The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-01
FRESHMEN RACE WAS FURIOUS
CORNELL BEATS COLUMBIA THREE
QUARTERS OF A LENGTH.

start TO Finish and the Strain on
the Men Terrific All the Way
ThrOuSh--A Crab Caught by COIum-
bias stroke Claimed TO Have Lost
the Race.
Poughkeepsie, N. ", June S0.-Cornen
won by three-fourths of a length; Column
bia second by one-third of a length in
front of Pennsylvania.
Official time: Cornell, 9 minutes q is
seconds; Columbia, 8 minutes % S-5 sec
onds; Pennsylvania, minutes % is sec
onds.
The Freshmen race over the two-mile
course this afternoon between three
American crews. rowing with purely
American methods, was one of the most
remarkable in the annals of boat racing
in this country. 1t was inspiring, magnih-
cent. The freshmen of Cornell, Columbia
and Pennsylvania rowed with their heads
as well as with their bodies, and showed
science that was surprising
1t was anybody's race until the instant
the flag dropped, and the fact that but
two seconds divided the first and last
crews and that the boats Tapped over each
other very nearly a half, is evidence Of the
character of the struggle.
The time is not record breaking be-
cause Yale made the same course in 9:19h
last Wednesday, but both Columbia, who
finished second, and Pennsylvania, who
finished third, made better time than did
Harvard and Cornell finishing in the same
places last Wednesday
The feature nf tho Tho wander
full squirt made by the Columbia young
sters in the last half mile, when they
closed up a gap between themselves and
Cornell so fast that had there been another
eighth of a mile to row they would have
been in first place.
A second feature was the remarkable
rowing of the Pennsylvania crew, which
had been said by its trainer to be in very
bad shape. This crew is a very much in
ferior crew to the Pennsylvania varsity
crew, and the critics are wondering wheth-
er Ellis Ward has not something up his
sleeve" for Fridays race.
The only criticism made on the race to-
night Is that DR.. Walter Peel, the referee,
kept the crews waiting so long at their
stakeboats with their oars dipped that the
nervous strain took off at least two sec
onds from the time. After Referee Peel
had kept the crews waiting at their stake
boats for some five or six minutes. the
youngsters showing the strain they were
under, the pistol start was given and the
crews were off.
Pennsylvania caught the water first
with swift stroke that showed the nose
of her boat clearly ahead of the others.
Cornell and Columbia started trihe more
easily and Cornell fell slightly to the rear
of the New Workers. All started at a thlr-
ty-six stroke, but the Cornell, true to the
Courtney training dropped down to 80,
while Columbia kept it up at SO and Penn
sylvania was hitting away at 80.
At the eighth of a mile, Pennsylvania
was leading the Columbia boat by an
eighth of a length while Cornell was a
quarter of a length behind the Columbia
boat. Cornell was rowing easily while the
other two were fighting II out for first
place But the Cornell stroke had effect
and at the quarter of a mile Cornell had
drawn up even with Columbia, while
Pennsylvania still had her quarter length
lead.
Down to the half this continued, when
Cornell drew up on Pennsylvania and
away from Columbia. Viciously Pennsyl-
vania hit the water and the boat seemed
to fly In the effort to hold that lead, but
slowly and surely the Cornell boat went
Inch by inch, showing out beyond the
Pennsylvania. Columbia too, was coming
along, and the Pennsylvania lead of a
quarter OF a length was reduced In the
utAA 4udlAEl " ~ bdAb tiEHAHs
Then the Quakers did fight for life, and
down TO the end Of the first mile there
was a terrific race for a place.
This continued for another half mile
down to the mile and a half point. First
the nose OF the Pennsylvania boat would
begin 10 draw away from the Columbia.
and then Columbia would draw up on
was clearly seen by the con-
dition of the men In three
boats that there would be a memorable
struggle. At this point Cornell had
lead Of a quarter Of a length ever Penn
sylvania, and Columbia was an eighth Of
a length behind Pennsylvania. Columbia g
stroke oar caught crab at this juncture,
and lost about four strokes but quickly
fell In. Whether this had any disastrous
effect upon the boat or not was not appar-
ent from the train. but just following II
Columbia bit up the stroke from the first
- they had been rowing uniformly during
the race 70 faster &c. Cornell had made
the lead three-quarters OF a length and
were still going when that spurt started.
and when Il was fairly under way had a
length advantage. Then the boat Of CO.
lumbia seemed 10 fairly lift itself out OF
the water. Pennsylvania responded with
a IS stroke. but the long shell OF the New
Workers. fairly lifted itself along and went
by the Pennsylvania boat and onto the
Cornell shell like thing he
witched. on Il went the how
tapping the rudder post OF the
Cornell boat and creeping up toward The
stroke bar. frantically did the little ie-
yoar-old coxswain call 10 the crew. and
well did they respond, but Just as the nose
Of the boat lined even with the stroke oar
OF the Cornell crew. the two boats crossed
the line and Cornell was winner By three
quarters Of a length.
Pennsylvania whipped on the last Ave or
six strokes, and finished only adhird OF a
length behind Columbia.
Not O man IN any boat was Distressed
after this remarkable exhibition. There
was some discussion and some qulbbllne
over the time both on the referees boat
and on the press car. Tho Afsociated
Press time for Cornell. taken with every
facility for the greatest accuracy. was
. minutes 20 3-5 seconds. The nrsf ofirlai
time was civen out az minutes ana n
seconds. ana the corrected time given out
this evening was , minutes q i-5 seconde
Cornell averaged ~ strokes n minute dur
ing the race for normal work. Pennsylvania
5f and Columbia 50.
Columbia claims they would have won
the rnce. but for the crab caught bv ne
stroke and Referee Peel confirms thle
statement IN part.