The herald., 1897-06-24
Rowing Records Broken
to Pieces
xALE's STURDY FRESHMEN
TAKE THE COLLEGE TROPHY
INTO CAMP
Cornell Cuts the Record Twelve Sec
ouds, Yet Comes in Last-Ball
and Bicycle
Associated Press Special wire.

POUGHKEEPSIE. N. T., June D.
Three crews of freshmen on the Hudson
this evening smashed to smithereens all
previous records for freshmen on q two
mile course and put UP one Of the hot
test intercollegiate races ever witnessed
In this country.
A crew Of sturdy men Of Yale rowed
the course In minutes, 1917 seconds, a
trifie lighter crew of Harvard freshmen
fought them every inch of the way and
finished trifie over two lengths behind
them, and the Cornell freshmen, whose
college record Is that none Of Its fresh
men crews have ever been beaten be-
fore, finished length behind Harvard
in 9:291a. The best previous record for
two miles was 9:41, made by the Colum-
bia freshmen crew OF '94 at New London
In 1891.
The start, which was originally sched-
uled for $3.50 p. M, was postponed be-
cause of water conditions until o'clock.
when the crews were got in line and at
7:10 the pistol sounded. Harvard got
the best clip on the water and In a few
strokes drew to the front, closely fol-
lowed by the Cornell crew, with Yale
almost quarter length to the rear.
Harvard and Cornell started at So
strokes to the minute, and Yale at
stroke of "a. At the eighth of mile
Yale, finding that she was trailing be-
hind, increased her stroke to 36 and be-
gan to draw up, while Harvard and Cor
nell dropped down to "a each AT the
quarter Yale was still behind, but
seemed to be rowing easily, while Har-
ward and Cornell were working hard,
Cornell drawing up on the Harvard
lead. Yale was easing her stroke, and
within the next half-mile brought II
down to 33 and "a, but even then seemed
TO gain and there was a perceptible
dash to the boat that seemed lacking In
the others.
At the three-quarter mark 1t became
apparent that the heavyweights In the
Yale boats were going to prove trouble
some to the lighter youngsters in the
Harvard boat, and the still lighter ones
In the Cornell shell. Just crossing the
mile line Yale had picked her boat UP
even with that of Harvard and was
showing its nose forward few inches
with each stroke. Cornell was laboring
q length behind Harvard, rowing
rapid SO stroke to Harvards 35 and
Yale's steady SO. From that point on
to the finish Yale rowed steadily at 33
and "a, quickening to 36 several lengths
from the finish, in an endeavor to make
the breach between her old enemy, Har-
ward, and herself trife wider. And,
although Harvard picked her stroke up
to Sc after passing the mile and held 1t
there until the finish, 1t lacked power
and the boat dropped gradually behind,
crossing the line trifle over two lengths
behind the Yale boat. When Yale passed
both the Harvard and Cornell crews
lust beyond the mile mark, Cornell,
who had pulled their boat on even terms
and perhaps as seen from the observa-
tion train, slightly in advance of Har-
ward, made a desperate effort to keep
Yale from gaining, but 1t was less avail
even than Harvard's effort, and at the
mile and q half there was clear water
between Cornell and Harvard. From
there on to the finish Cornell whooped
up to 36 per minute and closed the gap
slightly, finishing just about an even
length in Harvard's rear. None of the
crews seemed distressed when they fin
ished, but Yale was decidedly the fresh
est OF the three.