The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-28
GREAT PLUCK IS SHOWN,
Columbia Takes the Lead, but
Is Quickly Passed by
Harvard.
A FINE TEST OF ENDURANCE.
For Two Miles the Oarsmen Make
Determined Fight for
Supremacy.

NEW LONDON, Conn, June 27.-Yale
W won the triangular Yale Harvard Co
lumbla freshman race this morning by
less than one length, Harvard finishing a
close second and Columbia weak third
Columbia took the lead at the start. Har-
ward passed her in less than 100 yards from
the beginning of the race and held the lead
till just as the mile post was passed. Yale
then secured slight lead, but Harvard ap-
parently pulled up again and led till the
last mile. Then Yale made an heroic
squirt and finished a winner in the closest
race ever rowed here, and in the hardest
freshman race known. Yale pulled uni
formly a 80 stroke, Harvard 40 to Al and
Columbia 38 to 40.
Yale pluck won the race. 1t was the
grandest exhibition ever given of fresh
man pluck in the history of American uni
verslty rowing, and was won only after the
gamest uphill fight ever witnessed here.
Haryard's work was a surprise, consider
ing the changes in the boat within a
fortnight. Yale, however, proved equal
to the emergency and pulled the race from
the fire when it seemed almost in the grasp
of the crimson
and Harvard boats at all times during
the contest, most of the time the prows
cutting the path upstream side by side.
Columbia made feeble showing, but
for e1cusable reasons. They were fifteen
lengths behind at the finish, and after the
first quarter mile ceased as factor in the
struggle. The time was lower than that
made by freshmen on the Thames in years,
although not record breaker The only
unfortunate incidents of the race were mis-
haps of the Columbia freshman crew.
Just as the first mile was being COM
pleted the bow oar-lock broke. Columbia
was then out of the race. Then the
steamer Block Island disregarded the
orders from the referees boat and steamed
ahead of everybody. It gave Columbia the
wash and partially swamped her. The
boats went off at 10 :43, Yale appearing
first. only few minutes behind time.
Harvard was next, Columbia tardy last
Columbia's was the favorite position
the west side, with Yale in the middle and
Harvard along the line of the eel grass.
Yale's boat started directly from the CEN
trail pier of the big rawbridge. The river
at the start was comparatively smooth, but
the breeze freshened near the finish, and
the final half mile was dashed over through
choppy sea.
Five minutes were consumed by Ref
cree Richards getting true start. Column
bia' S eight blades clawed the water first,
and the blue and white, with forty-four
strokes, took graceful lead. One hun
dred yards was the limit of Column
bias endurance at such a pace. Seventy
five yards from the start Harvard was
abreast of Columbia and Yale was half a
length behind. Here Yale's steady work
begun. Columbia was overhauled after a
hundred yards and logged fight for a
two-mile pull was on.
At the mile flag the Yale boat was set
ting the pace, though still second. Yale's
reserve strength, skill and determination
centered in final squirt, which took the
lead. Crimson oars could not overcome
Yale's lead. Both finished in nice form.
just about length between them. First
mile, Yale. ASS; Harvard, minutes; Co
lumbia, 5:15. Second mile, Yale, 10 2S j.;
Harvard, 1882; Columbia, 111SH.
Much dissatisfaction was expressed that
a difference of four seconds was announced
between Yale and Harvard at the finish.
A length usually means three seconds.