WELD WINS BOTH RACES.

The Weld first Sophomore and first Freshman crews won their heats yesterday afternoon in the preliminaries of the interclub class races over the regular course on the Charles River. A drizzling rain, unfavorable wind and heavy sea made fast time impossible, but did not deprive the race of the distinction of being among the most interesting of recent years. Although the winning crews won by about three lengths, their lead was gained only after a very hard struggle in which the stronger drive and snappier catch of the Weld crews eventually brought victory. The quality of the work of all the crews gives promise of exceptional racing in the finals for the class championship next Monday.

The Sophomore race was started upstream at 4.40 o'clock with the first Newell crew next to the Beacon street wall, the Weld in the middle, and the second Newell on the outside. The Weld crew immediately took the lead with a somewhat slower stroke than the Newell and gradually settled down to about a 30 which it held almost all through the race, the Newell crew rowing a 32 stroke with occasional spurts. At the finish the Weld crew led the first Newell by almost four lengths, the second Newell finishing about ten lengths behind the second boat. On the approach to Harvard Bridge the Weld boat led the Newell by about three-quarters of a length, but just as the crews were entering the bridge No. 7 of the Weld crew caught a crab on account of the heavy sea. This enabled the Newell crew to gain half a length, which it kept for only a short distance. The time was 11 minutes and 37 seconds.

In the Freshman race the first Weld was next to the wall with the first Newell in the middle and the second Weld on the outside. The first Weld took a slight lead at the start with a stroke of 35, but settled down to a 33 before reaching Harvard Bridge. The lead of half a length at the bridge was gradually increased, until at the finish the Weld boat led by over two lengths. The time of the race was 11 minutes and 16 seconds.

The orders of the winning crews yesterday were as follows:

Weld Sophomores--Stroke, Richmond; 7, Lawson; 6, Ober; 5, Abbott; 4, Deming; 3, Eayrs; 2, Joy; bow, Johnson; cox., Chase.

First Weld Freshmen--Stroke, Filley; 7, Gill; 6, Pleasanton; 5, Hollingsworth; 4, Shepard; 3, Corlett; 2, Hyde; bow, Judd; cox., Borden.

The officials were: Referee--F. L. Higginson, Jr., '00; timekeepers-- H. Bullard '02, J. Lawrence '01; judges--R. A. Derby '05, A. Hemenway, Jr., '05.

This afternoon the last two of the preliminary races will be rowed between the Seniors and the Juniors of both clubs, up-stream from the Union boat-house to the Longwood Bridge. The Junior crews will row at 4.30 o'clock and the Senior crew at 5 o'clock. The second Senior and second Sophomore Newell crews will probably row at 4.30 o'clock.

The officials will probably be the same as those of yesterday.

The crews will row as follows:

Newell Seniors--Stroke, Stevens; 7, Ayer; 6, McGrew; 5, Haycock; 4, Foster; 3, W. P. Wolcott; 2, Stone; bow, James; cox., Litchfield.

Weld Seniors--Stroke, S. H. Wolcott; 7, Hartwell; 6, Derby; 5, Bent; 4, Greenough; 3, Ernst; 2, Roberts; bow, George; cox., Kelley.

Newell Juniors--Stroke, Foster; 7, Phillips; 6, Lindsay; 5, Thanisch; 4, Hunt; 3, Welldon; 2, Hull; bow, Otis; cox., Ivy.

Weld Juniors--Stroke, Dillingham; 7, Minturn; 6, Sanger; 5, Bleakie; 4, Lindsley; 3, Lloyd; 2, Macomber; bow, de Rham; cox., Swan.