Norwich bulletin., 1914-06-20

question as to the right of Yale to the slight margin that must always go to the winner. It was only the Ques- ton of the distance that separated the prows of the shells that caused the discussion. The three officials differed as to the inches but after carefully comparing notes officially decided that Yale had crossed the line about four inches in advance of the Crimson Coaches Declare 1t Closest RacU Ever.
 Both coaches stated emphatically that they had never seen a closer race in all their rowing experience. Guy NickallS the Yale coach and former Oxford University oarsmen said that he had never heard or seen such a close finish in a race of such dis tance. It was a great victory for Yale's latest rowing mentor and he showed his pleasure by praising his pupils and their gameness and at tempting to avoid any mention of his part in the race and it's result.
 At Red Top. the Harvard training quarters, there was nothing but praise for the winners and losing eight that drove them so hard.
 Won.
 Coach Jim" Wray said that his crew had rowed perfect race, holding
  contest which surpassed anything in his experience. From other sources it was learned that the Harvard oarsmen believed that they had won. even after the blue flags besa an to wave in aseen- dancy. It was not until the judges told them personally that Yale's shell was four inches ahead at the four mile mark that they lost hope of the ulti- mate award. The explanation appears to lie in the fact that Yale, according to rowing experts right at the finish line, that the blue crew swept across at the height of their stroke, while Harvard's shell lost headway as the eight oarsmen were reaching forward for another grip on the water.
 Blue Led All the Way.
 The statement was also made in un- official quarters that the Harvard crew was under instructions to let Yale set the pace, and while there is prob ably little basis for the report, the fact remains that the blue tipped oars did lead the way up the Thames for vir- tually the whole four miles. As seen from the shores the shells were so close that many were misled into naming each in turn as leaders, but the official times show that the New Haven sweep-swingers kept the prov of their shell slightly in advance of Harvard's except near the three and one-haf mile point, where the crimson showed in front for a few seconds.
 Vale Quicker at Start.
 The wind coming out of the south east was ripping the waters of the Thames as the rival crews drove their oars into the flooding tide a few min utes before o'clock. Yale appeared to get the quickest grip on the water and shot forward in the west lane which she drew in the toss for posi- tions with Harvard. on the east side of the course, just a few feet in the rear. Both strokes set a pace of close to 40 to the minute for a short dis tance and then settled down for the long race ahead One hundred yards from the start Coach Nickalls' pupils were leading by one-quarter of a shell length. At the half mile mark Yale rowing 2S to the minute. was half a length ahead of the Harvard she'll where Stroke Chanler was passing his crewmates 30 to the minute.
 Blue Leads at Mile, 3-4 Length.
 As the first mile flags slipped behind Yale had increased her lead to three quarters of length. using 30 stroke to Harvard's 32. Both shells were travelling fast and the watermanship of the oarsmen was smooth and clean cut. Tho blue put a little more leg drive into their work near the one and one-half mile mark and staved off a Harvard challenge, although the Cam quarter length. Wray's crew was row ing perfect uniform stroke, but did not appear to get quite as much run between strokes as their opponents.
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