Norwich bulletin., 1913-06-21
|HARVARD'S RACE BY II LENGTHS
Crimson Varsity Left Yale Far in the RearBue Boat For got the Lessons of Its English Stroke-Ihree Men in Losing Boat Tottering at the Fnish-Earvard Rows in 20.42, Yale in 21.22.

For the sixth time in six consec- uttve years Haryard's varsity. eight pared crew triumphed over the | ale oarsmen in the long four mile race that closed the annual inter- university re- gatta on the Thames river Friday af- fernoon at New London. Preceded by the two Crimson victories of the fore noon and the two wins of Thursday, it completed a Harvard sweep that has not been equalled but once or twice in the long history of Yale-H Harvard rowing. Tonight bands of Cambridge students are parading the streets shouldering new brooms emblematic of the Crimson sweep of the Thames river.
 Defeat Crushing and Complete.
 The final defeat administered to Yale was so crushing and complete that the English stroke and rowing methods imported from Oxford are being held up to ridicule this evening in a man. ner which many veteran oarsmen think unjust at this time. Sweeping down the river with a steady and consistent stroke Harvard crossed the finish line eleven lengths ahead of the Blue, in 21 minutes and Az seconds. The Eli eight rolled and splashed across in HarVard'S wake just 3S seconds later, as badly a defeated crew as has been seen on the Thames river course in some years.
 Procession After First Mile.
 Except during the first mile the race was merely a procession with the Crimson oarsmen increasing their lead steadily as the half mile flags slipped past. It was not that the Yale sweep swingers broke or failed to get speed out of their English stroke but Har- ward surpassed them in every depart ment of the art of rowing. Using a trif7e quicker stroke Coach Wray's pu- pills drove their long knife-like racing craft through the water at a faster pace and with less lost motion yet in the end they failed to show the symp- toms of excessive exhaustion that marked the finish of the Blue.
 Harvard Had Ginger at the Finish.
 During the last half mile of the race Harvard maintained fast pace. ffn- ishing with a racing sprint that car, ried the stroke up to forty to the min ute. As the shell slid across the fin ish the oarsmen dropped their sweeps and slapped each other on the back and then waved to friends who were cheer
 Three Totter in Vale Boat.
 Far back in the rut came the Yale eight rolling and ragged, the shell barely crawling through the water and the oars trailing and splashing as the men went automatically through the motions of rowing without either catch or snap to their blade work. As the shell drifted under the railroad bridge Stroke Crocker and Lippincott at No topp1ed forward whiEe in the middle of the craft Philbin at No. was so ex- hausted that he reeled out of align ment, sagging the shell dangerously before he could recover his balance
 Blue Oarsmen Lost Form.
 e taught by Advisory Coaches Kirby and Gold of Oxford, was concerned, the Yale oarsmen appeared to get consid erable power and speed into the blade by hard work early in the race, but when the crucial test came at the mile and half mark, the period of coaching was too short for them to hold letter perfect under the strain Slowly but surely faults began to creep into the individual work of oarSman after oarsman until during the last mile 1t was simply a case of every man rowing for himself without either rhythm or form so far the crew man in front of him was concerned. Time Too Short to Learn English
 Stroke.
 Speaking of the efforts and resultant effects of Yale crew in connection with the English stroke, a famous amateur oarsman said last night:
 The stroke taught by Messrs. Kirby and Gold is all right in itself, but it is not adapted for use by American crews except after a most gruelling and lengthy preparatory course of training preceding the actual work in the shell. The strain upon the stomach and loin muscles is terrific and no crew, in my opinion. can go four miles with that stroke. unless they are espe- cially fitted by several years of pre- liminary work for the muscular strain that the stroke imposes"
 Blue Jumped to Lead at Start. This opinion. backed by statements