Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-15

The boat rode on an even keel, and we
could feel it jump ahead at every stroke.
as the six brown backs bent with all
their power upon the oars. After a few
moments had gone by | ventured to Look
about me. and to my great satisfaction.
could count five boats behind US. We
were surely in the lead. We kept up the
squirt with which We started until the
nearest boat was several lengths behind,
and then settled down to our regular
racing stroke. So determined had We
| been to get the lead that. as We learned
afterwards. we had rowed the first half
mile in TWO minutes and two seconds
and had passed the first mile flag inside
of five minutes, making record. both
for professionals and amateurs, for i
mile with a sX-oared boat
When about halfway over the course,
the boat that was nearest to us, which
| could tell was Harvard from the Grim
son oarblades and sliding seats, began to
slowly lessen the gap between Us. See
| ing this group of Harvard men upon
the shore began 10 cheer most Justify.
| AS the 'Rah, Rah, Rah, Harvard was
roared from a hundred threats. We could
| see the crimson oars flash more quickly
| to the stroke and then their boat came
dashing through the water lessening the
space between us every moment. When
only Il boat length separated Us. we
quickened our stroke to a squirt and soon
saw them fall astern.
I'VE had just hardly dropped back to
| our regular stroke, when looking farther
out on our port side could see another
boat. already ahead of Harvard. and
coming very fast. Suddenly Amherst,
| Amherst, Amherst came across the
| water from the shore in shrill and fran
tic tones. and then this other boat came
tearing after us like race horse under
the whip. Again quickened up our
stroke and soon had the satisfaction OF
| seeing Amherst drop astern as Harvard
had entered upon the last mile of the
course. when again the snappy Harvard
| cheer was heard this time louder. and
fiercer than before The Harvard crew
| again responded gamely to the call and
came on as if bound to win or die. But
we were equal 10 the task and gave them
squirt for squirt and kept the lead,
so we went rushing down the course,
Bowdon in the lead, Harvard few
lengths behind on the starboard side
Amherst the same distance to port. and
the others trailing farther back. AS we
drew nearer to the end the crowds be-
came create and more excited. Our eN-
ertions had begun to tell upon us and
though the stroke was kept up there was
not quite so much driving power behind
ill falt
| tain we would win. The cheering kept
| growing louder and more prolonged. the
| Rah, Rah, Rah,' from thousands of en-
thusiastic Harvard men. kept their crew
up to their work in splendid style. Am
herst encouraged by the good race they
| had already made, kept up the killing
pace with most persistent ana seemingly
| untiring energy So We fought ii ont.
| Length by length. with Bowdoin stu
ahead. \ crashing Harvard cheer again
rang Owe the water at once joined and
made louder and NOR" thunderous by the
shouts Of those who were urging Amherst
on The two boats seemed suddenly to
take on new life. and the gap between
them and lis was rapidly closing. our
stroke went up from y to "a. but still the!
gained We Quickened to ". which
seemed to barely hold them where they
were Just then above the din of cheering
came the piercing blast of steam
whistle which was 50 loud ana shrill that
for the moment all other noise was
drowned Mike HarriSan had pulled wide
open the whistle valve to cheer us on.
| This friendly signal acted like an cleo
| trio shock upon our crew. The stroke
| went up to 49, clean and strong as ak
the start The boat shot forward with in
| creasing speed and our hottest rivals be-
gan to fall astern again. SudGenl" felt
| ), shiver in the boat, followed by that
| fatal lurch TO port.
THE handle of my oar struck the gun
mel with bang and the blade was buried