the "wire bridge" on the Schulykill, and while there he made the experiment of manufacturing aluminum shells on Fairmount avenue. At first these "tin" boats took very well but they did not prove a great success.
Galanaugh was a powerfully built man and one season he toured with the "Dark Secret" theatrical troupe. About 1904 Galanaugh located in a hotel on the Delaware River opposite New Castle, Del., near Salem, N.J., remaining there about six years. Of late he had been employed at the cooper shop connected with the oil works of Point Breeze.
- News Clipping / Source Unknown