The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-30
HARVARD WINS.
Takes Every Race Over Her
Rival Yale
After Many Successive Years of
Defeat.
VICTORY WAS EASY.
Six and a Half Lengths in a
Four Mile Course.
Official Time 90 Minutes and
so I-2 Seconds.

crimson last 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, 81 sec
onds.
Harvard's freshmen eight won from
Yale over two mile course by two and
half lengths in nine minutes, 3312 sec
onds.
Harvard's substitute four won from
Yale over a two mile course by six
lengths in ten minutes and fifty-one
The Harvard crews rowed a modifica-
ton of the English stroke, coupled with
some features of the stroke pulled by
Wisconsin and Coach Knoxville OF
Wisconsin who saw the race, said:
IF Harvard's crew in today'S form
had been at Poughkeepsie 1 am afraid
they would have given US all a hustle
for first place.
Yale has greatly modified the Cook
stroke and the boat did not go as it did
when the famous coach was there.
The races were rOWed in almost ideal
water and wind and clear skies.
The course was badly pOliced, boats
setting into the lane and steamers kick
ing up swells after the race had started.
Harvard in the varsity race very nearly
collided 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,
however, rowed gamely to the finish,
and neither crew showed signs of dis
tress.
The contest between the substitutes
constituting the varsity tours, was, like
the varsity eight, a procession, with
Harvard six full lengths ahead at the
finish. The freshmen effort was a
5rrI,f - I,A 1aer
eighth of a mile, when Harvard's SUI
periOr staying powers coupled with an
unfortunate obstruction of the course
of the Yale youngsters by a large
steamer worked for Harvard's advan-
tage and sent the men of Harvard
across the line two lengths ahead Of
Yale.
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 betting.
About a. quarter past six the Yale
varsity crew left the float at Broadway
closely followed by the Carsmen of
Harvard from Redtop.
Ten minutes later the men had re-
ceived their instructions from the ref
eree's yacht and had backed into their
positions at the start and were await
ing for the word.
With extreme caution Referee Nickel
ham assured himself that both crews
We're ready, and with the last warning:
Are you ready?' fired the pistol shot
which sent the two crews off in the big
race of the day.
The water was as calm and placid as
an inland lake. The crews rowed as US
ual in tagged lines, the Blue occupying
the eastern course and the Crimson the
western.
Yale caught the water first, but Har-
ward was a close second and the two
Fights started out on their long journey,
practically even terms. The New
Haven crew hit up a stroke of 81 to the
minute, the men from Cambridge pull
| ing beautifully at SO. Harvard cOntin-
ued rowing a SO, and Yale had dropped
her clip to the same figure, and with
perfect rythm the two crews fell into
strokes at unison. The eighteen brown
backs came forward and backward to-
gether. The reach, the catch, the heave
and the recovery were simultaneous in
both shells, and as the two craft sped
on with noses and rudders exactly even
they looked as if they might have been
mechanically connected and propelled
by identical machinery.
Just before the first half mile was
reached Yale seemed to put more power
into her stroke and gave the first inti-
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 flag the nose of the blue shell was
a trif1e in the van, giving Yale a lead
of perhaps an eighth of a length. The
first flag. however, had hardly been
dropped her stroke one point, and the
Harvard boat came up on even terms
Reaching down for the mile the Yale
coxswain swerved slightly from his true
course and directly after the mile flags
had been passed Harvard took the lead.
which she was not to surrender
throughout the race. Yale. whose men
had up to this point been rowing beau
tifully, INDUCED in a little freaky wa
termanship, and Harvard stole away.
During the next half mile the Grim
son topped oars were sweeping grace
fully through the water at a rate and
style which fairly lifted the shells from
the water, and in this short stretch she
made her lead a full length.
At this point the Harvard men did
the prettiest rowing of the day, and
among those on board the official boats
it was the unanimous opinion that no
| finer piece of work had ever been seen
on the Thames. Notwithstanding Yale's
speedier stroke, they found it impos-
sible to overcome the Harvard lead.
During this very Yale squirt, the Har-
ward shell actually gained another half
length and proceeded to make it two
full lengths in an amazingly short per
iod. Yale temporarily surrendered
and dropped from Sc to 81 strokes to the
minute while Harvard condescendingl
lowered her stroke to SO.
At this two mile flag the Cambridge
boat was fairly flying through the wa
ter, her oarsmen apparently grow
ing stronger. Yale was rowing well
and improved in the next half mile, but
for every notch of fine work that Yale
cut out Harved gOuged out two, and at
the two and a half mile flag it was
Harvard's advantage by three clean
lengths. Yale put in some gruelling
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 pre-
vfOus dressings which she has suffer-
| ed at Yale's hands in former years, pro-
| ceeded to make walk away of it, and