Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-06-29
The COLLEGE Boat Races.

tWC tVVCyC OVot UoSCS'
This is the day of the great boat
race between the Harvard and Yale
crews on the Connecticut at New Lon
don, and the papers are giving the
event much more space than they are
giving the commencement exercises OF
the two universities. This is because
the newspaper readers demand 1t, for
not only the athletic partisans of the
two colleges, but also the general
sporting public-which means the
whole American people-are much in
terested in the race. For the past year
or two Harvard has been getting the
best of her old rival at New Haven in
athletics, and everybody is wondering
if she can do as well upon the water
as she has upon the land. For many
years Yale has had an almost un-
broken series of victories over the
crimson in boat racing. and this pres
tige makes the chances of her stalwart
crew seem the better for today's con-
test. 1t will be a royal battle, a heart
straining affair both for the we'll
trained athletes and the excited thou
sands who will cheer them on.
Tuesdays great boat race on the
Hudson when the crews Of the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania, University of
Wisconsin, Cornell and Columbia fin
ished in the order named after a hard
struggle over the four miles course,
attracted 10000 spectators, but in gen
eral interest all over the land today's
race is the great one of the year. 1t
is hard to say why this is 50, for the
four colleges which roWed on the Hud-
son are all famous in this branch of
athletics, and Cornell, for the past two
years, has met and defeated both Har-
ward and Yale. But the Harvard Yale
dual race is long established institu-
ton and their very exclusiveness in de-
string to compete alone gives import
ance to the race. The attempt 10 make
Henley" with Harvard and Yale com
peting there with the other great col
leges and universities. may succeed in
time but there seems to be no imme-
date prospect of such thing. Such
great regatta would be well for many
reasons. but the dual contests are too
dear to the hearts Of the Cambridge
and New Haven students. one un-
pleasant feature of Tuesdays great
the result caused $4,000 to change
hands in bets.
Rowing is one of the most trying
branches of athletics. Ii causes 4
physical strain unknown in baseball or
football. and in the long races the
oarsmen frequently collapse at thu
close in spite Of the hard training they
have had for months. But there is
something most inspiring and exciting
to a boat racet and such a contest by
well-trained crews is a beautiful spec
tacle. The sport is now confined To- the
larger institutions. though only a few
years ago. before football or track
athletics came into such prominence.
many of the smaller colleges which
were conveniently situated to water
maintained crews. Rowdoin is the
only Maine college which has aspired
to aquatic glory and it not only aspired
to it, but attained it. For generation
its class races on the Androscoggin
We're a feature of each spring term,
ana in intercollegiate contests its crews
have beaten Cornell, Harvard, Yale
and a dozen other Institutions. winning
banners and trophies which now adorn
the college library. But now its last
shell has been sold and the old boat
house hos heen demolished