The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31
THE FIGHT FOR THE BOWL.
Annual Contest mt Pcnnsyivanin Uni-
versity Declared n Draw

PHILADELPHIA. March sO-The an
nual bowl fight" between the freshman
and sophomore college classes Of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania took place yes
terday afternoon on the old athletic field.
Despite the fact that the thermometer
registered only 81 degrees, and that the
wind was blowing a gale across the field,
the under-class men. bareheaded and
barelegged-and two of them In the clos
ing moments of the struggle with few
clothes on-battled bravely
After rushing, pulling, tugging and
struggling all over the old field for forty
minutes the officials announced the usual
result-a draw-and both classes left the
held giving voice to shouts of victory ana
yells of defiance.
The bowl fight" is peculiar to Penn
sylYania, and is the last scheduled fight
OF the college year between these classes.
For this reason 1t is attended with more
than usual interest Fally 1000 people,
chiefly upper-class men and members of
the professional departments of the uni
Versity. witnessed the scrap from the
portico of the new dormitories and on
either side of the old field.
For weeks the "freshies'' and "sophs''
mad been planning for this last contest of
Drawn and muscle After numeraus COM
'".ttee meetings and conferences a set Of
rules drawn up by the senior and junior
college classes, and approved by Vice Pro-
vost Smith, were finally agreed upon and
the date for the event decided.
Promptly at l O'Clock the rival classes
logged out in all sorts of clothes, came
upon the field. Football suits were the
most numerous. some of the more timd
participants taking the extra precaution
of wearing shin guards and nose pro-
tectors. Baseball suits and old clothes
were also in evidence. and the athletic
men OF each class appeared stripped to the
waist and anxious for the fray. When
hve minutes OF the first half had gone the
cOiiegtanS presented d far different appear
ance than at the start.
The freshmen had formulated a very
clever plan by which they hoped to defeat
the 'sophs. but they were so pleased
with it that they had to tell of il to all
their friends, with the result that ii was
frustrated by the sophomores.
Frank and Edward Diefendorf are twin
brothers, and can hardly be told apart.
Frank was selected as bowman. The
freshmen planned to place Frank, accord
ing to rule, ten yards in advance of the
main body Of students, but at the signal
TO begin the fight Edward was to rush
forward to take his place, while Frank
was to be spirited away. At it was the
object in this half for the sophomores to
place the bowl man in the bowl it was
calculated that if the sophomores should
succeed they would have the wrong man.
avoid any such complications they locked
Edward Dtefendorf up in the Phi Kappa
Fsi fraternity house before the fight
started.
selected as bowman, and the two classes
lin up for the fray Referee Hare blew
hi, whistle at 1.15 and the fight was on.
The sophomores made a good attempt in
their half and succeeded in getting the
Lowlman near the bowl. but could not get
him in it. Accordingly this half was de-
clared in favor of the freshmen.
In the second half the freshmen were
.-ae aggressors. it being their duty to
secure possession of ai,d to breaA the
bowl. The sophomores, however were
100 strong, and, surrounding the bowl,
they kept the freshmen away from 1t
during the twenty minutes. This half
gent to the sophomoFes, and the fight
vas declared draw.
During the fight about 500 of the upper
,lassmen rushed on the field and sur
rounding the scrappers, urged them on
to their utmost. 1t was difficult to tell
which was the fiercer of the two fights.
that of the freshmen and sophomore or
that of the upper-class men, who strug-
sled for places of vantage.