The Portland daily press., 1898-06-23

High Wind and Heavy Showers Made 1t
Impossible for the Oarsmen to Start
Summer Dresses of the Lady specta-
to's Thoroughly DreDched.
| New London, Conn, June % A more
unsatisfactory day in the annals of boat
racing on the Thames has never been re-
corded than that which the crews and
thousands Of spectators experienced today.
Three times the referee attempted to start
the race and each time the weather condi-
tions prevented, until at last, just before
sunset, after the rain had fallen in tor
rents all day, Mr.. Meikelham was obliged
to put it over until tomorrow at H. 80
| O'Clock.
| The early morning gave the very best
promise that the day would be an almost
IDEAL one on the river and Tor an hour
every thing went along as smoothly as the
most exacting crew could wish.
| The first break camo in the news that
railroad wreck had occurred on the New
| York, New Haven & Hartford road.
west Of New Haven, which necessitated
| NClhy III Uu6 dITlVdl Oh the
New Workers who wanted to see the race
from the observation train. By hard work
the regatta committee was able topersuade
the three coaches to put the race over for
| half an hour in order that these belated
travellers might get their moneys worth.
! The weather held favorable until about
| an hour before the time set for the start
at $50 when tine wind, which all the
morning had been very light, from the
| north, suddenly shifted to the southwest
and blew briskly up the river, kicking
up quite a sea. Notwithstanding this the
| Cornell crew put out on their launch for
the starting point Two miles up the river,
at the line. the northwestern sky began to
LOOK ominous and the distant roll of
| thunder came reverberating on the
Thames. The referee'S boat, the Vanish,
was not near the line at the appointed
time but thu observation train came
| pulling up ten minutes before the hour
set for the start. The squall grew black
er and more threatening and the Cornell
launch took the crew over to the Har-
ward boat honse, where all went ashore
! and for tie first in the history of racing
| In this country, two crews were in close
relationship with one another for period
OF over two hours and that ON the day
/ AAS0 iOI Ulic IdCG lu6 TSleE60 s DOdG ran
over co the Harvard boat house where
there was hurried consultation with
Messrs. Lehman and Courtney. The re-
suit OF the conference was that the referee
put the race over until quarter past three
| Mr.. Meikleham then went up to the
Yale quarters and told Mr.. Cook of his
decision and the latter came back with the
referee to the Harvard quarters.
| Ii the crew had had S bells with two
washboards two feet high they might
have rowed the second time set for the
start, but nothing short of that could
have lived on the river. The storm came
down about three o'clock after splitting
drops Of rain about fifteen minutes before
and broke with great violence about the
training quarters up the river
| The observation train. with forty well
| laden cars, mostly Tiled with ladies in
| the hlmsiest of summer frocks, stood for
fifteen or twenty minutes in the drench-
| ing rain, the occupants having no other
protection than a thin canvas covering
over the top. AS long as the wind held
from the northwest, the woods at the
| pack OF the railroad formed somewhat OF
projection, but in a few minutes, the
wind hauled to the northeast and then
| Che spectators had the rain right in their
races. This was more than they could
stand and the conductor at once ran the
train back to New London, fiveNmiles dis
l
those on the train, were completely
soaked with rain water before the train
at las, pulled into the station and the
crowd scattered for shelter and dry cloth
ing. MIR. Cook remained at the Harvard
quarters for fifteen minutes after the
storG broke and then, as 1t gave every
indication of continuing, the referee put
| the race off for the second time, setting
| the start for o'clock.
Mr. COOK was taken back and every one
Iound the best quarters possible for the
next four hours The Cornell crew re-
malned at Red Top with the Harvard
oarsmen until nearly O'Clock when as
Inc ram still continued to fall, the referee
liaue third postpOnement until 1880
| tomorrow, when it is hoped tine weather
Will be more favorable
| loe excursion steamers hung round the
| nnlsh line until nearly half past seven
Wnen they reluctantly swung round,
went doWn through the drawbridge and
| Ianued their passengers.
ihere Is but little prospect that there
VIII De anywhere near she crowd to-
morrow that there was today, although
| the city Is crowded tonight.
view London itself was probably bene-
| ntted by the drenching rain for every
waterproof article of clothing for either
sex was at premium within fifteen min
G1es after the observation train came
a. A'OoWAeASuau0lllS Uuo WoubliR UuoU
oue nolaers OF the seats received while up
the river, fully two-thirds boarded the
eraln again at half past six and were
| taken up to the start which this ime was
se1 Ior the finish line near the bridge, the
| intention being to have the race rowed
up sGfeam ana as the train remained
seandlng for half an hour, the crowd had
another damp time.
tonight the students own the town and
1ne hoteis are completely jammed.
Got room was at high premium, while
LloI q lew aid the ground work for pneu-
inoala by sleeping in damp clothes.
AT one or two of the hotels there was
tremendous amount of cheering and sing
ing and for two or three hours there was
a triangular singing and yelling contest,
IN which the honors were about even.
Inc prospect for good weather, at late
nour tonight, seemed more favorable, as
IL slowly cleared and the stars finally
| came out.