The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-09-10
HARYERD CREW
DEFEATED
Cambridge Victor on Thames
by Two Lengths.
THEY Squirt TOO LATE
London Surprised as Race Was Ex.
pected 10 be Extremely Close
All The Way.

LONDON. Sept No. The great race
between Harvard aud Cambridge uni
verslilcs resulted Ia victory for the
English crew.
Harvard was defeated 10y one Of the
strongest university crews ever seen
on The Thames Stuart Of Cambridge
without doubt Is one Of the most re-.
sourccful strokes with n genius for
leadership, working with brain rs well
as with arms aud legs. lie knew that
hc must lead the Harvard crew at the
outset and keep his advantage mile
after mile. aud with the help Of seven
experienced watermcn he succeeded In
winning the race.
Vet the Harvard men, while unable
10 oNertuke Cambridge. rowed with
logged persistence aud forced their
rivals 10 exert themselves 10 the ut
most II was long. plucky race
astern. and at the end Harvard seemed
freshcr than Cambridge aud better
able 10 row another mile.
The superior strength OF the slower
stroke had not been demonstrated. aud
there WIS not force in reserve for a
final and lnvinciblc squirt like Colds
ten years ago. when oxford beat Cam
bridge from Barnes bridge after being
behind three.quarters OF the distance.
II is.quitc possible that the enormous
crowd and intense excitement may
have affected Harvard. but from the
moment Cambridge took the lead until
the end Of the race the Harvard boys
did not show trouble. and al the end
Of the race in all the crew there could
not be- detected sign OF distress
about any of them.
And yet Cambridge won 10y only two
lengths aud this over a course nearly
four aud half miles IN extent.
The spectacle was one of the most
brilliant ever Witnessed on the famous
Thames course. The river was smooth
and the tide full aud the weather per
feet for the holiday. AZ least 10000
spectators lined the banks. lawns. ter
races and bridges. aud scores Of excur
sion steamers were crowded with pas
scngers. Never has the reach of the
river from Putney 10 Mortlakc. with
It's three quaint church towers and
continuous environment of trees and
turf looked more beautiful than when
multitude of pleasure seekers had
the satisfaction Of looking on and wit
Messing the superior Craftsmanship OF
their university athletes. II they cheer
ed their favorltes Justify there was an
UNDERGONE of sympathy for the gallant
American competitors. who were show
ing true Anglo Saxon grit and taking
a beating manfully without complaint
Filley. captain of Harvard. after the
race was naturally downcast but
spoke to the point.
"1hcy got away quicker than we
did" he said. "and set us terrific
pace for the first mile. After that we
began to close on them. but their
stroke kept the men well together. SO
that when we spurtcd in the last half
UNIV tNAAtli I tlll0Mflfi uN ~ fdlilnE vi
Cambridge for another effort. and we
failed to get up, having left il until
too late. Still. we will come again and
try to reverse the defeat"
English experts say there is but one
explanation for the result. that Of SUI
periority of English Craftsmanship and
of the English stroke. Harvard. the
experts declare, was one of the finest
crews physically ever seen on the riv-
er, but they were unable to overcome
that training which English oarSmen
receive from childhood The Cam
bridge crew, too. had in Stuart the adj
vantage of one of the best strokes
England has produced. They also of
course had the advantage of choice of
sides. But those who know the river
best say this was little in their favor
with tide and wind as they were.