The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-26
The Referees Final Report of the
Springfield Contest.
HE BL u N ID E r. s
The Line Wrong and the Gun for Calling the
Crews Together Omitted.
Tho Race and Seen by Disinterested
Witness.

HERALD, to make nnal report OF the late College
Regatta at Springfield, and, on receipt OF the evil
dence OF the eleven judges appointed by each OF
the contesting crews. to decide the positions or
order OF all the cOntesting boats at the nn;sh
Ow ng to the fact that only six Of the eleven
judges have seen fit to make report-viz., the
judges for Yale, Wesleyan, Harvard, Amherst. Co.
lu,nbia and Dartmouth, shall refuse to award any
other positions than those already awardcd-Yae
first Wesleyan second and Harvard third. The
honor of fourth place being claimed by the judges
for Amherst, Columbia and Dartmouth respeO-
lively, shall be obliged to leave them to fight 1t
out on "that line, II 1t takes all summer"
The duties Of umpire are at most times anything
but pleasant, and l may safely add. have been
particularly disagreeable in an affair managed as
this has been. consented to nomination for the
position at the request or Yale, and, on being
elected and accepting the Ofnce, had every reason
to suppose that proper means would be provided for
me to .Olow the race. The steam yacht Crest was
chartered by the Springfield Club for the purpose
but found trial to be totally inadequate and. to
make bad worse, came to the course on the day Of
the race without sufficient coal. Thanks to the
courtesy OF Mr.. Blake and the timely presence OF
the HERALD steam yacht, on which was orered a
passage or the Freshman race would have been
rOWed without an umpire. and no time taken.
During the Freshman race the Crest had shipped
supply OF fence rails for fuel, and thinking to do
better, IL Icing a larger yacht, left the HERALD
boat and took my position on the Crest for the
University race. The Crest started fully three
fourths OF a mile in advance OF the crews, and
though steamng as fast as 1t was capable OF going
reached 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 hall mile to the rear
OF the line as the first boat crossed 1t. 1t
from nf Hur I'd
as the crews passed the yacht, and to
all the spectators on the east shore,
that it was the winning crew. I ord cred
the Crest to run alongside the Haivards when
congratulated them on their success, heard their
claims, and then left Tor The judges stand on the
west bank. In regard to the presentation OF
cOlors would say that they not in my charge.
over to the stroke OF the Harvard crew by an
Ovcr-oilic GUS gentleman in whose care they had
been paced BY the regatta committee, VINO took
Irize before the umpire had given decision.
harvard's captan put in claim OF foul against
Yale, which Yale also claimed against Iiar-
on arrival at the judges stand on the
obtained that Yale Was the winner, Wesleyan
or Amherst second and Harvard third. Further
testimony Of the judges at once awarded the race
TO Yale, and refused to place any other boats until
later IN the evening. then made careful survey
rectpcss OF which WAS most apparent, which, in
stead Of being set at right angles with the true
course OF the river or direct courses OF the boats
was placed diagonaliy some five hundred Zee. from
It's correct position, the east end being set down
the river Tor some unaccountable object. The
error OF those who thought Harvard the winner
was then easily accounted for, and likewise the
GO s OF the I'VE only Two or
scattered along the shore aud mid-stream IN a
boat.
ments in regard to the position OF this line in act
after hearing subsequent discussions, the evidence
laid it out the Regatta Committee or The United
States engineers though, u the latter. the ghost
of"John fhenix," with his .'go-it.ometre, " must
have gone down the east hank TO station that nag
In q recent letter aud diagram took occasion
TO explain this blunder, with view Of showing
why such variety OF Impressions were formed,
from the various stations at the finish, as to the
winning and following crews. had not the pur
pose in view which has been SO un,ustly charged to
might have beaten lale-but to explain the cOniu-
SION sion Of 9th the judges; no two OF whom
would be In much better taste for
the crews who have been fortunate enough to have
getting that there are other crews entitled TO the
same consideration and doubt as to where they
would have been placed had the finishing line been
In conclusion would add that an apology is due
the public from some one for keeping the ten
thousand spectators waiting for two hours alter
the time appointed for the start. 1t was fully
understood that the Regatta Committee would pro.
vide gun or piece OF ordnance to call the boats In
utes prior to the specifcd time for starting the
ns aou Se p az
arrangement was perfect and would have insured
punctuaiity, but at the last moment It was discov
Mr.. +. O. Brown the starter, who, with
the a., assistance na.s.r Of l Mr. johnson both
and neither any way With the Regatta
Committee or any OF the colleges at their own ex-
pense engaged boats and rOwed to the different
headquarters to notify the eleven crews, stationed
miles apart, that no gun was provided and to get
out on the line as soon as possible. This blunder
The appointment OF eleven judges by the Regatta
Committee was done against the expressed orders
Of the captains OF the crews, and was an insult to
the umpire, who has the appointment OF hts own
judges II ne desires any assistance. This blunder
prevents the umpire from placing the boats only SO
far as the judges choose to agree.
Boat racing and the management of reQattas ia
now branch OF q collegiate education, and the
lessons OF the past will undoubtedly be pronted BY
testants who In their hour oil adversely have shown
me me 80 much courtesy and consideration, and hope
the very few who have seen ut to reward nv
tnankless efforts with abuse Will, on careful con.
o'J Ir s"n' rssre'N' JOHN G. BABCOCK.
The Story OF the Finish Related NV an
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF the StruCrle-
fslc First-Harvard Third-Harvar d,s
Fair FervOr Over. the Misdelivered Col.
ors-Their Restoration 70 Yale,
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Inc story OF pattle, or OF any contested event
IN which masses OF men arc engaged, either as par
Elephants or spectators is always diflcut OF exact
reproduction, and often utterly denes harmonious
record. Each OF those concerned relates, in his
own way, colored by his misconceptions and preju.
dices, that part OF the AFFAIR visible from his stand
point and, believing his version and vision to
embrace the whole lcld, disputes every &C.
count which contradicts or varies his own.
The recent college boat race at Springfield il 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, unless 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, II their erroneous arguments were to con-
tinue unrefuted the young gentlemen who rowed