The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-06-29
CORNELL V|CTORS
N VARSITY RAGE
Captures Eight Dared Event al
Poughkeepsie.
COLUMBIA IS CLOSE SECOND
Two Men In New York University
Boat coIlapse-winners Cross
Line Length and Half to
the Good.

Poughkeepsie, N. Y, June 2S.-Cor-
nell won a glorious victory in the
varsity boat race but the Columbia
eight made a most remarkable finish
in second place.
With bowman and stroke lying limp
and senseless in their seats--rowed
into utter exhaustion by last cruel
spurt-the crew of Columbia univer-
sity crossed the finish line only a
length and a half behind the triumph
ant eight from Cornell. They were
beaten, after victory had seemed to
be within their grasp from the very
bang OF the starting gun. But nature.
rather than Cornell, defeated them.
The time was Cornell 20:10 40. Co
after a brilliant struggle with Wiscon-
sin whom they nosed out in the last
few yards, while Syracuse, far, far
behind, was a bad last. 1t was be-
yond all doubt the most brilliant var
sity contest ever rowed on the his
toric old course.
Columbia Freshmen vietors.
There was Joy for the followers of
the Columbia camp, though, in the
fact that their freshmen crew tri-
umphed by two lengths over Cornell,
with Syracuse, Pennsylvania and Wis
consin further back.
The varsity four went to the Itha-
cans after a spectacular struggle with
Syracuse, who finished only half a
length behind. Columbia beat out the
Red and Blue.
There were fewer yachts and a
smaller crowd than usual both on the
observation train and on the rocky
heights of Poughkeepsie and High
lands. Probably 10000 persons, in
Guiding Governor Dix, on the deck of
the naval reserve ship Gloucester,
watched the wide shouldered, slim
WASTED athletes of the five colleges
drive their fragile shells for the glory
of their alma matters.
Water Is Smooth.
The river was of an almost mill
pond smoothness when the five var
sity Fights padded slowly to the start
ing point, four miles up stream.
At the start 1t was Columbia, Cor
nell, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Penn
sylvania Columbia cut out terrific
clip, trifie over 40 strokes, for the
first half minute.
But the IthacSns hung on grimly
and for the first mile it was nip and
tuck between these two rivals.
At the end OF the mile Pennsylvania
was third, "a lengths back, with Wis,
consin beginning to walk away from
Syracuse. In the second mile it began
to look as though it was to be a Co.
lumbia day. Fifteen feet ahead of
Cornell was the tip Of their bow at
the mile and a half: 20 feet at the
mile and three-quarters and this they
held to the half way point. Wiscon.
sin and Pennsylvania, five or six
open lengths back, were fighting it out
almost as closely.
Half way in the third mile Columbia
got lead OF clean half length, and
at last, going under the bridge that
marks the beginning of that deadly
fourth mile" there showed between
their stern and the Ithaca bow, a tiny
space of clear water-just about q
foot.
Cornell Makes a Squirt.
Up TO this time the Ithacans had
rowed a steady 80, but now Kimball
shouted an order through his minia-
ture megaphOne. Bowen, the big
stroke, put just a little more power,
just a little more rapidity, into his
sweep. The men behind him respond.
ed to the urge. Not inch by inch this
time, but by several feet to an oar
swing Cornell moved up. In twenty or
thirty strokes, about 300 yards from
the finish, they drew up on even terms
Then it was that young Eddie Sage in
the Columbia bow saw Elliott, the Cor.
nell bowman, go up ahead of him and
out OF his sight, and the heart OF the
Columbia broke In the next few
strokes. 1t was tragedy to Sage His
father, Columbia oarsman OF many
years ago, had been bowman of the
only American crew that ever was vic.
torious over Britain's best at Henly.
The father was on a yacht following
this race and watching every pull OF
the youngsters arms. And now he
was seeing his son defeated. Grief,
almost as much as exhaustion, took
away young Sages consciousness.
or course that blasted beyond recall
the hopes of Columbia, and the rooters
on the train fell silent In an instant
as they saw seven men trying to fight
the superb Cornell machine. Then
came the collapse of Downing at the
other end of the boat, and 1t was all
over save for the triumphant Il yell,
yell, yell' of the happy Ithaca crowd
as their boat shot ahead and crossed
the line length and a half to the
good.