New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-31
THE COLLEGE, REGATTA

We have read since Friday about twenty col
umns efletters from Worcester to the New-fork
and Boston papers, and have acquired efeat
deal of information on almost every subject e4'
cept rowing. What the correspondents haze
to say sbout the very important race Dc
tween Yale and Harvard is confined TO-
tho most part to wrangle about time.
The dispute Us to the time Of the Yale boat is OF
much consequence, but happily is capable OF a
deciive settlement. We do not know whether
tho Yale and Harvard umpires disagree about
it, but if they do there is one man
and only one who can pronounce
final Judgment, and he is the Referee. One OF
the conditions of this as of all races cas, that
disputed questions should be settled by him.
1t happens in this case that that functionary Is
very competent to discharge bis datics,b be being
no other than Mr.. .Eehua Ward,
one of the best Oarsmen in the
country and familiar with rowing questions.
He is said--and we presume correctly said-by
several correspondents TO have Put the Yale
time at II minutes 424 seconds, as first re.
ported, but he would obligo che public
by statement of his decision over his
own signature. Our correspondent alleges
that there wss confusion on board the judges
boat, and that no accurate time was taken. Ii
that be 20, the duty Of the Referee is the more
imperative add his decision the more necessary.
Other correspondents discuss what they con-
slider the improbability Of Yale having made
y :42, and or that we have a remark to offer.
The course over which the college champion
ship race was pulled is three miles by survey
or's measurement. Il seems to be taken tor
granted that the celebrated time of the Gersh
Banker in IS59-l6:37-was made over the
samo course, but. such is not the fact. The
oourse at that time had not been surveyed, and
when 1t was, the stake was Moved good
distance above tho point where it stood
in 80. 1t follows that, although the
time of the Gersh Banker was correctly re-
ported, it is 10 standard for present comparison.
We do not infringe upon our principle that q
referees deciaion is final, for We admit that the
Gersh Banker pulled over her appointed course
in Is m. 81 see., which is ell that judges aud
referee ever decided, bat it by no means follows.
and We in f-et deny that that boat then or ever
pulled three miles in that time. For the Gersh
Banker was lapetreak, o good boat of her
class, but of o class hopelessly inferior to the
present shells, and aside from the certain fact
Of the short course, no rowing man can on
reflection believe that snch boat,
even with the crew that then pulled
her, should have s1rpasscd all the subsequent
achievements of beats inconparsbly superior in
construction. Rejecting, therefore, the reported
time Of tie Gersi Banker, tho Yale time on
Friday - the best ever made, whether 1t be
fixed at IL m. 42tt Sec, or Is m. 42t Sec, and
the Yale crew may content themselves with the
assurance that in either case they have made 1
tho best actual tine over three mile course
that ever was II ade in America. IL is right
to edo that until it is officially decided other |
wise. there can 10 no reason FOX doubling that
the time first reported II N. A2i sec, is coz |
rect. We have been assured that the Yale ]
went below Is m. in practice, and We have seen
a letter from Mr.. w. X. Bacon, the Yale stroke
expressing his belief that bis crew made l7.H,
in tho race. I.e, if anybody, ought to hs q
judge Of what they could do.
There never was o race in which the lostrs
did not have Some excuse to offer for Their de-
Get, SO Harvard has Of course her apologies on
tho present occasion. Yale had u better boat
aud heavier crew, isis urged. So far ~ we
can judge from the published dimensions Of the
TWO boats, we should say unhesitatingly that
Yale did haze the bstter boat, and we trust this
race may induce tie Harvard men to abandon
their inyeterate prejudice in favor OF their
present model. A boat ought to be built for
The crew that is to pull it, but Harvard sticks
to ono model for all crews, and that a bal
in length and with toO
much aoor. They certainly know how
to build loaf in England, where the
best rowing in tho world is done and the fastest
races are pulled, and we venture To say no
builder could DO hired at any prca to risk his
reputation with boat like tho Harvard And
it il not an excuse, it is an aggragation Of the
defeat of Harvard, to say that they did not
ct this late day know what sort Of a boat they
ought to pull In.
Then as to weight; we suppose one object OF
these races is to test the physical superiority
and to improve the physical standard at the two
Colleges. To say that Yale could put stouter
crew than Harvard could into boat, Is
IN CIV that tho former has already out