The Portland daily press., 1899-06-30
Varsity Crew Were Victors By
Over Six Lengths.
The Freshman Race and Four ared Race
Also Went to Wearers Of Crimson.

the referee'sl oat, had backed into their
positions at the start. and were awaiting
tbe word. With extreme caution Referee
Meikleham assured himself that both
crews were ready. I'D with a last warning
query. Are you readyf' fired the pistol
shot which sent the crews of In the
big race of the day. The water was as
calm rs an inland lake. The crews rowed
In tagged lines, the Blue occupying the
eastern course. the crimson the western.
Yale caught thesswater first, but Harvard
was a close second and the two eights
started on their long journey practically
on even terms. The New Haven boy
hit up a stroke at 81 to the minute, with
the young men from Cambridge pulling
be autifully at 36. The shells had not
travelled half mile when by the merest
chance they presented beautiful speota.
ole. Harvard was still rowing at 80 and
Yale had dropped her clip to the same
figures and with perfect rythm the two
crews fell into stroke in unison. The Is
broadbacks came forward and backward
together. The reach. the catch, the heave
and the recover were Simultaneous in
both shells and as the two crafts sped on
with noses and
RUDDERs EXACTLY EVEN,
they. looked as II they might have been
mechanically connected and propelled by
identical machinery.
just before the first half mile, was
reached Yale seemed to put more power
into her stroke and gave the first inti-
nation Of an advantage. Harvard ap-
parently paid no attention to this unim-
portant change of position and roweo
STEADILY. Accordingly at the half mile
1ag the nose of the blue shell was trifie
In the van, giving Yale, perhaps, a lead
of an eighth of a length. The first flag,
however. had hardly been passed when
Harvard spurted, Yale dropped her
stroke one point and the Harvard boat
came up on even terms.
Reaching down for the mile flag, the
Yale coxswain twerved slightly from
his true course and directly after the
mile flag had been passed, Harvard took
the lead whichashe was not to surre1dar
throughout the race. Yale, whose men
had up to this point been rowing beauti-
fully INDUCED bin little freaky water
nanship and Harvard stole AWAY. Dof-
ing the next mile the Crimson tippee
oars were sweeping gracefully through
the water at asrate and in style whiof
fairly lifted the shell from the water ant
In this short stretch Harvard Increased
her lead to full length. The Yale steer
or saw the Harvards pulling steadily
away and he { anticaily called on his
men to hit up. They responded molly AM,
Increased the rate two points, rowing sc
to the minute,
Harvard meanwhile has been rowing
easily at "a and after Watching Yale y
few strokes, Capt. Hiaginson decided
that a Harvard "a was as telling as 9
Yale 30 and he wisely refused to respond
to Yale's squirt. At this point the Har.
ward men did the prettiest rowing of the
day and among those on board the official
boats 1t was the unanimous opinion that
NO FINER PIECE OF WORK
had eyor been seen on the Thames. Not
withstanding Yale's speedier stroke, the
Eli's found 1t impossible to overcome
the Harvard lead. On the contrary, dur
ing this very Yale squirt, the Harvard
shell actually gained another half length
and proceeded to make 1t two full
lengths In an amazingly short period.
Yale temporarily surrendered and dropped
from 80 TO S3 strokes to the minute. while
Harvard lowered hsr stroke to 49, At
the two mile flag the Cambridgs boat
was fairly flying through the water, her
oarsmen, apparently growing stronger
Yale was rowing we'll and Improved In
the next half mile, but for every notch
of finer work. that Yale cut out, Harvard
gouged out two, and at the two and
half mile flag 1t was Harvard's advhn-
tage by three clean lengths.
Yale, with her traditional sand and
pluck. put in some grueing work and
undertook to fight bravely the fate
which now seemed certain.
The race had gone too far, however,
and Harvard, having in mind the thrash
ing which she had suffered at Yala' S
hands In former years, proceeded to make
walk away of it and at the three mile
flag found tha race partaking of all the
elements Of a procession. Harvard had
stolen two more lengths from the Yale
boat and was gliding gracefully along
with Yale tive long boat lengths to the
rear. Down the long line of fentasticaliy
decorated yachts gathered at and about
the fnish the Harvard eight swung
jauntily steadily pulling away from Yale
Reaching the finish flag. the tide
caught the Harvard she'll and
swERvED IT WoEFULLY.
Ths little coxswain had his head about
him, however, aud with great skin.
worked hiss boat back into her line and
shot down toward the judges boat.
Here vas witnessed wgetchedIy poor
course policing. myriads Of. small boats
lowering about the course.