The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-26
SECRETARY TAFT
WITNESSES RACE
Wild Scene Of Tumultuous
Demonstration When the Grim
son Finishes Far in the Lead.
Presidents Family Pres
ent in the May
flower.
= EW LONDON. CONN, June 25.--
Amid deafening din OF steam
Y whistles and horns. and amid
4 -. Ia

gians, the Harvard varsity
eight shot their boat over the finish
line tonight, winning from the Grip
pied and distanced Yale crew, that
classic OF American> college aquatlcs.
the Harvard Yale boat race. But, In.
stead OF n race. Harvard finished the
last mile and a half alones while far
behind Yale limped along with but
the strokc-the man who had been re-
led upon to set the winning pace
bent forward. limp and faint from
the terrific strain OF the opening two
miles.
Up to this unexpected climax 1t had
been stirring struggle. worthy OF
the best traditions OF the old antagon-
lists. and with the fitting setting OF a
marine spectacle such as had seldom
been equaled. along regatta course
for brilliancy and magnitude. For
the first time, too. the President Of
the United States has taken keen and
active interest as champion of the
crimson colors. and although compelled
by circumstances to absent himself to-
day the spirit OF his enthusiasm was
voiced BY the Roosevelt family, who
Witnessed the contest from the deck
OF the presidential yacht. Yale wss
more fortunate In having her distin-
guished champion, Secretary Taft.
present in reality. the central figure
of group OF collegians aboard one
of the observation trains, who shouted
encouragement T. the Yale crew as
they sped over the early reaches of
the course. and then lapsed into glum
dismay as Griswold was seen to fall
over helpless in the Yale boat The
race was rowed under the most IA.
vorabie racing conditions. just as the
sun was setting over the picturesque
Thames, with the water broken only by
rlppies. cloudIess sky, and ajlight
northwesterly breeze.
The Start.
The picture Of the sstraining racers
as they started On their course was
one ofintense interest. AT either hand
the green hills OF the Thames stretch.
ed away. dotted with old-fashioned
New England farmhouses, the river.
banks fringed with solid masses OF
PEOPLE and with crowded Observation
trains skirting the banks and keeping
abreast of the flying boats. The great
steel draw bridge spanning the Thames
marked the start of the race. with the
finish at Red Top. fopr miles up
stream. Just above the bridge were
massed the main flotilla of pleasure
craft, with rnyriads OF trim. white
hulled steam yachts. auxiliaries, sloops
and schooners, til he very pIniS of tt..
Atlantic pleasure fleet, their rigging
bright with signal flags from stem
to stern. their spick and span decks
alive with yachtmen, university men
and society girls in bright summer cos
tune. feathers, fans and gay para.
soils. Further up the course, for full,
four miles. stretched 3long lines OF.
steam and sailing craft Of every con. !.
ceiyable descriptton-big ocean going
revenue cutters, torpedo boats, palatial
yachts. auto-boats and sharp beaked
sHerreshoff racers. The Sylph. the
Roseyelts aboard. had point Of want.
age, while all about were the racing
cracks Of every class In American
waters. ss.. $3.50
/ Through this maze OF craft the rae
,ers theaded their way with clear.
open course two hundred feet wide,
marked every half-mile with red and
blue standards. Every eye was rivet-
ed on the bronze. sw;yng forms In
the shells. as they bent tosthe terrific
strain of 26. then 30, then 35 strokes
to the minute. driving their frail
crafts through the water as with
knives. Above the shouts from the
sonlookers could be heard the gshrill
voices OF the coxswains. mesaphones
to mouth, stimulating their men and
marking time with ''one, two, three,
four" Yale had "splashed'' at the
start. and the -4arvard men had been
quick to take this advantage, push
ing their boat slightly ahead. There
they hung, nip and tuck. Harvard
stamina against pluck through the
roaring avenues Of nerye-racked
screeching thousands. Half a mile
from the start both crews We're all
most side by side. Harvard being a
few feet to the fore; one mile, Har-
yard still ahead. with Yale holding
on doggedly; two miles, Yale, spurt-
ing and lessening the gap; two and
q half miles, Harvard still In the lead.
Continued on Seventh Page.)