Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-06-28
Freshmen Do Well at First But Get
Only Third Place at the End
Cornell and Syracuse Take Aquatic
4onors at Poughkeepse A
Day Of Thunderstorms

When half a mile had been rowed
Syracuse was showing a good length
in the lead, Columbia second, Wiscon.
sin third, Cornell fourth, Pennsyl-
vania fifth and Georgetown sixth,
Soon after this Georgetown spurted
into fourth place, but fell away again
very quickly, and was never again a
factor. Columbia and Wisconsin
found the pace too fast at the end
of a mile. Cornell swept into the
lead at the mile and half, Pennsyl-
vania second place, Syracuse third.
Then came a magnificent squirt by the
Syracuse men. They rapidly over
hauled Pennsylvania and closed up
the gap of nearly two lengths which
had separated them from Cornell. The
latter crew was rowing at 80 while
Syracuse went to 35
When the orange boat pushed
alongside the red and white shell, the
coXswain in the latter called for a
quickening of the pace and the Cornell
boat quickly slipped away into the
lead again. Time after time in bril-.
liant bursts of speed Syracuse strug-
gled to overhaul the leaders and it
was not until the last mile of the
journey that Cornell could show cleat
water. Then Syracuse had shot her
bolt and the Pennsylvania crew, pull
ing with grim determination,
snatched away the honor of second
place by inches. The race was such
hard one that several of the men
almost collapsed. They were quick
ly revived, however, and each crew
was able to row to it's boathouse.
Excitement in Quaint Old Town.
Little Poughkeepsie was early flood
ed with sight-seers. Every train
brought them; every excursion
steamer both from New York and
Albany was damned on every deck.
Bit by bit the river itself ologged
with boat of every ilk and class
Each was allotted certain position,
leaving the course clear for the rae.
ers.
The observation train was sold out a
week before the races. Late corners
bought tickets from spectators,
searched frantically for seats on the
feet of boats or had small boys scour
the low hills that line the river for
points of vantage. Every dock threat
ened to tumble a hundred or more
gayly-clad men and women into the
river, a few secured positions on the
great bridge, but owing to repair
work the majority found this gallery
closed to them. At noon when the
last trainloads rolled into town, 1t
looked as If the river would be lined
hundreds deep all along the four
miles of the course.
Every visitor had a favorite college
and wore its colors. Those who
never sought higher "learnin' chose
at hap-hazard, generally selecting the
cardinal Of Wisconsin to demonstrate
their courage in Haunting the colors
of a loser plucky enough to come a
thousand niles or more just to show
what the west could do.
River a BedIam of Noise.
For hours before the races the
river was a bedlam of noise. Each
boat had a whistle, varying from the
shrill ear-piercing soprano of the lit
tie craft to the bull frog, overwhelm.
ing bass of the steamboats,.
Boats that nature had not provided
with whistles acquired automobile
horns, the better to vie with the
others.
The start of the race was q sight
to thrill the most blase Almost ex.
actly on the instant, forty-elght
sweeps dropped into the water with
only ripping splashes. Forty-eight
statues suddenly breathed and moved.
The six boats sprang forward, not as
heavy craft starts, slowly; but on
the instant, lifting almost out Of the
water from the sweep Of the great
paddles, as if a torpedo had shot them
forward without warning. Like ma.
chimes the rowers swung back and
forth. churning the water into froth
| with their mighty strokes. And to add
to the dramatic moment, every whistle
blew forth, till the green hills echoed
and reechoed.
For perhaps a hundred yards the
crews were on even terms. Then
one began to forge ahead, only to be
overtaken by the others. Already the
coxswains were cautionlng and com
manding Already the ToTers were
red Of face and reeking with perspira,
ton. Truly # was q test Of endurance
quite as much as OF skill.