Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-17

! back, as the van swept onward up to the mile and
a half. The boats and men stood the terrible
strain bravely. The crimson was still ahead, Co.
| iumbis perhaps next, and Cornell third, though
the difference between the three boats was but
few feet and the precedence was hard to decide
with such lateral distance stretched between
Columbia in the middle of the lice, ahd Harvard
and Cornell almost at the two extremes. The
| difference between the three was not over half
boats length. Dartmouth held her own, and was
pressing the leaders hard. Always making a fine
\ appearance in a race, Dartmouth showed a con-
spicuously handsome crew, they sped away
down the course, pulling with amazing vigor
Their green caps picked them out plainly from the
field, If the observer failed to recognize the mag
nfcent physique of the men. Dartmouth was
one Of the grand surprises ofthe race. Yale, alas
was soon to be the other. There was Yale hang
| ing the flank of Dartmouth in perfect FORM
graceful, easy stroke after stroke falling with alb
soute perfect ion. every detail complete, most
beautiful sight. But how was it that Dartu outh,
the unscientifc and derided, kept that length
so aheadi An ominous questions still Yale's par
tisans were not discouraged. Yale has pulled
waiting race always, they reasoned The advan-
taxe of Cornell was becoming somewhat alarming
five or six lengths at least. But wait till Bob
Cook lets himself out on the last mile! Then
you'll see. Between the mile and half and two
mile flags, badly needed help came to Union and
Hamilton in the shape of disaster to some of the
others ahead of them. For mile and a hall
| Princeton kept a decent position. At this point
board the referees boat that she was likely to take
| a very low position Mr. Nicoll, the captain, no.
ticing the sudden drag of his boat, turned and OBJ
served that MIR. George Parmly of New y DIRK, who
pulled No. 4. was staring straight before him with
fixed look and worked feebly at his oar. He had
| hardly called to him, "For heavens sake, Parmly,
what's the matter I" before Parmly dropped his
oar and fell back sick and fainting, without reply
into the arms of Mr. Van Lenep behind him. The
reward Of the long period of labor and abstinence
vanished in a moments the life went out of the
boat, and she fell mournfully out Of the race a
| log on the surface of the lake.
| At the two miles and half, Cornell had lead
of several lengths, which had been obtained
without quickening the stroke, and apparently
without extra effort. As the seventh and eighth
men crossed the last half mile line the usual hoarse
| roar greeted them from the Grand Stand and sent
| a flame of excitement into every oarsman's veins.
Cornell put 10 hard stroke, not exactly a squirt,
| but which had the same effect. Harvard, though
plainly tired answered to the squirt; but Columbia,
throwing every pound upon her gilded blades,
made superb squirt, and opened between liar-
ward and herself gap which separated her by
| hairs breadth from Cornell. Within five lengths
of the line, "a crab" was captured on the por; side
| Of the boat, which made her tremble from prov
| to rudder and she stopped almost short. Harvard
| gained good length. 1t perieus splash,
| dash and founder with Columbia fer a moment,
| as Harvard swung up bat She gathered herself
| brsvev together and after 'ew linping strokes
on five legs the boat caught the swing again, and
lust SW0Oped over IN time, a second ana hall
abe ad of the crimson.
The Grand Stand is the true arena Of the race.
The first two miles and half are pulled in the
company of two or three tug boats past shores of
solitude. The finish is done amid the glad and
angry cries of friend ard foe, and is fred with al
the heat of furious crowd.
Now the boats are visible 10 the naked eve. ia,
long oars flashing in sunlight, aud the Whole line
appearing to move forward with the steady swoop
of an army, the referees boat putting iiriouslv
ly halS SCuyn md bnif
the boats seem close upon us, forging through the
water like mad. Up goes the signal Cornell still
at the fore. There rises a yell like the roar of
devils just unclaimed. The great crowd leaps to
its feet along its whole length. Now begins pan
demonium itself. Tongue cannot describe nor
pen portray the fury OF that crowd the quick
shricks and wild cheers, the loud hurrahs of en-
| couragement, and underneath it all that hcarse
and ceaseless hum of human voices. Still nearer
and you can fairly see the cords in the rowers
arms tighten as they pull Now is the time that
your blood begins to tingle in your toes and run
cold in the small of your back. 1t must be cast
iron that can take notes on that last magnificent
| sweep of 500 feet, Cornell rowing like monster
with six arms, without break or fault, steadily
and seemingly as deliberately as in practice pull.
There is destiny in that steady, terrible stroke.
! Far on the other side of the lake is Harvard,
splashing up little mists Of spray in its excited
rowing, but holding itself we'll in the race ahead
of Yale, as every Yale man sees with paug.
Columbia rows bravcy, and the two seem in
| quick glance TO be about even.
But Cornclls steady swift stride is nearly ended.
| Her bow cuts the water like a knife across the
finish lire. aud the race is over
The bronzed backs of other oarsmen dip with
sweat, and they drop their in the relapse that
| follows such tension. Columbia wins the second
place. coming three lengths behind and Harvard
takes the third, half length behind Columbia.
Dartmouth's distance is length and half behind
Harvard, and that of the others as follows: Wes-
leyan, fifth, about length; Yale, sixth, about
third of length; Amherst, seventh, five lengths;
Brown, eighth, more than one length; Williams,
ninth, three lengths Bowdoin, tenth, two lengths;
Princeton, Hamilton and Union were distanccd.