The class crew championship race for the Beacon Cup will be rowed at 5.30 o'clock this afternoon up-stream over the 1 and 7-8 mile course from the Union Boat Club to Longwood bridge. The winning eight will be awarded their class numerals and the names of the men will be inscribed on a silver platter. The crew will also be sent to compete in the Henley regatta at Philadelphia on May 26. The officials have not as yet been appointed.

The best chance of victory lies with the Sophomore crew, but the Seniors and Freshmen will probably press them hard for first place. The Sophomores have improved consistently during the season in form and drive. The Seniors have shown power and life, but have still a tendency to rush their slides. Chances favored the Freshmen until yesterday, when J. Cutler, who has been stroking the crew regularly during the last month, was operated on for an abscess. He will not be able to row for several days. Reece, who has been rowing on the Freshman second or four-oar crews was tried yesterday at stroke, and the crew followed him well. Despite this serious change the crew will probably make a creditable showing.

The crews will row this afternoon in the following orders:

Seniors--Stroke, Switzer; 7, Burchard; 6, Kellogg; 5, Lord; 4, White; 3, Cabot; 2, Gibson; bow, Williams; cox., Bonelli.

Juniors--Stroke, Gregg; 7, Cate; 6, Forte; 5, Sherwin; 4, Hopewell; 3, Wiswall; 2, French; bow, Simmons; cox., Ogilby.

Sophomores--Stroke, Mason; 7, Whitney; 6, Despard; 5, Tilton; 4, Hyde; 3, Parke; 2, Onativia; bow, Comstock; cox., Dutton.

Freshmen--Stroke, Reece; 7, Rackemann; 6, Lunt; 5, Faulkner; 4, Mulligan; 3, Severance; 2, Crandall; bow, Ellis; cox., Wise.

The Beacon Cup has been a College rowing trophy for almost 50 years, although it has been several times neglected for a number of years. It appears to have been first offered in 1858, as a prize for the "Beacon Cup Regatta", in which a Harvard crew won from seven others in a three-mile race. In 1866 the cup was made the annual challenge prize for the winners of the spring class races. The cup is a large silver goblet covered with the names of the first nine winning crews, from 1866 to 1874 inclusive. In the three years following the names were inscribed on a parchment, but after 1877 the cup disappeared and for 20 years was not raced for. In 1897 F. R. Appleton '75, stroke on the University crew of that year, discovered the Cup in the Bursar's office. At his suggestion a large octagonal silver platter was provided by subscriptions. On it the names of the crews winning the Cup from 1874 to 1905 have been inscribed, and there is still room for the names of about 20 additional crews. Last year this trophy was taken from the Gymnasium, where it had been placed to the lounging room of the University crew at the boathouse.