Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-07-24

long the red caps OF the HarvardS were
seen coming down the river. Eleven
skiffs were anchored in line across the
stream, seventy feet apart, and against
three of these the contesting shells were
placed, the stern of each being held
lightly to be released at the word. The
five seconds allowed between the formal
INQUIRY, care you ready ?" and the word
Co." seemed an age as those maiden
oarsmen leaned forward, arms out
stretched, knees bent to the utmost limit
allowed by the7 sliding seats, and the
blades of the oars just touching the sur
face.
1t was a good send-off. Amherst was
perhaps a trifle nervous. AT least, the
purple and white made a most terrific
plunge at the start. With two quick,
flashing and, to say the truth, somewhat
splashing strokes, the she'll was sent
plunging forward in advance of the two
competitors. Amherst surged ahead,
and in half dozen strokes had the bow
of her antagonists at her waist. Yale
and Harvard started together, the latter
working hard, the former as cool and
collected as if on a pleasure pull. The
long, easy stroke of Yale ,contrasted
remarkably with the nervous dash of
Amherst and with the efforts of the
Woodworking Harvard 1t was the
stroke to stay and to win and the event
proved it. With no effort to offset the
squirt of Amherst, the Yale Freshmen,
cool beyond their years, kept steadily on
past the cheering crowds, shgking off
Harvard first, and then leaving Amherst
behind, and coming in at the stake boat
winner amid the cheers of the occupants
of the grand stand.
1t was, perhaps, quite as interesting to
see the return of these young victors-
who, indeed, made as fine an exhibition
of stroke and style as was seen on the
river-when they friskily hoisted the
pOnderous Hamil, their ''coaCh," on
their shoulders, and carried him in mock
triumph up the river bank, dropping
him in the water but once on the way.
The success of the Yale Freshmen was
a worthy one, due not only to the fine
''form" of the crew, but to the excellent
course steered by them on the river.
The Freshmen had time to pull back
up the stream in the most leisurely man
ner, and the steam yachts to make vari-
Gus and sundry trips around and about,
before any sign became evident that the
University race would come on. Even
the charming scenery of the Connecticut
Valley wearies the eye when viewed
without winking through tield-glasses
and telescopes for several hours, in eX-
pectatiOn of features which do not APP
pear. And it was not until after six
o'clock that the great race of the day,
due two hours before, was called.
The Dartmouth crew were first in the
water with their boat, their green tur-
bans and the trimmings of their vests
of the same color making the brawny
young giants conspicuous as they squirt
ed about the river, in somewhat splashy
style, it must be confessed. A tedious
delay was experienced in bringing out
the other boats, suggestive of a most
pressing reform in the management Of
the Association Indeed, before the
eleven craft were in line. as many as a
thousand spectators had left the lower
end of the course in despair and taken
the cars for town, convinced that such
tardiness meant nothing less than final
postpOnement.
1t was already growing gloomy as the
sun, which had not been visible through
the day. sank lower behind the clouds,
long. sharp shells, with their bronzed
crews, was formed across the river. The
drawing for positions had placed the
two traditional rivals, Yale and Harvard,
side by side; and 1t had also given them
the advantage, almost equal, of the
channel and the current. Inside of these
were the two Amherst crews, and away
across the stream lay the Others, the
men with backs bent and long arms out
stretched to catch the water at the be-
ginning of the stroke.
1t was a brief moment that they were
held in suspense. The orders came quick
and sharp, and with a dash the eleven
were off. The Freshmen themselves
made not one-half the splashing that ac-
companied the start of these veterans.
The spray flew in a mist all along the
line under the impulse of the first two
strokes; and it is no unkindness to re-
mark that it rose higher and more dense
ly at the point where Yale and Harvard
contested the lead. The start was not
only good, but wonderful in its fortune ;
for not only was there no collision, but
each boat took its course without so
much as impeding the start or obscurlng
the direction of any other.
The long line advanced as with one
impulse for about a dozen strokes to the
sound of a shout in which the names of
eleven colleges were vociferously blend
ed. But the order was soon changed.
Dartmouth was the first to gain the
water of her antagonist, cutting across
the bow of Williams, the latter falling
back to the rear and maintaining that
position to the close The line was
broken throughout. The boats became
scattered in a widely separated fleet
along the river Harvard and Yale
pressed forward. The former led by
less than half length, while close be-
hind came the stout Wesleyans.
These three crews were early marked
as the winners, and between them the
contest was hot and spirited. At the
distance of a mile from the starting
point the river was beautiful as well as
intensely exciting. The regular rise
and fall of the oars, the swift surge of
the boats under the strong impulse of
the rowers, and the bright colors of the
uniforms combined to produce remark
able effect. The enthusiasm of the spec
tatOrs was irrepressible. As the boats
passed the cry was taken up along the
banks, and cheer upon cheer arose, and
shouts and frantic appeals echoed across
and far down the stream, to be repeated
from each station.
1t was here that the stroke of the
Yale began to tell. The long, steady,
slow swing commenced to bring the
bow Of the boat further up on the side
of Harvard, Superb as was the action
of that nobly-trained crew, it was i'm
possible to contend against the power
that impelled Yale forward. Slowly
the latter crept up, as the cries of the
partisans of Yale grew to shrieks of de-
light, and slowly Harvard was passed.
After two miles had been pulled over,
it became evident that nothing but most
extraordinary fortune could save Har-
ward Yale was several boat-lengths
ahead. Wesleyan was pressing close
All others were out of the contest of
the favorites.
But here came the bend in the river,
where the channel changes its course
and direction. Almost the entire width
of the river separated the contestants,
and Harvard had the chord of the arc
about which Yale must swing. At this