The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-01
Cornell Freshmen Won, Columbia
Second, Pennsylvania Third.
Boats Tapped Each Other
During Half the Race.
Mi Three Crews Used Purely American Meth.
ads...columbIa's Great Spirit

/
ward, last evening won the triangular
race with the freshmen of Columbia and
Pennsylvania. Cornell led at the finish
by less than boat length over Columbia,
| and three-quarters of length behind
| the New Workers came the Pennsylvan-
ians.
The race was the closest ever rowed
between freshmen eights in American
waters. The three boats were Tapped
from start to finish. Cornell rowed the
same slow stroke that won her the var
sity race on Friday.
1t was apybody's race, 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. That such a struggle was only
watched by a small sized crowd Is a
misfortune for those who missed seeing
It. The time Is not record breaking, be-
cause Yale made the same course In
9m 19hs. last Wednesday, but both Co
lumbia, finishing second. end Pennsyl-
vania, finishing third. made better time
than did Harvard and Cornell. finish
ing in the same places last Tuesday.
The feature Of the race was the won
derful squirt made by the Columbia
youngsters in the last half mile. when
they closed up gap between themselves
and Cornell so fast that had there been
another eighth Of q mile to row they
would probably have been In first place.
A second feature was the remarkable
rowing of the Pennsylvania crew. which
had been said by it's trainer to be in very
bad shape. This crew is a very much
inferior crew to the Pennsylvania var
sity crew, and the critics are wondering
whether Ellis Ward has not got some
thing "up his sleeva.. for Fridays race.
The race is looked upon as one Of the
most creditable exhibitions ever given.
The only criticism made is that DR.. Wal
ter Peet, the referee, kept the cre7s
waiting so long at their stake boats with
their oars dipped that the nervous strain
took off at least two seconds from the
time.
After Referee Peet In his clumsy boat,
which seemed to want the whole river to
turn in, had kept the crews waiting at
their stake boats for some five or six
minutes, the youngsters showing tie
strain they were under, the pistol start
was given and the crews were off.
PennsyIvanln Gets Away FlrSts
Pennsylvania caught the water first
with a swift. strong stroke that showed
the nose of her boat clearly ahead of the
others Cornell and Columbia started
trifle more easily, and Cornell fell
slightly to the rear Of the New Workers.
All started at SO stroke, but Cornell,
true to the Courtney training, dropped
down to 33, while Columbia kept it up
at 35, and Pennsylvania was hitting
away at 33. AT the eighth Of mile,
Pennsylvania was leading the Columbia
boat by an eighth of length, while Cor
nell was a quarter of a length behind the
Columbia boat. Cornell was rowing
easily, while the other two were fight
ing it out for first place. But the Cor
nell stroke had it's effect, and at the quar-
ter 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 Penn
sylvania hit the water, and the boat
seemed to fly in the effort to hold that
lead, but slowly and surely the Cornell
boat went on inch by inch, showing out
beyond the Pennsylvania's. Columbia,
too, was coming along, and the Pennsyl-
vania lead of a quarter of a length was
reduced in the next quarter to bare
eighth. Then the Quakers did fight for
life, and down to the end of the first mile
there was a terrific race for place.
So this continued for another half mile
down to the mile and half point First
the nose of the Pennsylvania boat would
begin to draw away from the Columbia,
and then Columbia would draw up on
Pennsylvania.
Entering the last II was clearly seen
by the condition of the men in the three
boats that there would be q struggle tn
would be memorable. At this point.
Cornell had a lead Of quarter of a
length over Pennsylvania and Columbia
was an eighth Of a length behind Penn
sylvania. Columbia's stroke oar caught
crab at this juncture and lost about
four strokes. but quickly fell in.
Whether this had any disastrous ef-
feet upon the boat or not was not an
parent from the train, but just follow
ing 1t Columbia hit up the stroke from
the first 3s they had been rowing uni
formly during the race to a faster 3s
Cornell had made the lead three quarters
OF q length, and was still going when
that squirt started, and when II was
fairly under way had length advan-
tage. Then the boat OF Columbia seemed
10 lift itself out Of the water. Pennsvl-
vania responded with q. 35 stroke. but tbe
long shell of the New Workers. fairly
lifted itself along and went by. the
Pennsylvania boat and after the Cornell
shell like a thing bewitched. On II
went. the bow tapping the rudder post
of the Cornell boat and creeping nm
toward the stroke oar. FranticaIly ala
the little 16-year-old coxswain call 10
the crew, and we'll 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 Cor
nell was n winner by three-quarters OF
n length. Pennsylvania whipped In tho
last 1--WE or six strokes and finished only
half n length behind Columbia. Not n
man In either boat was distressed after
ffiis remarkable exhibition.
Going Into Dry Dock.
t,o~.op fttlv 4 The .t,,f..~ NJ ..x,-