Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-06-26
PACE TO Much FOR vAlE's STROKE
Contest Was Close AID Exciting for
Three Miles and Then All That
Harvard Had to Do was to Paddle
to the Finish line-Great Crowd
Present.

d afrning din "! steam Whistles ann
horns, and amid III" tr"nIird shouts
of coilrgianS. the Harvard VARSITY
ripht sho, their Hia1 over tn" fhiSh
line tonight. winning from the GRIP
MED and distancrd Yale crew. that
,ussic of American COLI er aqnafics,
the Harvard Yale boat race.
Bat instead Ir a race. Harvard
finished the last mile and a half alone.
while far behind. Yale limp"d along
with hut sven III, n ii IN" oars. VII"
Criswold the strukr--thc man VINO
had been relied upon 10 set the win.
ming racc-hcnt forward. limp anu
faint from the terrific strain or the
Cp ming TWO miles.
Uip to this un. xp"ctrd climax II mad
hcen a stirring struGr". worthy or the
best traditions OF tn" old antagonists
and with the fitting setting OF ma
rine spectacle such As had seiuoi'
be n cqualled along r'G"tta courS"
for hri!liancy and magnitude.
Yale was fortunate in having her
DISTINGUISHED champion. Secretary
Taft present. the centeTai feura OF a
sroup OF cOllegians aboard OF one or
the observation trains who shouted
encouragement to the Yale crew as
they sped over the early reaches OK
the course. and then lapse d into glnm
dismav as Griswoh was seen 10 fall
over helpless in the Yale boat.
The race was rowed under the most
favorable conditions. Just as the sun
WAS setting over the picturesque
Thames. with the water broken Cniy
by rippIes. a cloudl"as sky and il2ht
nOrthwesterly hreez".
BEAUTIFUL Picture at Start.
The picture of the straining racers
as they started en- their course. was
one OF intense interest. A. either
hand the green hills of the Thames
stretched away dotted with Old fash
toned New England farm houses. tne
river banks fringed with solid masses
of people and with crowded ob5erva-
tion trains skirtiHg the links ana
K eeping abreast Of the flying boats.
The great stee! ,drawbridge spanning
the Thames marked the start OF the
race with the finish at Rel Top. four
miles upstream.
Just above thu bridge were massed
the main fiOtilla OF pleasure craft Win
myriads CT trim. white hulled steam
yachts, auxiliaries. sleeps and schoon-
ers, the very pick Of the Atlantic pleas
ure fieot. their rigging bright with
signal flags from stem To stern. their
spick and sran decks alive with
vachtsmen. university men and pref
ty girls in bright summer costume.
feathers. fans and gay paraso.s.
Further mp the course. for full fouf
miles, stretched long lines OF steam
and sailing craft of every conceivable
description-big ocea going revenue
cutters. torpe do boats palaiial yachts.
aurcioats and sharp-brakci Herrsdoh
rcers.
The Svlph. the Rooscvel''s aboard.
had point Of VANTAGE Will all about
were tn" racing crafts or every class
| in American waters.
Raced Through Iv'nue.
Through this maze OF craft III" rae
ers threaded their way with clear.
| ,,pcn course 600 feet wide. marked
! every half mile with rcd and blue
standards. Every eye vas rtv"iea
upon the bronze. swayinC forms IN
the shells as they bent 90 II" t"rrihv
strain of 2G then "a. thru - STROKES
to the minute. driving III ir iraii
crafts through the water as WIN
knives. Above the shoui from thr
cnIookcrs. could 10 hcard r." shrili
voices Of the coxswa.ns. T"G1phon's
|; to mouth. stimulating Their - ana
marking timc With One. 'wn. Three.
four Yale had sp'aShrh ~ IN"
start. and the Harvard men nld hon
quick - take advantage. pa hing herr
boat slightly ahead.
There they hung. nip ar tuck.
Harvard stamina against Y. pluck
through tho roaring avenues o. nerve.
rack d. screrching thousand VAN
n mile from the start bo;E cr'r were
aImos; side by side Harvard ing a
few feet TO tho fore. Nne mile Harvard
s;fII ahead. With Val, holding ~ d'c'
eedIy: two miles. Yale spurf-C ana
IcSscrirE tho g-~: Two miles and q
half Harvard ain In the icad y
cpen vatsr between the bca' and
Yale fizhtinR on like grim de- h.
Yates Stroke coSlspoeA
Nrr came tho decisive ryVo0cp' Tifh