The Washington weekly post., 1899-11-28
A SPECTACULAR VICTORY.
Hsw Princefsa's Triumph Over Yale at
Football Was Accomplished.

Fron the Nsw York TrisrreL
There are no longer championships In
college sports. which Is. on the whole. 81;
excellent thing and suspieious for their
future. but after her victory In football
over Yale at New Haven yesterday
Princeton Is entitled 10 hold her head
high in any company. II has been a sea
son Of surprises, and the most spectac-
ular OF them all occurred In the cui-
minating game. Seldom. IL ever. before
have arden. partlsans experienced such
sudden reversals of hope and expecta-
ton. and the last OF them. coming almost
at the final moment OF allotted time and
virtually fixing the record, was absolute
ly paralyzing. For more than single
instant the yieters could not believe that
they had xon OF the vanduished that they
had lost IL was a wonderfully vivid
game. full of exhiIarating incidents. clean,
honest. and generous from first to last,
q credit to the stalwart young contest
ants and TO the universities which turn
ed them cat.
As we have said. there Is no final, de-
cisive test for the establishment of a
claim to supremacy over all rivals in the
intercollegiate fed; but we may be sure
that the seasons records will be dlligent-
ly searched and compared in the effort
to award the largest and greenest laurel.
and Ii can scarcely De questioned that
general opinion VIII incline to bestov it
On Princeton Harvard, to be sure. has
escaped defeat, but then Harvard was
played to a standstin By Yale, while
Princeton vanquished Yale on Yale's
home grounds. 1t must be Acknowledged
that Princeton was put and held in an
extremely uncomfortable situation. and
won III last, with only a minute or two
to spare by utilizing with beautiful
adroitness and precision, an uncovenant-
ed opportunity. But We think il must
be ACKNOWLEDGED also that Princeton had
attained to somewhat greater proficiency
than Yale. and would perhaps have won
with more room 20 spare If her physical
condition had been the equal of Yale's.
Princeton was not in perfect form. but
il was evident to all observers OF the
game that she TAD committed to heart
the lesson which Yale taught her two
years ago. Ttcn. IS yesterday, Yale was
In wonderful ccEtition, while the Prince
ton veterans had gone stale. But then
Princeton mada the blundec of permitting
more than ore Of her star players to stay
in the game iong after his usefulness had
ceased. This 900 common blunder was
not repeated yesterday. Man after man
was forced to yield his place to a sub
stitute, until at the last only three of the
original eleven were left on the field.
These successive accessions of strength
and vigor played an important part in
the result, and were an instructive Illus
tratton Of that excellent generalship to
which Princeton's victory was perhaps
chiefly due. The game once more made
clear the indubitable fact that physical
superiority Il n factor Of the utmost con-
sequence. IL gave Yale a brilliant
triumph two years ago, and 1t almost
gave Yale sufficient victory yesterday.
1t may reasonably be hoped that the era
of cripples on the football field. with sur
geons in constant requis!tion, and a sense
of Apprehension and pity pervading the
arena, has gore by forever,