New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-18

in thtmorning or late at night Good judges say
the Oxonians are "faultless-past comment" The
Harvard crew are much improved, and are rapidly
working into the English style. They display great
strength and their pace against the reverse TIDE Is
rapid. The question is generally asked, Gan they
hold out at the terrific pace with which they startT
The betting to-day is five to two Oxford Yester-
day it was three to one. The Harvard and oxford
crews both rowed from Mortake to Putney to-day.
The former made from IS to 50 strokes per minute.
They had heavy weather part of the way.
IFROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE
LONDON Aug 3.-You may have had from other
pens than mine accounts of what the Harvard crew
have been doing since their arrival so that need
not attempt to describe what has occurred during
my absence. saw them yesterday on the river Tor
the first time and suppose must try to say what
/ think, and what others think, of their chances.
The general Judgment may be summed up in SEN
tence-that they are fine powerful fellows, who
might be taught to II is not possible If 1t were
desirable to conceal the fact that the opinion OF
rowing men. almost without exception, IS against
them. You may gather it from what the newspapers
say, which have reported daily the appearance OF
the Harvard crew the Thames, and minutely crtl-
cised their performances. These comments are
meant to be courteous. and are, think, much less
outspoken than they would have been in the case OF
an English crew, but their meaning is unmis-
taxable. All, and more than all they say
is confirmed by what l hear in private from
rowing men, OF course there has been great curl
osity. Putney was thronged last week, and the
towing path to Mortlake looked as it looks the week
before an Oxford and Cambridge match is to be
rowed. 1t did not look so on Monday, and 1t is I'M
pleasantly significant that men who care for rowing
seem to have lost their interest in the match or at
any rate TO have made up their minds as TO its result
The clubs at Putney. which cover the Thames with
their boats when anything is going on, turned out
on Monday a single fouroar and two OF three wher-
ries and outrggers. As rode down TO the beach IN
front of the London Clubhouse, where Harvard has
its headquarters the already in their boat
and just showing off There may have been humid
red people looking on. saw the men for the first
time, and looked at them with admiration In point
of physique and condition they fully the equals
of any English crew have known, and there Is abont
them what Englishman would call thorough
bred air, which has gained them great liking and
respect. II anybody doubts the value Of rowing as
physical educator. / wish he might see these four
superb specimens Of Young American humanity,
with their grand figures and fine faces and contrast
them, as did. with what the two Colleges Of Yale
and Harvard could put into boat fifteen years ago.
] suppose the men about me, who mostly belonged
TO the clubs had the crew often enough before,
but they watched them and commented on their
points all the same. In minute or two they got
away from the shore, pulled few yards down to-
ward the aqueduct, turned and went up the river at
a moderate pace. And then all the praise turned TO
censure. The strongest eulogists OF the men them
selves could find nothing good TO say Of their rowing
An English crew, you will observe. is expected 10
row well always and all the time. The fundamental
maxim here is that a crew learns TO by row.
IL.
an old hand, every fault is sharply censured. and
each man in succession is criticised. The Harvard
system puts four men into boat with their coach at
the bow himself rowing, and he alone crtieising his
men, whom he takes along al pretty rafting pace
II they have faults he 10 trust 20 hard rowing
to eradicate them, whereas the English theory IS
that il man has fault when rowing at ease he will
have the same fault developed and hardened when
rowing at speed. Moreover there serious faults
which cannot be detected from the bow Of the boat
but which must be seen and corrected from the out
side. The bow-oar himself may have faults-who is
to criticise themi And lastly, it is maxim with
the English that for the perfection of crew II is abb
solutely essential that each in the boat give his
sole attention to his work, never looking out Of
the boat seeing nothing but the back of the in
front of him, having no opinions Of his own. know
ing nothing but the voice Of the coach from the
bank and paying TO that at all times an unquestion-
ing obedience Can there be doubt which Of these
two systems is the more scientifci
II there be doubt il bids fair 20 be put a rest by
this race, for Harvard thus far adheres TO its
The crew have employed Henry Kelley, one of the
best men in England, but only TO show them over
the course. am told they reject him altogether as
coach, and mean to go on TO the day Of the race
without any other instruction than they can get
from themselves, and from the inside of their boat
/ hope il is not true cannot say positively, be-
canse have unluckily been unable 10 see them ex-
cept once on the river. II they would give them
selves up INCREASINGLY 70 Kelley there is still time
enough before the race for a geeat change TO be
made. He would turn them out in a fortnight diff
ferent crew altogether and cannot but think with
immensely greater chances of winning. IT. however,
this meant 10 be trial between the two systems Of
rowing and learning to row, English and American,
the Harvard men are right in sticking to their own
method, and they will show uncommon pluck if they
persist in that to the end against the opinion Of
everybody about them. That thoy abound in faults
TO an English eye is beyond dispute. To quote the
words Of one friendly critic, Z" they row short they
dig they fail to catch the beginning and they fail
to swing back well together'-four faults which.
combined would undoubtedly make an English cap
tain despair of his crew.
Perhaps may be excused for adding to the gene
raj testimony my own opinion, as have seen them
row but once. Or 1 will put it in an alternative
FORM and say that either the English are all wrong
or the Americans are. Perhaps you will remember
that this enterprise was TO show the English among
other things how a racing boat ought TO be built.
The Harvard men brought over q craft which was
looked upon in America the perfection of the boat
building art They have found it so inferior to the
English that they have discarded it and ordered