The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-23
CORNELL WINS.
Finishes Three and a Half
Lengths Ahead of Yale

New London, June 23.-Cornell won
the tri-university boat race on the
Thames river course today, the four
miles being rowed in 23:4S. Yale eros
sed the finish line three and a half boat
lengths behind the winner and twelve
lengths ahead of Harvard. Last year
at PoughkeepSie Cornell won in 20:34; ;
Yale second, 20:44, and Harvard last,
81 minutes.
At the appointed time, 1890 D. m,
the three crews were at their respective
stake boats.
Referee Meikelham shouted his final
instructions to the waiting crews and
gave order, get ready" An instant
of suspense, a puff of smoke, a report
an6 the boats were off.
Effective starts were made by all OF
the crews. If there was any advantage
1t belonged to Yale, the nose of her
shell jumped to the fore with Cornell
viciously hugging it and Harvard's
Prov a few short feet to the rear. Yale
was the first to settle down to the rae
ing stroke of "a strokes to the minute.
Cornell was soon around to the same
and in a few minutes the crimson tip
ped blades were dipping in the water
81 times q minute.
The long sweeping Cook stroke sent
Yale to the front to the extent of u
quarter of length, where it hung for
perhaps a quarter of a mile. The form
of Harvard was fairly good, but during
the first quarter the crimson fell to the
rear slowly but surely and at the half
was behind nearly a length. From the
quarter Cornelps strong stroke began
to assert itself. A little squirt brought
Cornell'S shell even with Yale's and
little later Yale was second in the race.
At the half Cornell led Yale by half
length and Harvard was one and a half
lengths behind the leaders. From this
point to the mile, Yale and Cornell row.
ed prettily, but the latter had the bet
ter of it, and when the flags were pass
ed, Courtneys men were rapidly reach
ing point where clear water could be
seen between Cant C0lSOn and the
Prov of Yale's shell. Once more Cor
nell spurted just to show that the race
had not told on them
When the mile and a half flag had
been reached, Harvard was evidently
destined to cross the finish line a poor
third. Cornell continued to gain and a
the end of the second mile, plenty of
blue water was discernible between the
Cornell and Yale boats From this point
on, Cornell gave an exhibition of row.
ing never paralleled on the American
Thames. She lowered her stroke and
pulled a measured 80 to the minute
AS Cornell and Yale approached the
two and half mile flag the latter sent
their stroke up three points and began
to close up the gap. Cornell did not
undertake to respond to the squirt and
1t was unnecessary Cornell'S rowing
was as clean as whistle. During the
Yale squirt the Blues lost something of
their finish and in the waist of the
boat there was a sp1ashing. The three
mile flag showed Cornell the leader by
over TWO IeuSInS, WITH I ale ana cornell
both sending their strokes up.
The last mile was rowed superbly by
Cornell while Yale began to show signs
of distress. Still Ellis sons fought on
p1uckily and did succeed in crawling up
a trif1e. Cornell however had evidently
been waiting for the stretch and during
the last half mile, they rowed like de-
mons. Yale lost a length in the last
half mile, while Harvard was toiling
away nearly ten lengths behind.
The booming of the gun on the judges
boat announced that Cornell had cross
ed the line a winner. Fourteen seconds
later another report told that Yale had
finished and away back came the Har-
ward.
Cornell won the race by three and a
half lengths over Yale and nearly
eleven lengths separated her and Har-
ward. Time, 23:48.