New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-28
YALE THE FAVORITE.
CHANCES FAVOR THE BLUE FOR THE
VARSITY BOAT RACE.
HARVARD IN FINE FORM. HowEvER-LAsT
PRACTICE SPINS OF THE TWO BOATS
BETTING LIGHT.
LIGHT.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuxz.I


old port are cooking their eyes at the heavens
and predicting good conditions for the college
races the morrow.
New-London has awakened into new life. and
every train that rolls into the town brings a
crowd that is just little lvelier than the pre-
ceding one. First comes Yale contingent fresh
from class day and commencement at New
Haven and making lots of noise to dull the re-
membrance Of that baseball defeat by Harvard
yesterday. This body of waving blue is fol-
lowed closely by a royal band from Harvard
composed largely of grads" who sat long at
their class dinners in Boston last night and who
awOke barely in time TO catch the o'clock train
from the City of Puritans this afternoon. These
cohorts, flaming crimson and blue arrive by
land There are others. and many Of them who
come by water, for the harbor is fast filling up
with steam yachts and white winged craft This
afternoon the cleaning on the white
sides and glstening cutwaters Of scores of
schooners, slOops and the like. Tonight dark
ness has settled over the harbor but It is a
darkness studded with a thousand twinkling
lights from these same craft riding easily at
anchor and awaiting the rising Of the sun on the
day Of the great Harvard-YaIe race.
Who is going to win the varsity race? That
is the burning question of the hour. AT New
London tonight there are no other issues Peo
pie here have all forgotten about the news from
China while free silver, imperialism and a Presi
dental election seem faint echoes from a buried
past or from A dim and misty future But will
the Yale or Harvard eight be the first to cross
the finish line tomorrow?
oh, there is a question TO set the heart beat
ing. After that issue is settled there Will be
ample time to take up politics and the destinies
of the world. That is the way the little uni
verse Of New-London feels tonight. and if wind
and fortune favor. the races will be history by
I D. m, tomorrow
DAYS PROGRAMME
At 11:3O a m. the two four-oared crews will
start from opposite Harvards quarters and race
two miles down stream to the Navy Yard From
that point the Yale and Harvard freshmen will
have their fierce struggle to the bridge two
miles below AS soon as the observation trains
can run the four miles up the river again the
varsity fight will begin and barring postpone
ments. 1t ought to be under way by 1890 o. m.
What, then. is the answer TO the question that
is agitating the college world Of Harvard and
Yale tonight?
Who will win?
The Fates themselves. spinning ceaselessly.
are the only ones that can show the outcome
But here is just about the way the matter
stands expressed by the most careful and
unbiased opinion:
II the Harvard crew can maintain for four
miles the form and speed that 1t showed for a
brief space last night II Will win the race. The
chances, however, are strongly against Harvard
being able 70 do this and for this the
Yale crew has the better show for victory.
The reason that Harvard Is unlikely to keep up
winning clip IS easy enough TO explain. It lies
largely in the accident TO Captain Higgnson
last Sunday First and foremost. the accident
had a depressing effect on the other men.
sheafe who was made captain, has been worry
ing as If ii were UP to him to relieve the India
famine within the next ten minutes.
Harding, who was moved from No Q to
stroke. lost several pounds in weight immedi-
ately, and both he and Sheafe are down very
fine. Secondly. when it became necessary to re-
make the crew Coach Storrow had to give them
very hard work both Monday and yesterday.
Now the work Of both crews is supposed to end
the Saturday night before the race. So
HarvArds eight were very tired last night To-
day they are brighter and better. The question
is, VIII they round into perfectly fit shape by
tomorrow noon?
So much for Harvard's rnisfortunes Despite
them the crew rowed last night as fast half
mile ever sped the river. and the men
seem well together But Harvard's weakness is |
that the at present constituted has
never rowed four miles together, and nobody
knows what it can or cannot do. 1t has in its
favor the fact that it has everything to win
and naught to lose. And by the same token
Yale is forced into position where defeat by
HarTarG'S Tearranged will be bitter
while a victory over what will be styled a Grip
pied" crew viii be lacking in glory. It is this
feeling that is bothering the Blue considerably !
tonight and that will lend new vigor to the
Crimson oars tomorrow.
YALE VERY FAST
About the Yale crew not so much is being
said and written, not because it is unworthy of
extended comment, but because the accident to
Harvard's captain and stroke seems to have
focused interest on the Crimson boat. There
IS question, however that YaIes crew is an
extremely fast one. 1t far exceeds last years
eight and is OF the best crews that Yale
ever turned out, II not the very best So far as
the science of Craftsmanship is concerned this !
season witnesses the most complete develop /
ment Of 1t on the part of both Yale and Har-
ward, and should the crews be borne along by
stern breeZe and a tide flowing swift toward
be knocked TO smash.
Our men are all in first class condition"
said Captain Allen tonight, at the Yale quar-
tiers, and Coach Gallaudet confirmed him They |
were in condition to row the OF their lives /
Almost every man in the boat is a senior and /
this viii be their last chance to gain glory for
the old Connecticut college.
Experts declare that the Yale stroke is an |
almost ideal one, except for the fact that the |
catch is not so quick nor firm as Harvard's /
and the power IS not applied at This is /
certainly drawback that may cost Yale a MALT |
inch of distance TO every stroke which, in a |
four mile race would mean half a boat length. |
But even with this apparent weakness the Yale |
boat travels fast and is picked s the winner. |
Almost all Of the racing prophets, prognostica-
tors and conSulters Of the omens declare now |
that Harvard would surely have won with Cap
tain Higginson. Be that as 1t may, they haven't |
got MIN, and there Is some betting here tonight
though mighty little-of 3 10 odds on Yale |
There is a great dearth of money, however and |
likely to be little betting until directly before |
the race
The Yale freshmen are heavy favorites for |
their race. They in better form than Har-
ward, and are confident of winning. On present |