Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-01
Yale Wins the Freshman
Race from Harvard.
Remarkable Contest, One of the
Finest in Racing History.
The Varsity Four Dared and the
Varsity Eight Dared Races Post.
poned Until 10 O'clock Thi. Mornino
Bad Water and Poor Mana cement.

New London, Conn.,, June 3O-The
thousands who journeyed to the
Thames, today, for the annual Yale
Harvard boat race saw one of tho hest
freshmen races that has ever been
rowed on any course. and for eight
hours the crowd sat in the rain and
waited in vain, first for the VARSITY
four-oared race, which was postponed
and finally for the big Varsity eight
cared race.
Yale won the freshman race by half
n second, or quarter of a boats
langth. For the two miles of this race
the two shells zigzagged and neither
crew ever had a lead of more than a
length. 1t was one of the most remark
able boat races in the history Of inter-
collegiate rowing.
The pOstpOnement of the Varsity
races brought forth much criticism.
Throughout the entire day there seemed
to be lack of system in the handling
of the races. The freshman event was
delayed for so minutes by one mishap
after another and by the time it was
the Varsity four-Oared race since the
Varsity eight-oared race was sched-
uled for 1880 o'clock.
1t could have been rowed at that
hour. had the officials of the day been
prompt, but there was a long delay.
The wind freshene1 ana the race was
postponed. first until LIS. then to go,
next until AIS and again until o'clock,
when finally it was put over until to-
morrow. AS the afternoon wore on the
southeast wind which had been blow
ing all day grew sitter and sitter I'M
til it was absolutely impossible for any
crew to row. The only hour at which
the race could have been rowed was
1850 o'clock.
One Of the biggest crowds in the his
tory Of the races came by rail and wa
ter to witness todays regatta. Possibly
there were not SO many steam yachts
az usual, but the general attendance
was n record breaker. Despite n leadel
sky from which the rain began to fall
early in the morning and continued all
day long in drizzles, with now and then
n regular downpour. the spectators in
undim;nished numbers waited patient
ly. Not until definite announcement
was made did they give up the hope of
seeing the long lA>Sed for struggle be-
Harvard. %
Thes cight-oarcd racH VII n%yrowed
up stream. at 1890 a. M ",2rrow.
after which the tours W " ent
away 80 reat
After TIE freshman eishtss ted
the startili3 flags. and that " Kong
fater the.tnpe Set, Harvard dragged Ter
istakeboat ana for quarter of an I y
Referee. Meikleham labored with Ia
shells to get them lined up.
The delay was very trying for the
crews. Finally at the sound of the pistol
fha~eights dashed away in splendid
.EtNfe. Yale showed in better form at
start than Harvard and for the
sk.st eighth Of a mile had trine the
better ri it. Then the Harvard men set
rtlcd dcvr and slowly drove their boat
tn tho front. Yale was rowing "a and
the Crimson 80. Raising her stroke a
roint or two, Harvard reached the half
mile Tag third of q length in the
lead over the next half mile the boats
only changed in their relative positions
bv ono second. Harvard finished the
mile in minutes and . seconds.
Yale in rinutes and 10 seconds.
Over the next half mile the struggle
was e"rclb. Each crew raised its stroke
one point. Harvard stoered out OF her
course in order to catch better wntef
and Yale followed her. AtNhe mile and
Il half flag the two boIts were exactly
even. nose to nose Me time for each
crew for the mile Hnd half was min
utes and 1ecohds. Just as the last half
mile Tag was passed. Yale began squirt
that won the race. She jumped her stroke
up to sc and began to pull ahead inch by
inch Harvard did not make her effort
until an eighth of a mile from the finish.
Then her stroke went to SO. but 1t was
too late. Yale was leading by the length
of her canvas bow as the flags dipped
Mt the finish The two flags went down
almost simultaneously and 1t was sew
oral minutes before the crews knew who
had won. Finally the referee shouted out
the name of the winner and the Yale
youngsters sat up in their shell and gave
tro Yale cheer with Harvard" on the
end of It, Yale had won by just half
second Yalc's time was 10 minutes and
20 seconds; Harvard's. 10 minutes, aO.z
seconds.
The crows had fair wind. but practf-
cally no tide, and considering this fact
the time was. fast, The prediction made.
last night. by John Kennedy of faia
that the freshman race was a tossup,
came true. Two crews more evenly