The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-27
The Great International Rowing Match
of To-Day.
The Two Rival Crews and their Com
position-The Course Over Which
They Will Row.
'|The Latest Advices by Cable-The
Harvards Again Announce that
They Have not Changed
their Style.

oars in the sluggish waters of "Old Father
fThames"-as the cockneys delight to christen
stream that would be here called a creek-and
he splashes of their vehement blades will have
Ire-echoes on these shores, thousands of miles
away. Scarce will the over-wrought muscles
#ind the tensely-strung nerves have come to rest
ere our quicll-fngered compositors will be set
ling up in types the result of the contest; and
#half day before most Englishmen can learn
(which is victorious, our readers will have full
"details. Thanks to Sol for JOLLY beamng on
SPhiadelphians just about five hours later than
he does on "Lunnoners,' the race by our time
will be finished by thirty minutes past noon,
should the weather prove propitious, and the
public will thus early learn from THE TELE-
GRAPH whom to hurrah for
History of the Match.
In the spring of 1867 the visitors to the Paris
exposition were regaed with series of boat
Saces on the Seine for the amateur champion
hip of the world. The contestants included the
Very flower of English amateur rowers-the
London Rowing Club-together with the Oxford
4 University Four two of whose members are now
n active traiEing to meet the Harvard men, the
BoulOgne Club, the famous Gesling brothers, of
Paris, the Germania Ruder Club various Others
rom different parts of Europe, and only one
rom America. Greatly to the chagrin of the
English press, the st. John On b. crew won all
the honors. Strenuous eXertiOns were made ut
~ ne time to have either q crew picked from Har
yard and Yale Colleges combined or else an eX-
,usively Harvard crew; but, although all eX-
Penses were guaranteed, the men could not be
obtained.
Last year. Harvard having by far her fastest
eam yet, challenge was forwarded to Oxford
or a race on the river Ouse, at Kings Lynn, a
iesolate little town on the east coast of Eng
and, but as the English were unwilling to row
Without coXswain, though admitting the feasi-
)ility of so doing, and the Americans would
not row with one, and as, moreover, the time
lamed by the Harvard men was in the fall of
he present year, and OXfords men could not
guarantee a crew of which they would not
themselves be members, nothing came of the
negotiations further than a somewhat long cor
espondence.
In April last the following pithy challenge was
emit
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, April 6, 1s69.-To the President
4 the oxford University Boat Club The under
igned, in behalf of the University Boat Club,
ereby challenges the oxford University Boat Club
10 row race in outrigger boats from Putney to
fortake some time between the middle of August
the 1st of September 1869 each boat to carry four
overs and cOXswain. The exact time of the
be agreed upon at a meeting of the crews. This
hallenge to remain open for acceptance one week
WM II. SIMMONS, Captain H. U. BIC.
HE p. S.-A similar challenge has been to-day sent to
cambridge, and we would like to have all three
rews row in the same race. Would this be agree
Uble to you? WIN. II. SIMMONS, Captain II. U. b. c.
The cable soon announced its acceptance by
xford, and a few days later Cambridge agreed
additionally.
Though some objections were at first raised
ere to engaging in contest OF such import
nee and upon concessions deemed to be disad-
lntageous, they were soon dispelled when all
he facts became fully known, and particularly
hen it was learned that not only would Har-
ards most powerful oarsman, Mr.. Simmons,
ct the stroke, but also that so skilful and thor
ugly experienced man as Mr.. Loring, the
rOke oarsman of the two fastest amateur crews
et turned out in this country-the Harvard six
67 and that of '6S-would pull the bow oar.
nd, in fact, when the exceeding narrowness and
fOokedness of the little brook known as the
am are considered, and when it is remembered
Raat this mere ditch is all that the Cambridge
tew has to practice on the greater part OF
lie time, it will be seen that the Harvards
oud be asking rather too much in desiring
lem to throw over their only recognized
ethod of steering, and adopt another that could
- bly, avail them for the one race proposed and
hich would have to be dropped as soon as
Il hat was overs nor would Oxford though much
etter off as to water have been much more
The Harvard Organization.
Any undergraduate of the Harvard Univer-
ty who confesses TO a penchant for boating
~ =,comes q member of the Harvard Boat Club on
hyment of small entrance fee to the boat club
the class to which he belongs. The aggre-
3ated membership of the several class clubs
institutes the Harvard Boat Club. The federal
ganiZation is Offcered by a president, cap
4 4in secretary, and treasurer. The subordi-
~ ite organizations are similar, and are seyerally
.1@ bVerned by the rules ana regulations OF har-
Lrd Club. The president OF the club Is not
ecessarily an OaTsman, and there have been IN
o ances when such has been the case. lie acts
presiding officer at meetings OF the cluD.
hen the crew are afoat the captain has sole
lthority, takes charge of all the details of the
ce. and assigns his men positions in the boat
ccording to his judgment. lie is, III one Word,
ctator; he selects, trains and directs the crew;
M ere is O appeal from his decision. lie may
axe the stroke bow, and the bow stroke, or
av turn the whole crew out and put other men
+ their places. o,-,,.,u,,,,,
Gntain also of the university Crew., which
INSISTS of six picked men, presumably the
st muscle which the several classes can pro-
nee In an emergency calling the Harvard colors
4 tbe river. The class crews as well as the
University are siX-oared, the present iour-oareu
lew being entirely an Innovation lndced, tht
nr-oared crew cannot properly DC cohslueIeO
mart of the Harvard boating system, as IL i
.| tirely an outside and eXcepllohal ilnaiI, an. M
4 commander holds no Official posluon III tti' tl'
n,versitv Club In numbering the crews th'
aotice is 10 begin with the stroke oar, the DOW
= heinc six i'm a regular crew and four in th'
,ternational crew. The captain OF a crew elecl
own position, which Is likely, OF COURSE, u
either that of bow or stroke. In the u1lVeI
4 tv crew the stroke is port oar, In inc lhIer
liional starboard oar. .,, ,,.;o
I'm the June race OF last year the coVeIe9 PIlE ~
the Beacon Cup was borne oil by inc FRESH
a craU and quite unexpectedly on the par
on nnost neople. IL win not appear strange
.onrdin6ly. 10 say that all the members OF ina
o,1 win one exception, this year hold P0si
~ either i'm the International four or the Ohl
,psitW sIX. The SUCCESS vi Lhe FfeshiAVn Lao