The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01
CHERRY And WHITE
MINNESOTA WON THE EIGHT-OAR
FROM DULUTH IN A HARD
FINISH.
DULUTH CREW LOST AN OAR
WHEN WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE
OF THE FINISHING
LINE.
ULUTH CREW LOST AN OAR
BUT TT MADE NO DIFFERENCE
In the Result of the Race in the
Judgment of Those Who
Saw 1t.

gle, which would have been even sun
closer had not an oar broken in the
Duluth shell not forty yards from the
finishing line.
AS it was, some doubt was expressed
by the admirers of the lusty Duluth
ians as to the fact that the Minnesotas
were in the lead when the mishap oc-
Cured, but the judge of the finish, as
we'll as the spectators on the dock, say
that the st. Paul men were from five
to twenty-five feet to the good when
their adversaries were obliged to quit
rowing. At all events, by means Of
magnificent squirt in the last sixteenth
of a mile, the Reds overhauled the
Zenith City crew and pulled in across
the line winners, and were instantly
given the decision. The time was very
slow, S:15. due to the rather strong
wind which blew from the east across
the course, and also to the fact that
the winners let down after the accident
to the Duluth men. The ST. Paul boys
shared their doughty rivals regret that
an accident prevented an absolutely
conclusive decision as to the speed and
endurance of the two Fights. 1t was a
great race, and was witnessed by a
large number of people, many of whom
went out from st. Paul and Minneap-
oils, and either occupied places in the
paviiions or followed the boats in the
'Tonka, which was used for the Off
Gals and press representatives. Much
interest was manifested in the move
ments of the broad shouldered fellows
as they emerged from the boat house
and entered their shells preparatory to
rowing down to the starting point off
the Lake Park hotel The Minnesotas
got out first and made a splendid APP
pearance, looking bit beefer than
the lads from the head of the lakes.
The Minnesotas wore red jerseys.
After the Tonka had put off and
started down to send away the crews,
Col c. Nee. Reeve was picked up and
after being furnished with a big speak
ing horn lined up the crews and gave
them an excellent start. Messrs- w. c.
Sargent, of Duluth, and TON" Wann
and E. G. Halbert of the Minnesotas,
acted as timers. w. w. Heffelinger
was referee, and George Potter acted as
judge at the finish.
Minnesota won the choice and Coach
Kennedy selected the course nearest
the Lake Park. A smart wind was
blowing out of the east, first little to
the north, and then a little to the
south, blowing from right to left across
the. oarsrlen. The lake was choppy
and more like the water the Duluth
men are accustomed TO working in.
At $40 the start was made, the Min
rIesotas catching the water first and
pulling away at a 81 stroke, while the
11I1fI och y; Of
but soon took on a SO clip and bent
to after their rivals. When the Duluth
men had fairly settled down to bust
ness. the reds took their turn at splash
ing, and "Merrie" Bend, the stroke
ami d away his left stretcher, notwitn-
standing which he kept bravely at it.
The stroke fell to 80 to the minute, and
the men from the head of the lake
made strong try to lead to the mar
rows, a quarter of a mile away. ST.
Paul whipped it up to &c. however, and
made a fresh start.
1t was a pretty struggle from the
outset and as the two crews lined out
their courses through the narrows, it
was seen that the Duluthians were
forging slightly ahead. George Gibson
set his men a quick, snappy stroke
and they fairly reveled in the choppy
water which they found at the entrance
to the narrOwS.
On they went, Duluth in the lead and
slightly to the right of the center
with Minnesota to the left, both crews
letting down a trifie on their strokes
Duluth falling to "a and st. Paul 20
3D.
The nose of the Duluth shell emerged
from the narrows a full length to the
good, and CoXswain Cox pointed the
boat straight for the Lafayette. Mean
time, Little Joe Swartz, steering the
st. Paul boat, pulled it way out to the
left, and lost some ground. Coach
Kennedy, who sat in the stern of the
judges boat, saw this and shook his
head, but he had faith in his men. AS
the two crews pulled nearly a mile
side by side with the Minnesotas MAX
ing every effort to overhaul their COM
petitors, who were slightly in the lead,
a cheer went up from the judges boat,
and the reds hearing it, shook up their
stroke somewhat and, although not
rowing as many strokes to the minute
as Duluth, were covering the distance
in excellent shape with their long sweep
and pretty recover. Their blade work
stood them in good stead. The spoons
went in promptly and were given the
pull the entire distance up to the in
slant of recovery. Its still Duluth"
said Kennedy, and the Duluth men on
the judges boat were wild with sup
pressed excitement Capt. Sargent had
explained that his boys were depending
upon their beef and grit from the pistol
to the finish, and it began to look as
if the combination would win out. Ken
nedy was plainly uneasy.
'"This is the place where they give
an account of themselves" he said,
and the words were hardly out of his
mouth when little SWartz cried out:
Boys. you only need about forty
strokes more to do it." Duluth was
probably a length and a half in the
lead. and not more than a sixteenth
of mile from the finishing line
Down went the Minnesota blades
deep in the water, the stroke iumped
UP to thirty-six and the shell fairly
jumped along. Inch by inch the dis
lance between the two boats was les
sened, the reds fairly rowing like de-
mons, but with admirable precision.
Their staying powers did the business
and within a few hundred feet of the
line they had taken the lead, and as it
turned out the race.
After being passed by the st. Paul
boat, the Duluth crew began a squirt
when McPhail, rowing No 5, snapped
his oar in two and the crew stopped
rowing. The st. Pauls, seeing this. LET
down trif1e and finished the remain
ing distance leisurely. Owing to the
buoyed off the impression got abroad
that the Duluth crew was in the lead
as stated above, when they quit row.
ing, but it was officially determined
that the Minnesota had not won a hol-
low victory, but had made a Garrison
finish and beaten out a crew COMPOSED
Of speedy. powerful oarsmen who them
selves had roWed beautiful race from
the start. Under all the circumstances
hn Y MiI1nnCntqc