The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-03
What Promised to Be an Exciting Race
Proved Disappointment.
PENNSY'S BOAT GOT FULL OF WATER
C0rneiIs Steady Stroke Beats the
nervous Efforts OF the other Crews
There Was No Race to Speak of
After tito Second 1Ii,e-Cornell's
Offer Declined by Pennsylvania.
Poughkeepsie, N. y. july 2, 1897.

L le SeCOtlu varsity race upon the lOut
mile course, contestants, eight cared
crews from Cornell, Columbia and
Pennsylvania. The expectations, Il
breaking Of records and Il close and eX-
citing contest. The result. q tizzle and
a procession. Cornell won. Columbia
second, about eleven lengths and half
to the rear Pennsylvania foundered just
after passing the two mile mark. Tie
official time:
Cornell, 20 minutes, II 40 seconds.
Columbia, q minutes, 20 2-5 seconds.
All Of the expectations Of those lovers
OF American sports that by establish
ing new records Pennsylvania ana Co
lunrbia would be entitled to demand ad-
mission into what promises TO be an in
ter-collegiate rowing combination Of
three colleges, Yale, Harvard aud Cor
nell. have been rudely shattered. The
contest on the Hudson this afternoon,
which had been heraldcd as promising
a close and exciting finish, ana which
each college coach declared would be a
record-breaking contest, turned oIt to
be the merest sort Of q procession and
an apology for a race.
1t Is true that the water conditions
were not favorable to fast time, and
that men like DR.. Walter Peet and other
boating experts alleged that it was not
proper time TO start a race, but it ls
also true that once having started, the
liEhtest crew on the river ana the one
less likely to stand the swells caused
by the wind blowing against the tide,
came out Of the contest an easy winner
and only Slightly behind the record Of
Yale last week. The heaviest crew in
the race to-day. Pennsylvania, found
It's boat washed full Of water before the
| second mile was reached and after pass
ing that point was compelled to retire
from the contest The next heaviest
| crew. Columbia, bravely heralded as n
rough water crew, was so fearful Of
results from the same cause that Il
lost many lengths steering inshore.
III some respects the contest was piti-
ful. Cornell, the winner or the two
previous contests. the victor over Yale
and Harvard. had been led to beliey.
that pennsylvania and Columbia-Nould
put up a harder fight than her con-
testants IN the other races. On the con-
trafy, the Cornell crew rowed over the
course IN the easiest kind OF a fashion.
only hitting up the stroke In the last
three quarters Of a mile in an evident
endeavor to- make fair time Columbia
Struggled In on the rear, losing length
by length. while rowing q much quicker
stroke than Cornell, and finally ar1ar
crossing the line her Grew found them
serves incapable Of any further work.
AS II to exhibit her prowress and her
Wonderfully husbanded strength, the
Cornell coNWain turned his boat aro,n n
ana roWed up Il mile and a ouarter
ABOVE the finish to salute the defeated
pennsylvania crew, and then returned
TO the boat house.
ihere was really no race to decide. a.
least not after the second mile Dur
ing the first three-quartcrs Of q mile
the contest was rather pretty. Penn
sElNan1a took the water first with y
quick, jerlIy stroke. Columbia follow
lng and Cornell hanging to the rear vii
her SLOW measured 90. At the quarter
or q mile Pennsylvania had lead OF one
length over Columbia and Columbia one
half a length over Cornell. pennsylva-
1Mo was. however, splashing badly. No.
! Z In particular hitting the water every
time on his feather. At the half mile
PennsylNania was rowing q "a and Co
lumbia a 32. while Cornell, with her 60
stroke. was decreasing the lead AT tho
thFee-ruarters OF a mile PENNSYLVANIA
mad hree-QualftcI's OF length still over
Cornell. who had pulled on beyond Co
lumbla FOR about one-balf length. It
was here tllnt the trouble seemed ia
begin In the Pennsylvania boat. Just
prior to the starting of the race the
Newburgth Line. came down the river a4y
the boats were lined up, and although
warned by the referee and the police
boats. would not stop. The swclls that
Snc made were blown back by the sou tn
| wind. and the local referee, Harris S.
Reynolds, started the crews while the
| swel!s We're running, though Coach
Ward. of Pennsylvania, protested
against starting.
When Corneil's boat on the outside hit
them they We're long swells and the
sharp boat cut them in two. convertinl,
them into a choppy sea, so that when
they hit Pennsylvania shell they
swashed over the side. 1t was here tina
Comei's clever rowing was in evidence.
for while the beautiful form Of that
crew kept the oars from touching the
swells during the father, the Penusyl-
vania oars hit them with so much force
as TO throw part OF them into the boat
l3y the time the crews had reached the
mile and q quarter the Pennsylvani ia
boat was lunbebring along, filled almost
to the G,tnwales, but the men continued
bravcly pulling. although failing far be-
hind Columbia, who in rowing in shore
to avoid the swelis had lost considcra
bic distance from Cornell. From a mile
and q half down the almost ludicrous
procession began.
Cornelrs boat went along against The
head wind as If It had wings, while Co
)umbia's crew pulled along violently.
losing nearly q length IN every Quarter
mile. Pennsylvania sp.aShed and fused
along, slowly going to tho rear, until
the two milo and a quarter point was
arhnCh Goa oh SS,,o ri no ~, , .n,,,, =