Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-29

east course and ale took the west.
The river was mirror-like. Not a
ripple appeared. The sun shone hot
and the atmosphere was muggy.
Everything was in readiness, at 1.40,
and one minute after Referee Meikle-
ham fired the pistol. For the third time
in the days program Harvard dug in
to the water first and the prov of her
boat forged ahead. The start, how
ever, was an admirable one and so lit
tie was there to choose between the
two that only those on the official boats
were able to credit Harvard with the
advantage which was really hers.
Fifteen strokes had been pulled before
the oarsmen We're able to put into eff
feet their long practiced plans. When
the rush of the start had given way to
the 4-mile gait both crews were pulling
SO to the minute.
Down the west bank of the river sped
the shells with Harvard a fraction of
length ahead. The Craftsmanship in
both boats was superb. Spectators as
well as officials became lost in admira-
ton. The crowds for the moment for
got to yell their partisanship and min
gled in one long roar of applause. Yale
cision which had made so many New
Haven crews famous and Harvard was
working manfully.
Fully a quarter of a mile had been
covered before those who were breath
lessly watching the race found com
posture enough to estimate distances.
Then it was found that Harvard was
Is feet to the good. While the Cam
h F..lf tttn,y
themselves over this state of things
the Yale men put more ginger and beef
into their work and at the half mile
the Yale shell was creeping up.
The half mile flag was reached with
a rush. and the official timers had it
that Harvard was then l 3-5 seconds
ahead of her rivals. Both We're rowing
cleanly and strongly at a % clip. A
grander sight in aquatics was never
presented than that offered in the bat
tie between the two slender shells.
Between the half and the three-quar-
tiers, however. there seemed to be
trouble with No. in the Harvard
eight. In the distance it looked like a
broken slide. but six was soon at it
again and with just the same rhyth
mic precision as before.
All Yale had gained perceptibly and
as the mile was approached the nose
of the New Haven boat poked itself to
the fore. Harvard was ready with Il
squirt. however. and the two boats shot
by the mile flags on exactly even terms
according to official watches.
The racers sped forward in amazing
style. but as they entered upon the sec
ond mile the Ellis applied little of
their reserve power. Yale hearts thrill
ed with delight as the blue oars pulled
to the front and before Harvard was
aware of it her rivals were threc-quar
tiers Of length in front. Harvard still
rowed - strokes while Yale had
dropped to 81 and had gained in spite
of it.
Now Yale spurted again This was
met with renewed efforts by Harvard
but Yale chung tcnaciously to her lead.
As the two-mile point came into view it
was anyones race with everything in
favor of the crew whose endurance
should prove equal to the terrific pace.
Spectators and officials were unani-
nous in procIamng the contest thus
far the finest ever seen on the Thames.
Several old oarsmen on the official
boats shook their heads knowingly and
said: This can never last; one of
those crews will kill itself"
At the two miles, Yale, rowing 81.
led Harvard by nearly length. 1t
began to look like a Yale victory. Har-
ward seemed to lose some of her snap
and Yale could not be ovcrhauled dur
ing the next half mile.
The last half of the race was now
we'll in hand and things began to hap
pen.
Harvari's stroke. Harding, who took
Capt IIigginsons place after the latter's
accident, on Sunday last, increased the
Crimson stroke with a rush which bade
fair to take his colleagues off their nerves.
He set Il terrific clip and the whole 1ar-
ward crew worked like demons possessed
Yale undertook to meet this squirt, but
the pace was too hot and Yale wisely de-
cidcd 10 husband her strength for later
calls Inch by inch Harvard pulled up
then foot by foot, and at the Smile flags
the Harvard shell went to the fore for
the first time since she had lost it at the
start.
From then on incidents came thick and
fast. Harvard was leading by half a
length. Suddenly there came break in
the Crimson eight. All eyes were turned
on that smell and it was seen that some
thing was wrong with the Cambridge
stroke. His oar failed at times to strike
the water. "He is DONE" shouted the on
lockers.
A few seconds later the Harvard boat
uuivcred and trembcd after the manner
of a nugilist taking the fatal count. Up
went Harding's oar and over topped his
exhausted body. COXswain Wadlelgh
pulled his rudder ropes shortly to one
side and shouted to his men the dire an
nOunccmcnt OF the catastrophe.
The seven men did their best to relieve
the one-sidedness of the machine with It's
four to three oars. The beautiful craft
swerved wildly to one side and cries OF
chagrn and disappointment were raised
over the waters of the Thames.
Pop Harding. the boy who was under
the strain of the responsibility placed
upon his shoulders by the Higginson mis-
hap, had rowed himself out in that last
heartrcnding effort to pull up on the
Yale shell. The young Spartan, disre-
garding the fact that during the last
three DAYS he had lost five pounds. had
pulled his last ounce and there he was
lying a helpless passenger in a shell
manned by noble a set of men as ever
swept an oar.
Forward he fell into the lap of his cox
swain and his oar swung wildly forward |
and backward. dashed by the water and
his colleagues sweeps. Up he straight
cned with an heroic effort and again
grasped his oar in pitiful attempt to
get into the race once more. He went
through the motions best he could,
clipping the water now and then with a
corner of his and now crashing with