New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-30
C0ILECE REGATTAH.

never-finally decided question OF physical supe-
riority. Mainly in consequence Of these races,
which speedily became celebrated throughout
the three kingdoms, rowing in England was
elevated into something between fine art aud
q science, and for the last twenty years has held
conspicuous position among national sports.
II is twelve or thirteen years since, in this
country, a similar interest began to be felt, and
to-day there is very large number OF people
who will confess TO glow of cxultation or
shock of disappointment rs they read the result
of Yesterdays contest between Harvard and
Yale on the still waters of Quinsigamond Lake,
near the City Of Worcester in Massachusetts.
The first college regatta in America took
place in 1852 on Lake Winpseogee, State OF
New-Hampshrc, aud was brought about by a
challenge from Yale to Harvard, which WAS
very readily accepted. Boating was then in
sufficiently rude state-so much so, that the ap-
pearance of the crew and boat which carried off
those early honors would excite nothing but
laughter by the side of the slender mahogany
shells and trained crews which yesterday and
to-day glance swift as the fishes under the
shadows Of the pines which darkcn the shores
Of Lake Qunsigamond. But it deserves to be
kent in mind that the excellence Of to-day
grows out Of the effort of twelve years ago, and
nearly all the subsequent emulation which has
80 far advanced both the style and strength
of our college crews is fairly traceable to
the first slow race of 1852. What
ever improvement has occurred since then
is due mainly to two influences: the appearance
Of the famous Neptune" crew from St. John.
New. Brunswick in Boston IIarbor; and the
arrival in this country of an English boat
builder named Mckay The st. John crew
first showed the Harvard and Boston clubs how
to pull, and subsequently Mr.. Mckay, first
of all men in this country, built boat which
was fit to pull in. The Neptune "-name
well remembered by all boatmen on the placid
Charles-was q very beautiful and fast boat oil
/ her class. but not TO be mentioned for racing
purposes in comparison with the English
outriggers, modification of which Mr..
Mckay introduced. The first genuine Eng
lish shell-exsctly such boat as is pulled
on tho Thames in every raoe-was imported
from London by the Union Rowing Club of
Boston, but the club were unlucky with her,
and the Mckay pattern retains its popularity
with boating men.
The reputation Of the Harvard crews Is very
high among boating men all over the country,
and is well deserved They have pulled great
number Of races and won vast majority oil
them, successive crews pretty steadily inpfoy-
ing in style and force. The University crew
hos been beaten on but two occasions-if We
recolect sright-once by the Union Club Of
Boston in 1857, at the first Beacon race on the
Charles, aud again at Worcester, q year or TWO
afterward, by the Yalensans. Harvard boats
have been beaten oftencr, but not the Univcr-
sity eight or six TO which the iainc Of the Col
lege was sacredy intrusted. Their steady sue
cession of victories is due originally, as we said
above, to the repeated opportunities Of observ-
ing and studying the very nearly perfect method
of the st. John crews-who frequently visited
Boston, and never lost q race-and good
deal also TO their close vicinity to the river.
The Harvard boat houses ore but quarter OF
mile from the college; at New-liaven the
students must walk mile and half to reach
the water. The Yale crews, moreover, never
saw good rowing except when they met and
were beaten by their opponents ct Springfield
and at Worcester, and generally unfortunate as
they have been, deserve credit for the plucky
way in which they have reiterated their chal-
lenges, and year after year struggled for an
honor which they have been able to clutch but
once until yesterday. This last very signal
victory gives them the honor of tho best time
in Americs-beng three miles in 10 m. SEQ,
10 sec. better than when they first plucked
way the lsurels Of Harvard. They now WIN
by tho extraordinary difference Of 42A sec.-an
Ipected superiority which goes far to wipe
out all previous defeats.
But it ia by no means 10 be inferred that
rowing in this country has reached such de-
velopmcnt Us in England The circumstances
are widely different Here We never had
college crew capable OF contending FOR mo-
ment against the tough, long.winded, powerful
fishermen who camo down from New-Bruns.
wick. But in England tho Universities
beat Vie BEST crew Of professionals which
can DO culled from the Thames water
men. Thore Is rather large inference to be
drawn from this fact alone, for it broadens into
tho general statement that tho young men
whom the hest families, the sristocrscy Of Great