The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-28
.PENNSYLV LVAN|A THE WINNER OF
THE GREAT VARSITY RACE
Wisconsin, the Marvellous Westerners Lost the Race by
Bad Steering at the End-Beaten by Half Length.
Cornell Was Left Four Lengths in the
Rear-Columbia Also Ran.


the most exciting four-mile boat races
ever witnessed in the history of col
lege rowing. Five thousand people on
the observation train yelled themselves
hoarse in frantic appeals to their vari
Gus college crews to do their best and
with the $1,000 they saw the red and
blue carried over the line winner by
short half length from the Wiscon-
sins, who lost in the last 200 yards by
bad steering.
Cornell, the victor of former years,
pulled after, full four lengths in the
| rear and Columbia never in the fight
after the end of the first mile, trailed in
a good three lengths from the stern Of
the Cornell boat. 1t was the kind of
race that makes the blood tingle, and
was made so by the crew that came
over thousand miles to meet former
| victors, for without the gallant Wiscon-
| sins in the race, it would have been
| doeful procession, after the second
mile was entered. To say there was
| surprise on the observation train and
among the great crowds upon the bank
when the Wisconsin shell swept mile
after mile of the course until the last
half was reached, with clear lead over
| all the crews is putting it mildly. When
| the people on the bank, unable to place
the strange crew looked toward the OBJ
servation train inquiringly and were
told that it was Wisconsin, they We're
almost dumb with amazement The al
legged ragged stroke. the badly keeled
boat, the too long reach also We're for
| gotten as the fast moving shell kept it's
| sharp nose to the fore and then the
people saw the leaders turn out towards
| the shore at the finish.
| Well did the Pennsylvanians obey the
! injunction of Ellis Ward to not lose
| their heads. From the first eighth of D
| mile they rowed a, stern hard chase, at
1 one time being astern of both Cornell
| and Wisconsin, but their pluck and en-
| durance sent them over the line first in
| good time and by such small margin
that the glory is greater. For Cornell
the winner of many battles, the contest
! proved to be a. race only in two miles.
For those first two miles she did gallant
work, but she was struggling against
| evidently better crews and it was only
| by exertions of a phenomenal nature
that she managed to keep the nose of
| the boat ahead of Pennsylvania for
| brief time in the second mile. OF CO.
| lumbia, it may be said that she was
/ outclassed from the start and barring
an accident, there was never a time
| when she stood chance of winning the
race. She went to the rear in the first
| quarter of a mile, although she made
| good start and stayed there all through
! the race
At the Start.
| About o'clock the Pennsylvanians
arrived at the starting point, where the
observation train already was, and then
there was long wait because the CO.
| lumbia launch, while towing the shell
up the river, had broken down.
1t vast SAB when the referees boat
signalled to Cornell 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 query:
Are you ready?" in the affirmative.
! Cornell had the channel course, where
the advantage is said to lie. with CO.
| lumbia next to her, and then came
/ Pennsylvania, with Wisconsin close
| into shore. 1t was rather pitiful to
| hear the three eastern crews get cheer
after cheer and the western crew not
! any.
"Please keep quiet, observation
train called the referee and then there
was quietness enough SO that the
|
/ saying, Are you ready?"
Yes" came back the answer from
the coXswains. Then the pistol flashed
| and the four crews seemed to take the
/ water together. Hardly had the crews
| rowed five lengths before 1t was seen
that number 2, of the Wisconsin crew.
! had jumped his seat, and the coXsWain
threw up his hands, appealing for a.
/ new start, which he had a right to do
inside of 30 seconds
The referees boat whistled the crews
| back, and the fact that the Cornell's
boat was farthest down are river at
/ the time, raised Cornell's hopes. A Sec
ond time the crews We're lined up and
| another start was made. For some
reason or other someone in the Column
bias boat raised his hand as if in
| trouble, and for a second time the
| boats We're called back to the start. 1t
was five minutes after when the
third start was given and this time the
crews got away without accident. This
| start was beautiful one, the four
| boats noses seeming to hang together
for the first two strokes. AS they set
| tied into 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 81, Cornell "a and Co.
| lumbia 80.
Before the first eighth of a mile was
| finished the Wisconsin boat had showed
its nose ahead of the other crews, with
Cornell second, Pennsylvania hanging
well on to her and Columbia third,
dropping astern.
1 Wisconsin Ahead.
When the first half mile was reached
so fast was the Wisconsin boat going
| that it had taken its whole length ahead
of the Pennsylvania boat and was half
length ahead of the Cornell boat On
the extreme Columbia was coming
with the nose of her boat lust
overlapping Pennsylvania. On a per-
fectly even keel. with their bodies going
we'll back together and the heads seem