THE BOAT RACE.

The intercollegiate boat race in which Harvard, Yale and Cornell are represented, will be rowed this afternoon at 2 o'clock over the four mile course on the Thames. Like the race of last year the outcome of today's contest is pretty generally conceded to one crew. In the opinion of most rowing experts Cornell will have no difficulty in securing the victory today. The futility of prophesying the result of a boat race has been many times proven and any certitude with regard to the race this afternoon is impossible. Other things being equal, however, Cornell should win today. There are seven men in the boat who are veterans and for coxswain they have a wonderfully capable coach in Captain Colson. They have shown in time trials fast speed, and their form is much superior to either Harvard or Yale. Furthermore they have had Courtney for coach and in him a great precedent for winning. Courtney considers the crew the fastest he has ever turned out.

This feeling is the same among Yale men regarding their crew. While the Yale crew remained at New Haven, the general opinion was that nothing could defeat them, but they have not gone ahead much since reaching New London. They are an exceptionally heavy lot, but unlike most heavy crews have plenty of snap and life. They average 170 pounds apiece and in four miles heavy crews are apt to suffer more than lighter ones. They have given no exceptional exhibition of ability so far as time is concerned, but they are perfectly together and perfect in form. Between Yale and Harvard probably lies the fight for second place. Harvard will be represented today by a crew in perfect condition for a four mile race. The crew is a light one, and certainly not so smooth as either Yale or Cornell, but for all that they have shown that they are not to be disregarded. There can be no doubt of the men's ability to last, and they have in Dobyns a tried stroke, who is never beaten until the finish. Since they have been at New London they have smoothed off wonderfully and in trials have done very fast work.

The Harvard crew will row in the following order: Stroke, F. Dobyns; 7, N. Biddle; 6, J. H. Perkins; 5, C. L. Harding; 4, F. L. Higginson; 3, Eliot Wadsworth; 2, J. D. Kernan; bow, G. S. Derby; cox., G. P. Orton.

Following are the orders of the Cornell and Yale crews, together with the weights of the men:

Cornell-Stroke, F. A. Briggs, 138; 7, E. J. Savage, 170; 6, R. W. Beardslee, 155; 5, C. S. Moore, 169; 4, T. L. Bailey, 169; 3, L. W. Wakeman, 168; 2, W. Bentley, 160; bow, W. C. Dalzell, 160; cox., F. D. Colson, 112.

Yale-Stroke, W. B. Williams, 157 1-2; 7, J. C. Greenleaf, 170; 6, F. W. Allen, 181; 5, J. H. Niedecken, 170; 4, R. P. Flint, 167; 3, J. P. Brock, 183; 2, H. P. Wickes, 168; bow, Payne Whitney, 164; cox., H. O. Walton, 113.