Year: 1876

The first university race ever roweI in America IN
eght-oared shells took place between representative
crews from Yale and Harvard this afternoon on the
Connecticut, of this city The day had been close ana
aot ill noon when heavy thunder clouds and ahght
,reeze gathered and threatened bad weather but the
snd working gradually into the northwest, left
he river almost calm when ha-past four o'clock, 'hc
aour The contest arrived. The judges AT me
lower station mad at four O'Clock not yet gone their
places and though urged to take the special train TOR
the grand stand which they could easily captured
the referees boat and kept the waiting until she
returned from the sx.mle run to dnish and back to
the dock.


AT THE STARTING roNr.


Then steamlng directly to point on the west bank
where the Harvard crew lay ltilc below Naic's
quarters. the ordered 10 get ready, and
minute later Yale's took their sweaters OF and
both launched their boats promptly, Yale getting ahoa
five O'Clock and Harvard at minute and half
past that hour Yae's judge, meanwhile, advised
her coxswaln that the buoys erected
today of the point below Agawam ferry to mark shoa
water ana outside OF which both boats were to steer
were down. Harvard first made toward m mids;ream
followed slowly in old days.bu within half minute
sy Yale and both strengthening out, padded briskIy
own TO their stations at their starting
,uoys. Yale lad the toss at noon
md, Of course chose the western station, giving
the shorter track the along West Springfield
md Agawam, while Harvard. lying 200 feet further
East, had backed up to the boat at her buoy There
was by mutual UNDERSTANDING delay OF two or three
minutes TIL the press and spectators boat the River
Bell, drew and was ready TO fol-
.ow Then Professor Wheeler, of Yale promptly
asked if both crews ready, and getting answer
the having during the last half hour fallen dead
calm, gave the word go. Brushing the water she
tued and 10 a Tor an
slant seemed the slower at the start, but only
instant for when the third stroke
taken and the boats had gathered full
way, once contrary all expectations she began
show to the fore, aud when the first minute ended
and she had rowed 81 strokes she had Harvards bow
quarter OF length behind hers and right here this
hrst minute occurred a most remarkable thing.


YALEs snREwDNEss


Booked to go through the arch OF the railroad
bridge directly TO the right of the fourth pier and
over The middle of which a flag Of bright blue
while red showed the way similarly for the Har-
wards, instead of aiming straight for its centre
which seemed easy TO do, Yale once
and evidently in accordance with her pre-
vous plan, bore sharply of to the
right and rowed as If for point near the Springfield
end Of the bridge If she had only managed to make
few feet on Harvard in the first utterly
direrent in the next, for though her stroke,
instead Of quickenng, had actually slackened
dropping to thirty, and both crews seemed rowing
Well within themselves, yet she forged ahead in
such a startling way that semmed as If something
must have happened to Harvard. To one knowing the
water however, the secret was at obvious Both
starting buoys, says local oarsman IA
niar with the whole stream hercabouts
aere set entirely the eastward Of
the channel even Yales which was the nearer being
200 feet OF its western edge II Yae's coXswaln
had credited with not knowing the course tins
was not the time he showed least for he walked
directly out of the sluggish into the lively
water, while Harvard, following the shortest course
10 her arch, as any not knowing better naturally
would kept to work raising her stroke slightly in
the second minute, but dropping in the to thirty
nve and staying So AT every stroke Yale showed the
wisdom her move, for instead of
longer having her rival at her elbow,
the shook her sharply or actually clearing
her before the third minute over, and then gong
away hand over hand, she opened a gap even before
the fret bridge reached, such seldom, II ever
opened that carly in between these two
universities before.


TSE BLUTs' GRAND WORK.


Yale shot the bridge in three minutes and forty Eve
seconds the start quarter Of minute quicker
than Harvard usually took IN her practice pulls on
"time - and with at least three lengths the good



aud sull she did no, sacken her hard work. but
al the never varying thirty three, shot the circle in
FIVE minutes the start. and had put Harvard be-
bind her nearly Eve whole leaslhs and. contrary TO
lhe fears Of her friends Harvard never nurried,
but was rowing easily, the stesdier OF the two
Bancroft OF the stroke, dong his work especially
wei and the boat going very smoothly. in the next
minute her began bring her tor the irst time
into the friendly current, and now, on Doherys Boat
House, Yale seemed TO have had enough Of gap
opening" and to be coBtented with staying as
Now it was Yaies turn to show
that the lesson OF steering over this long our-milc
she only had half learned, instead Of swim
iug steadily on down mds,rcam which was Just tho
easiest thing to do she again suddenly veered the
right and leaving the channel entirely made over on
10 the well known lats on the west side,
until clean OF the mouth OF the little Agawan.
Harvard here plainly took the benefit OF her rivals
biunder Keeping on AZ her thir'y.ay strokes she
evidently now had the igl force OF the current and
would have shown the best good Judgment had she
been coutented have remained in its middle and
kept IT, but this she dd not do, and the 20 'd leading
tic blind she too worked brsgy 20 The allgrir
hol Tor the track THAI way looks much shorter and
easier, and to crown her mis!ortures Of these fast
passing seven minutes steered directly into Yaie's
wash as If she could not help Il





So they sped along We'll The SHINING breh. blue cap.
ofYalc and the crimson blades o. Harvard, and ior
inmate or two, had you been running on the Agawan
bank you could have tossed biscuit into eNher boat
nor lid ihey hug thc land at This point
teariy 50 well as they might, Tor the
itie Aeawam emp,y,ng here has worn
c bottom away until there water enough to row SC
close that your may almost touch he grassy bank
and Sc, the boat not ground. Now Yale does lhing
when had her rival been her side would have proved


most sagacous step; ior leaving at sst The western
bank she bored directly outward, pontn.
toward the Pccowsic station and Haryard's quarters
and then in the next turned short back again
% making an elbow, which would have thrown crew
outside Of her far Of tangent before 1t could 6egir