The record-union., 1895-06-29

five Seconds Behind at the Finish
of the Four-Mile Contest.
NEW LONDON Conn. June 2S.-Yale
won by ton lengths, beating Harvard by
thirty-fiye seconds. The race was pro-
cession. Yale took the lead from the
start, and had length advantage in the
| first quarter. The first mile was the
only one III which Yale was pushed.
| Her crew pulled stroke of torty-two to
the minute, and varied but little from
/ that to the finish. Harvard started at
thirty-six, increasing it TO ty-eight at
the mile point and forty at the two mile.
| They spurted to forty-two, but splashed
| badly, and could not prevent Yale from
steadily drawing away.
| AT the mile Yale led two lengths: at
the mile and q half they led by four
! lengths; two miles, five lengths, and
! gradually increased the lead TO the end,
when they crossed the line with strong,
clean stroke, an easy winner by ten
| lengths.
jennings, the Harvard freshman who
rowed in No. in place Of Hollster,
]
spent long before the crew reached tho
| finish. Fennessy of Harvard also
| splashed badly.
Yale gave the spectators as fine an eX-
| hibition of rowing as has been seen on
the Thames. There was no splashing in
| the blue boat and the rythm of motion
| was never broken.
| There was great enthusiasm, and the
| Yale men did not neglect to cheer their
| crew as it won. When the boats crossed
| the finish line, steam yachts fired their
| salutations and steamers whistled for
| couple Of minutes. The crowd on shore
cheered a little, then there was stam-
pede for trains and boats for home.
| The prOmptness of the 1icials IN start
| ing the race was commended, and the
! fact that the affair passed OIL without a
hitch speaks well for the management
The race was called at $780, the exact
minute when both crews were 10 appear.
| Harvard rowed across the river to the
starting stake exactly opposite. Her
stroke was pretty, and every member of
| the boat was in perfect form. \ ale pad
| died down the river slowly, as if econom-
| ical of her strength. The shells drifted
slowly into place, and at 4:44, without
sign OF false start or delay, Referee
| Rives' voice gave the decisive word. and
| the needle-like shells got out from under
| the lee bank into the open start.
a prett1er start was never seen. The
| Yale shell spun steadily to first place
! and pulled one of the fastest half-miles
ever rowed by a university crew in a
four-miIe race mere. Harvard was row.
| ing in as pretty form as could be desired,
and, strange to say, was pulling slower
| stroke than Yale. Stroke Langford hit
the Yale stroke up to thirty-fOur for the
opening squirt, but Captain Bullard. evil
IDENTIFY acting under instructions from
Coach Watson, rowed as slowly as thirty
two.
While the crimson shell was moving
| along gracefully Yale was pounding on a
| lead Of over two lengths for Haryard's
| discouragement at the half-mile stake.
| Harvard seemingly made no attempt to
| close up, and the Yale boat was driven
ahead to safe lead at the very begin
| ming.
When the crews got away the water
| was pacific. The tide was running
| strongly and slight breeze favored the
| crews. These conditions accelerated the
| speed for two miles and were percepti-
| bic, especially during the first mile.
| From the time the first half mile flag
was passed till the mile was reached
Yale's stroke was characteristic by its
| evenness. II fell to thirty three, but the
| boat went through the water at a terrific
rate.
| At the mile Yales lead of nine seconds
| had gone up to sixteen, and the most en-
| thusiastic Harvard supporters conceded
| the race to Yale, barring accident. The
smooth water tempted Captain Arm
strong to try for fast time, and he pushed
| the shell along at a thlrty-four stroke,
| completing the mile and half at $40.
! with Harvard twenty seconds behind. a
loss of four seconds past the last half
mile. y ale made another half-mile in
| quick time but Harvard exceeded her.
| Il ended up the two miles III lU:Zl
and Harvard in 1889, only eighteen sec
| Onds behind. Harvard had gained two
seconds on Yale. and in a fast mile COM
petition. For mile Yale's course, the
west side, lay where strong current was
available. The Yale boat was kept III
| this wherever possible.
AT the conclusion of the first half of
| the race all conditions changed. The
wind shifted TO the southeast and came
| up the river strong, a sharp head wind
shattering all hopes of breaking a record.
| When the crew swept past the navy
yard, near the two-mile flag, they said
| good-by to peaceful water, and plowed
their way into a choppy, rough sea.
! Harvard seemed staggered by the waves.
! and y ale gained five seconds more from
| the two-mile to the two and half mark,
| Yale making the distance in 1900.
Harvard had now dropped twenty
! three seconds to the rear, but was pulling
an even stroke. \ ale began to splash a
! trifle, Cross and Longacre being the
| prime movers in this, but the boat never
| theless kept on gaining. Harvard was
! due for another spurt but when the two
| and-a- half and the three-mile flags were
passed the ale boat stopped splashing
! through the sea, and another gain was
made during the half mile. Three miles
in 15:05,for \ ale; Harvard, 1921.
! All down the course the Yale crew
| rowed a triumphant procession. For the
| last mile the river craft formed an alley,
with the channel as the center. First
came the steamers, freighted with cheer
! ing passengers. Below them came the
Yachts Pennants of these craft waved,
and smoke from hundred salutes filled
the air.
Shepard of the Harvard crew sue
cum bed to an attack of splsshlng, and
the shell was waited up to the lee OF the
steamer Isabel. Fhe rough water had
| subsided trifle, and the last hali-mIle
was made in excellent time, ale end
! ing the four miles in 2l:30 and Harvard
| in 22:05.
The accident to the Harvard shell by
encounteriug the steamers waves made
! the total distance between the boats
! about eleven instead of seventeen lengths,
| and the time 0:35 instead of 0:25.
To-day marks the conclusion OF the
| five years Yale Harvard agreement.
and much doubt exists regarding re-
newal of the contract in view OF tho
cordiality of the athletic relations at
present existing between Harvard and
! Cornell.