Rules to Govern the Yale-Harvard Boat Races.

There are in all twenty-six articles which regulate the annual boat race between Harvard and Yale. The following is the substance of the more important and more interesting rules:

All previous agreements are annulled and at any time certain specified articles of the present rules may be suspended by the mutual consent of both captains and with the approval of the referee. The race shall be deemed an annual event; but, in case of the inability of either college to enter a crew. notice to that effect must be sent to the other college before the first day of December of that college year. The referee must be a graduate of some neutral college and each boat club shall have the privilege of naming him in alternate years. Yale having the choice this year. His name must be proposed at least one month before the races and in case no objection is made within a week, he is to be regarded as the choice of both colleges. This year Yale selects the day for the race which must always be rowed on the Thursday or Friday following the last Wednesday in June, each college choosing the day on alternate years. The race must be rowed on the ebb tide and within two hours of high water. The course must be marked by a central line of buoys situated at each half mile point and either boat may be disqualified, if, at any point during the race it approach to within ten feet, or be distant more than a hundred feet from the central line. This is a most important rule, providing, as it does, that the two boats must always be twenty feet apart, and locating the fault beyond a doubt, if either crew fouls the other. A start is unfair, if, during the first ten strokes, either boat is disabled by any bona fide accident. Owing to the unequal length of the boats, the manner of starting the crews, was the cause of much controversy several years ago. Article XIX settles the question definitely. A flag supported by a metal rod is fixed in the stern of the shorter boat, and another on the longer boat, at a distance forward from the center of that boat, equal to one half the length of the shorter boat. The two crews are started even and timed at the finish by these flags. In case of a close finish the referee may reserve his decision, but not longer than the day of the race. In each successive year, the crews must row on alternate courses, Yale having the east course this year. Any man is eligible to row in the university race, who is duly entered in one of the recognized departments of the university. The appearance of his name in the annual catalogue, or a certificate of membership signed by the Dean, shall be deemed conclusive evidence in favor of the eligibility of any candidate or member of the crew.

The last six articles relate to the selection of the judges, their positions in the race, boats and other details of less importance. The rules are signed by captain Mumford and Lawrence E. Sexton for Harvard, and by captain Cowles, President Ames and George A. Adee for Yale.