The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-06-30
WINS RACE
The Crimson Defeats Yale in
Eight-0ar Contest.
STROKE COLLAPSED IN BOAT
Terrific Strain Too Much For Girls
void, Who Was Relied On to set pace
Race From Boats and Shore.

FOF die - thousands Witnesses
Race From Boats and Shore.
New London. Conn. June 26.-Amid
n deafening din OF steam whistles and
horns and amid the frcnzied shouts
OF collegians. the Harvard varsity
eight shot their boat over the finish
line. winning from tie c.ipplcd and
distanced Yale crew that classic OF
American college aQuatics. the Iiar-
vard-Iale varsity boat race. But in.
stead of n race. Harvard finished the
last mile and a half alone. while far
behind Yale imped along with but
seven men at the oars. while Griswold
the strokc-the man who had been re-.
lied upon to set the winning pace
bent forward. limp and faint from the
terrific strain of the opening two
miles.
The course was four miles and the
river banks were fringcd with solil
masses OF people and with crowded
observation trains skirting the banks
and keeping abreast of the ayiur
boats. The river was crowded vita
hundreds OF pleasure craft OF an kinds.
Through this maze OF craft the racers
threaded their way. with a r open
course 200 feet wide. mark-t every
half mile with red and blue stand.
ords-blue for Yale and crimson for
Harvard. Every eye was rivettcd on
the swaying bronzcd forms in the boats
as they bent TO the terrific strain %.
twerty-siN. then thirty and then
thirty-four strokes to the minute. driv.
ing their frail crafts through the wa.
ter as with knives. Yale had spiashei
AZ the start. and the Harvard men had
been quick TO take this advantage.
pushing their boat slightly ahead
There they hung. nip and tuck. Har.
ward stamina against Yale pluck
through the roaring avenues OF nerve
g2cked. screeching thousands Half
mile from the start both boat crews
were almost side by side. Harvard be
ing few feet TO the fore. one milo.
Harvard still ahead with Yale holding
On doggedly. TWO miles. Yale sprintinr
and lessening the gap: two and a hall
miles. Harvard stiu in the lead. with
epen water between the boats AMI
Yale fighting on like grim death.
Now came the decisive moment
Steadily on they came. when suddenly
-ommotion was observed in the Yale
boat as Griswold. the stroke. fell for
ward on his oar and ceased 20 row
Cass. Nale's coXswain. had already
been dashing water into his pale face
For nearly a minute the Yale stroke
sat motionlcss. bent down as n life
less. Then he was seen 20 straighten
up and bend 70 his oar again and a
great shout went up from the Yale
cohorts as their crew was seen 10 pick
up the stroke and rally for another ef
fort. But they We're now six lengths
behind. hopelossly beaten. Anothe.
twenty strokes. and Griswold was seen
20 collapse again. and then the whole
crew. dishearteued at the fan of their
leader. quit their work and sat De
jccted at their oars. Yale was beaten
10 was no longer "a race. and Harvard
swung ahead alone. still kccpinc NJ
the racing clip and crossing the finish
ing line with a regular swish. swash
20 the very end. AS Harvard sped
across the line. boom. boom" and
loot. loot" went up in a doafenin-
chorus from the myriad craft. while
from bank TO bank rolled a chorus OF
Harvard wells, and from every truck
and mainmast broke out the trium
plant crimson and bewildering maze
Of Kaleidoscope color In the fore
water stood out the big presidential
yacht. with the Roosevelt children or
the bridge. applauding Justify. Far
away could be seen Secretary Taft
car. the big secretary standing. bare
headed. gazing back toward the Grip
pied Yale boat. while "rah. ran. rah
Harvard" came from the groups OF
college men as the secretary sped by.