The Portland daily press., 1897-06-24
YALE, HARVARD, CORNELL
Order of Finish in Yesterdays Boat
Race.
THE RECORD FOR FRESHMEN
RACES BROKEN.

Harvard Made Hard Fight butEWas Out
Themselves as Not Disappointed-Har-
ward Picked for Winner f riday.
Poughkecpsie, N. Y, June 23.-Thre e
crews of "Ireshies'' on the Hudson this
evening at 10 minutes after Z O'Clock
smashed into smithereens records from
the freshmen on two-mile course and
put up one of the hottest race
ewes witnessed in this country
A crew of sturdy Yale fresh
men rowed the two mile course in
minutes and 10 1-2 seconds, trifle lighter
crew of Harvard freshmen fought them
every inch of the way and finished a lit
tie over two lengths behind them in 9
minutes and 26 1-2 seconds and the Cor
nell freshmen, whose college record is
that none of it's freshmen crews has ever
been beaten before, finished a length
behind Harvard in 9.29 1-2
The best previous record for two miles
was made by the Columbia freshmen
crew of '94 at New London in 1891, in
9.l.
While the conditions are better for fast
time than they are upon the Thames,
and while therefore, some allowance
should be made for the much better ex-
hibition today, it is nevertheless consid-
cred that today 8 race was remarkable
Ill of L
cred the record. The last crew in the
race-Cornell, doing SO by II 10 seconds
All three of the crews used every pound
of power in their boats at every stage of
the two miles, and each crew at some
period of the race, was in the lead.
The victory of today is looked up on by
the crowds here tonight as being in
Fridays big varsity race. 1t is not con-
tended that the order of finish will be
the same, for Mr.. Lehman of Harvard, ,
has all along said that his freshmen had
been badly neglected and could not be
looked upon as a representative freshman
crew. On the contrary, the Yale crew
of youngsters has been said to be more
sure of winning than their varsity, while
Mr.. Courtney's Cornell crews have had
equal attention paid to them. The chances,
therefore, as picked tonight, are that the
order of Fridays finish is liable to be
Harvard, Yale, Cornell
Azure skies, clear atmosphere, bright
sunlight and a light but not disturbing
breeze from the south, marked the earliest
day.
a Today's contest and that of the latter
part of the week being together three col
leges that the most Sanguine SpOrtSmen
hardly expected to see in coptest for at
least many years to come, and while there
are expressed doubts that Yale will stay
in any agreement beyond this year, that
Harvard, at least one step in the direction
of general race meets has been accom-
pliShed.
That there is desire upon the part of
the Americans to have established yearly
races similar to those at Henley, is evil
dent from the size of the gathering today.
No such crowd ever assembled before to
witness a freshman race and never was
such interest shown in what is usually
looked upon as a rather funny affair held
to give the "green" boys a chance to be-
come accustomed to rowing, SO that in
future years they may perhaps be able to
row in the Varsity race.
The true college race adherents, the
'sRooters'' and ''Sports," put off in the
forenoon to see the morning practice, that
they might lay their wagers intelligently
if such be possible before freshman race
and not much batting was being done
about the hotel corridors.
1t was noticeable, however, that of the
takers, CornelPs defenders outnumbered
those of Yale and Harvard three to one.
This was obviously because the talk of
sickness among the Yale youngsters
which still obtained in some quarters to-
day and because of the strong convictions
as to prowess left by Cornell in her last
years walkover.
When the hour of 4. 30 had arrived, the
observation train moved down very slow
ly to the start, stopping just opposite the
stake be ats. The referees boat was jump
ing about the river, going first to one
quarter and then to another. The heavy
wind had dropped down and the river
surface was less troubled than earlier in
the day, and everybody was looking ex-
pectantly for the belated start, when the
referees boat came down and announced
a postponement of the race. Harvard had
come down to the float at the start by
this!time and Yale could be seen coming
slowly down the river, but there was not
move in the Cornell quarters The
referee announced postponement until
half past six O'clock and when his boat
came around again about that hour the
crowd said:
"Ah,'' with great expectancy. But
again there was a disappointment for the
referee megaphoned the crowd that race
had again been postponed until seven
o'clock, because of trough water above
the bridge"
At seven O'Clock he concluded to let the
race go and at ten minutes after seven the
crews having lined up and answered in
individually that they were ready to row,
were given the word and the pistol was
shot. Harvard got the best clip upon the
water, and in few strokes drew to the
front, closely followed by the Cornell
crew, with Yale almost quarter length
to the rear.
Harvard and Cornell started at 35
strokes to the minute, and Yale at a
sweeping stroke of "a. At the eighth
mile, Yale finding that she was trailing
behind, 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 Cornell and
Harvard were working hard, Cornell
drawing up upon the Harvard lead. Yale
was easing up her stroke and within the
next half mile brought it down to 80 and
81, but even then she seemed to gain and
there was a perceptible dash to the boat
that seemed lacking in the others. There
was little or no hang while the Harvard
boat seemed to go hard and the Cornell