The Washington herald., 1908-06-28
Cornell Meets Mishap.

Everything great in the history OF boat'
racing on the Hudson was swept back TO
be merely mediocre by the wonderful race
OF the varsity eights. The contests in
1901 and 1907 were tremendous until to-
day. Now they are merely ordinary.
For three good miles of the four this
afternoon never a slice Of water showed
between the first crew and the fifth Of the
varsity shells. Syracuse was first when
they came to the bridge and Cornell was
last. but il was last that meant nothing
but forty feet at the most.
II is at the bridge that the test comes
because the crews that have come that
far have still another mile to go, and 1t
takes a wonderful crew 10 stand the pace
that was set for the first three miles OF
the race to-day and still be able to an
swer that call which comes as the boat
slides under the shadow Of the towering
structure
The start was 3 beautiful one. with
Cornell and Columbia catching the water
at the same instant. The Badgers We're
of third. with Syracuse and Pennsyl-
vania close behind. At the half mile
Pennsylvania had taken the lead by half
a length. with the Badgers second. Cor
neil third. and Syracuse and Columbia
taking Il easy IN the last positions. When
the mile flag was reached Syracuse and
Pennsylvania were rowing nose to nose.
Wisconsin was third. Columbia fourth.
and Cornell last. Pennsylvania still led
at the two-mlle post, but was stroking
IS TO hold the position, and appeared TO
be firing Wisconsin, meeting the Quak-
er's pace stroke for stroke, was second;
Syracuse third. Columbia fourth. and Cor
nell. rowing with long, steady sweeps-the
best form shown by any crew in the
race-was last
Syracuse Maintains Lead.
At the two-and-a-half-mile mark SYRIA
cuse. Pennsylvania. and Wisconsin were
leading The three-mile line saw Wis
consin out Of the race, Pennsylvania lag
glng badly. and Syracuse, Columbia, and
Cornell swinging along.
And when that call came this afternoon
there were two that could not answer.
Pennsylvania, almost always the pace
maker. and Wisconsin. rowing hard all
UP. They had had enough. and there was
nothing they could do. Away from them
swept the other three. Syracuse leading
by quarter Of length over Columbia,
and Cornell. which Courtney said did not
have a chance. hanging TO like grim
death. Tapped on the Columbia boat.
1t WAS a mans race from then on.
something that made the people in the
observation train and on the shore sit
silent with hands tightly clenched and
every muscle tense and taut.
Down from the bridge they swept. every
stroke seeming as If II must be the last
that any crew OF human beings could
take. One moment it looked as if Cor
nell was coming up: another il looked as
II Columbia was overtaking Syracuse But
never did the Syracuse relax, and she
went over the line a winner by fifteen
feet from Columbia. with Columbia lust
a boat length the better Of the Ithacans
Struggling In behind the Ithacans we're
the Quakers. Last OF all came Wisconsin
which blew up at the bridge when lax
hsch collapsed and almost fell out Of
the boat at the three-mile mark.
Il was a race rowed from the start
with all the ferocity that trained men
can put into their struggles. When
the gun flashed the Badgers dashed for
ward, strolSing 40-odd to the minute and
determined, at all hazards, TO lead. The
Pennsylvanians fought their way up
alongside. and there was so mighty bat
tie between these two in that stage Of the
race that the others appeared nowhere
Syracuse. away out in midstream, and
getting all the strength Of the tide. was
the only crew that seemed to be any
where in it. Columbia was rowing slug
gishly, and. with Cornell, even before a
half mile had been covered. appeared to
be almost out of IL.
Syracuse rowed with the best judgment
and Syracuse won. II was all Jim Ter
Eyck's work His was the brain that en-
Eineered the race for Syracuse, and his