A few hours later Columbia went out for the heat of the Visitors ; there were entered Jesus (Cambridge), the holders of the cup and the four that the English depended upon to win for them, every man in the boat having sat in the Uni versity crew that beat Oxford, University (Ox ford), Lady Margaret (Cambridge), Hertford (Oxford), and Trinity (Cambridge). At that time the Henley Stewards had three crews in each heat instead of two as at the present day, and the course finished at Henley Bridge. Columbia drew the centre with Jesus in the Bucks and University in the Berks station. Thus the real trial for the cup was to be made on the first day, for any crew that could beat Jesus would win. Columbia left beautifully, rowing forty, and had a lead at the quarter, and at the Remenham Farm (about half a mile then) they had a length, and took the University water; Jesus made a spurt for Columbia, and it looked as though a deliberate foul would occur, and the oars did touch, but then the crews straightened out and the struggle started between Columbia and Jesus ; the Cambridge men spurted grandly, and on the last quarter the boats were almost stroke for stroke, but Goodwin roused his men to forty four, took at first inches on each stroke, then feet, and finally at the line had over a length in 8.17. Hertford won their heat and were the American opponents for the final on the next day, though it was generally conceded that Hertford could not win without an accident.
In the final, Columbia had the Bucks and Hertford the Berks shore ; both started nicely, but Columbia had the speed and at Fawley Court led by a length and started over to take the Hertford water ; the crowd of oarsmen following on the bank yelled to Hertford to spurt in order to win on the foul, and Hertford did spurt ; their only hope lay in this spurt, and their oars nearly touched the Columbia stern when Goodwin called for another burst of speed, which took Columbia two lengths ahead. The rally had been too much for the Englishmen and bow grew weak, lost his control, and the shell ran into the bank with its fainting crew. Columbia, seeing the accident, slowed up and paddled down to the finish line. It was not altogether a satisfactory race ; but the Hertford crew were beaten before they went ashore, and could scarcely have finished in any event.
Columbia's four E. E. Sage, bow, Cyrus Edson, H. G. Ridabock, and J. T. Goodwin, stroke were a remarkable crew, and their vic tory, which is the only one that an American college has ever obtained at Henley, deserves far more praise than has been given. They con ducted themselves so well that even the English, who lose so badly, could find nothing to suggest as to the demeanor of future crews.
At home, things were going along quite merrily: Cornell, as yet without a race, had early in the year challenged both Yale and Harvard to any sort of a race over any course. Yale was anxious
to prevent a repetition, and they tersely replied, " Your challenge is received and refused," which was sufficiently unsportsmanlike and discourteous.
Harvard was more reasonable, and although they could not arrange for a University race, they gladly consented to a Freshman contest in eights, which was rowed on Owasco Lake, at Ensenore, New York. Cornell had never rowed in eights, and they had to borrow a boat from Columbia, but won the race without trouble.
Harvard had been keeping up the same system as in the previous year, while Yale's rowing had gone from bad to worse, and with a crew physi cally poor they combined a limited knowledge of rowing. The scene of the race had been shifted from Springfield to New London, and for the first time an observation train followed. Har vard won by nearly a minute, and led almost from the start. Yale rowed miserably ; they had a slow stroke, running from thirty-two to thirty four, but it was slow, not because of the great power per stroke and an easy and graceful re covery, the essentials of a slow stroke, but because the men hung so persistently at the ends. This allowed the boat to roll, and before the first mile had been covered Yale was demoral ized. Bancroft rowed the race for Harvard in the same style as the previous year ; the stroke was thirty-six, with some higher spurts; but the catch was strong, the oar well pulled through, and the recovery good. The watermanship of this Harvard eight is well spoken of.
Rowing began to come up again in 1879, and two college regattas were founded that produced a plenty of exciting rowing and which were the precursors of an intercollegiate regatta. The College Boat Club of the University of Pennsyl vania had been rowing for several years in near-by regattas, and they now determined to engage in intercollegiate rowing. A challenge was sent to Columbia and another to Princeton for a race in fours on the Schuylkill ; after several preliminary meetings the race was arranged, and the late George W. Childs donated a cup " to be rowed for annually by the Columbia College crew of New York, the College of New Jersey of Prince ton, and the University of Pennsylvania." The races for this cup have therefore been known as the " Childs Cup Races," and for a number of years they made an important part of college rowing.
The hotel keepers of Lake George, anxious to rival Saratoga's boat-racing, had an amateur regatta, and they, in this year, added a college race for four-oared shells, extending a general invitation, which several of the colleges accepted. The Southern colleges had some little rowing ; the Rives Boat Club of the University of Virginia had crews, and Washington and Lee at Lexing ton, Virginia, also kept racing boats, but the racing was confined to club regattas.