Morning journal and courier., 1893-06-30
TO-DAY,s GREAT CONTEST.

TO-DAY,s GREAT Contest.
New London Harbor Filled With |
Yachts-CoIlege People Flocking to |
the Race-A Gala Day for New Lon
don-YaIe the Favorite in the Bet
ting-Arrangenents for the Race at
New London.
NEW LONDON, June 29.-[Special. J.
Along the river this evening all Is quiet,
the usual quiet that precedes the great
aquatic battle between Yale and Harvard.
but in the city and the harbor all IL hurry
and hustle. Every train this afternoon
schooners and steam yachts nave been an
choring in the hsrbor by dozens. The
harbor is now almost filled with yachts,
but the morning will bring more and by 8
O'Clock tomorrow morning the New Lon
don harbor will be filed as 1t is but once .
year. The hotels are crowded to overflow
ing and all the residences in town are filled
with guests. The Crocker house is the
great rendezvous of the boating men to-
night and the corridors are crowded with
students and graduates of both universe
ties discussing the race and stak-
ing their money on the result.
The betting has bsen rather light, with
slight odds on Yale. The Harvard men
seem to feel that their crew has good
chance to win, but yet they are not ready
to stake much on it. The Ysle and Har-
ward mansgers this noon finally decided to
hold the race at 1850 O'Clock, but 1t is
possible that 1t may be postponed until
evening if the conditions are not favorable
for the race. The decision meets with the
approval of the residents of this city, and
there Is but little doubt that the race will
take place at the time announced. If post
poned until evening 1t will have to be
rowed up stream and this would cause
great dissatisfaction. The members of
day and are all in good condition. The
general opinion is that the contest will be
the closest seen on the Thames in years
with the chances slightly in Ysle's favor.
The observation train will consist of
forty cars, each seating go persons. To
each college II cars are sold by the rail-
road company, and the other six are dis
posed of to outsiders, who engage seats in
advance. The college men purchase the
cars at $16S each, equivalent to 50 seat,
and sell them at s. so. Not as much
speculation in seats Ia done now as former
ly, when the price was lower.
The same plan as that which proved 40
satisfactory conducting the Yale Harvard
varsity race last year will be followed Fri
day morning. The citizsns' committee
will distribute printed order signed by
the collector of the port, to all masters and
owners of vessels. This order will ask
that all craft come to an anchor half an
hour before the race. Just previous to the
time of starting the revenue cutter Dexter
will 60 over the course and warn steamers
not to attempt to crowd after the crewe
The object Of the presence of the cutter Is
to enforce the navigation laws, which
means that the channel Is to be kept free
from obstruction, Only the press steamer
and referees yacht will be allowed to fol-
low the crews.
The Western Union Telegraph company
will have an operator on the shore OPP
posite the starting point and at each mile
flag:
The lines of the company are run along
the railroad track, and the instruments
will be cut In to connect with the New
London Office. From there the wires will
be looped into Boston and New York, and
thus information of the progress of the
race will be flashed over the country. The
work of announcing the progress of the
race to the thousands at the finish line
was done, up to few years ago, by tele-
graph operators in the employ of the New
London and Northern railroad. But that
was previous to the erection of the Thames
| river bridge, and when an immense OBJ
| servstion stand was erected each year at
Winthrop Point. Since the abandonment
of the grand stand no means have been
employed to indicate the positions of the
crews.
This year the citizens committee en-
gagged the Third Regiment Signal Corps
to do this work. On the center pier of
the bridge at the north end will be plsced
| an apparatus for hoisting blue and red
balls. A signal man will be posted at the
start and at each half mile of the course.
| As each crew leaves the boathouse for the
| start, ball of corresponding color will be
| elevated to half mast, and when the Grew
I takes position at the start both balls will
| be hoisted to the masthead. When the
| crews are off the balls will be dropped.
be raised, red or blue first, to indicate the
crew first across the line, and allowed to
remain there for one minute from the time
the ball is hoisted, when both will be
| dropped together. In CASE of postpone
| ment both balls will be hoisted and lowered
| six times in rapid succession.
| The race on Friday will bs the sixteenth
that has taken place on the Thames, and
| the eighteenth of the eight oar series.
Yale has won ten and Harvard seven.
Since 1885 Yale has lost but one out OF
seven.
All points considered the Harvard eight
appear to be rowing in form equal if not
superior to the best of past crews, and the
Yale men, although in prime physical con-
dition and slight favorites in the betting
| are not rowing particularly fast. To row
| hard for mile is good test of mans
physical power, but to row hard for four
| miles brings out that peculiar quality of
physical stamina, denominated "sand'
| which strongly ohsracterizes these contests.
George L. Rlves, the New York gentle
man who is well and favorably known in
rowing matters and who has been identi-
fed with Columbia and Cambridge eng
1and) crews, will be the referee of to-mor-
rows varsity race. Mr.. Rives has acted in
a similar capacity in number of races
here. The judges of the race have not yet
been decided upon. In the race tomorrow
Yale is to have the east course and Harvard
the west.
The Yale crew is rowing in the racing
shell and used their new racing oars for
the first time Tuesday. Yale will row in a
paper boat and Harvard probably in cedar.
Every bolt and brace in these boats will be
most carefully examined by coaches and
captains to lessen as much as possible the
danger of anything giving way under the
strain and pressure of that terrible four
miles.
The Fights as they will row to-day are:
YALE VARSITY CREW.