The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-06-27
HARVARD VS.. YALE
The Cambridge Boys Beat the
New Haven Lads.
| VERY EXCITING BOAT RACE
Many Excuses and Bad Reasons Given for the
Great Defeat-Scenes Along the
River Bank.

straight away race between Yale
and Harvard university crews was
orwed this noon over the Thames
course from Winthrop Point to
Gates Ferry. and won by Harvard by
eleven lengths. Time-2l :23; Yale's, 21 :52.
Harvard's victory is the biggest surprise
in college athletics for many years. Good
judges Of rowing conceded the race to Yale
almost to a man, and so strong was this
sentiment in favor Of Yale that the stacks
Of money left at the pool rooms went IN
covered even at odds of 100 to 20.
Harvard took the lead at the start and
forged ahead with s rush. As their shell
went ahead, the crimson supporters on
the observation train and innumerable
steamers became frantic with excitement
As the excitement spread some very reck-
less work was done by the steamboat cap
tain and there were Nv collisions and that
there were no serious results was simply a
matter Of good luck. Two miles up the
river the tug boat Gypsey ran into the side
of the press boat, the shock throwing
twenty-five or thirty people on their feet
At the finish where the channel was
crowded with all sorts of craft, the press
boat In trying to avoid a collision with the
Rhode Island struck the tug America,
knocking many people Spawning over the
deck. Fortunately NO one was iniuree.
The scenes at the finish were OF a gay
character, Harvard men being wild with
Joy, while thousands of Yale supporters
were dreadfully crestfallen over their I'M
expected defeat. The scenes along the
river were of an unusually brilliant and
lively character. The observation train Of
thirty i've cars carried an immense crowd,
while at least seventy five steamers, steam
and sail yachts followed the crews over the
course or were anchored in desirable situa-
lions. The favorite places along the banks
were also crowded with sightseers.
Promptly at IL 80 the crews came down
the river towards the start boats. Harvard
worked into position minute later, Yale
soon after.
When the crews were given the word
Harvard caught it first and setting the fast
stroke of 40, at once passed the bow
of their boat slightly in front. Yale started
with a 49, stroke. For a few strokes both
crews caught a swell and splashed quite
badly, then settling down each crew gave a
pretty exhibition of rowing. The Har
wards, however, were clearly sending their
boat along al better speed than ever shown
in practice and were gradually creeping
away from Yale. Yaie's work on the other
hand was much inferior to that seen in
their daily practice. At the half mile Har-
ward led by clear length. AL during the
second half Harvard continued to gain.
Here the steamers crowded on the boats
ana the swell caused both to do some rag
ged work for a few strokes. Nearing the
mile flag, Harvard increased her lead to
nearly three lengths. From the mile 20 the
mile and half. Harvard continued to
gain and it became question
Of how many lengths Harvard
would defeat Yale. In the next half Har-
ward by strong and steady work increased
her lead to nearly six lengths. YaIe's boat
continued to settle and hang, and il was
now a procession. Just after passing the
navy yard the tug Cassie got square into
Harvard's course. and they were obliged to
make a wide swerve. Yale, however,
profited by this incident, and Harvard,
getting back into their course, continued 10
widen the gap between their boat and
Yale. AT two and half miles Harvard
gained an additional three lengths, and
after passing the three and half mile flag
they had a good lead of ten lengths.
After passing the three and half
mile flag both crews settled down for a
final squirt, and here again Harvard showed
her superiority in every way over the New
Haven crew, both crews doing excellent
work, but Harvard's smell continued to
show steady gain, and they passed the
pole pulling 40 strokes minute while Yale,
eleven lengths behind, rowed 81. Har-
wards crew rowed at once to their quart
ers, and Yale padded up to Gates Ferry
The officials were: Referee, William A.
Meiketham, Columbia; judges, Lawrenc,
E. Sexton, Harvard, Bob Cook. Yale;
timers, Charles F. Adams, Harvard
George A. Dee, Yale.
The cause of Yale's unexpected and
overwhelming defeat is found in the fact
that two of her men, the two most import
ant in the boat the stroke, Gould, and
Hsgerm No. Z, were not equal TO the
occasion and lost their heads. As Harvard
began to increase the lead near the end of
the first mile. Gould cut his stroke short
and pulled with diminished effect, the rest
Of the crew instead of keeping time with
Gould, followed Hagerman's stroke. After
while Haggerman became ratified, the
result being that for the greater part Of the
race the men In the waist and bow followed
the stroke set by Captain Brewster The
difference in the swing of the men
was slight but enough to cause
Yale's boat to hang sperceptably
after each stroke and to settle so badly
aft that the bow frequently was out OF
the water for three or four feet. Both
crews were also greatly annoyed ny the
swell from the big steamers that followed
the crews. In speaking of tnis point,
George A. Dee, a well known Yale man,
expressed himself most emphatically and
declared Yale ought not to row another race
over the Thames course. A number of
other Yale men declared Yale's crushing
defeat was due simply to the fact that
they were outrowed by Harvard. The
Harvard crew came down the river at 4
pm. and, headed by standard bearers
carrying the two flags they won in to-
days race, went to the Pequot house
where they were tonight rendered re-
copfi0u