New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-21
Harvard Eight Crosses Line a
Length Ahead After Fierce,
Spirited Struggle.
BULLDOG Banks IN VAIN
Race an Even Thing for Half a
Mile, When Crimson FORCES
in Front, Never To
Be Headed.
[By Telegraph 20 The Tribune. ]

New London, Conn. June 20.-The Yale
freshman crew made a gallant fight
against the Harvard '16 eight. which is
conceded to be one OF the best the Grim
son has ever had. a fact made the more
certain because Of the ease with which
they defeated the Cornell freshman crew
on Lake Cayuga a month ago.
After fighting gamely every inch Of
the way the Yale boat finally had to
acknowledge defeat by little more than
a length The Harvard eight crossed the
line in 1914, and four seconds later. or
I'm l0:45, the Yale cubs rowed their last
stroke.
Rain was pelting down in sheets when
the two crews came 10 their stakeboats
The Yale bulldog, not the tabled bulldog
Of tradition. but a real, live bull pup
created a sensation just before the race
was started. The dog was on the Yale
coaching launch, and after the cheers
from the observation train had died
down he began TO bark madly, and the
Yale supporters thought they saw an
suspicious omen. 1t turned out to he
otherwise. however.
Harvard was kept waiting on the line
for several mindtes before Yale put off
from the launch. As in the four-oared
race, the Crimson lost a fraction Of
second in getting away. and IL seemed
that the Yale crews had been better
drilled in racing starts. Harvard, with
it's shorter and chopper stroke. rowed
at the rate of "A for the minute for the
first half-minute. while Yale, after get
for IA
quarter minute. dropped the beat down
TO 80 and then let il go TO 81.
But the first half mile it was hammer
and tongs before either crew gave way.
Then, when Gillian. the Yale stroke. let
the beat down Harvard got a perceptible
lead Of a quarter OF a length. When the
Crimson settled into its stride il pulled
%. while Yale dropped TO 81. and
thus the two crews fought along. Har-
ward gradually forging to the front, al
though Yale held its own strongly.
The three-quarter-mile mark found
Harvard almost a full length in the van.
and in the next quarter mile the Crimson
for the first time opened up daylight be-
tween the shells. Just before reaching
the half way flags Chichester, the Har-
ward pace setter, raised the beat and the
Cambridge PROV passed the flags FIVE
! seconds or a quarter of a length OF open
water ahead of the Yale eight
| The race was just beginning for the
Yale crew. however, and Gilfllan unex-
pectedly began 10 tear his boat along
with a terrific SO 10 the mipute.
Foot by foot the Blue gained back an the
| open water, and the stem OF the New
| Haven boat was even with the Harvard
coxswain when the Crimson awoke TO the
situation. Chichester shot the beat up
point by point until he had the Crimson
driving the boat through at &
strokes 10 the minute. Still the Yale
youngsters hung on. and il seemed that
If they could hold the pace they would
force Harvard's hand and beat the Grim
son TO the line.
At the three-quarter-mile point. how
ever. Gilfllan was forced 70 drop the
stroke. and Harvard once more began 10
creep ahead When the Crimson was a
length I'm front again Gilhuan made an
other attempt 10 block off the Cambridge
eight. but IL was OF no avail Harvard
rowed the last eight strokes in twelve
seconds. which Is at the rate Of forty for
the minute. None OF the Yale men
showed the least sign OF fatigue. and
they seemed 10 be I'm better condition
than the four.