New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-28
PENNSYLVANIA VICTOR.
QUAKER VARSITY CREW WIN
IN A GRAND STRUGGLE.
WISCONSIN'S MEN MAKE A GALLANT
FIGHT AND ARE SECOND-CORNELL
THIRD. COLUMBIA LAST

FIGHT AND ARE SECOND-CORNELL
THIRD. COLUMBIA LAST.
Poughkeepsie June 2T.-Pennsylyania has won
the closest and fercest four-mile college poat-
race ever in America. Ana Wlscohsihs
intrepid men from the West. held up to derision
bv the critics. came IN magnificent second'
Cornell was only a fair third. while Columbia
was several boat lengths behind the Ithaeans'
1t was fair racing race from start to finish
ding-dong affair. with first one crew ahead ana
then another and a stupendous struggle that
meant first glory for the winners and heart
brea king efforts for the losers. The dark horses
from the West the men who hail from Fond du
Lac. from La Crosse. from Oshkosh and rom
those other sem-French. semi-lndian souhoins
towns by the shore OF the Great Lakes Sc the
pace at the very start and kept II tlll WITHIN
few boat lengths Of the finish Then the
Quakers pulling their very hearts out. pusneo
the nose of their varsity shell first tTine
ahead And there II stayed TIL the finish line
was crossed and the oarsmen from the Key
stone State had won by third OF length.
To win by a quarter OF a length (Which means
only a few feeo In a long four-mile race means
that the victors have gained their triumph
by a hairs breadth and no more: lut verify the
observation train were kept waiting In sus-
pense after It was over until the judges at the
finish could be heard from with their tale OK
the last conquerfng strokes OF the Pennsyl-
vania crew. There is glory enough for the Uni-
versty Of Pennsylvania crew, and II deserves
it all But hats off TO Wisconsin" is the gen.
eral verdict, and the most obsequious ackno"i-
edgment should be made TO the prowess OF the
scarlet-ettered Wisconsin rowers. They roWed'
the finest race that has ever been seen on the
course that flows between the highlands OF the
Hudson, and they deserve 10 be sent back 10
their home in a gorgeously arrayed special
train.
MOST EXCITING CONTEST.
Despite two false starts that were most an-
noyng and. 10 the spectators. inexphcable the
race from the point Of view OF the eager on
locker was the most intensely and constantly
exciting that could be imagined. For the last
two miles it was wholly toss-up whether Penn
sylvania or Wisconsin would win. with good
chances Of Cornell making har-raising squirt
10 the front az any moment II was small Won
der therefore that the collegians board the
observation train became a band OF frantic.
yelling maniacs. The loyal little band Of Wis
consin supporters were wild with delight, and
there was much TO do 10 keep them from fall
ing off the The Philadelphians were
equally daft over the superb work that their
friends were doing under their very eyes. While
Cornell rooters, wild and wretched with appre-
hension shrieked themselves black in the face
for the winning squirt that never came. only
Columbia preserved a demeanor al all in keep
ing with civilized or polite usage
The conditions for the race were absolute
perfection. II the oarsmen had had the making
Of the weather. and their friends the arranging
Of the sun and cloud effects. they could not with
their best ideals have wished TO accomplish re-
suits so satisfactory. The only drawbacks were
the two false starts which were trying on both
oarsmen and spectators, and the lateness Of the
hour at which the race was rowed. which pre-
vented the daintiy gowned maidens and their
duek-clad brethren from returning TO Pough-
keepsie until barely o'clock.
WHY PENNSYLVANIA WON
How did it all happen? The victory Of Pennsyi-
vania was not so wholly unlocked for, for they
had made wonderfully fast time rows, and were
very confident. But how came II that Wiscon-
sim the crew whose men all seemed to set
stroke and keep time by themselves was able TO
make the race for all the others. and then 10
come within a few feet OF carrying the cham
pionship back to the West? This is the question
answer and the Columbia rowers too broken
hearted. Nor can the coaches explain IL away.
Cornell had been picked the winner by ma
tority Of the so-called experts, and she came In
third. Old oarsmen had declared that the Won
derful strength and faultless form OF the CO.
lumbia eight could not possibly let her fall be-
hind second place. but all calculations were up
set and the "know-it-alls" have gone home to
ponder on the fraity OF the human race. There
is OF course. an explanation for all things. and
the true one for the result which caused so
many surprise parties here to-day is about like
this: The Pennsylvania boat had six men In II
who sat in the crew that beat Cornell at Sara
toga last year and that made three-mile
record That an extremely fast crew. and
Ellis Ward had. therefore. the most superb ma
terial 10 work with He simply moulded that
material ntegently and rounded his men out
into a very speedy. though not necessarily a
prettily rowing. eight. The public did not know
just how fast the Quakers were. but there was
no why they should not have developed
into a speedy and winning crew.
WISCONSIN. SHOWS FINE FORM
When it comes 10 answering the question as to
Wisconsns unexpected strength there is not so
much data to work upon. But the truth was
just here: Nine times out OF ten crew that
seems TO be rowing all apart is apart, and will
go TO pieces in a long race. But occasionally it
so happens that the eight men will on the day
OF the race attain their final form. and suddenly
fall in together. No one knows just how they do
IT, but II is done. and when the men are big and
strong they win the race This happened 10 the
last Harvard that won from Yale in 1891
on the day before the race they appeared to be
rowing all over the boat. When the race came
OF they fell together and hit things or just
right and so It seemed TO happen 70 Wisconsin
to-day The closest observers could not detect
anything but perfect unison in the boat. II is no