New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-11
THE COLLEGE REGATTA.
THE COURSE AND THE OREws

| (PRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUsZi
SPRINGFIELD July 10. - Springfield talks
nothing but regatta Every ono upon tho
street asks FIRST who ia going 10 win this race and inn
mediately follows up the question with wiso oh
servaton OF his about the respective merits Of tho
different crews Ia fact, Springfield Ia boating mad IL
ia only week to the set FOR tho great inter
collegiate regatta while the features OF the week begin
on Monday. Already the the town Ia beginning 10 ill
with strangers, chiefly college All the leading pro
fessOnal oarsmen the country here either training
crews themselves holding frequent private eonsua
tions with those who They certainly making
the most Of their last year with the college men, and
apparently all have the end In view. that OF max
ing all the money possible out Of the students and the
But the disposition to take sharp financial
OF the situation Is not confined To the professionals alone.
The innkeepers hackmen, livery men, and pretty much
all other men who have anything to let or 10 sell for
which the regatta is going TO create demand, have
been seized with spirit str1ngy analogous 10 that
shown by classes Vienna since the great ex
position opened The hotel have had applloa-
tons enough to MI their houses twice over, but the Mas
sasoit Haynes have decided not accept any ap
plicatiOns in advance but go the principle nrss
come, first served" Numerous private houses, how
ever, will be thrown open regatta week and tho pros
pect is that all will be enabled to obtain bed aud food
OF sort somewhere.
CHANCES OF GETTING TO THE RACE-COURsE.
The great difficulty will be in the matter OF eating
and sleeping but in getting transported To the course
Every hack and nearly every team In the city already
engaged, at prices varying from go upward and tho
public vehicles not haf numerous enough 10 carry
the expected here week from to-day.
The trouble would be obviated II the New-Yok, New
Haven, aud Hartford Railroad would run excursion
trains the Long Meadow Station which Ia almost
exactly opposite the finish Of the course but thus far
they have refused make any such arrangements To
ALL the only ways Of getting across to the river
road On he n which
are quartered and which the only direct land route
to tho regatta stand az the finish, TO trust yourseh
20 a mOnstrosity called the Agawam ferrybo crafs
safe enough II you can once get aboard but haroD
equal TO the requirements OF common rayeSand utterly
helpless on any great OCCASION 10 four miles round
by way of the West sprngneld bridge. which is an
eighth Of q mile long, and across which no team Is
allowed 10 travel faster than walk But the crowds
did get across somehow last year, aud they will doubt
less manage do again. although those who do not
start early not likely to get down in seas on 70 see
the first
THE RIVER AND THE COURSE.
There are likely 70 be many disagreeable things on
shore river least is grand success, and the
course as perfect as be found in New-England.
From Holyoke, eight miles above, where tho river
rushes through tho gorge between Mount Hoyoke ana
Mount Tom. and tumbles over the great dam OF South
Hadey the broad current sweeps in succession OF long
reaches past Ingesde where the first race under the
auspices Of the College Association rowed two years
ago between Harvard, Brown. and the Amherst
"Agggios;" thence under the Chicopee bridge, and.
curvng to the left down pact West Springfield and the
Yale quarters the right and Hampden Park on tho
left. making another splendid three-mlle-turn course
over which many local have been rowed; then
under the railroad and West Springfield bridges In
another eftwsrd curve and thence straight on past tho
city for another mile and half, forming Whas
is known here as the old Ward course, be-
cause it was on this that the Ward brothers
won so many victories, and here also that
they suffered that terrible defeat from tho st. Johns
men-and then turning suddenly TO the right and open
ing out at once into broad and almost perfectly straight
reach TO Thompsonyille seven miles below IL on
this stretch the rowed last and hero
the great races OF 1873 TO take place II would DO
indeed to create more perfect reach OF water
and equally difficult to find loyeer valley. The city
with its rows Of Unlocking and pestilenLal shanties
along the bank is entirely hidden by the sharp
bend the river and far down the can reach
there is nothing the loneliness Of the scene On
the left is succession OF high wooded bluffs for mile
and half and then these sink away into less pictur
esque hardly less lovely stretch Of fertile meadow
land which from its size has given the name OF Long
Meadow to the town. The New-York railroad skirts
along the shore but ia hidden among the trees,
and is only noticeable when the trains 90 past.
For tho last mile the low bluffs are
free from trees close to the river and here
cellent places from which to view the But the
various quarters Of the along the river road,
which runs for q miles close to the water aud
mands many hne views Of the and even more on
the high sand bluffs along the last half mile and at the
grand stand opposite the finish. This stand will DO
erected on high woody knoll, from which every inch
OF the course is visible This spot will undoubtedly b
the center of attraction for the students aud here tho
prizes will be distributed. The sand bluffs just above
are hardly desirable, however, and will be the best
place for persons in carriages.
THE LIMITS THE CoURsE ITSELF.
The stsrtiDg-polnt Of last years course was just
around the bend, and only few feet from the ferry
landing But some trouble experienced this year
from q narrowing OF the river just below. and It was
decided TO obylate It by moving the lower down.
The gpoint has, therefore been changed aud the
flag set Just below tho narrows at point whers
the river is 900 feet in width This IL still the narrow
est place. however for the river immediately broadens
and continues of almost uniform width to Thompson
vlle Some apprehension has been felt on account Of
the extreme lowness Of the river, owing 70 the Iona
drouth, but the sQgpd!ngs OF the Z. s. Survey have
shown an average depth OF 10 feet in the channel which
is very broad and the water is nowhere less than four
feet deep, except short saud bar &C the lower end
where II is only about three feet The course however
lies outside OF this and the only objection that has been
raised by the is that like all long, straight
away courses the water Is apt 20 he umpy when the
wind is in the right direction Generally. however the
water like glass, only slightly rippled. and
unusual for the course TO be as rough as was on tns
first day appointed for the race last year The end OF
the course has been moved down 10 accommodate the
change in the starting point and the home dag is nov
set few rods below the spot where the grand stand
to be erected.
The makeup and style Of rowing OF the different crews
has been too thoroughly written up in THE TRIBUNE to
need reviewing but description OF their quarters may
not be unnteresting and will be valuable in searching
out ones friends Beginning the river, the fsrthess
upb