New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-08

want of that sprghtness that results from hgh COLI
dition. They were, however, hard In muscle-harder
than the Oxford crew. Yet Simmons had daIrhea on
the day and for As hours previously.
"In the race Oxford did not wait for them as they
sometimes do for Cambridge but pulled all they
knew from the first. A little above Hammersmith
Bridge they were distressed, but got second wind
afterward
"Their beautiful finish shown in practice, disap-
peared in the race and little remained of their form
but their true time, the quick advance Of the arm
and the keen catch at first of the stroke which have
won them the day so often. Harvard pulled the
handsomer stroke of the two. N BIN practicing,
just the reverse.
THE ridiculous theory Of the London press is
answered by this that Harvard kept the same form
in practice and in the struggle. Oxford did not.
"These remarks are at your service. think yon
may rely upon their accuracy. AS to the dip forward
of boat, my opinion was shared to the full by a
distinguished oarsman, with whom compared notes,
with the craft and her behavior in sight.
yours, very sincerely,
london, Aug 2S, CHARLES READE.
am nome the less glad to have this brief comment
from Mr. Reade with his leave toprint it, because on
several points his opinion is hostile to mine 1t would
not become me to discuss letter written IN such
spirit, nor need l say anything about the weight OF
his judgment in rowing matters. The author of the
boating chapters in Hard Cash is sure to be lis
tened to with Difference and what he urges on one
two controverted points viii be read by Harvard
men with peculiar pleasure; though don't know
why say Harvard men only. For the purposes OF
this race, every American is a Harvard man; since,
spite of their modest disclaimer they were and will
always be thought an American -Four, of whom
Americans have every right to be proud.
The services of Mr.. Hughes referee, of Messrs.
Gritty and Guiston as umpires and of Mr. Blake as
starter, gave universal satisfactiOn-if DIR. Holmes
will pardon me the obnoxious word. The best thing
to be wished in every that there should be no
call upon the referee That there was none yester-
day was largely owing to the patient and intelligent
way in which referee, umpires, and coxswains went
over the race in advance agreeing on what should
be done at doubtful points. Much was due also to
the zeal which the coXSwains showed during the
race to avoid collisions. The spirit on both sides
was uncxceptionabe, and venture to say that nar-
ward are far better satisfied with their honorable de-
feat than if the race had ended in wrange, giving
them doubtful or technical victory, a victory to
neither. Let this be remembered to Mr.. Burnhams
credit rs partial set-off to the blame which falls
heavily and no doubt justly, on his head for his
many sins of steering And let me say expressly, If
have not said before, that the best steering IN the
world would not have changed the result. 1t was
not to be that Harvard should win this time.
viii Harvard try aganl Not this crew. think
| will not undertake to speak for them, but can
scarcely be wrong in saying that they recognize the
superiority of their antagonists. To-day they may
not attribute their defeat to the same causes that
domainly that is TO inferiority of style and defec
tive training. Justly proud of their triumphs ut
home honestly believing their style effective and
and method of instruction helpful as the English
they refused to change, or confess a change i'll
either Mr. Blaikie's letter to Tie Times spoke the
voice Of the crew. 1t is difficult not to sympathize
with the sentiment which led them TO cling, so far
as they could to the methods and traditions they
brought with them from home. 1t is equally difficult
not to believe that if they had flung them away three
weeks ago their chance of winning would have been
largely increased. But if they were not convinced
before yesterday must have done something to open
their eyes to the merits of the English rowing IL
would be strange if they did not carry back with
them to America lesson to be put in practice there
Voluntarily OF invoQntarily they proiited more
less by il here You cannot persuade Mr. LOring or
the crew that they do not pull the stroke as be
FORE You can hardly persuade anybody else that they
do No man, no crew. could resist wholly the intlu-
ences about them. They admired the Oxford style
when the Oxford first showed the river although
they also thought 1t open to criticism, and never
could understand precisely why the Oxford recovery
was called quick and their own slow. They thought
it lust the other way, and their mistake was one OF
the secrets of their defeat They admitted-or some
of them did-that their rivals were superior in the
mere externals, as they called Them OF rowing SUI
perior in elegance and finish. They admired the
straight backs. the measured swing, the unvarying
uniformity. But they said, this IS ornamental,
not useful, and when it comes to downright nara
rowing we shall see who lasts longest or puts most
work into his stroke. Well, they saw Yesterday.
A., \ 10, nd Mr.
Reades remark that the beautiful finish Of Oxford
disappeared during the and that little remained
of their FORM The general opinion of rowing men is
exactly the reverse One of the most competent
among them saws: We do not want to SEQ better
general STYLE" | should have been willing to rest
the whole question Of the comparative merits OF the
two STYLES and two methods of training on the per
Torrance of yesterday. Yet there had gone on-if
Mr. Lorng will allow me to say so-a gradual trans
formation of the American stroke. 1t had not be-
come like the Oxford but it had become very unlike
what Harvard rowed on their arrival. 1t was in a
transition state. 1t could not have reached the real
perfection of Oxford because Oxford perfection is
the result of incessant coaching from outside the
boat and Harvard steadily rejected all innovation in
That direction. Our men never learned the catch,
never learned the recovery never rOwed quite to-
cether and never even seemed to try for uniformity
of body swing. Their great improvement was IN the
use of the legs dsuse of the and swing of the
bodv. which might have been good except that I'M
luckilv every man in the boat had different one OF
his own.
But did not mean to 60 into details, and would
not offer one word of criticism on men that have
done such credit to their country but for the hope
of the future My point is, simply, that our half
dozen Americans must have learnt much which they
ought to carry home with them and turn to good ac-
count. If they will renounce their blind adherence
=. II ,1;r .ho, ,,o,, ravolntionize or rather com