New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-28
DETAILS Of GREAT RACE
How Cornell and Columbia Fought
Over Four Long Miles.
CHARLES e. COURTNEY.
Coach OF Cornell crews.
[By Telegraph to The Tribune.l


Poughkeepsie. y. Y, June 27-There was
little waiting at the start as the crews
for the varsity race pulled TO the line at
$50 o'clock here to-day. 1t took some lit
tie time. however. for the Fights 10 get
into position. and the Syracuse boat had
an especially hard time in backing up to
the stakeboat At last. however. the syria
cuse boat was ready. and the customary
queries were put 10 the coxswains FINAL
ly on the tense air, came the shrill cry
Are YOU ready all?" There was sin
gle Yes" and at the same moment pis-
to barked and the race was on
Coumbia's eight men. reaching out on
the first stroke, caught the water with
such force that in less time than II takes
to tell II the Blue and White crew was
on its way and already in front Of the
other crews Cornell got the water just
moment after Columbia. but the Ithacans
did not pull with the power that was In
the Columbia oars and for few strokes
the crew from Ithaca was behind all the
others. for Pennsylvania. Syracuse and
Wisconsin were of together with a jump
Columbia was rowing 10 strokes to the
minute. and quickly opened UP a gap Of
half length. Cornell lost little time in
finding Itself and at SO strokes to the min
ute was after Columbia hot and heavy
Pennsylvania too. rowed ~ for the first
half minute. but there was not the power
IN the Quaker stroke. and they fell back
with Wisconsin and Syracuse. which We're
fghting II out stroke for stroke az IS 70
the minute.
With the end If that first burning min
ute II was expected that the Columbia and
Cornell Fights would settle down. but they
didn't.
Gamely Cornell chung on. fighting all the
time. Inch by inch the ground that was
lost at the start was reganed. And the
crews gradually came together. There was
tho most perfect Workmanship in those
two leading shells that has ever been seen
on the Hudson Columbia. swinging FUR
Their back on the stroke and getting what
seemed to be a powerful heave on the
sweeps. was rowing a lower stroke than
the Ithacans and going along in matchless
style
There was the faintest suspicion Of
break in the Cornell boat. for Distler. at
No. 6. did not seem 10 he getting the long
even swing that marked the rowing Of the
other seven men in the boat, hut later this
was not noticed.
In the Columbia she'll. however there
was not even the faintest suspicion Of
break Each man was getting his oar In ut
the furthest reach with no splashng and
with snap catch that caught the water
and sent II swirliny backward. There was
the clamping down OF eight pairs Of legs
as the men put 10 It's fun use tho telling
leg drive that had sent them to victory
over the Navy Downing. the Columbia
stroke. swept his oar through the water
lust tribe slower than his rival. the vet
eran Bowen. I'm the Cornell shell Just a few
feet 10 the eastward
Rarely did two stroke cars measure
blades in such a test Of endurance and
speed. and never perhaps more evenly was
the battle waEed. At the half-mie mark
the two shells seemed To be one, for they
surged forward with each stroke. and their
pace slackened as the crews fen back on
the recover Bowen was hurryine Cornell
along just fraction Of q second higher
than the Columbia stroke. Pennsylvania
was desperately striving to live up TO the
reputation it had made for itself in prac-
tice, but was badly out Of il. even with the
l.
Wisconsin was behind Syracuse. which was
rowing hard in an effort to keep up
Just below the haif-mile mark the crews
began to strike rough water. caused by the
freshening southerly breeze. Columbia's
eight, showing splendid Workmanship. paid
little attention so the waves, but the Cor
nell crew was bothered a lot. and there was
a deal Of spiashing BY the Red and White
oars Pennsylvania also seemed TO be hard
hit by the rough streak. and Wisconsin,
used 10 the heavy eoing Of Lake Mendoza
swung out 10 decisive lead over SYRIA
cuse which already was showing signs OF
weakness
Toward the mile post the rough water
got worse, and the leading crews. which
had been rowing thirty-three and thirty
TWO respectively. dropped down two counts.
Columbia pulling through AT thirty and Cor
ncl one notch higher The slightly higher
stroke Of the crew from Ithaca sent the
Cornell shell into the lead by n fraction Of
foot at the one mile mark, where the
Colun bia houseboat was anchored
Columbia was not out Of tho running by
ony means. however. and the crew length
enCd out trine it's already long stroke
~ this time Pennsylvania had dropped two
and one-half lengths behind the leaders
and was not rowing smoothly by any
means. De Long. al No. 4. was doing
everything an oarsman should not do. and
Cartier was rushing his slide These de-
fects. coupled with the fact that the Ouak-
ers were rowing a disorsanize1 thirty-six
with much smashing diI moi rn.k. tbat,