Morning journal and courier., 1881-07-02
THE CRIMSON CRUSHED. A GOLD DAY FOR HARVARD.
Yale Again to the Front by Six
 Seconds.
TIME---22:I3.


 after magnificent pull led her old rival over | the line by good two boats lengths. The weather was superb, more beautiful day for l the race could hardly have been conceived of. The wind, which during the morning had been from the southward and had knocked up quite sea, was suddenly suc- ceeded by almost perfect calm. The race, which was to have been rowed at 3:45 D. m. was postponed because of the roughness of the water, which foreboded the preclusion of race for at least some hours to come But just as all seemed unfavorable, just as every body was saying ''hard luck, no race to-day, Q black, dark cloud appeared in the north ward and within ten minutes squan and thunder shower came down the Thames, drenching the crowds of spectators and stir ring up upon the surface of the river little white fosming caps, which, as far as the eye could see, appeared like tufts of feecy cotton upon the darkling waters. But within fifteen minutes all had passed over, and old Sol shone out with his beaming face, smiling to
 think of the anxiety which 8 frown upon his
 countenance had cast over the faces of the
 thousands of people who had assembled to witness the race. The rain had stllled the waters, and the Thames at quarter past o'clock was as still as a mill pond, while the ebb tide lazily drifted it's waters towards the Sound. The press boat had long since
 passed up the river and fastened to it's dock
 nearly opposite Gales Ferry, and patiently
 awaited the time when the crews should be
 called from their quarters by the shrin whis- tie of the umpire's boat Scarcely had the
 storm passed down the river when the signal of summons was heard, and soon afterwards the Yale crew was seen vending it's way down the steep bank leading from it's boat house to the float Almost at the same time Harvard was seen in the distance preparing her boat for the contest. Now they are of from their respective floats, and at the same moment both stalwart crews are seen pulling leisurely across the river towards the starting point, nearly half way between the two boat houses the Yale crew, with their blue turbans and bare, bronzed backs, pulling their quick, jerky stroke which characterizes their method, while Harvard, with her crimson caps and white shirts, glided over the water like some mon ster of the deep, their broad backs swaying to and fro in their apparently easy swinging stroke. The movement of both crews was
 beautiful, and as they approach ed the start ing line it seemed hard to name the winner.
 But now they are in position, both ready, and the crowd upon the moving grand stand
 and at the finish wait with bated breath the signal to start. The delay while the umpire's boat is turning itself around is trivial, and yet to the strong arms and palpitating hearts
 of the sixteen men it seems hours. Sudden
 ly the Yale boat is seen to dart ahead, while | the Harvard boat remains stationary. AL
 most immediately the blues stop moving and l back up to the line. What is the matter 1? Nothing. but false start. Again they are in
 line. The umpire cries out, Are you ready? No, No, shout the men in the Yale boat, but
 it is too late, the word is given. and away darts the Harvard crew before the Yale boys
 have good hold of their oars. The delay is | momentary; in an instant their hands drop | into their places, almost mechanically, and I away the blues speed, scarcely quarter of a
 boats length behind the crimson. A squirt of 42 lusty strokes to the minute and in less
 time than it takes to write it they are show | ing their rudder at the bow of the Cambridge ! boat Harvard was squirting all she knew
 how, way up to forty, her very best stroke, but it was of no avail Yale 1 had passed her and it was stern chase
 This lead gradually increased, Yale dropping
 to 3S strokes to the minute. Harvard to 37. 1 until at the mile flag the blue led by half | boats length of clear water. During the
 next half mile the relative positions changed
 but little, though Harvard had dropped her l stroke to 34. Of the navy yard she had quickened again to 36, and pulled as though ! she felt that this was the decisive point. Yale was at this time 8 good three boats lengths ahead, pulling her old 3s trip-hammer | stroke, but Harvard seemed to be creeping
 up-slowly but surely she gained. Yale had \ slowed down to 36, and it seemed as though Harvard might yet win. The length of clear water had been closed up, now the nose of Harvard's boat was even with Yale's stroke,
 it forged ahead, and now the blues seemed scarcely quarter of boats length ahead, | but the strain was terrific. Occasionally a | splash would be seen from the crimson crew yet they stuck to their work like Trojans l At the three-mile flag both crews were pull | ing at 36 to the minute, almost neck-and- neck, when Folsom, who had been e0Snq | his crew, gave the word, ''Now for lem, boys; | let her gol" and away shot the Yale boat just as her struggling rivals were beginning ! to think the victory might yet be theirs. Further and further they crept away, l hand over hand they stole ahead, and before the next half mile had ] been passed over a clean boats length of water again intervened between the two ! boats. Harvard had spurted, she was pull ing 40 to the minute, while Yale with the same old 36 stroke kept her lead, nQ, more, no less. And now the last half mile was reached, more than two boats lengths to be passed over before Harvard could hope even
 to tie her rivals. It was hard, it was bitter,
 but they pulled as they knew how. Down
 the 400 feet of clear water they came be- tween the crowds of yachts, excursion and pleasure boats of every description throng- ing the river. The cannons boomed forth peal of welcome, whistles shrieked the crowds of men on the grand stand cheered, shouted, rushed frantically around, waving their handkerchiefs, throwing their hats into the air, all beside themselv. with excitement. Nearer and nearer comet the crews; cries of Yale, Yale, Harvard, Harvard, mingle in the breeze.
 The scene was wild, exciting, intoxicating; but the race was won- With mighty spurt | both crews crossed the finish, Yale pulling | tremendous 45 to the minute stroke, just six seconds ahead of Harvard, who was too late. Gliding along with forty stroke she soughtby almost superhuman efforts to wrest victory rom the nanQ6 or her rival, but all In Va1n
 Yale had crossed the line in 22.13, just six | seconds ahead, and Harvard was vanquished 1 for the second consecutive year. The race
 had been grand contest, but the heavier
 weights of the Yale crew told her stroke | was perfect and when at the finish they | rowed up to the umpire's boat the crew | seemed as fresh as when they started.
 The Harvard men seemed more or less
 fatigued, though they had pulled plucky
 race throughout. The time was slow as
 compared with the Harvard Columbia race
 of last Monday, and that too, ap-
 psrently, under almost the same con
 ditions. Why this was nobody can tell ! unless because Yale was not pushed, and
 this certainly seems to have been the case from the easy manner in which Yale rowed | away from her opponent whenever she felt disposed.
 Besides Yale's boat, which was built by Waters of Troy, was four inches wider at the bow than Harvards, which did not material \ ly tend to increase the speed. The time by | miles was as follows:
 Yale. Harvard 1st m1le- o:zO 6:25 2d mile. ---...-- 1O:5O 10:59 Sd mile 16:4O 16:45