The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-28


cessfon-Time Was Excellent,
Though Not RecOrd-Breai<inG-
Mighty Struggle nt the Finish
Set the Crowds wild.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y, June N.-
Twenty thousand people today saw one
of the most exciting four-mile boat races
ever witnessed In the history of college
rowing Five thousand people on the OBJ
servation train yelled themselves hoarse
in frantic appeals to their various college
crews to do their best, and with the other
1900 they saw the red and blue carried
over the line a winner by a short half
length from the Wisconsins, who lost In
the last 200 yards by bad steering. Cor
nell, the victor of former years, pulled in
four lengths in the rear, with Columbia,
never in the fight after the end of the
first mile, trailing in a good six lengths
from the stern of the Cornell boat.
1t was the kind of a race that makes
She blood tingle, and was made so by the
crew that came over 1,600 miles to meet
former victors for without the gallant
Wisconsins in the race it would have been
q doleful procession after the second mile
was finished. To say there was enthusi-
Rsm and excitement among the crowd as
the Wisconsin shell swept mile after mile
of the course with a clear lead is putting
st mildly. When the people on the bank,
unable to place the foremost crew, looked
towards the observation train inquiringly
and were told that it was Wisronsi:,
they were almost dumb with amaze
ment, and when those on the train saw
the gallant struggle, mile after mile, they
dropped their appeals for their own crews
and yelled in a friendly manner for the
boys from the West. The alleged ragged
stroke, the badly-keeled boat, the too
long reach, all were forgotten as the Wis
gonsin shell kept its nose to the front,
and then the people saw it I'm out
towards the shore at the finish and lose
TO the men from Pennsylvania by short
half length.
PENNSYLVANIA'S GRIT.
Well did the Pennsylvanians obey the
injunction of Eli Ward not to lose their
hearts. From the first eighth of a mile
they rowed a stern chase both behind the
Cornell and Wisconsin, but their pluck
lnd endurance sent them over the line
first in good time, and by such a small
Snargin that the glory is greater. For
Cornell, the winner of many battles, the
contest proved to be race only for two
miles For these first two miles she did
gallant work, but she was struggling
against evidently better crews, and it was
only by eXertions of phenomenal nature
that she managed to keep the nose of the
boat ahead of Pennsylvania for a brief
~, ~ 10 COl,
may be said that she was outclaSsed from
the start, and there was never a time
when she stood a chance Of winning. She
went to the rear in the first quarter of a
mile, although she made a good start,
and stayed all through.
About o'clock the Pennsylvania crew
arrived at the starting pole, where the
observation train already was, and then
there was a long wait, because the Co
lumbia launch, while towing the shell up
the river, had broken down. 1t was 6:43
when the referees boat Signaled to Cor
nell and Wisconsin, both crews being at
the Cornell float, just above the starting
point, to come out, because Columbia had
Just rowed into sight. Precisely seven
minutes later the four crews were in line
and all had answered the referees Querry,
'Are you ready?' in the affirmative. Cor
nell took the channel course, where the
advantage is said to lie, with Columbia
with Wisconsin close into shore. 1t was
rather pitiful to hear the three Eastern
crews get cheer after cheer and the West
aTn crew not any.
FALSE START.
'Please keep quiet on the observation
train,' called the referee. Then there was
quietness enough so that the referee s
voice could plainly be heard saying;
"Are you all ready?' Yes" came back
the answer from all the ccXswains. AT
fifty-four minutes AMI thirty seconds
after o'clock the pistol flashed and the
four crews seemed to take the water to-
gether. Hardly had the crews rowed five
lengths before it was seen that No. of
the Wisconsin crew had jumped his seat
and the coxswain threw up his hands ap-
pealing for new start, which he had &
right to do inside of thirty seconds.
The referees boat whistled the crews
back and the fact that Cornells boat was
farthest down the river at the time raised
CornelPs hopes. A second time the crews
We're lined up ana at fifty-seven minutes
and fifty seconds after o'clock another
start was made For some reason or
other some one on the Columbia boat
raised his hand as if in trouble, and for
a second time the boats were called back
to the start
1t was five minutes after when the
lPlTQ SldTI was given ana LnlS Time the
crews got away without accident The
start was a beautiful one the four boats
noses seeming to hang together for the
first two strokes. AS they settled down
to the stroke taught them by the various
coaches, Wisconsin seemed to be rowing
the least number of strokes per minute
of any of the crews, but her boat was
going faster than any of the Others
Wisconsin rowed 80, Pennsylvania a.
Cornell "a, and Columbia 49, Before the
first eighth mile was finished the Wis
corsin boat had showed its nose ahead OF
the other crews, with Cornell second
Pennsylvania hanging well on to her,
ard Columbia third, dropping astern.
WISCONSIN'S GOOD WORK.
When the first half mile was reached
SO fast was the Wisconsin going that il
had taken its whole length ahead of the
Pennsylvania, and was half a length
ahead of the Cornell boat on the extreme
east. Columbia was coming with the
nose of her boat just overlapping Penn
sylvania. Frantically the Pennsylvania
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 the Cornell boat. But to catch Wis
consin was not SO easy. On perfectly
even keel, with the bodies going well
back together, and the heads seeming as