New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-18
THE REGATTA,

| The University Regatta at Springfield yes
| terday may be set down as the greatest ana
upon the whole the most satisfactory IN Its
general aspects that has ever been witnessed
| in this country. The number of colleges rep
resented and of crews participating III the con-
| test gave the occasion an interest that has
attended no previous regatta, and was
scarcely exceeded by that of the Harvard and
Oxford crews in 1869 on the Thames. Indeed
| it is safe to say that the occasion, calling to-
| gether as it has the representatives, of eleven
of our highest schools of learning in cOmpe-
titon exhibiting the finest physical culture
and muscular development, marks an epoch IN
the history of our colleges the real beginning
in our thcuniversities of more equal adjustment
of physical and intellectual training. For al
though there have been university reGattas
and much of college boating in one way and
another for twenty years past, the conditions
have never been favorable for thorough
development of the advantages of system OF
competition such as has been initiated with SO
much Of success at Springfield this year. Col
lege faculties, though not positively prohibiting
the sport, were still inclined at the first to
look upon it with something of disfavor as
interfering with the regular curriculum and
distracting the attention of the young men
from their studies. Younger blood has been in
fused into some of the corps of instructors, while
a few Of the older professors have been learn
ing something, so that quite recently it has
come to pass that the governing bodies of the
colleges take almost as much interest in the
contest as the undergraduates themselves.
Perhaps the fact that the men who have
pulled in university crews have, as a rule,
succeeded better in active life than the puny
and unhealthy scholars who paid no attention
to manly sports or physical culture, has
opened the eyes of the Dons; at any rate they
are viewing the business with much more of
favor than heretofore.
The race of yesterday seems to have been
fair and manly competition, and to have been
measurably free from the offensive features
which in previous years have tended to bring
the regatta into something like disrepute. The
Springfield authorities, cooperating with the
State Constabulary, took effective measures for
the prevention of pool-selling public gambling
and other forms ofvice, and the general sobriety
and orderly conduct on the part of the crowd
were due to the action Of the undergraduates,
who had resolved to be on their good behavior
and not permit the exuberance of youthful
spirits to lead them into the riOtous excuses
which used to make the regatta week almost
q reign Of terror for the citizens of Worcester.
Doubtless there was more or less betting
on the result, but the open and fragrant
violation of law in this regard which
has heretofore had the effect to turn the
whole affair into q great gambling venture,
with all its demOraZing associations and
temptations to vicious practices, was pre-
vented by the action Of the police. So far as
we can learn everything was orderly and re-
spectacle, and all the circumstances and sur
roundings were such as might be expected
from a tournament of scholars and gentlemen.
The feature in the result which has for
boating men the most significance is the
winning Of the Freshmen and University races
both by Yale, with the new stroke adopted
for the first time this year, and described at
length in THE TRIBUNE Of June IS. Mr.. Cook,
the stroke and captain of the Yale crew, went
to England last Christmas and made this
stroke, which is the one used at Oxford, O
matter of careful study, and has trained his
crew in it since his return. The Yale men
have kept very quiet, and made little stir on
the river for the week or two that the college
crews have been practicing there, but the re-
suit shows that they were attending to their
work, and meant business. The triumph
of Yale in all three races-the single SOUL,
Freshman, and Universty-will have the
effect to revive the interest in boating which
of late had been somewhat dropping from
repeated defeats. The Glass of 1870, which
passed some solemn resolutions on the
subject at the late Commencement, may take
heart there Is good stuff in the