Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-28

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was not so easy. On perfectly even keel,
with the bodies going well back together
and the heads seeming as II they would
swing off the shoulders, a feature that
seemed to make the critics believe that
they would go to pieces after the first mile,
the Wisconsin crew flew on.
When the mile was reached the Wiscon-
sin boat had lead of clear length over
Pennsylvania, while Cornell and Pennsyl-
vania were see-sawing for second place.
The Wisconsin crew had settled down TO a
stroke of 80 to a minute. the boat
never checking between the strokes, and
the blades cutting the water as keenly as
knife. The slow recovery and the slow
stroke had behind 1t wonderful power and
the Wisconsin boat never checked or stopped
as 1t went toward the second mile
In the meantime Pennsylvania and Cor
nell were having as pretty fight for sec
ond place as has ever been seen on the
course. Time and time again the Cornell
crew put little more back in the stroke
and sent the nose of its boat even with
that OF the Quakers. But 1t was quite ap-
parent that there was little chance Of 1t
being held there. Wards men were rowing
in magnificent form, while Cornell was not
It's work was being done spasmodically, and
the men were seemingly making a des-
perate effort to get to the front and stay
there long enough to dshearten their op-
ponents.
When the Wisconsin crew had reached
the mile and quarter point it eased off
trine in the stroke rowing for two or
three minutes at 81.
Ithacaps Take Brace.
At the same time Cornell picked up the
stroke and showed its bows nose slightly
ahead of Pennsylvania and overlapping the
stern of the Wisconsin shell. Cornell, I
YELL" came from thousands of throats on the
observation train and the hope arose that
the Cornell crew was going to the front
in its usual style. But with apparent ease
the Wisconsin stroke went back to its
regular 32 and the boat shot ahead
again good half length. At the same time
Pennsylvania boat which had been lag
ging half length behind Cornell, shot up
level with the Cornell boat while Columbia,
making desperate effort, placed the nose
of it's shell near Pennsylvanias stern.
AT this point 1t was one of the most beau
tiful races imaginable, the four crews row.
ing with great regularity and all OF them
with a clean, neat stroke. Again as they
neared the mile and half point, Cornells
boat came up even with the Pennsylvania
shell, but was unable to catch Wisconsin,
which now had lead over the two crews
of three quarters of a length and was still
going.
From this point on to the two-mie point
the Wisconsin boat seemed to fairly fly.
Pennsylvania was putting more strength in
the oar, but instead of catching the Badgers
the westerners' boat drew away from them
with ease. AS they passed the two-mile
mark there was quarter of a length OF
clear water between the nose of the Penn
sylvania boat and the stern of the Wis
consin she'll and then for the first time those
upon the train began to appreciate that
Wisconsin was not a one-mile crew, and
that, having pulled through the first two
hard miles at such a splendid pace, they
were liable to make trouble at the finish.
Cornell was even with Pennsylvania at
the mark, and the two crews stayed on
even terms until the two-mle and a quar-
ter mark was reached. Then the see-saw-
ing began again, Cornell and PENNSYLVANIA
alternately forging the nose OF their boats
ahead OF each other in desperate effort
to maintain the second place, while the
wonderful western crew, with the inescrb-
able stroke, with the much h-criticised form.
kept its shell a boat length in the van.
Poor Columbia struggled three boat lengths
behind rowing with all the power that there
was in the boat, what they must have known
was the losing race
Endurance Has q Limit
At the two and three-quarters mile point
Cornell began to drop back little in spite
of the injunctions of the coxswain, who was
frantically appealing to his men, while
Pennsylvania spurted ahead little and
finally Tapped the Wisconsin shell, while it
had fair length OF advantage over Cor
nell.
In the last quarter of the second mile,
where the racers go under the great Pough-
keepsie bridge, the crews of Wisconsin and
Pennsylvania struggled like demons, the one
to keep the advantage and the other to
gain it. But Wisconsin was rowing better
than Pennsylvania The Quakers' temper
was erratic, and they made various spurts
to overtake Wisconsin, while the latter was
rowing steadily at 80, the backs OF the oars
men going backward and forward i'm abso-
lutely perfect rhythm.
AS 1t passed under the bridge Wisconsin
had length on Pennsylvania. and one and
half on Cornell. Just after the shells
f, passed the bridge Pennsylvania made an
| other emdeayor to close up the gap, and did
succeed In tapping the boat over the Bagers'
stern, but the westerners Immediately re-
sponded, increasing their stroke slightly.
Cornell had evidently lost its ability to
put any more power in the stroke and could
| not keep up the pace set by the two crews
ahead Cornell's boat was fully two and a
| half lengths behind Pennsylvania, while
Columbia was stilf struggling on, three
| lengths to the stern Of the Cornell boat.
Passing the three mile and a quarter
! point, Pennsylvania hit the stroke up to
35 and there began one of the most
| exciting contests ever seen in boat racing
| Slowly the bow man of the Pennsylvania
boat lined up with the coxswain i'm the Wis
| consin boat, but just as he had come on a
line VITA him the Wisconsin crew responded
| to the spurt and again drew their boat
away 1t was at this point that Wisconsin
was seen to swerve badly toward the west
| ern shore, and to the surprise of everybody
maintained this course, although it took the
shell inside OF a number OF small pleasure
boats and many yards out OF its course.
Naturally the Pennsylvania boat, pulled des-
perately by the Quakers, gained upon Wis
consin, and as the boats passed into the last
! quarter the noses of the shells were a
| line. The Pennsylvania contingent on the
| train was frantic with JOY, and, standing up,
| gave vent to its feelings with wells 10 the