New-York tribune., 1876-09-02
CENTENNIAL REGATTA.
YALE WINS THE COLLEGE RACE.
HER TIME MINUTES 10sa sEcoNDs--coLUMBfA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE CAMBRIDGE MEN.

Cambridge men In garb for pulling the intercol-
legiate race. Mr. Walker the substitute, being with
Messrs. Close, Penrose, Manu. and Jaison, the reg
ular four and holding himself In readiness to pull II
needed. They are gentlemanly looking young men
and make fine appearance in their practice pulls on
the river. For q day or two past Mr.. Walker has
occupied the place Of Mr.. Close, who has been un-
well To-day asked the stroke just before the race
whether Mr.. Close would pull or whether the sub
stitute would take his place. and ho answered that
it was not vet decided. 1t was then but five
minutes before the race, and this indecision
argued i'll for success. Mr. Close is bearded man,
about 25 years of age. He Is the only University
crew man in the four, and is the captain. He was
pale this afternoon and muffled in handkerchief,
making anything but an athletic appearance. The
remainder of the crew were stout, handsome young
fellows, but there was an illboding Of nervousness
and uncertainty pervadiLg the entire party. They
went ashore, however, at the start, and after Mr..
Close had, as it is said, taken some champagne, he
decided to row, and in q few minutes they were In
the water with Close in his place at No. 2,
The English boat had the east side, which is con-
sidered the worst position. Columbia was in the
middle. and Yale, strangely marked by handker-
chief of Harvard red, was on the west At the word
all started pretty we'll together. All hands have
modified the old idea about SO strokes per minutes
being as many as 1t Is safe to pull, since the London
four have exhibited such beautiful rowing at AZ
and IA strokes per minute. and to-day even Yale
pulled 40 strokes on the start. The Yale crew
was the same as in the race with Lon
don. The familiar form of Cook appeared
in bow and Kennedy at stroke, The style was
excellent and suffered by contrast with no crew
which has ever rowed in America except the London
four which all the American captains admit to be
model of elegance in style Of rowing Cambridge
;,G Grs< o1. form will
plenty of snap at the first but it was not superior
and hardly equal to Yale in finish Columbia only
pulled SO strokes at the 90 off, but seemed to keep
up with the quicker ones Notwithstanding
Three better equipped and fner-looking crews are
rarely seem and for some distance the three were
close together and il bade fair to be tough race
between all three. The wind blew hard from the
southwest, however, and there was constant ten
dency for bows to bear mp into the wind and swing
off toward the east shore After struggle to
ter mile in which neither had decided advantage
though Yale perhaps kept trifling lead, Cambridge
made start to the east up into the wind which
| threw her out of the course. and obliged her to
make decided steer to get back. Columbia did the
same thing about the time and neither steered
as good course as Cook. who had his rudder hard
down against the wind, and managed to keep the
Yale boat in toleraby straight course, and also to
keep over his own side of the Eyer, while Columbia
and Cambridge were speedily blown down TO the
! east and each made numerous turns.
After the quarter mile. Cambridge had quickened
her stroke aud was perhaps some feet in advance OF
Columbia, Yale being so far over TO the west that
her lead if any, was not perceptibe. Not far from
half o mile down the course there Is submerged
I bank grown with grass and weeds, which had been
marked of by the Committee as dangerous, with a
red flag at each end. As Cambridge neared this it
was o matter of surprise that she kept 50 close
| down to the east, for Columbia was not
| crowding her in any way, and tho bank
was in perilous proximity, and sure enough, as Cam
bridge came dashng down she ran upon the upper
flag, supported by heavy pole, with force enough
to throw the pole dipping the flag in the water
and almost stopping tho Cambridge boat. Here the
race was practically over so far as Cambridge was
concerned. for Yale swung rapidly along. with
| Columbia now some little distance behind, and
| when Cambridge. much TO tho relief OF the spec
tators, recovered herself and broke into
her swing again, she was consid-
erabe distance back, and although the men
picked her up with will, it evident that some
thing was wrong for pretty soon the English shell
was in the bank itself, walowing in the weeds, just
where she ought not TO be, and when we came along
ON the steamer poor Capt Close was lying stiff and
pale as a corpse in the bottom OF tho she'll with his
comrades gazing on him with that mixture OF SYM
pathy and desperate disgust which might be ex-
pected from good men in these excessively unto
\ ward circumstances.
The half unconscious captain as he was lifted on
| the steamer said feebly, 1T was not my fault.
couldn't help It," referring suppose to the calamity
of the flag and weeds. We saw the crew as they
| limped off with their shell on three oars, looking
most dscons in spite Of three cheers from the
| svmnathizin2 and admTlng spectators.
This was the climax of the race Columbia did
her best and after the half mile steered better. but
Yale is a very strong crew, and gradually left the
New-York men in spite Of their best effort, beating
in min. 1Os. sec which is nearly third of min
ute slower time than that made by Yale in her race
with London Columbla's time was o min. II
| sec.. and she was beaten by between three
| and four lengths. The result of the
| race was hailed with fervor by the crowd on the
banks, with whom Yale favorite. But the
misfortune of the young Englishmen, whom every
body liked diminished the satisfaction over the re-
suit, and many gentlemen expressed wish that
Cambridge and Yale could have another trial Of
speed. One member Of the Schuylkill Navy offered
a cup worth 81 900 as o prize if such race
could be made up. Possibly it will be.
Yale will no doubt be ready If Cambridge
H. The result of to-day's race however, makes Yale
the winner of the International Collegiate race
and gives her the cup, which is the symbol OF the
victory-a result Of which, though we should have
wished the English boys better luck, will please
everybody who knows how faithfully andeuprightly
Cook,I Kennedy, Kellogg, Ferry and many OF the
newer Yale men have labored in the interest OF row.
| ing ar gentlemanly sport.
The charge OF the London men against the Bea-
yerwyck of fouing them in the canbe disproyed
md thair