Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-06-29


nell on the extreme east CO.
lumbia was coming with the nose
of her boat just overlapping
Pennsylvania. When the mile was
reached Wisconsin was clear length
ahead of Pennsylvania, while Cornell
and Columbia were see-Sawing for Sec
ond place. The Wisconsin crew set
tied down TO a stroke of SO to min
net. its boat never checking between
the strokes. and the blades cutting the
water as keenly as knife. Look at
those westernerS go." shouted those on
the observation train, and Wisconsin
stock went up for little while. The
slow recovery and the slow stroke had
behind it a wonderful power and the
Wisconsin boat was never checked or
stopped as it went toward the second
mile. In the meantime Pennsylvania
and Cornell were having pretty fight
for second place. Columbia was row
ing on behind a couple of lengths.
When the Wisconsin crew had reached
the mile anu quarter point 1t eased
off tritle in its stroke, row
ing for two or three minutes at 81.
At the same time Cornell picked up its
stroke and showed its boats nose
slightly ahead of Pennsylvania and
overlapping the stern Of the Wisconsin
she'll
With apparent ease the Wisconsin
stroke went back to its regular 30, and
the boat shot ahead again a good half
length. At the same time Pennsyl-
vania's boat, which had been tagging
half length behind Cornell, shot up to
a level with the Cornell boat, while
Columbia, making a desperate effort,
placed the nose of its shell near Penn
sylvania's stern. Again as they neared
the mile and a half point, Cornell's
boat came up even with Pennsylvania
she'll but was unable to catch Wiscon-
sin, which now had a lead over the two
crews of three quarters of length and
was still going. As they passed the
two mile mark there was quarter Of
a length clear water between the nose
of the Pennsylvania shell and the stern
of the Wisconsin she'll. Cornell was
even with PENNSYLVANIA at this
mark and the two crews stayed on even
terms until the two mile and quarter
point was reached. Then see-sawing
began between Cornell and Pennsyl-
vania, alternately forging the nose of
their boats ahead of each other in a
desperate effort to maintain second
place, while the wonderful western
crew with its indeScribable stroke and
its much-criticised form, kept its
shell boat length in the van. Poor
Columbia was struggling three boat
lengths behind.
At the = and z mile point Cornell be-
gan to drop back while Pennsylvania
spurted ahead little and finally Tapped
the Wisconsin shell. ~ the last quar-
ter of the second mile" Wisconsin had
a length on Pennsylvania and one and
a half on Cornell.
Passing the three mile and quarter
point Pennsylvania hit a stroke OF ~
and there began one of the most eXcit
ing contests ever seen in boat racing.
Slowly the bowman of the Pennsyl-
vania boat lined up with the coXswain
in the Wisconsin boat, but just as he
had come on line with HIM the Wis
consin crew responded with squirt and
again drove the boat away 1t was at
this point that Wisconsin was seen to
swerve badly toward the western
shore and to the surprise OF
everybody maintained this course, al
though it took the westerners inside of
a number of small pleasure yachts and
fully 500 yards out OF the course al
the finish. The Wisconsin boat, una
BILE to turn back into its lane, had
found dead water in the lane which it
sought near shore and the nose of
Pennsylvania s shell came out inch by
inch until it crossed the line a scant
half length ahead of the badgers boat.
Cornell's boat was fully three lengths
in the rear of Wisconsins, while Co
lumbia finished almost four lengths be-
hind Cornell. The official time was
2O:04. None of the crews were in baa
condition at the finish.
Immediately after crossing the line,
the badgers formed group about Capt.
Sutherland and shook his hand, and
then they fairly Rugged each other.
Their enthusiasm was unbounded, al
though they were very much disap-
pointed at not finishing first.
The eight were unanimous, however,
in relieving their coXswain from
all blame for steering them out Of their
course. The little steersman himself,
J. G. Dillon, felt very much depressed
about the matter though he made
good defense for his action. Just as
we were passing under the big bridge"
he said, Il noticed large berry crate
floating right ahead Of us, hard on our
port bow and in a few seconds we
would have struck 1t, and in order to
avoid disastrous collision, | veered
sharply toward the shore, going so far
out of our course that / realized that II
| were to attempt TO get back again
the movement would probably cost us
the half length that we were then in
the lead of Pennsylvania, and looking