Evening star., 1926-11-28
First Battle of Kind Ever Held
in West Sets Record as
Dramatic Spectacle.
FINAL SCORE IS FAIR
SPLIT AFTER SEESAWING
Highest Hopes Of 10000 Crowd
Exceeded as Future Officers Put
Up Dazzling Fight.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SOLDIERS FIELD. CHICAGO,
November 27.-In as throbbing, SEN
sational q struggle as any gridiron
crowd has ever seen, the stalwart
elevens Of the Army and Navy bat
tied into the darkness today to a al
to-21 tie before throng Of 10000
spectators, the greatest and most
colorful outpouring in American foot
ball history.
Coming to>the Middle West for the
first time to play the star parts in a
dramatic spectacle that has had few
parallels in the annals Of any sport,
the fmidshipmen and cadets supplied
q smashing climax to it with a pulse
stirring fght for high stakes. 1t was
a tussle Of titans that ebbed and
flowed with first one then the other
eleven ascendant.
For sheer thrills, it has never been
surpassed in the long record Of
Army Navy battles, and, heartbreak
ing though it was to rival hopes Of
triumph, there was something Of
poetic justice to the fact that hon.
ors were divided at the finish be-
tween these fighting forces.
Darkness Blankets Plays.
The final score was a fair division
OF the spoils Of this record-breaking
gridiron conflict. but It was the
Army that came nearest to triumph
as the warning forces struggled
through to the finish in a pail of
darkness that made the players and
the play almost indistinguishable.
Counter-attacking in the last few
minutes of the game, after Alan
Shapley had, rushed to the Navy's
rescue to score the touchdown. and
Tom Hamilton had kicked the tying
point. West Point headed for the
Middies' goal in a last desperate
charge.
Harry Wilson, blond ace of the
Cadet backfield, who had shared the
brunt Of the attack most Of the aft
ernoon with the fleet Keener eagle,
led this final onslaught, carrying the
ball almost single-handed in a success
sion Of dazzling dashes to within
striking distance Of the Navy goal.
at last ON its own 18-yard line and
pushed back the Cadet charge, Wilson
failed In his last resource, an at
tempted field goal from the 25-yard
mark.
The kick from placement, with
Harding holding the ball, went wide
as the mighty throng stood, stilled
In stirring suspense. Echoed then a
roaring cheer from the blue-coated
brigade of midshipmen and the last
real chance of breaking the deadlock
had gone.
Pass Is Intercepted.
With the end In sight in the gath.
ering gloom, Army advanced a short
distance around midfield before being
forced to punt. Then Murrell, Army
fullback, intercepted a forward pass
well into Navy territory. but the final
whistle blew as he was tackled on
the 35.yard line. The defense Of the
Navy, in the final analysis, was equal
to the task Of warding off possible
defeat, Just as it's offense, in an earlier
crisis, had rallied in the same period
to square the count.
The vast and notable throng that
filled the far reaches OF the newly
dedicated stadium, on the edge of
Lake Michigan, came in expectation
of a sensational battle. but it's high
est hopes were far exceeded by the
battle waged beyond the Alleghenies
for the first time.
They saw what seemed an irresist-
fble Navy attack sweep into a two
touchdown lead in the early stages Of
the game on the wings of a dazzling
aerial drive, engineered by Tom Ham
ilton and punctuated by the dashing
runs Of Bruce Caldwell. AS swiftly,
in turn. they saw the Army fling its
regulars into the fray to replace the
tottering reserves, who had started
the game as a strategic move that
failed Of its purpose. Strengthened,
then, with Wilson. eagle and Murreu
carrying the burden Of attack. the
spectators saw the Cadets launch a
counter-drive that swept them back
on even terms, then carried them to
the front In the third period as Cagle
swept AZ wards to q touchdown.
The costliest and only outstanding
'~break" Of the game-a fumbled punt
nv Ransford, substitute Navy full
hack. that was converted into a touch
down by the alert Army end, Har-
the second touch
down Of the Cadets. This was really
the climax Of a twin stroke OF mis-
fortune for the Middies. because
Ransford's presence In the game was
due to an injury that put Caldwell.
the most formidable Annapolis ball
carrier, out Of the game altogether
in the second period.
S,apley Is Hero.
IF might have been a different story