The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-20
THE ATALANTAS And HARVARDS.
Race Between the Crack Boat Clubs for
the Amateur Championship.
>~~>~~~.>~~~-~---~>>-~-~-
A DISC UST TED GRO w D.
The Race Delayed Until
Nearly Dark.
-~,c~-~->~,- >,-,>,-<>~>>,~-~
The Atalantas Win by a Minute
and Three Seconds.
A DISC listed CROW d,
Until
I.alt = 4

Dared amateur crews OF the Atalanta Cub OF New
York, and the Harvard University. or Cambridge,
took place at the period OF about twilight this after
noon. IL was an occasion which at one time ex-
cited considerable curiosity and interest, but various
circumstances conspired to deprive IL OF all the
usual features identified with aquatic sports. and
altogether 1t was about as
DULL, UNINTERBsrISe AND DisAGREEABLE AN Az
FAIR
as has been known IN the Connecticut Valley during
the present generation. The crowds who came yes
terday to witness the race were mostly absent to-
day, but the few who remained were sufficiently
emphatic in their declarations OF disgust To render
matters on shore more enliyening than pleasant.
One OF the chief causes OF complaint was the
miserable course selected for the race and in this
universal condemnation both the competing crews
were united The water was shallow and full of
weeds. the stream puzzing zlgzag from one stake
boat to the other and the banks either side were
so constructed and surrounded by nature that 1t
was scarcely possible for visitors, judges or
anybody else any portion OF the
race All these inconvenience formed a
substantial platform for universal grumbling; but
the dead beat proclivities of the proprietor OF a
summer hotel the only public house in the vicinity
called forth additional expressions OF anger and
disgust. The day the races were announced quar-
ter was exacted for invading the premises, and
afterwards the food and drink, so sparingly fur
nlshed, put at such figure as TO astonish even
the me.honored pleasure seekers OF Saratoga and
Niagara. Al these circumstances OF course are
somewhat foreign TO the matter between
THE HARvARDs AND ATALANTAs
for the amateur championship OF The world, and
should not have mentioned them il they had not
been so freely talked about here. AS stated IN the
EERALD's telegram OF last evening the row was
most q
lace being TOO much ruiiled tor the representative
of fair Harvard. They insisted that their opponents
were at home the rough surface OF The river
opposite passac, and that TO row them on any other
than perfectly smooth stream would be foregone
defeat. 1t is nut justice 10 say that
THE CONNECTICUT WAS NOT AS TRANQUIL
ana serene at tie time woud have been desirable,
but its shallow depths were not so much disturbed
ms 10 discourage the New lorS oarsmen ana va
rous other knights OF the oar who al the very mo-
ment were gliding promiscuously up and down the
stream. and wondering and swearing because TIE
cOllegans dd not put IN an appearance. The upshoJ
of the whole matter was that the race was post
poned until four O'Clock this Afternoon ana the
spectators who had assembled separated with de.
caratOns aud manifestations mole positively EN-
nhatic Than divncly elegant. They ali swore that
the Harvards and Atalanias were in with the swim
ding hotel, and they'd be Id II they would ever 90
near them again. and when the hour ofpostponeinent
arrived to-day II was found mat great many ui the
disguised poDulace mad kept their word. 1t
would be
AN ExAGGERATIoN
to say that there were two hundred present, all
toll. ana most OF them were personal iriens OF one
or other Of the competing crews AS the hour ar
rived these anxious and nervous ones gathered at
one point and another along the shore ana patiently
awaited the coming OF the competing crews, one
hour passed and stil another, but no one
came eXcept the representative OF the New York
oarsnen. The Harvards were non est. One said
loosely that they had gone home. ana just as few
were beginning TO treat the innocent remark Sc
riously CAPTAIN Reed disclosed himself
The water Is too rough,n lie said "and think
we had better wait until morning.
The bysanders thought he was. Joking for the
river a. the moment as tranquil ~ 1t well could
l.. audi n
were out practising. The captain was serious how
ever, and firmly INSISTED that the race should not
take place until the water was smoother.
TEDIOUS DELAY
followed Until nearly seven O'Clock, when, after tie
arrangement effected by which the race was
gone forward with The referee and starter selected
was Captain J. c. Babcock, OF the Nassau Boat Club
OF New Ork. an English oarsman ana formerly
OF the Elton crew. X. c. Hooper. OF Boston, was
selected for tnekeeper. Theophilus Parsons, or
Boston, and james watson. Of New York, were
selected respectively judges Tor the ilaIvards ard
Atalantas to follow the crews on a little steamer
provided for The purpose, and the judges at the
lower stake were :. W. Rice. OF Rosenbuig Oregon,
for the Harvards, ana Il. w. Pierce OF springfield,
The TWO crews came IRON Their beat houses almost
simultaneously. There were no crowds TO cheer
them and IL seemed hardly possible tEaJ
representatives Of the Oldest aquatic organization
in the country were about to compete with
crew mo eoaege Wch nas p,oa rro,
the most renowned university crew in England.
There were about "A dozen reporters present, a lew
farmers and residents In the immediate vicinity and
a few intimate friends OF the respective crews. Tie
Harvards the choice of position. but the
wash stlaightaway the advantage aid no. amount TO
THE BOATS AND THE CREWS
The Atalana's boat was iraIi-lpoking shell, as
feet long, inches wicc and 3 4 inches deep, and
it's weight Is about one hundred and thirty pounds.
The dimensions OF the Harvard's craft Is ~ feet in
length. 2o]5 inches wide aud inches deep. TIE
respective crews were as foliows:-
ATALANrA-Dr Russei Withers, stroke; Theodore
Van Baden, Leander Waterbury, Henry B. Leroy,
Alexander Handy, ana edward smith. bow.
HARVARD UNIyERsITY-Ceo Bass. stroke: Alan.
son Tucker; g. l.; Jones, william Loring, W. T.
Upon pulling out into the stream the Atlantas took
their position at once. while the llarvafds pulled
short distance up the river, but In few mo-
ments came down again and took their
place. Twilight was rapidly settling down
over the valley ana the starter wisely gave
the word at once. In the language OF
the turf they both got OF even and Kept very
prety side by side for something ike minute
and hall. Then The New Workers began to shoot
forward, and soon they had tie inside. The nar-
wards meantime were doing their best, but still
the gap between them and their rivals
was being perceDibly wdened. Al the end Of
THE FIRST NILE
the Atalantas were twenty lengths or more ahead,
and they maintained TINS advanced position unil
the end OF the third mite and the race making the
entire distance In ISM. 1873
Towards the very last tile Harvards began TO show
evidence OF acknowledged defeat, and, although
they appeared to do their best, they did not reach
the stake until minute ana three seconds after
their rivals had passed 1t. There was nothing exci-
ing about the race FROM almost the very
start IL was clear that the Atalantas would
win and the prophecies of the previous days were
at length fulfilled.
THE DECISION
The vanqniSned gave the customary cheers IN
honor OF the victors, and the captains Of the re-
speciive crews having announced that there were
no fouls, the Judges declared mat The Atalanias
were the champion amateur oI the country,
and there The question has been settled without the
usual pomp and circumstances incident 10 such
events.
RACES TO COME
on Friday VIII occur The single SOUL races. I'M Ter
the auspices OF the Springfield club, and also the
contests between the defeated crew OF to-day
AID the of the Brown University
and the Amherst Agricultural College And then
probably the Inglc-lue aquatic coast ana It's sur.
rounding frauds Will sink into that oDscuty when
they so richly deserve.
CBl r. u n az,