The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-30
CREW OF YAH
WON THE RACE.
5Wrcsted Victory From Harvard
in the Annual Four-Mile
Event.
WRAY BECOMES FAMOUS.
The Last Mile Of the Race Was a
Fight Never to Be For
gotten.
(By Associated Press. ) +

(By Associated Prcss.)
NEW LONDON, CONN, June 29.-The
Yale varsity crew this afternoon wrested
victory from Harvard in the annual four
mile race on the Thames by the length
OF an oar. After rowing for four miles
with the shells tapping and the graceful
prows zig-zagging between strokes, the
Yale boat crossed the finish line three
quarters OF 4 length ahead Of the GRIM
son. Yale won by two and one-half sec
onds. The Blues time was % :33 31-2; Har-
wards was oos:36.
Such a race has never before been rowed
in the twenty-seven years Of racing be-
tween those old rivals. The Ellis went
to the starting flags confident of an
easy victory, but Coach Wray sprung n
surprise on Yale, and. tonight his name
is on the lips OF every lover of rowing
as the coming rival of John Kennedy,
the professional coach at New Haven.
5s An Unknown Coach.
Wray came to the Thames three weeks
ago an unknown coach. He will go back
to Boston as the first professional who 4
has inspired absolute confidence in Har-
ward. The race was scheduled to be
rowed ut half-past O'Clock, and was
started less than fifteen minutes later.
The wind, which threatened to kick up
the river early In the afternoon, had
Gained down and was blowing almost
across the course and just quartering on
the bows Of the shells AS the two Fights
rowed to their stake boats the old spirit
OF Harvard awoke with the customary
long 'rahs. to which the Ellis flung back
the rafting cheer of old Yale. An al
most cloudless sky, as perfect a day as
could be wished for, the two big Fights
trained to the top notch Of condition, all
combined to form picture which. thrilled
the thousands Of spectators and inspired
the crews.
Yale's Best Start.
Yale got the best of the start, and.
rowing 81 in the first half dozen strokes.
shot the nose Of her shell ahead. Just
before the first half mile was finished
Harvard having started at 80, ran her
stroke up to IS, and began to cut down
,Yales lead.
The crews now began to strike the
ships channel just before the navy yard,
and Yale got the benefit Of the fastest
water. Yale gained on this half mile
just three seconds, or almost a boats
length, and at the two-mile flag off tho
navy yard had the greatest lead over
Harvard which she had at any time DUR
ing. the race. 60
The last mile of the race was q fight
never to be forgotten by those fortunate
enough to witness it. Just beyond the
three-mile flag Meier, Harvard 8 No. z,
who had been rowing terrific race,
seemed to have pumped himself out. He
NO. iyry a
though he could not possibly hold his
form the rest OF the distance. The Har-
ward stroke dropped back to 81 q minute.
but 1t only stayed there for a very brief
space OF time.
Shells Again Tapped.
Suddenly Meier seemed to get his So
cond wind. and the Crimson stroke went
I'D two points. Tho Harvard shell began
to gain on Yale. On every stroke the
Harvard shell crept up nearer and nearer
/ the Yale boat. Suddenly the shells We're
once more Tapped. The Yale coxswain
called for squirt and his crew raised
their stroke to 81. the highest that they
had been taught to row. Still Harvard was
game. Up went the Harvard stroke to "a,
and over tho last quarter of a mile, the
prov Of Cambridge shell began to gain
inch by inch on the stern Of the Blues
boat. The crews were only a hundred
yards from the finish, and still 1t was
others race. The crowd became Wild with
excitement The Harvard shell continued
to creep UP on tho Yale boat and every
man Of the two crews was pulling out
tho last ounce Of his power when sud-
denly the flag at the finish dipped, and
Yale was a winner by three-qlarters OF
a boat length. 81 III
Meier Falls Senseless.
Harva I'd Is men danced and Rugged each
other as though they had won the race,
AS Harvard passed the finish line Meier
at No. 4: dropped his oar and slid down
Into the bottom Of the shell. a few
handfuls of water brought him to his
senses and then the two Fights rowed off
to their boat houses, The Crimson re-
celved Just as much applause as the Blue.
The race was rowed with just one iun-
pleasant INCIDENT The steam yacht
Mermaid, owned by William Ross Proc
tor, OF New York. insisted on following
the race from start to finish against the
repeated orders OF Chairman Schwepp
OF the regetta committee. Yale and Har-
ward for years have been trying to put
an end to this interference and Chairman
Schweppe took drastic measures to NAL e
an example Of the Mermaid. /.
ut An SOON ~ NHe 5IoSo Wao J. ''e"So i'
Arrested the Captain.
AS soon as the race was finished he
went aboard the Mermaid With u reyenue
otficer Tho captain was placed under ar
rest and the Mermaid turned over to the
United States Government,
Haryard's splendid showing In the
! varsity race was not the only consolation
which the Crimson got out Of to-day's
regetta. which followed her first years
TRAINING under a professional coach.
Coach Wray had the .Rddit ional Isa tlsfac-
L n al n