The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-30

New London, Conn.,, June SOTO Yale
went the first honors Of the day,
when the New Haven freshmen eight
crossed the line half length ahead Of the
Harvard youngsters. The race was rowed
In good water, upstream, two miles from
the railroad bridge to the maynard. It
was pretty contest and was in doubt
until the last stroke was pulled.
The start was superb, both crews catch
ing the water simultaneously. For the
first furlong Harvard more than held her
own At the half they, were on even
stroke. slower than Harvards, began to
tell and soon the Yale shell was a full
length ahead. A Harvard squirt cut this
down one-half, but Yale met her rival s
squirt and held the lead until the finish.
OFFICIAL time was: Yale, 1920; Harvard,
10:201s.
At 55 both four-oared crews were at
the starting point for their race of two
miles. The wind was blowing eight or ten
miles an hour straight up stream and rain
was falling heavily.
It was announced a few minutes later
that the referee had postponed the four
cared race, but that the varsity race
would be rowed at 1890. No time was
set for the four-oared race except that it
will be held some time this afternoon
New London, Conn, June 3o.-For the
tWenty-sXth time since 1876 the oarsmen
OF Harvard and Yale universities are con-
testing today on the Thames river course
in the annual regatta.
During all these years the crews OF the
two institutions have met regularly on this
course, except in 1896 and the year fol-
lowing. In 1896 the famous athletic i'm
broglio kept the two colleges apart in all
branches of sport. In 1897 the two crews
met at Poughkeepsie in a triangular race
with Cornell and both went down to de-
feat. In 1895 the old rivals again met on
the Thames, with the Ithacans again a
contestant, and again the two New Eng
land colleges went down to defeat before
Courtney's men. In the twenty five races
rowed between Harvard and Yale on this
course victory has gone to Yale in sew
enteen contests, and the Yale crew OF
1885 hold the course record of 20:10.
| Accordingly, today's battle found E1ar-
ward men determined to break down Yale's
long line of successes, and the New Haven
collegians stubborn in a purpose to pre-.
vent this. The night was one Of some
widness in the way Of undergraduate en-.
thusiasm, but all told, it proved to be
somewhat more quiet than in certain for
rer years. The great crowds which haC
arrived in New London yesterday and las
night were augmented upon the arrival O.
the earlier morning trains to be still fur
Their increased when excursion trains IRON
Boston, New Haven and other points ar
rived. .-s. &-. 1..
Daybreak brought with it weather con
ditions of a character disheartening tt
those unfamiliar with the antics Of New
! London weather. All night long there hunl
over harbor and river a dense fog, ant
at o'clock it had not lifted appreciably
To render the enthusiasts more apprehen
sive, Z o'clock brought with it a generou
dOWnpour of rain. Half an hour later
however, the fog lifted, the rain ceased
and the sun began to give signs of life
and at that hour 1t looked as If the da
would prove clear and hot. tt
II At the mouth or the harbor the win
was out Of the southeast, Eight miles u
) the river, off the quarters Of the crew
there was little westing in the southern
breeze, and things looked suspicious. Tn
water was beautifully smooth. and ther
seemed to be every prospect Of fine racing
; conditions. Long before s o'clock Their
began a procession of yachts up the har
Dor to tbs finish line. The hotels wer
thronged with early risers, who made the1
way downtown and up the river to b
ready for the first race. That between tn
freshmen. scheduled for 1920 am.
There was almost no betting. The odd
on the big race remained at to 1, wit
Yale the favorite William Meikleham o
New York is the referee.
The contesting Ga rsnnen were astir early
and altho the Harvard Yale varsity row
ing races during the last four years hay
ended in victory for Yale, the two old
time athletic rivals prepared for today
three events with the same confidenc
and determination to win that has char
acterized their attitude ever since colleg
racing tnaugurated. Neither of tn
crews was over confident this morning, blu
the sentiment at the Yale quarters Ger
tainly had more Of expectancy of success
than that at Haryard's ~t-