The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-06-29
VICTORIES FOR YALE.
Harvard Left Far Behind in the
.. University Race. -
HANDICAPPED BY BAD STEERING.
Had Harvard Been Equal to YaIo mt tho
Oar Coxswain bays ErratIc Steering
Would Have Bcaten Them-YaIe Fresh
mon Defeat Columbia and Harvard.


Oar Coxswain Days ErratIo Steering
Would Have Bcaten Them-YaIe Fresh
mon Defeat Columbia and Harvard.
New LONDON, Conn, June 29.-It was
6o'clock last evening when the tug Man
hnnset, with every space on board crowded
with newspaper men, started up the river
to view the beginning of the great univer-
sity race between Yale and Harvard
With her went the United States revenue
cutter Dexter and the tug America Half
an hour later both the Yale and Harvard
crews We're quickly in place side by side,
ready for the word 1t came, and both
sets of oars struck the water together.
AS had been expected, Harvard started
In with fast stroke, 10 to the minute,
hoping TO break Yale's heart in the first
mile Yale responded gamely with 80
strokes, and kept right abreast of Har-
ward. For furlong, perhaps, the boats
rowed nip and tuck, Then Yale gradu-
ally drew away from the Harvardites At
the half mile she was already five seconds
ahead, full boats length, and her lead
steadily grew.
At the mile Harvard's stroke had
dropped to SO, while Yale still kept on at
the Us rate with which she started. There
seem ed to be no doubt that it was Yale's
race. Her stroke was steady. She passed
the mile twelve minutes ahead of Har-
ward. Here both crews began to reduce
their stroke, Yale's dropping to SO and
Harvard's to a. But while Yale's strokes
were deep ard strong, and each joined on
to the preceding one, so as to send the
boat smoothly and steadily through the
water, Harvard's work was ragged 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
HarNard's men were never in perfect
stroke. Purden anu Bullard, pulling
bow and No ., were always just little
behind the rest, while Henessey, No. 4,
pulled as if he did not care whether he
kept time or not.
Harvard men all feathered well, al
though rather too high for the best re-
suits, but their work in the best was very
bad. If they had been perfect oarsmen,
however, they would still have lost the
race by their steering. Whether Cox
swain 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 man
ncr. As the two boats approached the two
and-a-half mile flag, Yale in the lead, 1t
became apparent that something was
about to occur. The Harvard boat went
nearer and nearer the staff, and from the
Judges boat went up a sort of horror
stricken murmur, Hes going to hit"
Hit II he did, the starboard oars catch
ing 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 moment it looked as IL their part of
the race was to end right there. Nothing
shows how game they all were better than
the quick recovery from this uudescrved
disaster and the way in which they closed
up what 'he momentary stop had lost
them. For moment they almost seemed
TO gain upon Yale They were As seconds
behind ut the three mile flag and at the
fourth they were only ~ behind.
1t was a game and splendid effort, but
1t could not last. Their stroke which had
risen to 5G, dropped rapidly to 32, 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 so near at hand. They crossed tho
line thirty lengths ahead of Harvard.
The Yale men sat up straight and
strong after the finish, none of them show
ing signs of weakness, but three of Har-
Yards men dropped forward over their
oars, utterly exhausted by the long and
hopeless struggle.
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 Steven
son 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 and Townsend
from the boat, the former, when left by
himself in the center of the float, stumb-
ling and falling in heap.