Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-06-23
RIVAL GROUPS AT
new LONDON FOR
yALE-HARVARD RACE

New London, June o2-(By A. P.)
-Enshrined with two centuries of
New England tradition. this port,
famous the world over for former
whaling glories. tonight cast aside
conservatism and donned regatta
raiment. Annual host to the Har-
ward and Yale rowing contingents
and their thousands of adherents,
New London decked herself in blue
and crimson for tomorrow's inter-
varsity crew races and enjoyed the
experience.
For several generations this VEN
cradle city bordering the Thames,
with its combination of New Eng
land atmosphere and English line
age, has yearly emerged from its CO.
coon of puritanical dignity and
donned the colors of the competing
colleges with the abandonment of
youth. The fact that Yale and Har-
ward typify the same New England
tradition and sentiment made the
transformation easy.
Long before the twilight of sum-
mer's longest day began to fade into
the deeper tints of night, New Lon
don was dressed for the return of
her regatta guests. Blue and GRIM
son remnants appeared at all points
of vantage in both shopping and
residential districts. Store windows
were bright with varied combina-
tons of mercantile matter that lent
itself to the desired decorative end.
Faded photographs of crews of 80
years ago again found places of
prominence where youthful UNDER
graduates might gaze upon former
rowing stars, now grandfathers.
Other colleges may send forth crews
| to battle on newer courses. but Yale,
! Harvard and New London blend
| into a regatta picture which, mel
| lowed by time and tradition, forms
an aquatic classic.
The advance guard of spectators,
| heralding the thousands who will to-
morrow overrun the town and river
banks, added the necessary modern
| touch to bring the setting up to date.
| BY motor car. pleasure yacht, steam
err and rail they descended upon
| New London in pre-war numbers
| until hotel clerks assumed the bored
expression incidental to standing
| room only. Auto parties with ma
chimes bearing huge hammered HIS
! and Us drove to adjacent cities in
search of a nights lodging. On the
| broad reaches of the Thames were
scores of yachts at anchor. Mar
! shallcd in serried lines above the
| hpiI cd
the racing lane for tomorrow's bat
tie of blades. Almost gunwale to
gunwale palatial going yachts
and speedy motor launches lay side
by side.
Four miles up the river the oars
men of the rival universities rested
/ for the test OF rowing skill. courage
; and endurance II hours away. The
! final practice was passed and the
last regatta detail completed. tn
| less weather conditions prevent, the
freshman and junior varsity races
will be rowed down stream over a
| two-mile course at IL and 11.30, re-
| spectively daylight saving time, to-
morrow forenoon. At $50 Z. NJ.
the varsity four race Will be
started upstream, the two Fights
rowing from the railroad bridge to
! Bartlett's Cove.
Late in the afternoon the rival
! crew captains and regatta officials
gathered for the selection of racing
| lanes. In place of the old-fashioned
| tossing of coin, the courses were
marked on slips of paper and drawn
from a hat. Captain Appleton of
Harvard picked the east lane for the
; four-mile varsity race and the west
| lane for the freshman and Junior
varsity two-mle forenoon contests.
A strong. quartering, upstream
wind which raised white caps in the
lower bay delayed the start of the
graduate and sub races set for the
afternoon. Similar conditions at the
same hour tomorrow will halt the
varsity race. and the local weather
forecast mentions strong breezcs as
a probability FRIDAY