The Cairo bulletin., 1908-06-26
HARVARD CREW
IS VICTORIOUS
VALE EIGHT DEF 1ATED BY HALF
a MILE IN EVGNTFUL
CONTEST. ~
GREW BEG me CRIPPLED
When Gr;cWold, Stroke, Collapsed
Secretary Taft and Roosevelt
Family Witness Race-PreSi-
dent Not Present.

! Now Lt M II, lOlln,, June % - Ann |
the dcaffuins din c. s'clm VIII ,stl2s
aud horns, and amid TIE fre0zi d
shouts Of col.egians, the Harvard var
sity eight Shot their boat over the
finish line tonight, winning from e
crippled and distanycd Yal, crow in
the Harvard Yale varsity boat race.
But instead Of race, Harvard finished
the last nile and haf a'one, w lie
far behind Yale limped along with but
soven men at the oars, with G-i5wold,
the stroke mal, who had teon rel ed
upon to set the WANING paee-te1t
forward, limp and faint from tdc r
rife strain Of the opening two miles
Taft Was Present.
Fer the first time tie pres,d mt Of
the United States was taking keen
and active interest as champion of the
crimson colors, and although com
PEELED by circumstan> 10 be alb e t
himself today the spirit of his enthu-
siasm was voiced by tie Roosevelt
family who witnessed the contest from
the deck cf tHe presidential vac t.
Yale was more fortunate in having heI
distinguished champion, Secretary
Taft, present In reality, the central
figure of agrCup Of collegians aboard
Cne Of the observation trains.
Conditions Favorable.
The race was rowed under mcst
favorable racing conditions. The
racers had clear open course zoo t ct
wide, marked every half mi'e with red
and blue standards Every eye was
riveted on the swaying bronzed forms
in the boats as they bent to the ter
rific strain, 26, then so, then 34 strokes
to the minute.
Harvard Starts Ahead.
Yale splashed at the start, and the
Harvard en-, quick to take advantage,
pushed their boat slightly ahead.
There they hung, nip and tuck,
through the roaring avenues of nerve
racked, screeching thousands. Half a
mile from the start both crews were
alomst side by side, Harvard being a
few feet to the fore; one mile, Harvard
still ahead with Yale hanging On
two miles, Ya'e squirting
and lessening the gap; two and half
miles. Harvard sti'l in the lead wi h
open water between the boats and
Yale fighting on Ike grim death.
YaIe's Stroke Gives Out.
Now came the decisive moment.
Steadily on they came, when suddenly
a commotion was observed in tie
Yale boat. as Griswold. stroke. fell for
ward en- his oar and ceased to row
Case. Yale's coxswain had already
been dashing water into his rale face
For nearly a minute Yale's stroke sat
motionless. bent down as if lfelss
Then he was seen to s;raighten up and
bend to his oar again. and a great
shout went up from the Yale cohorts,
as their crew was seen to pick Up the
stroke and rally for another effort.
But they were now SIX lengths behind
beaten. Another twen Y
strokes and Griswold was sen to col
lapse again and then the whole crew,
at the ,all Of their leader
quit their work and sat detected
their oars.
Crimson Victorious.
Yale was beaten. It was no longer
a race end Harvard swung ahead alone
still keeping up a racing clip and
the finishing line with the
regular "swith, swash' to the very
end As Harvard sped across the line.
her particans broke out in wild
chorus and from every truck and main
mast broke out the triumphant Grim
son. In the forewater stood our big
yacht with the Roosevelt |
children on the bridge applaud ng |
Justify.
Beaten BY raif a Mile.
Far away could be seen Taft's car, !
the secretary standing gazing back to-
ward the crippled Yale boat, whila |
'Rah, Rah, Rah' Harvarl,' came |
from groups of college men as the
;ecreatry sped by. Griswo'd had been
lelped from the Ya'e boat and agei7g
ar behind the seven remaining Yale
nen at last made their appearance at
he finish. half mile behind. receiving
generous ovation for their pluck IN
Ter srch conditions. The official time
# the finish was:
Harvard. 2i minutes. 10 seconds.