The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-28
veninusl vidimusl vicimus!

Nenimus! N1dlmuS! N1cimuS!
That, to misquote Caesar, is the brief
story of the Worcester high school-Har-
yard freshman boat race at Lake Quin-
sigamond, yesterday afternoon, view
ing the race from Harvard standpoint.
The quotation is not inappropriate as
a description of the freshmen's visit and
race in Worcester. They came; they
saw; they conquered. But the high
school boys retired defeated with more
honor than Caesar left Pharmacies, king
of Pontus, on the occasion of his famous
message.
without detracting whit from the
glory of Harvard's victory, it is true
that the nine boys who represented the
Worcester high school retired from the
conquest in honor only after one of the
hardest and fercest battles ever fought
by a crew against heavy odds.
The weather conditions governing the
race were the worst that any crew has
met on the old college course for many
years. A wind that almost reached a
gale in comparison to conditions at pre-
vious races and regattas, blew from the
southwest, almost directly up the
course and against the struggling oars
men. The high school boys in any OF
their practice spins have never en-
countered such a handicap. The wind
stirred the water to considerable ex-
tent and to the Harvard oarsmen the
conditions bore a homelike aspect. They
are trained on the Charles River course
where they have to battle against wind
and tide and find no difficulty in recov-
ering over rough water.
Although the conditions were unfa-
vorable they were more suited to the
Harvard than the Worcester boys. and
having the advantage of weight and
strength there was but one thing evit-
able and that was defeat for Worces-
ter's pride.
An idea of the handicap under which
the race was rowed may be gained from
the time-9:22 2-5s.-which is the slow
est race that has been rowed by eight
cared crews on the Quinsigamond
course. Harvard crossed the line four
lengths ahead of the Worcester crew,
which after rowing four strokes stop
ped work and did not permit their boat |
to go across the finish line. Several of
the oarsmen were in difficulties at the
finish and for q time it was thought
heroic methods would have to be used
to revive some of them. The Harvard
men, trained on rough water and for a
two-mile race, were not physically af-
fected by the race and rowed away
strongly after receiving the congratula-
tons of friends.
The Harvard freshman crew, in
charge of Manager c. H. Schweppe and
Patrick Donovan, coach Of the Weld
Boat Club of Harvard, reached Wor-
cester in the morning shortly after II
o'clock. The crew was accompanied by !
the entire second freshman crew and
a number of rowing enthusiasts Of Har-
yard. A special car was provided for
their comfort and in this the new Davy |
shell was carried. 1t is the first time
the Boston & Albany railroad has car
ried a racing boat for several years, and
Harvard freshmen owed the privilege
to the fact that its coach is in the rail-
roads law office.
The visitors were met at Union sta
ton by Manager w. d. Lancaster of the
high school crew. A barge was provid- !
ed and the crew and substitutes were
driven TO the house of the Quinsiga-
mond Boat Club. Coach Donovan re-
NAMED behind and superintendent the
transfer of the long. frail shell from the
station to the boat house. The visitors
were extended the freedom of the
Quinsigamond clubs delightful grounds
and house and availed themselves of
the favor to the fullest Billiards and
other games whiled the time away
until dinner was announced. |
The table was set on the spacious
west veranda overlooking the lake. !
Training table fare was prov 'ded. an
the crew did full justice to the chefs
efforts After dinner the members Of
the crew lounged about comfortably, |
some improving the time by studying,
others returning TO the billiard table
and some resting on, the lawn.
! AIr. Donovan. who has been a potent