The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-30
Wins All Boat Races
From Yale.
BLUE BEATEN BY CRIMSON
REMARKABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP
ON THE THAMES.
In the Great Varsity Struggle the
Cambridge Boys Put Up One
of the Prettiest Contests
Ever Witnessed
Special Dispatch to The Call.

three victories over Yale IN three hours
and the western sky glowed crimson this
evening when the Harvard Varsity crew
pulled over the finish line six and a half
lengths ahead Of Yale. After eight years
of defeat, the students of Cambridge are
tasting the sweets of success. Harvard's
university eight won from Yale over a
four-mile course by six and a half lengths
in 20 minutes 80 seconds.
Harvard's freshmen eight won from
Yale over a twO-mile course by two and
a half lengths in minutes 3315 seconds.
Harvard's substitute four won from
Yale over a two-mile course by six lengths
in 10 minutes 81 seconds.
The Harvard crews rowed a modification
OF the English stroke, coupled with some
features of the stroke pulled by Wiscon
son, and Coach McConnville of Wisconsin.
who saw the race, said: If Harvard s
crew in to-day's form had been at Pough-
keepsie I am afraid they would have
given us all a hustle for the first place" |
Yale has greatly modified the Cook
stroke and the boat did not go to-day
as ii did when the famous coach was
there.
water and wind and clear skies. The
course was badly policed, boats getting
into the line and steamers kicking up
sWells after the race had started. Har-
ward in the varsity race very nearly col
lded with a number of small boats at the
finish and a heavy swell impeded Yale.
The varsity race was prettily rowed,
but the defeat was crushing. Yale, how
ever, rowed gamely TO the finish and
neither crew showed signs of distress.
The contest between the substitutes
constituting the varsity tours was, like
the varsity eight, a procession, with Har
ward full six lengths ahead al the finish.
The freshman effort was mighty splen-
dld one up TO the last eighth OF a mile,
when Harvard superior staying powers,
coupled with an unfortunate obstruction
of the course Of the Yale youngsters by a
"a ed ~ q ~ T6' d.
vantage and sent the 1902 men of Harvard
across the line TWO lengths ahead of
\ ale.
Both of these races were postponed from
the forenoon and were roWed about an
hour after they had been scheduled for
the afternoon. There was little or no bet
ting.
About a quarter past o'clock the Yale
varsity crew left the float at Broadview,
closely followed by the oarsmen of Har-
ward from Red Top. Ten minutes later
The men had received their instructions
from the referees yacht and had backed
INTO their positions at the start and were
waiting for the word.
With extreme caution Referee NIeikle-
ham assured himself that both crews were
ready and with a last warning. Are YOU
ready fired the pistol shot which sent
the two crews off in the big race of the
DAY Inc water was as calm and placid
as an inland lake. The crews rowcd as
usual In Ragged lanes, the blue occupying
the eastern course, the crimson the west
trn- Yale caught the water first, but II ar I
ward was a close second and the two
Fights started out on their long journey !
practically on even terms The New Ha- ,
Ven crew hit up a stroke of 81 TO the min +
ute, the men from Cambridge pulling
beautifully at SO. Harvard continued row
ing at SO, and Yale had dropped her clip (
to the same figure, and with perfect /
rhymth the two crews fell into strokes at /.
unison. The eighteen brown backs come /
forward and backward together. The /
T%ach, the catch, the heave and /
the recover We're simultaneous IA
both shells. and as the two craft sped on /
lNr. lNt1 49,.
looked rs if they might have been me /
chanically connected and propelled by /
Identical machinery
Just before the first half-mfle was
reached Yale seemed to put more power |
INTO her stroke and gave the first init /
nation Of an advantage. Harvard ap- |
parently paid no attention to this unim- !
portant change in positions and rowed !
steadily on. Accordingly at the half
mile nag the nose Of the blue shell was
tTlle IN the van, giving Yale a lead OF
perhaps an eighth Of a length The first a.,
nag. however; had hardly been passed !
when Harvard spurted and Yale dropned
her stroke one point and the Harvard
boat came up on even terms.
Reaching down for the mile the Yale
$3.50" am 9WtINed SllShtly from his true |
course, and directly after the mile flags
had been passed Harvard took the lead
which she was not to surrender through !
out the race Yale whose men had I'M /
10 this point been rowing beautifuIIv, in
duged in little freaky watermanship |
and HARVARD stole away. During the /
lltAl nan -Inlic the CrlmSOn-tODpcd oars /
were sweeping gracefully through the wa
ter a a rate and a style which fairly /
lifted the shell from the water, and in /
TO a length
Looking down the course the Yale
steerer saw his rivals steadily pulling /
his men to hit it up. They r T@n1ep cd
and increased the rate two points row
ing 5RPEsx ad to bt the minHte H9ryard
thirty-foUr, and after watching Yale a
few strokes. Captain Higginson. decided /
that a Harvard thirty-four was as tell- |
ing as a Yale thirty-six and he refused |
"a respond to Yale's squirt. At this point
the Harvard men did the prettiest rowing |
tie official boats it was the unanimous
opinion that no finer piece Of work had /
ever been. seen on the Thames. Not
witl standing Yale's speedand stroke, they
found it impossible to overcome the
Harvard lead During this very squirt /
the Harvard shell actually gained an
other 1alf-length and proceeded to make
i two full lengths in an amazingly
short period.
dropped from thirty-siX to thirty-two
strokes T. the minute, while Harvard
escceenalngly lowered her stroke to
Cambridge boat was fairly flying through
the water, her oarsmen apparently grow
ing stronger. Yale was rowing well and
improved I'm the next half mile, but for
every notch OF fine work that Yale cut
out, Harvard gouged out two, and at the
advantage by three clean lengths. Yale
with her traditions and pluck. put in
some grueiing 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 previous thrashings which she had
suffered at Yale's hands in former years,
proceeded to make a walk-away of it,
and at the three-mile flag the race par
took Of all the elements of a procession
Harvard had stolen two more lengths
from the Yale boat and was gliding
gracefully along with Yale five lengths to
the rear. Down the lane of Enthusiastically
decorated yachts gathered at and about
the finish the Harvard boat swung iaunt-
ily steadily pulling away from Yale.
Reaching for the finish flags the tide
caught the Harvard shell and sWerved it
woefully. The little cockswain had his
head about him, however and with great
skill worked his way back into line and
shot down toward the judges boat Here
was witnessed Wretched policing and l.!
many small boats were lowering about
the course. 1t cost Harvard a fraction Of
length; perhaps per but Yale, struggling
and the disadvantages were even,
Harvard crossed the finish line I'm y
whirlwind. rowing beautifully, five and q
half lengths to the good. Yale fnisbad .
4, ,s,l,r CHI I,,+ l., |