Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-20
View of the Finish.

scene reminds an American of country
rair. There are all sorts of schemes to
catch the penny. You can throw balls at
a darkey's head, you can toss rings over
wilderness Of canes and If you are not
careful may win one. There are strolling
merchants with small wares uttering I'M
sticking to the hearers memory from its
frequent iteration: Penny bake! penny
bake. Penny bag" is meant and for
a penny small bag of cherries will be
given. The prices Of fruit are Of course
much lower than they are in the city.
The meadows descend to the stream alb
ruptly. The bank is about four rect h1gh
and is lined with trees and bushes. Here
and there it juts little into the river,
giving one view Of the course for hum
bred yards or So The steersman must be
wary of hugging the shore too closely or
he will run the nose of his craft high and
dry. Accommodations for spectators are
meager. On the Bucks or Henley side OF
the river, besides the house boats, is the
covered stand where few hundred highly
privileged friends of the regatta committee
are seated. The end of the course is just
opposite to them A short distance above
is the stone bridge, which Is pre-emDted
early in the day, giving barely room TO
cross. It commands an excellent view of
the finish. But no one wants to remain In
one place for eight mortal hours, and that
one must do to keep his position on the
bridge. 1t would tire the fortitude of Hora-
thus. The people generally roam about
during the half hour between the heats
and when the warning gun down at the
beginning CT the course is fired they has
ten to the river bank for a minutes view
of the struggling oarsmen and shout en-
couraging cries.
The first heat is started at noon exactly,
the last at pm, during the interval every
half hour. The whole thing goes like clock
work. If crew IL not in position at the
time fixed for the start 1t loses it's chance,
and it's patrons speedily find out who is to
blame. AS soon as a heat is rowed the
contestants for the next go down to the
start. Each boat has a particular color,
which is carried in the bow. Frequently
the blades of the oars are painted the same
color. which allows a crew to be distin-
guishable at considerable distance.
Above the Bridge.
While the greater part of the multitude
Is disposed throughout the meadows, in
the households, the stewards stand, or in
the rowboats on the river. the intimate
friends Of the carsmen, or those having
wagers on the events, will be found at the
boat houses above the bridge, where the
crews keep their shells. Here the last
directions of the coach and captain are
given, here the last inquiries as to the con-
clifton Of the men will be made by their
anxious patrons. The captain keeps con-
sulting his watch, notes the direction and
strength of the breeze, and makes what
of advantage to him. Suddenly comes a
low murmur as of shouts in the distance,
1t rolls nearer and louder, like an advancing
hurricane, and as it ends in great en-
thuSastic rear from the thousands just
below the bridge. he closes his watch,
hands 1t to the coach, and says to the
crew. Come; times up" The heat just
before his has been rowed, and now is his
turn. The crew push off, and paddle slow
~ through the arches of the bridge and
into the sight of the throng, still cheering
the victor. AS they are seen a fresh shout
bI eaks out. So short is the victor's
triumph!
Oarsmen Doubling Up.
1t frequently happens that the same men
may row more than once on the same day.
For instance, four Of the men who row IN
the grand challenge cup race for Fights,
may row later in the day in the stewards
challenge cup race for tours. The heats
are arranged in such a way that this may
be done. For instance, the heats for Fights
are rowed first. Then come the visitors
challenge cup for college tours. then the
Singles, then pair oars, then tryfold cup
fours, then the stewards cup fours, late in
the afternoon. The winner of the stew
ards cup is recognized as the champion
amateur four 1t may be rowed for by col
lege or non-scholastic crews. The visitors
cup race is for college tours only, and con-
sequently ranks lower. 1t was this that Co
lumbia won in 1878, and 1T was this that
Cornell went abroad three years later to
win, having defeated Columbia in the
meantime, but was not allowed to row for
it, the objection being that Cornell was not
a college, but a university.