The Washington times., 1894-06-29
YALE BY THIRTY LENGTHS
Sons Of Old Eli Rowed Away from
Their Crimson Rivals.
HARVARD NEVER HAD A SHOW
From Start to Finish the Dark Blue Piloted
the Way and Increased the Lead at Every
Jump-Harvard's Coxswain Became Rat
tled and Nearly Caused Catastrophe.

NEW LONDON. June 2s.-The nineteenth
annual eight-oared contest between the
Varsity crews Of Yale and Harvard was rowed
here to-day, and Yale scored its twelfth vic
tory of the series in the easiest possible man.
ner. The wearers of the dark blue crossed
the finishing line in 23:47 thirty lengths ahead
while Harvard struggled over in 24:40. Bot1
crews were very tired, and three of Harvard's
men dropped exhausted from their labors.
| The water was not quite smooth, but its
surface was unbroken even by a wind flaw.
house, a half mile above the starting point
and began to cross the stream. Immediately
afterwards as il Yale's appearance were a
| signal the Harvard men trotted down out Of
their boat house. picked up their shell and
placed it gently in the water. They were
slow In getting into 1t. however. and it was
| 6.33 when the Harvard boat started for the
float. The men pulled slowly, resting on their
4 oars now and again in order to give Yale.
who had so much further to come, time to
| get to the float at the same moment. Yale
| had crossed clear over to Gales Ferry, op-
posits her boat house. and then came down
with the current. She reached the starting
point only moment after Harvard, and the
two boats were quickly aligned.
YALE TOOK AN EARLY LEAD.
| The send off was an even up, and, as had
been expected, Harvard started in with fast
stroke. 40 to the minute, hoping to break
Yale's heart in the first mile. Yale responded
| gamely with 3S strokes and kept right abreast
| OF Harvard. For a furlong, perhaps. the boats
rowed nip and tuck, and then the longer,
stronger stroke OF the sons Of Old Eli began
to tell and Yale drew away from the straining
Harvardites.
At the half mile she was already five sec
| onds ahead, a full boats length, and her lead
steadily grew. At the mile Harvard's stroke
had dropped to thirty-six. while Yale still kept
on at the thirty-eight rate with which she
started. There seemed to be no doubt that it
was Yaie's race. Her read grew steadily; she
passed the mile and a half nineteen seconds
ahead Of Harvard. Both crews here began to
reduce their stroke. Yale dropping to thirty
six and Harvard to thirty-four.
At each stroke the Harvard boat would
jump forward with perceptible jerk, which
would be repeated when the next stroke
came. After the first half mile Haryard's
men were never in perfect stroke. Purdon
and Bullard. pulling bow and No. 2. were
always just little behind the rest. while Fen
nessey. No. Z, pulled as il he did not care
whether he kept time or hot.
The Harvard men all feathered well. al
though rather too high for the best results.
but their work in the boat was very bad. Ii
they had been perfect oarsmen, however
they would still have lost the race by their
steering. Whether Coxswain Day became
ratified by seeing his boat fall so far behind
or whether some more mysterious cause was at
work it is impossible to say. but from the
mile flag on, the Harvard boat zigzagged
across the stream in the most extraordinary
manner.
HARVARD CREW NEARLY swAMPED.
As the two boats approached the two-and-a-
half-mile flag. Yale forty seconds in the lead,
it became evident that something was about
to occur. The Harvard boat went nearer and
nearer the staff, the starboard oars catching
the flagstaff three feet from their ends and
knocking it back and forth in the water. The
sudden shock nearly threw the Harvard men
from their seats, and for a moment it looked
as II their part Of the race was to end right
there. Nothing shows how game they all
were better than the quick recovery from this
undeserved disaster and the way in which
they closed up what the momentary stop had
lost them.
They were forty-eight seconds behind at the
three-mila flag. and at the fourth they were
only forty-six behind. 1t was game and
splendid effort. but it could not last. Their
stroke. which had risen to thirty-six. droL Lped
rapidly TO thirty-two. while the heavy way in
which they handled their oars showed that
they were very tired. So, too. were the Yale
boys, but they showed it less. being happy in
the victory. Ali the men braced up sufi-
ciently to row the boat on down the stream to
their float. Stevenson alone sat bowed over
his oar for while after the rest started. but
he soon joined in.
RowERs BADLY USED UP.
Just at the edge Of darkness tonight the
defeated Harvard crew returned up the river
in their steam launch. their boat being towed
behind them. On arrival at the Harvard float
Townsend and Stevenson were in the forward
part of the launch, Stevenson half sitting and
half lying over the deck. The men alighted
from the launch and trainers and handlers
were obliged TO assist Stevenson ahd Town
send from the boat. the former when left by
himself in the center OF the float stumbling and
falling in heap. He was instantly and
tenderly picked up by his comrades and more
than half carried up the gangway into the |
boathouse. The big fellow was sobbing like |
child. Possibly his condition was in part |
caused by nervous reaction and modification |
at defeat and partly by over-exertion
Townsend. who has had an illness since |
coming into the games. was assisted by one |
of his comrades. the face eonvulsively work |
ing in nervous twit"hes, his eyes red and wet, |
and his teeth gritting. either with sorrow Of |
mind or body. Three of the crew were able |
to assist in the housing of the she'll The |
others. while not groggy. were so tired that |
1t seemed wise to impose no further exertion |
upon them.