Evening star., 1915-06-29

Sweet is revenge, but when Cornell re-
| gained its rowing laurels by winning
the varsity eight-oared race and the
| junior varsity eights in the intercol-
legiate regatta here yesterday after a
! struggle with the surprising, uncertain
| crew of Leland Stanford in the major
event that fairly set the crowds wild as
the western eight came from two
! lengths behind In the last mile, fought
on even terms. and then passed Cornell
| only to lose in a heart-breaking fight
to the finish by tho narrow margin of
twenty feet, there was a note Of sad
| ness and pathos to the victory seldom
given to a college sport.
Courtney. who had held up under the
strain he has been through in the last
two weeks, was unable to see the races,
| remaining at The Oakes, the Cornell
quarters. When the news came to him
after the varsity race the grand old
man Of Cornell collapsed. Then there
was the hard task of telling Bird, who
rowed No 2. that his brother had died
been kept from him until after the
race.
1t was a victory, to be sure, but vic
tory that had glory equally with the
men Of Leland Stanford. whose grit and
pluck will be the story Of this race in
the years to come. These boys were
like the pioneer fathers and grand
fathers who fought across this conti-
nent in its early days. They had in
herited all that and they showed It yes
terday with will
Syracuse. after rowing gamely for
to take up the fight once more, was
third. while the vaunted Columbia
crew, misjudging itself from the start,
was lucky to get fourth place: Penn
sylvania. too, rowed far behind its ex-
pected form and was bad last.
Glory for Western Crew.
1t was a wonderful Cornell triumph.
but much of the glory must fall on the
shoulders Of the eight young giants
from out of the west, whose mighty
Californians were in the race from the
start and never once did they say die.
They rowed and rowed, and each
heave Of those powerful backs fairly
jumped the shell out of the water. In
the last mile. where SO many crews
have been made and broken. the stan
ford crew found itself. and, in one
long, heart breaking. gruelng sprint.
they cut down and cut down the Cor
nell lead. aye. even passed them, until
1t seemed there must be no end to that
bitter fight. Then. the superior tech
nique of the Comedians told, and they
them back ever SO slightly at first. and
then, with last desperate effort. that
carried the shell from Ithaca across the
line half a length in front.
But the day was not Cornell day in
it's entirety. To be sure. Cornell cap
capital contest. but Syracuse, with a
freshman crew that seemed to know
nothing but rowing. rowed to an over
whelming victory in the race for first
bia finished in that order behind Cor
nell in the junior eights, and in the
freshman race Cornell, Columbia and
Pennsylvania trailed in the wake of
the triumphant men from Syracuse.
Cornell Students Jubilant.
Cornell men are wildly jubilant
Their faith in their varsity boat had
been unbounded. even in the face Of
the most disastrous early season the
Ithacans have ever known.
But popular sentiment is being pour
ed in unstinted measure on the plucky
crew from California. Never would a
victory have been more welcome to all
save Cornell men than that of Stan
ford. While that big, powerful crew
was fighting its way to the front in
| the last mile. only to have victory
| snatched away in the final driving
mighty prayer from the $4,000 ashore
and afoat that the Stanford eight
| might win. While all honor Is paid to
the gallant men from Ithaca. tho won
derful lads from the coast are being
showered with glory and praise.
1t was sad day for the rowing
hopes of Pennsylvania. and though the
Quakers were only expected to show
well in the Junior event. they were not
counted on to finish last in the varsity
men event. Columbia. too. had a fright
full shock, as all three of its eights
lacked driving power and could not
keep up with the pace. A higher stroke
would nave placed them second In the
freshman race. for Cornell caught a
crab and lost two lengths. but recov-
cred and beat out Columbia because the
latter could not spurt.
A lonely-looking man seated in the
press car Of the observation train, si-
lent and apparently depressed through
the early stages of the big race. sud-
denly rose on his heels at about the
beginning OF the last mile, and let a
stentorian voice roll full and free
across the waters of the Hudson river.
Come on. Stanford" beloved this
man. now no longer a detected stran-
ger in strange land, but a native son
OF the golden west. And. as II In an
s"ei 10 eie war cry OF the ciau, otAH-
ford came on-how she came on. They
are not talking here about how Old
Pop Courtney's consummate cunning
told In the last few hundred yards of a
fierce struggle down the Hudson and
showed the Cornell shell first across
the finish line. where the Cornell shell
| has so often before been first.
They are talking Of a wild drive by
eight young giants from far-away Cal
| ifornta: of back breaking grind that
fell just little bit short of winning
for Leland Stanford and that had 30
| 900 people in the trains delightfully."-
| cheering.
Come on, stanford'-and Stanford
came on, and on. and on. down that
| last stretch of water. One more spurt-
just one more of those sudden out
bursts OF speed that had swept the
| California shell along the river ahead
Of Columbia. and Pennsylvania. and
| lSyracuse-and for a time even ahead
Of Cornell-and Stanford would have
| won Just a little more of that amaz-
ing strength that had fairly lifted the
long -beaked boat across the water for
| four weary, body -wracking miles, and
the victory would have gone to Leland
Stanford.
Say Science Won.
They were beaten about half boat
] length. Science, the experts tell US,