The Portland daily press., 1877-06-27
HARVARD vs.. COLUMBIA.
Yesterdays Contest on the Con-
necticut.
HARVARD WINS BY 13 I-2
SECONDS.

SPRINGFIELD June 26-The betting men
and boating critics predicted we'll today, for
Harvard easily won the eight Dared shell race
che and @ sseonds
1t was plainly hers almost from the start by
dint of superior stroke sustained by arms
that did not tire This revelation of her new
method OF pulling will lend much interest to
Fridays contest between Harvard and Yale.
Columbia rowed pluckily, but her men did
not take water enough in the opinion of ex-
perts, and the crew came out of the race pretty
we'll exhausted. slight breeze rippled the
water, but not enough to interfere with the
rowing, and clouds tempered the fervent sun.
AS always the start was made nearly an hour
after the advertised time. and through blum
der of the referee, 81. S. Van Duzen, of New
York, Of the Harvard class of rs, the crews
were sent off while the press boat was far up
the stream, SO that the reporters missed seeing
almost the entire race. The crowd drawn out
by the race was small, hardly rising over 5000
persons, and Insignificant when compared with
10000 people who witnessed last years Yale
and Harvard contest.
The people are waiting for Fridays race,
when last years thropgs are expected. The
referees boat was nearly half an hour behind
time and the crews did not leave their houses
till fully 5 O'Clock. Littaner rowed as substi-
tute for Croker instead of Weston. When
they arrived at the starting boats Capt Ban
croft of the Harvards insisted that the Column
bias had three feet advantage of them and
would not start till this was fixed. When this
was done Harvard still thought there was
foot difference and it was with great difficulty
that the boats were kept in place, as brisk
breeze was blowing up stream.
Word was given at 5.22 o'clock, with the
press boat an eighth of mile away. Columbia
took the water first and started ahead some
what rowing 3S strokes to the minute, while
Harvard was pulling "a. After the first furry
Harvard closed up the gap, being but about
two feet behind at the railroad bridge, third
of mile from the start. At the toll passenger
bridge, short distance further down, Harvard
had an unmistakable lead and both coxwains
then struck for the east bank of the river, thus
avoiding the mistake of last year, when both
boats were dragged for some distance over the
shoals opposite at the mouth of the Agawam
river.
At the second mile, with the race half over
the crews were about IS feet apart and they
went spinning down the stretch toward the
finish without special incident. The Colum-
bias relaxed little of the rapidity of their
stroke on the third mile, averaging only 35
strokes Harvard had increased her lead to
about three boat lengths. In the first part of
the closing mile Columbia attempted squirt
but the crew were too nearly exhausted to
mi axe protracted exertion. The Harvards re-
sponded sufficiently to maintain their dis
tance and thus they passed the finish. The
Harvards were three lengths ahead, having
made the successive miles in 30, $50, 545 and
537, and the whole in q minutes 81 seconds.
Columbus time being 81 minutes 50a seconds.
Eldredge of the Columbus was taken from the
boat in faint, and the rest of the crew were
badly exhausted, while the Harvards were in
comparatively good condition.