Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-29


college rowing. Five thousand people
on the observation train yelled them
selves hoarse in frantic appeals to their
various crews to do their best, and
with the other $4,000 they saw the Red
and Blue Of Pennsylvania carried over
the line winner by u short half length
from the Wisconsin, who lost in the
last 200 Yards through steering out of
the course to avoid collision with
berry crate that was floating in the
river. Cornell, the victor of former
years. pulled after. full four lengths
In the rear. and Columbia, never in
the fight after the and Of the first mile,
trailed good three lengths from the |
stern of the Cornell boat.
At about 6 O'Clock, the scheduled
starting time, there was long wait |
because the Columbia launch, while |
towing the shell up the river, had
broken down. 1t WAS 6. 43 O'Clock
when the referees boat signaled to
Cornell and Wisconsin, just above the
starting point, to come out Seven
minutes later the four crews were in
line and all had answered the referees
querry, "Are you ready?" Cornell
had the channel course, where the
advantage is said to lie, with Columbia
directly next to her, and thea came
Pennsylvania with Wisconsin close
inshore. 1t was rather pitiful to hear
the three Eastern crews get cheer after
cheer and the Western crew not any.
At "a minutes and 30 seconds after
6 o'clock the pistol flashed and the four
crews seemed to take the water together,
Hardly had the crews rowed five
lengths before il was seen that No. 2
of the Wisconsin crew had jumped his
seat, and the coxswain threw up his
hands, appealing for nav start, which
he had right to do inside of 30
seconds. The referees boat whisi!ed
the crews back, and the fact that
Cornell's boat was farthest down the
river at the time raised Cornell's
hopes. second time the crews were
lined up, and some one in Columbia's
boat raised his hand as if in trouble,
and for a second time the boats were
called back to the start
1t was 7.05 o'clock when the third
start was given, and this time the
crews got away without accident. This
start was beautiful, the four boats
noses seeming to hang together for the
A first two strokes. As they settled in
| the stroke taught them by the various
O coaches, Wisconsin seemed to be row.
ing the least number of strokes per
minute of any of the crews, but her
boat was going faster than any of tho
others. Wisconsin rowed 80. Pennsyl-
vania "a, Cornell 34 and Columbia 80.
Before the first eighth of mile was
finished the Wisconsin boat had showed
KS nose ahead of the other crews, with
fornell second, Pennsylvania hanging
we'll on and Columbia fourth and
dropping astern. When the first half
mile was reached, SO fast was the Wis
consin boat going that it had taken
| its whole length ahead of the Penn
| sylvania boat and was half length
ahead Of the Cornell boat on the ex-
treme east. Columbia was rowing with
Pennsylvania. Frantically the Penn
syvania rooters on the train yelled at
their crew. and the broad, brown backs
Of the Quakers seemed to respond, as
in few minutes they shot their boat
up even with Cornell. But to catch
Wisconsin was not SO easy. On q per-
fectly even keel, with the bodies going
we'll back together and the heads SEEM
ing as if they would swing off the
shoulders, feature that seemed To
make the critics believe that they
would go to pieces after the first mile,
the Wisconsin crew flew on.
1 When the mile was reached the Wis
consin boat had lead of clear length
over Pennsylvania, while Cornell ane
Pennsylvania were see-sawing fol
second place. The Wisconsin crew
had settled down to a stroke of 80 to q
minute, the boat never checking be
tween the strokes, and the blade:
cutting the water as keenly as q knife
LOOK. at those Westerners go" shouted
Il thnaa ~ fha oboaruu tim train NH
slow recovery and the slow stroke hat
u wonderful power. In the meantime
Pennsylvania and Cornell were having
as pretty fight for second place al
| has ever been seen. on the course. Tim,
and time again the Cornell crew pu
little more back in the stroke ant
sent the nose of their boat even witt
that of the Quakers, but 1T was ap
parent that there was little chance o
their holding it there.
WheuIthe Wisoonsins had reached tn
mile and quarter point, they easel
off trifle in their stroke, rowing 70
two or three minutes at 81. At Tn
same time Cornell picked up thei
stroke and showed their boats nos
slightly ahead of Pennsylvania an
overlapping the stern of the Wisconsi
shell. But with apparent ease the Wis
~
80, and the boat shot ahead agai
good half length. At the same tin,
Pennsylvania boat, which had bee
tagging half length behind Cornell
shot up level with tho Cornell boat.
At this point it was one Of the mos
beautiful races imaginable, the fol-
crews rowing with great regularity, an
all Of them with n clean, neat stork'
Again, as they neared the mile and
half point, Cornell's boat came up eve
with Pennsylvania. but was unable
catch Wisconsin, which now had lea
over the two crews of three-quarte
of a length and was still going. Fro
this point on to the two-lnile point u
Wisconsin boat seemed fairly to fl,
Pennsylvania was putting more strenel,
in the oar, but instead of catching Il
Badgers the Westerners' boat DIRE
away from them with ease AS thu
passed the two. mile mark there was
quarter of length OF clear water b
tween the nose of the Pennsylpnn
shell and the stern of the Visions
shell, and then for the first time tho
on the, train began to appreciate tn
WISCONSIN was not one-miio crew 81
that, having pulled through tho Il,
two hard miles at such splend
pace, they were liable to make trout
at the finish. Cornell and Pennsylvan
stayed on even terms until the tw
mile and quarter point was reache
Then the see saving began agai
Cornell and Pennsylvania alternate
forging the nose OF their boats abe
of each other in desperate effort