The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-24
TIE UNIVERSITY REGATTA.
Letter from Mr.. Blaikie on the Merits OF the
Crews and the Springfield Course.
What One Of the Harvard Crew Has to Say
Letter from Cornell Mamie
Claims Fourth Place.
To TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD

Waiting nearly whole week after the great race
Is over, TWO or three men, apparently Of Yale. are
latter me" las my friends say In your issue OF
this morning relative TO the disputed question OF
which crew outrowed the others last Thursday
afternoon. AS they used to come by the half dozen
one should not turn from two or three.
My statements in the HERALD Of last Saturday
see yet no reason to change materially. AS saw
beforehand that no steam launch on that river
was equal to keeping beside the crews in the
race, l detailed one man to look after the first
half mile, another the last, and with the steamer
took the middle two miles. / hence had to
rely on others for the order Of the coming
in. Ny assistant at the lower END said that Har-
ward seemed to come down well ahead OF every-
thing, squirting magnihcently, and crossed the
line at right angles with the course, but that Yale
was first over the actual finish line. On our way
back from the race the Agges came rowing up
and assured us that Harvard had won. We then
steamed out to the Harvard quarters, and any
doubt seemed dispelled, Tor there were the nags.
Arriving at the hotel the city seemed divided, and
there was little ring or unanimity in the cheering.
But in the talk l always remarked one
thing. They who had viewed the race
from the western bank about invariably
thought Yale had won. while they IRON
the eastern were as confident twas Harvard, re-
mlnding one OF the labed gold and silver shield.
And it seemed to me- too, that this doubt preva-
lent, more than any lack Of liquor, accounted for
the unusual quiet. Well, hunted right and lett
for Mr.. Babcock, to learn his decision, but, not
finding him, returned to my room and commenced
writing. Soon Messrs. Dana and Loring came in,
and between us challenge to Yale quickly ap-
preached completion. Then, as l wrote you, Mr..
Dana, on reflection, decided to let his feelings GO
and say nothing ut ALA greater victory
as l think. However, his statement was
that Harvard led Yale by several lengths
the ciose and that the latter by crossing the
well known diagonal line where 1T was nearer the
start caught away the prize. Entirely calm and
collected as he was still thought him an interested
witness, and should have allowed Tor that; but
then Mr. Babcock called. and found that his state
ments not only substantially cOrrOborated Mr..
sDanas, but that he had assentcd to handing Har-
ward the flags, and had, moreover coupled with
that assent his hearty congratulations. This surely
seemed enough, and wrote as l did. asking him
also to forward his views to the HERALD. The ex-
tract now given from them speaks no uncertain
sound, for he says:-"Had the line been To-
Gated at right angles with the course OF
the boats, the result Of the race would have been
entirely different, and the race decided on the
merits Of the crews instead of chance in the po-
sition OF crossing line no two points OF which
were equi- distant from the start" You viii re-
m ember that in your paper Of the 18th inst took
exception to the Springfield course. Let me now
add that do not believe it ls possible Tor two
crews. let alone five times as many, II each can
choose its water. to row fair three-mile race on
that course or any curving course. SUPPOSE Cor
nell had started from her position by A, close
under the eastern bank. and rowcd on the shortest
line she could TO the western end Of the line a, the
finish II it was but three miles from where
she started to the eastern end OF the line at the
finish, or from A to ID, then To the western
end, or G, il Is manilestly less Yet
learned OF no rule preventing her rom doing
this. VIII any gentleman OF Springfield else
where say Just what would have been three mi cs
Tor herr Why to have kept as close to the eastern
bank all the way as she had started But
nothing bound her TO do 80, Harvard
nor Yale. SO the latter, starting at the third
station rom the west bank, steeret good course
down mdstream. and crossed the line at the finish
about as TAR of the west bank as sue had started,
thus doing about three miles; but Harvard, start
ing rom point nut fOrty-four feet east Of Yale,
was soon Tar enough ahead and west to he directly
In front OIL her, and then, instead OF Keeping in
midstream worked over TO the eastward ana went
down along the east bank hundreds Of feet west of
Yale, thus, as the diagram will show, rowing no.
ticeably longer distance