New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-01
FRESHMEN FIGHT HARD IYALE -FOUR VANQUSHED
Yale Youngsters 0utroWel,, in
Last Half Mile of Pretty Race.
by Telegraph to The Tribune.I


New London. Conn, June 3o.-Harvard
started the day auspiciously by winning the
freshman race, after one of the prettiest
struggles seen on the Thames in years.
After the first quarter of a mile 1t looked
as if the Crimson was going to make a
runaway affair of the race, but unexpected
strength and power asserted themselves in
the Yale boat, and for the next mile and a
half it was nip and tuck between the two
crews with Yale gradually closing up the
gap that Harvard had opened at the start.
The Blue weakened at the end, however.
losing two lengths In the last quarter of q
mile and the race itself by full length of
open water.
Harvards time was II minutes 541a sec
onds and Yale's, II minutes 2 seconds.
This was fast for the course, as the race
was rowed with the tide slightly against
the crews and the Wind blowing directly on
the port quarter, giving the oarsmen lot
of trouble in handling their oars.
After considerable backing and filling. the
crews finally came to rest at their stake
boats. Yale on the east shore of the river
and Harvard in the lane along the west
bank. There was only moments delay as
the men rested on their oars and the ref
cree asked the formal questions. Then.
after Ready all :" came the sharp bark
from the gun. and they were off. The Har-
ward freshmen caught the water first. and
in five strokes, by actual count, had showed
their shell quarter of length in the lead.
With not a little splashing the crews then
got down to their normal strokes. although
Yale was rowing trife higher than she
had In practice In the first quarter of a
mile. the Harvard youngsters had settled
down to business and were pulling thirty
two strokes to the minute with the pre-
cision of a machine. The Yale eight was
not rowing nearly SO smoothly, hut the
boat was driving through thetwater well
and the stroke was count or two lower
than Harvard's, although not nearly SO
regular.
The Yale crew had begun to use its eff
fective long swing while the Crimson kept
pumping along at 80 Harvard was row
ing very smoothly but. despite the ragged
work in the Yale boat the shell shot along
with never sackening speed. Just after
the mile flags had been passed Howe, the
Yale stroke called for sppurt, and gradu-
ally the stroke rose to Sc. The shell forged
slowly but with increasing speed up on the
Harvard boat until the bow of the Yale
boat was on even terms with the bow oar
in the Crimson shell The Cambridge men
answered this challenge with a splendid
squirt but, try as they might they could
not stop that Yale advance, and at TIE
mile and half mark inches only separated
the bows of the shells. Harvard's t!N,4
was minutes and / second at tins point,
and Yaes a fraction of a second more.
But then the Harvard crew came into its
own and In the next few strokes began ~
pull away from the Yale youngsters: Grad
ually. foot by foot. the Yale shell fell be
hind until it was Just on even terms with
the rudder post Of the Harvard boat. A
quarter of a mile from the finish the Har-
ward eight hit up the stroke again. and
from there to the finish made runaway
affair of the race. Every stroke found the
fast firing Yale crew further behind nj
although the Blue hung on tenaciously. il
was unequal to the task of checking the
stady gains of the Crimson boat.