The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-08-29
A COLLEGE BOAT RACE.
The Winning Crew Had One Man o
With "a Broken Oar.

OAo IOlSI0o iduACA lay. anu cling
ing to the rail as he leaned over the
sharp cutwater the referee himself
was giving orders in quick, exact
tones.
At last he had finished, and the IS
| men in the shells who had been
straning their ears to catch every
word Strengthened themselves in
their seats and nervously gripped
their oars afresh. Then, with the
blood tingling curiously in their fin
ger ends, they leaned their heads for
ward trifle, and with eyes straight
astern awaited the word.
Ready" and IS oars flashed back
the sunlight as they moved and dip
ped into the water again, their hold.
ers posing themselves, ready for the
stroke. The launches had darted
aside, the steamers were in position,
and from the bows of the two shells
up stream there stretched a clear
space of water, which was lost only
where the river bent toward the
west. Suddenly there rang out loud
and clear, Cot
Like flash Is pairs of shoulders
squared, IL seats shot back, and the
water surged astern from the driven
blades. A second later, and the river
boiled under the wheels and propel-
lers of the steam craft, and mighty
shout went up, punctuated by doz-
en- shrill blasts from the pipes of the
steamers.
AS they rounded a slight bend
little farther on Brooks gave anoth-
er searching glance to his crew. Not
face there but was set and resolv-
ed; not one that looked dispirited,
though every man was pulling
strongly, and the Precipitation
streamed from faces and shoulders.
Pleased with what he saw, he whis-
pered again to the stroke, and at the
same instant heard the indistinct
sound of a similar warning in the
other boat.
Again came the ''Steady, there!"
followed smartly by Wright's yell.
Then there was quick pull, anoth-
or, a third, and on the third an ON
nous crack, crunching sound, and
the shell Jared sharply. Wright had
shot back helpless in his seat, the
handle of his oar olasped in his
hands, while the blade drifted to the
stern broken off at the rowlock. For
the moment the confusion among
the crew was complete. Brooks
shouted directions, but the disorgan-
ization was sufficient to make the
shell lose Roadway and sheer off to-
ward the starboard SIDE. The other
boat was fully half length ahead
almost Immediately, but 1t looked
like collision, the two shells were
so close to each other.
Then, just as the stroke oar in the
other boat came opposite to the bow
of their boat, there came to each
crew an order.
/ LET her go-all together, there"
sang out the coxswain of their rival,
and his boat shot forward under the
increased stroke. But to Brooks ears
more grateful sound was the deep
toned voice of the No man in his
| own crew: Steady, there! Now, pick
her up-all togetherp and then his
sharp" Observation-Disclosures
Observation-Disclosures
And as if by magic order sprang
from disorder, and at each count
there was strong, united pull, and
Brooks felt the boat lift and shoot
as the seven men threw their weight
on the oars.
Now they had entered upon the
last 100 yards of the race, and the
stroke had been raised to 40 to the
minute, and the coxswain of the
other boat was nearly on a level with
Brooks. Wright's face was wreathed
with smiles. Fifty yards, and they
were even; 25, and Brooks saw the
swirl from the stroke oar of their
rivals opposite to him, and he knew
his own boat was ahead. A few last
strokes, and they had passed the
buoy at the finish, and with a shout
of."Way enough" Brooks threw out
his hand to Wright.
But the latter had turned in his
seat and had grasped the hand of
the No. man in his own and was
! gripping it hard.
You've won the race for us, he
was saying. And Fales could only
return the handshake and look hap
py.-Francis Churchill Williams in
st. Nicholas.
i