The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-13
MADE A BRAVE STRUGGLE,
Stories of CornelPS COLLAPSE
Prove to Have Been
Unfounded.
Led the Entire Distance Until Fen
nelrS Injury Resulted in
Their Defeat.

LONDON, Eng, July 12.-Much indig-
nation and more amusement was caused in
Henley and in certain circles in London by
the perusal of the dispatches furnished to
certain papers in America purporting to
tell the story of the Cornell-Trinity Hall
race, excerpts from which were cabled here
from New York yesterday morning. As
examples of reckless taxing they were
phenomenally brilliant, but as a chronicle
of events which actually occurred the al
legged report was in most respects without
foundation.
This account said that the Cornells in
passing Fawley Court went all to pieces,
and that Freedom, No. in the Cornell
boat, dropped his oar and put his hands to
his face" He did not do anything OF the
kind. All that he did was to keep
his hands away from his face and
on his oar and pull for all he was
worth. Then Hager is made to drop his
oar and fall back in the arms of Spillman,
who, the faker says, instantly received
him. Upon the authority of Hager him
self, with the Endorsement of Spillman and
thousands of others who witnessed the
scenes, Hager did not drop his oar, nor did
Spillman receive him Instantly" or other
wise, consequently Coulson. the cock
swain, could not have shouted, ''What are
you about there?" as he is alleged to have
done.
Another statement made is that Free
born again dropped his oar and put one
hand before his eyes, Trinity in the mean
time leading seven or eight lengths at the
mile. 1t is needless to say that Freeborn
did not again drop his oar or put his hand
before his eyes, nor did Trinity lead seven
n q ph OFT < at he lp w
could not, for at the mile Cornell was dis
putting her right to do so by being some
| what in the lead herself
| 1t is true that Fennell dropped his oar,
| recovered it and tried to row; but it is not
true that he began rubbing his forehead, y
nor could any ground be found for the
| statement that Hager again dropped his
oar, and Dyer thereupon 'began splash
ing" Hager, not having done it in the
| first instance, could not possibly have
! dropped his oar a second time. 1t is also
| true that Fennell was greatly exhausted at
the finish, but no one saw him tumble
| from his seat in dead faint"
| The race was hard one to the Isthmian
| boathouse, and there were nos defects in
| the Cornelfs rowing anywhere in the race
up to that time Freeborn and Hager, who
| were reported as spending their time put
| ting their hands before their eyes and
rubbing their foreheads." were really
| rowing game race all the way through
The facts are that the crew started well,
and at Fawley Court Cornell led by half a
! length. AT the mile the boats were nearly
even, Cornell having slight advantage,
but at this point Fennell caught a crab
and his oar struck him violent blow in
the ribs, giving him a cramp. de recov-
cred his oar quickly and tried to row
again, but the pain he suffered was so
sharp that he was unable to pull. Free
! 1,oh hod To ca
rowing for moment to assist Fennell,
and that is the only foundation for the
fairy tale that he dropped his oar and
rubbed his forehead
c. A. Louis, No. I in the Cornell boat,
says: 1.-The boat came down in elegant
style to the mile, but seven man cannot
row an eight-oared boat to advantage"
The foregoing denials of the reckless
statements made in many American
papers are concurred in by every member
of the Cornell crew and by scores of other
eyewitnesses.