The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-06-25
THE BLUE OR THE CRIMSON
CORNELL NOT DEEMED fl FAOTORIN
 TO-DAY'S 'VARSITY RACE,

-NN-~--~~" ~-~N Aquatic Event In the History of Inter- collegiate Rowing in This Country-Bob Cook Appears Confident-Harvard Draws the Middle Course-Yale is Inshore.
 Poughkeepsie, N. Y., June 24-To- morrow is the big Varsity day, and the town tonight is taking on a gala ap- pearance. The crowds are beginning to arrive and tomorrow will see the place crowded to overflowing. The wind was from the east all the afternoon and the wiseacres in weather matters predict that it will rain either tonight or to- morrow, to which the crowd says that they will pray for tomorrow fair, and the rain for tonight to cool the at- mosphere, as it has been at roasting point all day. The hotels are all full tonight and if by any advent the race goes over to Saturday it will be hard for the people who wish to remain over tomorrow night to get accommoda- tions.
 The plans now are to call the race at 3:S0 o'clock tomorrow afternoon and have it rowed down stream over the four-mile course If the weather is bad or the water in poor condition, the race because Of the change will have to be rowed after 6:45 D. m. upstream, ne- cessitating an entire change of stake and judges boats and the anchorage of the fleet of yachts. It is called to mind that this Is the first time since lSH that Yale has met Cornell and the first time in two years that she has crossed blades with Harvard.
 The most important feature of the days work at the boat houses oc- cured this afternoon at the Harvard boat house. All day long those desir- ous of picking a winner in the race to- morrow kept wishing that they could see the Harvard freshmen row with the Varsity so as to get a knowledge of what speed the latter could command. It was generally expected that this could not occur. because it was SUD- posed that the freshmen had gone out of practice But late this afternoon The Associated Press representatives from their launch. saw the two crews given half-mle spurts and starts from a pistol shot.
 MT. Lehman took care that the river was deserted of press boats and trainers launches before he went to work and then he ordered out the fresh men crew of yesterday, which he had kept in training for this very purpose
 When the freshmen were clear of the dock the Varsity crew was ordered out and the two started up the river. They went up for about two miles with the tide and then turned and were given a start by the trainer. The freshmen got away first and then the Varsity start ed after them, rowing but 32 and 31 to the minute and the freshmen at 34 and 36. and they came down against the tide and wind and choppy sea at such a gait that in an eighth of mile they passed and got a length of clear water. The Varsity started at 34 stroke and after pulling five lengths dropped down to an easy 32, sometimes almost to 3l. The freshmen started at 38 and drop ped to 34 and 35.
 The Varsity boat kept up an easy, steady stroke and glided past the freshmen. MT. Lehman stopped them and lined them up again and this time, after starting them, let them row for three quarters of a mile. The Varsity at the end of the stretch had distanced the freshmen so badly that the latter stopped rowing. The recovery of the Varsity boat was one of the features. there being little or no stop to the boat.
 Mir Cook of Yale has said that the Harvard freshman crew was a very fast crew, and if this is so then it is safe to assume that the Varsity is an exceptionally fast one. The facts of this practice were in the sole possession ll. itpht are given as a sort of indication of what may be expected of the crew that seems to be the fayorite tonight.
 Every train tonight brings in load of people, The Cornell Glee club gave concert at the public hall tonight and the people of the city rendered them a complimentary ball under the management of Miss Grace Carpenter of Poughkeepsie.
 Coach Cook took the blue Var sity eight out tonight and gave them a final polishing up. The crew was in perfect trim, and they put up the river shortly after o'clock accompan- jed by the launch "Yale," with Cook in his usual perch on the bow. The rough corners of the individual work of the members of the crew were knocked off this morning in painstaking half hours work.
 While the presence here of the crim- son eight at Red Top with their English coach compels Cook to harbor turk ing fear that the finish of tomorrow s big struggle will find the sons of Eli a trife behind the winner, still he wears a look of confidence Yale's practice tonight was not an extended one, and after the general work, several starts were tried. The mems condition is all that could be desired. The consistent 32 stroke that won the race for the freshmen yesterday will mark the work - of the elders tomorrow.
 At 5:30 MT. Lehman ordered both the Harvard Varsity and freshmen crews out The work of the Varsity crew was as near perfection as the fal- Hole judgment of a disinterested ob- served dares put 1t. Several pistol shot starts were made and two or three stretches rowed with the freshmen act ing as pacemakers. The stroke of the latter was frequently hit up to 3S in an endeavor to crowd the Varsity shell and carry 1t to its best work. The lat ter, however, while starting off on two occasions with a 32 stroke dropped with noticeable celerity to the 30 and 31 that Lehman has been drumming into the