The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-03
THE GREAT RACE.
Yale Defeats Harvard in the Inter-
collegiate Contest.
The Race a Fast One, and the VIC
tory Decisive.

NEW LONDON, Conn.,, July 2.-The eley-
enth race in the annual series Of four mile
eight cared straight-away races, inaugurated
between Yale and Harvard in 1876, was row.
ed this morning on the Thames river course,
from Winthrop Point to Gales Ferry, and
was won by Yale, time 20.414. Harvard was
second by seven lengths. The interest in to-
days race was greater than in any for the
last eight wears. Trains from the east and
south arriving during the night brought
large delegations, as did the boats from New
York Excursion trains were run on all
roads and were crowded with people. Hun
dreds of applications for seats on the long
observation train of % cars which followed
-ff,s creWs from the to the finish were
refused The accommodations Befifg ,4asu s4llaue-
uuate. The immense grand stand at the
start was packed as closely as could be- as
were points of advantage along the banks.
On the river the scene. was much the same;
Crafts of every description being anchored
along the course close as possible, while
score of steamers and tugs followed along
the course on the outside. The betting. was
quite lively, the odds being slightly in favor
of Yale
The water at the appointed time Q1.30 a.
m) was so rough that there was a postpone
ment to 1890, and then, after the referee had
steamed over the course, until 6 O'Clock.
Harvard and Yale boating officials then held
!
from Winthrop Point and up the river to
Gales Ferry instead of the usual way so as
to have all the benefit possible from favora-
BILE tides.
were almost perfect. The water was almost
smooth The tide, and what little wind there
was being with the boats. At 615 the crews
came down to the start, and little later
both crews padded into position. Are you
ready? Go" then came in quick succession,
and the great race was begun. At 6.29 o'clk.
Yale's shell was first to move. Harvard was
only an instant slower. Yale started with
35 and Harvard 36 strokes per minute. For
three hundred yards the struggle was a
grand one neither crew being able to gain
any advantage. Then Harvord poked the
nose of her boat slightly to the front. Ihls
advantage, however, was only momentarlly.
Yale, whose men were rowing in snperb
form, drew up on even terms. Half a mile
was reached in 2 minutes 40 seconds, and
Yale had gained a lead of half length. The
race for the next half a mile was very. exclt-
ing, and when the mile flag was reached the
stern of Yale'S boat was just clear Oh dar-
wards bow.
Enthusiasm now was at a high pitch and
the partisans of both crews were shouting
themselves hoarse. The mile flag was pass
for Yale, and minutes q seconds for Har-
ward. Yale kept her slow steady stroke and
began drawing away from Harvard. At the
mile and half flag Yale had added half
length to her lead, and Harvard appeared to
be Slightly ratified at the unexpected turn OF
affairs. Yale now began to take matters
more easily and dropped down to a stroke of
80 per minute Harvard pulling 36. Yale's
powerful stroke and clock like work proved
very effective, and, although Harvard kept
her stroke up to Sc, she gradually dropped
astern. Yale passed the two mile flag at 10
minutes 105 seconds and Harvard at 10 min
| utes 26 seconds, five lengths behind.
The positions were maintained till the
| mile stake when Harvard gained a little.
| Yale passed the three and one-haf mile flag
| at IS 491 Harvard at 1851. Yale began to
squirt first and the only time during the race
| running her stroke to 80 while Harvard was
| pulling only So. The effect was wonderful.
| The Yales shell moved threugh the water at
great pace and she began to run right away
| from the Cambridge men. Harvard attem p
| ted to respond to Yales squirt, but the result
was disastrous, causing two of their men to
| lose time and all clipped their stroke badly.
| Yale kept up her squirt on the lost half mile
and with such telling effect that she gained
| fully five lengths in that distance crossing
| the finish line seven lengths ahead Time,
| 2041; Harvard's time, 21.05a. This uneX-
| the Yale men on the observation train wild
with delight and they jumped from the cars,
ran down to the river bank and saluted their
victorious crew with cheer after cheer.
| The official time could not be obtained,
| owing to the miserable accommodations for
| and lack of courtesy to members of the press.
| The time given is that taken by the report
ers from the press boat. The referee, ana
| official time keepers were unapproachable
| after the race. 1t is conceded on all sides
| that the race was won squarely on its mer-
| its and Yale was the winner because she nad
| better stroke and rowed in much better
form.