New-York tribune., 1877-06-27

with This vigorous Young crew against her, con-
fdent after this easy victory, Fridays struggle VIII
be a very tug of war.
FROM THE GRAND STAND.
The scene from the grand stand was by no means
as animated as in past years. Very little excitement
was shown by the crowd when the boats came III
sight and the cry went up that they were neck and
neck as they at first appeared to be. lew
more hopeful of Columbia's supporters began to
look jubilant, and gave vent to their JOY
in calls to each other and frantic wav-
ings of blue aud white handkerchiefs; but
there were few students from either college in COM
parson to the crowds of excited parts ans that usu-
ally gather in noisy groups at the finish IN the col
lege reg attas and there was not even rah," and
the customary COLUMBIA, with which the
New-York men have been wont to greet their cham
pons as the boat came down the homestretch, in the
races of former years. The Grand Stand enterprise
proved to be failure, as far as to-days prohts
are concerned. Not a hundred people oc-
cupied the seats. Both sides of the river
were. however, pretty well lined with spectators,
who were grouped here and there on the grass. or
filed the carriages collected near the line of the
flags. The river itself was full of craft. Numerous
sail boats favored by the brisk breeze were scud-
ding from point 10 point. At $3.50 p. IN. the WIND
was quite HIGH though blowing with the stream.
This was fortunate, for if 1t had been
against the flow it would have so roughened the
water that post pOnement would have been lneV-
liable. At $40 the breeze had died away and the
white caps subsidized. Yales steam launch steamed
down, and its occupants after taking observations,
went back TO report the favorable state OF
the water aud, after a tedious delay, the
crews came in sight. At the begin
ming of the last mile they were keeping
close to each other and well toward the west
bank both coxswains trying to make the most OF
the current Columbia had the inside, and as 1t APP
peared to be anybody's race, the Harvard men be-
gan to grow very nervous for although the report
had spread that their crew intended TO
row well within themselves until entering
the last quarter and then let themselves out the
fact that so near the finish they had not gone away
from their rivals caused great uneaslness among he
wearers of the crimson. One Harvard man. who
was watching tie race through field glass and was
surrounded by an excited group to whom he would
drop now and then laconc comments on the two
crews suddenly dropped the glass from eyes wtha
wild look and gasped out, "By JOve | believe
Columbia leads" He was, however, mistaken;
there was another observer who with his glass rec
titled his error and showed that he had mixed the
crews The outside crew, which proved to
be Harvard, turned out finally to be leading, and,
when they up abreast OF point
100 yards from the finish. had a lead of three
lengths which they could e. dently have increased
at pleasure, as all were pulling well together with
an easy SWING OH the recover, in marked con
trast to the hurried rush of year ago.
No. especially worked well, his huge body
coming back with rush ms oar
took the water. Bancroft was pulling an easy
stroke without apparent effort, and the whole eight
showed no sign of having pulled hard race. They
crossed the score pulling 80 strokes to the minute,
with Columbia behind working hard at SO.
The result of this race is what might have been
expected from the drawbacks under which the Co
lumbas aboTcd i'll Their preparations. 1t was hoped
that the Harvard crew would he obliged to show
what they could DO, but their efforts 70 conceal
their capacity proved successful, and the event Of
Friday is wrapped in as much ysteTy as before.
Although this is the first eght-oar race between
Harvard and Columbia, il is not the first race Of the
kind between college crews III America. Yale and
Harvard had a race with crews Of eight each over
nearly the same course and Of the same length on
june 30 1876. The Yale crew then rowed over the
four miles OF the i'll 22 minutes, 2 seconds;
tic Harvard in % minutes, 33 seconds. At the
finish Harvard was 13 lengths behind Yale 1t is in
tereStingto note that July 81 1850 these twocOl-
eges had a contest in eight-Oared barges over >
mile course at Springfield. The Harvard crew ac-
complished this distance III % minutes the Yale in
% minutes, IS seconds.