The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-27
TEAMS TIED IN A
BRILLIANT GAME
OVER 5000 SAW CONTEST.
JACKSONVILLE DEVELOPED GREAT
STRENGTH FINALLY.


tics-VisitOrs' Heavy BaekfieId
Crashed Into Savannah's Line
with Terrific MOmentum-COpe
Satisfied With Showing Made.
With all the fire and fury of Savan-
nah at its best, combined with better
individual and team work, the strength
and courage of the magnificent foot
ball eleven which Jacksonville brought
here yesterday evened matters up and
at the end of the game the score stood
at the unsatisfactory figures of 5 to 5.
1t was a magnificent game, played
wholly on its merits and Astounding in
sensational plays. To the spectator it
was perhaps, the finest football spec
tacle that has ever been presented in
the South. 1t was a game in which
both sides exhibited offensive strength
vastly superior to defensive.
In this is explained the apparent
ease with which each team advanced
the ball, and it is remarkable that
both sides did not score oftener. With
both teams playing along practically
1he same lines on the offensive-de-
pending on tricks and sharp runs out
side OF tackle, the individual work of
some of the most famous football
players in the South, was at all times
in plain view of the spectators.
Game Remarkably Fast.
Any one who pretends to tell the
complete and accurate story of The
: battle as it was fought yard by yard
Will not have faith put into his mar
rative by eyewitnesses. The motion
was so swift that nothing but photo
raphy could record its detail with pre-
cision. Deception Of the eye was more
generally resorted to for profit than
the measuring of strength.
The varying sensations of elation
and depression in that vast throng
during the first tea minutes of play
but keyed the tension of excitement to
the highest point. From the kick off
on through the dragging minutes when
the Blue and White rolled back the
Jay attack, or broke through the saw
age line, every play made it more APP
parent that the Orange and Black had
developed wonderful strength, and that
victory was not TO be had for the ask
ing. Placing little confidence in the
published line up it was expected that
Jacksonville would show UP with valu-
able material garnered from a distance.
But it was not expected that such
powerful engine of offense could be
thrown together so quickly.
Heavy Mems Strength Told.
The large amount of money which
was wagered in small portions indi-
Gated when totalled up just how conf
dent the visitors were of victory.
Played off their feet in the first half,
they came back as the third wave on
the seashore piles up after two less
eager breakers have rolled in. On their
heavy secondary battery they depend
ed, and when massed and sent crash
ing through the light Blue and White
ii was beyond human strength to stop
it after getting well in motion. Had
Jaeksonville's line been generally as
strong as the back field, Savannah
would have been defeated.
But there was no chance to seize adj
vantage from Savannah's blundering.
Strength and endurance might fail at
moments. but here was the football
machine in a high state of efficiency.
Charged with extra steam when extra
effort was needed. vet mobile as an
auto in its adjustment to the shifting
demands of the instant. Jacksonville
tried TO elude this thinking mechan-
there were Blue and White tacklers to
meet II. headlong projectiles with
hooks OF steel which bored through in
reference as through paper. and di-
vined painfully drilled strategems as
By a sixth football sense.
Savannah Fighting vaIfantIy.
But outweighing this generalship in
ultimate results was the weight of the
Orange and Black Crushed and bleed
ing, the light blue and white was fight
ing yaliantly at the end Of the second
half TO stem the remorseless Iine-shat-
tering charges OF the visitors as yard
after yard of territory was cut from
Savannah's hope Of keeping the results
OF the first half unchanged With the
ball on Savannah's ten-yard line, and
tumble seemingly the only hope to
prevent score. the period of play
terminated before the ball was capped
on a first down.
So evenly matched were the teams
that no Jacksonville enthusiast will
agree that Savannah excelled in indi-
vidual brilliancy. Neither will loyal
Savannahians yield the palm to Jack
sonville. A comparison of the teams,
man for man. would not meet with
the approval of one man out of ten
in either city. Jacksonville profited
most In the favors of football fortune
But they also were more consistent
In ground gaining. Yancy's touchdown
was made and allowed under protest.
Referee Butler inadvertently being the
best interference the halfback had in
GLIDING tackle. But this Is one OF the
fortunes of the game. and the score
might have been made anyway.
Record Breaking Crowd.
As early as 2 o'clock in the afternoon
one was reminded of Derby Day in the
vicinity of some great race track by
the crowds which poured through Boil
ton street to the scene of the approach
ing conflict.
The paid admissions, footing IN
something like 5000 persons did not
represent all who witnessed the game.
In the assembling OF the crowd and
the prevailing deep interest. little ef
fort was made to keep hundreds OF
boys from scaling the fences and GET
ting into the park, and II is estimated
that between $500 and 1000 peopla ac
tually witnessed the game.
When the sale Of reserved seats al
lsreal's pool room was discontinued al
noon 1887 seats had been reserved. ana
dhe scene presented at the box office
at the grounds Indicated that the sale
was but small proportion Of what
Il would finally, amount 10.
Crowd Unusually Orderly.
The seating capacity OF all tbres
stands ~ M the neighborhood OF p 5Of
people, and there were no available
yeats, when the game started Mann
Of the more enthusiastic, however. LEI,