The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-30
YALE'S VICTORY.
Varsity Four Mile Contest Was
a Close Affair.
The Two Crews Got Away on
About Even Terms.
HARVARD FELL BACK
At Two and One Half Mile Mark
Badly Exhausted.
Crimson Leading q Trifle at
Three Mile Flag.
Blue Won by Less Than Boats
Length in Snappy Finish.
HARVARD FELL BACK

New London, Conn, June 30.-The
Yale varsity crew Thursday afternoon
Wrested victory from Harvard in the
annual four mile race on the Thames
by the length Of an oar. After rowing
Tor four miles with the shells tapping
the Yale boat crossed the finish line
Ghree-uuarters of a length ahead Of the
crimson. Yale won by two and one
half seconds. The Blues time was
1885,: Harvard was 22:S6.
such a race has never before been
roWed in the q years of racing between
those old rivals.
The Ellis went to the starting flags
confident or an easy victory but Coach
FFray sprung a surprise on Yale and
last night his name was on the lips Of
every lover OF rowing as the coming
rival Of John Kennedy, the professional
coach at New Haven. E1arvard's cry is,
eve win lick them next year" To this
Yale replies with a very serious Wag-
ging of the heads of its rowing ad-
Viserss who see trouble ahead.
At 40 o'clock Harvard was at her
starting Tag and three minutes later
the Yale shell was in position Within
I'VE minutes Referee Aieklehanl had
given his instructions to the crews,
there was a flash of pistol and the
strong arms and broad backs swung
hack in the shells. The race had be
gun. Yale got the best Of the start
and in the first half dozen strokes shot
the nose Of her shell ahead Just be
fore the first half ME was finished
Harvard ran her stroke up and began
to cut down Yale's lead. Yale finished
the half in 2:22, Harvard in 2:23.
Approaching the mile mark Yale had
settled down to a long steady swinging
pull, Harvard vas rowing Two strokes
higher than Yale and was splashing
continuously. at the mile Yale was
leading by almost a boats length. At
ter leaving the mile Yale increased her
lead to about two lengths.
Approaching the mile and a half Har-
ward spurted and regained more than a
length, almost tapping Yale's stern. The
Yale boat passed the mile and half
mark IN SOL. Harvard 500. At the
tgFo-mile mark Yale led by half a length
and the time was. Yale 10:47, Harvard
1858 Then the Harvard COxsEain calI-N
ed for squirt and his crew responded
gamely. At the same moment Yale
came very near meeting with an acct
dent An empty barrel had drifted into
the Blues course and it was floating 50
low in the water that the nose of the
Yale shell was within a few feet of it
when CoxsWain BerkalOW saw it and
cleverIy .steered his boat over into Har-
wards water just far enough so that
Yale's outriggers passed over the OBJ
struction.
This loss of Roadway, combined with
HarVard's squirt, cost Yale two OF her
six seconds advantage. Yale's time at
the three-mile flag was 1887, Harvard's
1913
The last mile of the race was a fight
never to be forgotten. Just beyond the
three-mile flag Meier, Harvard's No. Z,
who had been rowing a terrific race
seemed to have pumped himself out
The Harvard stroke dropped back to
81 to the minute, but it only stayed
there for a very brief space of time.
Suddenly Meier seemed to get his sec
oud wind and the Crimson stroke went
up two points. The Harvard shell be
gan to gain on Yale.
Suddenly the shells were once more
Tapped. The Yale cOXswain called for a
squirt and his crew raised their stroke
to 80. the highest that they had been
taught to row. Still Harvard was game.
Up went the Harvard stroke to 81. The
crews were only a hundred yards from
the finish and still it was others race.
The Harvard shell continued to creep
up on the Yale boat, when suddenly the
flag at the finish dipped and Yale was
a winner by three-quarters of a boat
length. Harvard's men danced and
Rugged each other as though they had
won the race. Yale was so dazed that
she forgot to cheer for a few minutes.