Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-27
The Great Eight-Oared Uni
versity Boat Race.
Won by the Harvard Crew to
the Surprise of All.
The Yale Men We're Badly Ratified
From the Start.
All Sorts of Excuses Trumped Up for
Their Crushing Defeat-Exciting Incl
dents During the Progress of
the Race.
Associated Press Dispatches.

NEW LONDON, June 26.-The sixteenth
annual four-mile eight-oared boat race
between the Yale and Harvard univer-
sity crews was rowed this noon over the
Thames course from Winthrop point to
Gates ferry, and was won by Harvard
in eleven lengths; time, 21:23; Yale's
time, 81 :57.
Harvard's victory was the biggest sur
prise in college athletics for many years.
Good Judges of rowing conceded the race
to Yale almost to a man, and owing to
this sentiment in favor Of Yale, stacks
of money left at the pool rooms went un-
covered, even at odds of 100 to 90.
HARVARD TOOK THE LEAD
at the start and forged ahead with a
rush. AS their shell went ahead, the
crimson supporters on the observation
train and innumerab)e steamers
became frantic with excitement. AS the
excitement spread, some very reckless
work was done by steamboat captains.
That there were two collisions and no
serious results was simply matter OF
good luck. Two miles up the river the
tug boat Gypsy ran into the side OF the
press boat the shock throwing twenty
i've or thirty people off their feet. At
the finish, where the channel was
crowded with all sorts of craft, the press
boat, in trying to avoid collision with
the Rhode Island, struck the tug Amer
lea, knocking many people sprawing
over the deck. Fortunately no one was
injured.
THE SCENES AT THE FINISH
were of most exciting character, the
Harvard men being wild with joy,
while the thousands of Yale supporters
were decidedly crestfallen over their
unexpected defeat. The scenes along
the river were of an unusually brilliant
and lively character. An observation
train of thirty-five cars carried an i'm
mense crowd, while at least seventy
five steamers and steam and sail yachts
followed the crews over the course or
Law in desirable positions. The west
bank was also crowded with sight-seers.
Promptly at IL 80 the crews came
down the river toward che stake boats.
Harvard backed into position minute
late, and the Yales soon after.
PROGRESS OF THE RACE.
When the crews were given the word,
Harvard caught it first, and setting the
fast stroke of forty to the minute at once
pushed the bow of their boat slightly in
front. Yale started with thirty-eight
strokes. For few strokes both crews
caught the swell and splashed quite
badly, then settling down, each crew
gave pretty exhibition OF rowing the
Harvards, however, clearly sending
the boat along at better speed than
they had ever shown in practice, were
gradually creeping away from Yale.
Yale's work on the other hand was
much inferior to that seen in their daily
practice.
clear length. All during the second
half. Harvard continued to gain. Here
the steamers crowded in on the boats
and the swell caused both to do some
ragged work for few strokes. Nearing
the mile flag Harvard increased her lead
to nearly three lengths. From the mile
to the mile and half, Harvard contin-
ued to gain and it became a question by
how many lengths Harvard would de-
feat Yale.
HARVARD STILL FORGING AHEAD.
In the next half the Harvards, by
strong and steady work, increased their
lead to nearly six lengths. The Yales'
boat continued to settle and hang, and
it was now procession.
Just after passing the navy yard the
tug Lasse got squarely into Harvard g
course. and they were obliged to make a
wide swerve. Yale, however, profited
by this incident, and Harvard getting
back into her course, continued to widen
the gap between their boat and Yale.
At two and half miles, Harvard had
gained an additional three lengths,
and after passing the three and half
mile flag, they had a good lead of ten
lengths.
THE FINAL Squirt.
Both crews now settled down for the
final spurt, and here again Harvard
showed superiority in every way over
the New Haven crew. Both crews did
excellent work, but the Harvard shell
continued to show steady gam, and
they passed the finish pulling forty
strokes minute, while Yale, eleven
lengths behind, lowed thirty-seven.
The Harvard crew rowed at once to
their quarters, and Yale padded up to
Gates ferry.
The officials were: Referee, William
A. Meikelham, Columbus; judges, Law
renee E. Sexton, Harvard, and Bob
Cook, Yale; timer, Charles f. Adams,
Harvard.
CAUSE OF YALE's DEFEAT.
The cause of Yale's unexpected and
overwhelming defeat, is found IN the
fact that two of her men, the two most
important in the boat, Stroke Gould
and Hagerman, No. 7, were not equal
to the occasion, and lost their heads.
AS Harvard began to increase their lead
near the end of the first mile
Gould cut his strokes short
and pulled with diminished effect.
The rest of the crew, instead OF keeping
time with Gould, followed Hagerman's
stroke. After while Hagerman became
ratified, the result being that for the
greater part of the race the
men in the waist and bow
followed the stroke OF Cap
tain Brewster. The difference IN
swing OF the men was slight, but enough
to cause Yale's boat to hang perceptlbly
after each stroke, and to settle 80 badly
aft that the bow frequently was out OF
the water for three or four feet. Both
crews were also greatly annoyed by the
swell from the bigsteamers that followed
the crews.
In speaking of this point George Adee,
4 L CIn hi IT1a-