Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-08
YALE WAS DEFEATED.
The Leander Crew 0utcassed the Plucky
Yankee Lads-But 1t Was a
Good Race.

Henley-on-Thames, July THE Yale
university crew fell by the wayside to-
day in their first, and consequent upon
their defeat their only attempt to win the
most highly priced trophy of British
aquatics, the grand challenge cup of the
royal Henley regatta. Their opponents
were the crack eight of the Leander
Rowing club, whose crews won the cup
four times in succession, in 1891, 1882.
1898 and 1894. 1t was a grand race, how
ever, ana the YalesianS have no reason
to feel Inundated at their defeat. They
were simply outclassed. The Leanders
beat the New Haven crew by a length
and thfee-quarterS, covering the HenIey
course of one mile and $50 yards in TIA.
Immense crowds of spectators lined
the river banks at 1:15 o'clock, when the
sign was given that everything was
ready for the third heat OF the Grand
challenge race cup between the Yale uni
Versity and the Leander Rowing club
crews. The entire course was mass
of color, Yale and American flags being
very much in evidence. There was no
wind. The sky was overcast and the
air was hot. Bob Cook and Pittman, the
old Cambridge stroke, followed the boats
over the course on board the umpire's
launch.
Yale and Leander had drawn heat IA
in the grand challenge contest, but as
this heat was the feature of the days
programme, it was decided last week
that heats ''B" and &C." respectively, be-
tween First Trinity, Cambridge, and the
London Rowing clubs eight. and the
New College, Oxford, and Trinity Hall
Cambridge crews should be rowed first
in order that the principal event of the
day should take place about 1880 p. M,
when the greatest throng of spectators
would be present.
The starting word was giVen at 90
p. m. The boats got an excellent start,
both boats striking the water at the
same times. Emerging from the upper
end of Temple Island Leander was seen
to have the fore part of her canvas
ahead, and soon increased her lead to a
quarter of a length, but the Yale men
were putting great force in their strokes,
and succeeded in driving their boat even
with that of their opponents
To those running behind the boats on
the tow path the Yales seemed to get the
nose of their boat in front. and 1t was
then a beautiful race to Fawley court. A
reporter who was on board the umpire's
| launch says that Yale never actually got
| the lead, but that two or three times they
| pulled themselves about even with Lean
der. The concensus of opinion, however,
| Is that Yale led slightly at the half mile,
but that Leander was a foot ahead at
Fawley court
The Leander crew appeared perfectly
ITeSn at the emu OI Inc race, anu IOWtu
at "a smart stroke some distance beyond
| the finish but the Yale men seemed to be
| completely spent. Brown and Rodgers,
respectively Nos. and a, were very badly
| done at the finish The men were too
much exhausted to allow a raise in the
stroke. Both Brown and Rodgers re-
quired attention when the race was over.
When they had been helped OUT of the
boat Rodgers was perfectly white, and
Brown tainted from exhaustion. Both
were very weak, and lay in the open air
on float for some time, while they were
famed and bathed by their comrades.
The men feel that they did themselves
justice, and acknowledge that Leander
is the better crew. They are, of course,
terribly disappointed, but feel that they
were fairly beaten. They took their de-
feat courageously. The other men than
Brown and Rodgers were in fair shape al
the finish, though they were somewhat
blown.
Bob Cook said at the conclusion of the
race that the contest had resulted as he
had expected it would. The Leander
crew was composed of older and more eX-
perienced men. The Leanders got the
best of the start, and led for short time,
but the Yale crew caught them and led
by half length to the Fawley court boat
house. The members of the Yale crew
are all satisfied that they were entirely
beaten, and they are also entirely salts
fed with the way they have been handled
by Cook, who, they declare, has done
everything that could be done In their
interest Any story to the contrary they
will denounce as wholly untrue.