The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-26
Ithaoans Row Finely and De-
feat Yale and Harvard.
COACH COURTNEY EXCELS.
His Crew Better Trained than
Those of Cook and Lehman.


tudo OF spectators-At tho Start Harvard
Tnkcs the Lead. to Hold IL Only for =
Short Time-rheu Yale Leads. and nc the
the Ithncans 60 TO the Front.
Never TO Leave lt-Tho Hue beaten By Tive
and n Half Lengths, Harvard BEING six
Lengths Behind tho New Haven Boat
Several Cambridge Men Collapse ut the
End-Cornel's Victory y Popular One. Al
though Thousands or Dollars Arc Lost by
It-scenes I'm the Town and on tho Oh
servation Train Beroro tho Contest Began.
PoUGHKEEPsIE, June 25.-Before the eyes of
the boating world Cornell won to-day q victory
so decisive as to establish beyond doubt or cavil
her claim to recognition among the foremost
American colleges in aquatic sports. That Yale
had derided this claim and Harvard had only
Rrudgingly admitted it made the victory the
moro glorious. Neither tho blue nor the Grim
son could do well enough TO make the little men
from Cornell exert themselves, and with
the other two crews spent and breathless
the winners shot on past the line and pulled
gayly down the river for half q mile to theiR
launch as fresh as II they were beginning in
stead Of finishing the greatest race in American
| college annals. Yale finished second, two and o
half lengths behind, and Harvard, with one man
in the bottom of the boat, barely crossed the line,
Blk lengths further back, before several OF hef
men collapsed utterly.
Three distinct systems OF rowing were ON
trial. Charles Courtney had taught Cornell tho
snappy American stroke. Under their old
coach, Bob Cook, whose instructions have
pointed the way to Yale victory 30 often, the
New Haven boys learned and faithfully
p~ractised his combination Of tho Eng
lish and American strokes. Harvard re-
lied upon the guidance of R G. Leh-
vna,, ~. rorah-l-a I-s,on,tv 49,. -L-
came to this country to teach the American
college tho English stroke. That the result of
the race was q triumph for the American stroke
cannot be denied. Cornell's shell, under the
powerful strokes Of a crew which was by
far the smallest and lightest in the contest,
cut through the water like a knife. with little Of
the dragging between strokes which tells 50
terribly in a long pull.
To Yale tho second position was as bitter as
the third was to Harvard; perhaps even bitterer.
Yale was beaten by the enemy whom for years
she has spurned al unworthy Of her steel. The
feeling OF the Yale men was that to succumb to
Harvard's prowess would be o misfortune. but
to be beaten by Cornell would mean disgrace.
The contempt which she felt for the Ithaca men
was openly expressed before the race.
W will beat Cornell out this time said the
Yale man; then let her beg for another race
as much as she likes. She won't get it with
u.s."
Hthere is any begging to be done now 1t win
not be Cornell who takes the supplicants part
To tho thirty thousand persons who saw the
race the fact is sufficiently obvious that Cornell
has put on the water one of the best crews that
ever sat in n boat.
Not even the most rabid Ithacan could desire
n more decisive triumph. At the first half mile
Cornell began to win and kept on winning in o
sort of geometrical progression all the way over
the course. At no time did Yale. who was next
behind her most OF tho way, make o squirt that
the Ithacan crew did not answer and glide away
from. As for Harvard, the pleasant recollection
Of having had the nose of her shell in front
for a few minutes at the beginning of tho race
is all the comfort to which she is entitled. She
was never a factor thereafter.
Although the superiority of the winning crew
was so marked, there Was no lack of excitement
in the contest, and this was due largely to the
enthusiasm OF the Yale and Harvard elements
in the crowd. which greatly overbalanced the
Cornell contingent They refused to believe
that Cornell was really winning, and on all sides
were heard the expressions of this skepticism.
Look at Harvard. She hasn't hit up her
stroke yet In a minute you'll see her squirt. and
then there won't be any Cornell"
"Those Cornell chaps II give out in Q min
ute. Yale is wearing 'em down. They can't
stand the pace. Yale first, Harvard second. and
Cornell dead. will be the finish"
CORNELL MEN CONFIDENT.
But the Cornell rootcrs rooted and after the
very first exulted with supreme confidence. In
the beginning 1t looked dubious for them.
Springing from the poise with tho swift, strong
start taught them by Lehman, Harvard got
away well in front. with Yale second
and Cornell. furthcst from tho west
ern shore. a little behind. For q dozen
strokes or more the Crimson led, with .
slow, steady stroke, and the deep Harvard yell
Numbered down the long. creeping line of the
observation train on the shore. Then Yale took
the stage. while tho battle cry of the sons OF ELI
, smote tho hills. Not yet was there any
response from tho outside crew. Harvard
led her by more than a quarter OF
4 length. Her quick, sharp stroke did
not seem to drive her. But the little
. Cornell coxswain knew what he was doing and
; what his crew could do. Was 1t an increase of
$ power in those springing muscles or a very
. slight acceleration In the strokei From the
: bank the short, piston.rod beat Of the bodies
! seemed tho same. but at each swing the shell
: pushed forward a little on its rivals. Har
/ ward saw 1t and accepted tho test. Yale per
8 haps saw 1t. and did not choose to accept It
: Her lead was cut down little by little. In auiei
strokes. as an axe sinks into a tree, jerkily. Al
the half mile the three keen prOws were aligned
P~andemonium reigned on the shore. the three slo
. gans merging into II frantic cataract of clamor. II
was any bodys race, with the laurel for the meI
o whose strength aud skill and courage should
d prevail.
8 For what seemed u long time the crews kept
o on almost oven terms. To the inexperienced
ego IL looked 80 very easy, 1t was the poetry
n OF concerted effort. tho embodiment Of grac,
o and beauty, until one remembered that u
achieve that perfection had required montl
after month OF scrupulous abstemiousness. In
defatlgable practice. steady Self.control unde
the lash OF the coach's ever.ready criticism; anc
all for the pure glory of 1t and tho honor o
n alma mater. There is poetry In that spirit. too
but 1t isn't tho poetry Of grace and ease.
And from that view. knowing that in thos,
swinging bodies was pent the vigor and poTe
of weary weeks Of training, it seemed that ever,
y man should be a giant 10 whom everything we
- nossihla but delenL. That spirit or flesh coul