The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-28


thousand people today saw one of the
most exciting four-mile boat races ever
witnessed in the history of college row.
ing. Five thousand people on the OBJ
servation train yelled themselves
hoarse in frantic appeals to their va
rious college crews to do their best and
with the 15,G00 they saw the red and
blue of Pennsylvania over the line a
winner by a short half length from
the Wisconsins. who lost in the last
geo yards by bad steering.
Cornell, the victor CT former years,
pulled in fun four lengths in the rear,
and Columbia, never in the fight after
the end of the first mile, trailed il d
good three lengths from the stern of
the Cornell boat. 1t was the kind of a
race that makes the blood Jingle. and
was made SO by the crew that came
over a thousand miles 10 meet former
victors. for without the gallant Wis
consins IL the race. ii would have been
a doleful procession after the second
mile was entered.
To say there was surprise on the OBJ
servation train and among the great
crowds upon the bank when the Wis
corsin shell swept mile after mile of
the course until the last half was
reached, with a clear lead over all
the crews, is putting it mildly. When
the strange crew. looked toward the
observation train inquiringly and were
told that it was Wisconsin. they We're
almost dumb with Amusement and
when those on the train saw the gal
liant struggle mile after mile. they
. dropped their appeals for their own
crews and yelled in friendly manner
for the boys from the west. Tho al
legged ragged stroke, the badly keeied
boat the too long reach, all We're for
gotten as the fast-moving shell kept
its sharp nose to the fore, and then
the people saw the leaders turn out
towards the shore at the finish and
lose the race to the men from Penn
sylvania 10y a short half length.
Stern Chase For Pennsy.
Well did the Pennsylvanians obey
the injunction of Ellis Ward not TO
lose their heads. From the first eighth
of a mile they rowed "a stern, hard
chase at one time being astern of
both Cornell and Wisconsin, but their
pluck and endurance sent them over
the line first in good time, and by such
a small margin that the glory is great
er. For Cornell. the winner of many
battles, the contest proved TO be a race
only in two miles. For those first two
miles she did gallant work. but she
Was struggling against evidently bet
ter crews, and il was only by eXer-
tions of a phenomenal nature that she
managed to keep the nose of the boat
ahead of Pennsylvania for a brief time
in the second mile. OF Columbia, it
may be said that she was outclassed
from the start. and. barring an acct
dent. there was never a. time when she
stood a chance of winning the race.
She went TO the rear in the first quar-
ter of a mile, although she made
good start, and stayed there all
through the race
Twice at the start the crews were
called back. but at five minutes after
:. when the third start was given, they
got away without accident. This start
was a beautiful one. the four boats
noses seeming 10 hang together for
the first two strokes. Before the first
eighth of mile was finished the Wis
consin boat had showed its nose ahead
of the other crews. with Cornell sec
ond, Pennsylvania hanging well on TO
her and Columbia third, dropping
astern-
Badgers Take Lead.
When the first half mile was reached
so fast was tie Wisconsin boat going
that it had taken its whole length anead
OF the Pennsylvania boat, and was half
a length ahead OF the Cornell boat on
the extreme east. Columbia was COM
ing with the nose Of her boat just over
Tapping Pennsylvania On a perfectly
even keel with the bodies going well
back together and the heads seeming as
If they would swing off the shoulders,
a feature that seemed to make the crit
les believe that they would go TO pieces
after the first mile. the Wisconsin crew
flew on When the mile was reached
Wisconsin had a lead of a clear length
over Pennsylvania, While Pennsy and
Cornell We're see-sawing for second
place. As the crews passed the two
mile mark. there was a quarter of
length of clear water between the nose
of the nnsylVania shell and the stern
of the Wisconsin she'll and then for the
first tine those on the train began 10
appreciate that Wisconsin was not
one-mile crew. and that having pulled
through the first two hard miles at
such "A splendid pace, they s%ere liable
TO make trouble al the finish. Cornell
was even with Pennsylvania at the
mark, and the two crews stayed on
even terms until the two-mile and
quarter point was reached. Then the
began again; Cornell and !
Pennsylvania alternately forging the
nose Of their boats ahead of each other !
in a desperate effort to MAINTAIN tne
second place while the wonderful west |
ern crew. with the indescribable stroke |
with the much criticised form, kept |
their shell a boat length in the van. |
Poor Columbia struggled three boat |
lengths behind. rowing with all the |
power that was ia the boat. what they |
might have known was the losing race. |
As they passed under the great rough |
keepsie bridge Wisconsin had length |
on Pennsylvania and one and half on .
Cornell Just after they passed the |
bridge Cornell's boat was fully two and !
half lengths behind Pennsylvania. /
while Columbia was still struggling on. /
three lengths TO the stern of the Cornell /
boat Passing the three-nile and Il |
quarter point Pennsylvania hit the |
stroke up TO thirty-flve and there be- !
gan one of the most exciting contests
ever seen in boat racing.
Nearing the Finish.
Slowly the bowman of the Pennsyl- !
wanna boat lined up with The coXswain
in the Wisconsin's boat. but just as he !
HAD come on a line with him the Wis
consin crew responded to the squirt and
again drew their boat away. 1t WAS
at this point that Wisconsin was seen
to swerve badly toward the western
shore and TO the surprise of every
booy, maintained this course, although
Il took them inside of a number of
small pleasure boats and fully 500
yards out Of their course, they main
tanned their angle at the finish Natur-
ally the Pennsylvania boat pulled des-
by the Quakers, gained upon
the Wisconsin boat and as they passed
into the last. quarter the noses of the
shells were on line. The Pennsyl-
vania contingent on the train We're