The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-13


ments.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, July IL, 1873.
The river yesterday and TO-DAY has been as
smooth almost as a mirror. The water, owing TO
rains at the north has risen several inches and the
college bOatmen are In corresponding high feather
and happy as clans at high water. Nearly all were
out this morning taking their morning pull, and an
excellent opportunity was offered to the numer.
GUS spectators. who here ana there dotted the
banks, to witness their several styles OF rowing
comment thereon and calculate their probable
chances From nine until after eleven the usual
hours Of practice, the river road was filed with
gay equtpages, and among the occupants and most
earnest watchers OF the various crews was q large
sprnkling OF the farer sex, who, with diminutive
watches IN dainty hands, were as assiduous in tell
ing OF the number of strokes OF this and that
crew as the most veteran oarsman or PROFESSIONAL
trainer Gold and ivory tipped opera and orna-
mental field glasses were brought to bear upon the
muscular and well displayed proportions OF the
rival oarsmen by the fair damses with as
much interest as though they were studying out
the style OF some rivals dress at the opera, accom-
panied by the most tender and interesting crti-
csms. Just now the Aggies' boat swept by, i'm
PEELED by the sturdy Massachusetts, farmers, when
a sweet sixteen at my left exclaimed, "Oh, what
a splendid looking fellow that stroke isl See how
his muscles stand out, and how hard he is pullingl
know they will win.n
Next comes the Harvards, their backs and oars
in perfect unison. and their well tanned forms
broad shoulders and straining muscles outlined
sharply in the clear and brilliant sunlight. Just
ahead OF me, in an elegant phaetOn, are
two charming damsels and companion, whose
opera glasses have borne steadily down in silence
upon the Cambridge crew ever since they hove
in sight. AZ they pass by l Overhear the
delicate sentiment, ooh, Fanny, see that young
fellow in the centre OF the Harvards! What
delicate mustache he has He must be elegant"
One after another the crews 20 by, and while the
crowd OF fair ones are making their personal
criticisms your correspondent has seized the op-
portunity to jot down few observations regard
ing the style and appearance OF the several crews.
THE MORE ATTRACTIVE ATHLETES
As wrote you yesterday, the three best looking
crews, so lar as style OF rowing is concerned, are
the Harvard Cornell and Yae-thOugh qualifying
distinction should be made in regard TO the latter
that they do not as yet succeed perfectly In getting
the English stroke Their recover is unnecessarily
slow, the oars being much longer In the air than in
the water with a bad hang at the beginning and
partial failure to get the CATCH SO nearly do the
Cornell and Harvard crews row alike, however, that
one unacquainted with the men personally would
find 1t almost impossible to distinguish between
them as they go by
One Of the toughest looking crews on the course
is the Bowdoins, or 'lumbermen from Name" as
they are termed. They are, with two exceptions,
the same crew which rowed last year, and have
evidently lost nothing by the years experience
Any one who has ever been SO fortunate as to see
the famous st. Johns crew OF Fulton Price can
at picture out the style Of this sralwart crew
Mia
lowed the instructions Of their trainer, Price. They
are the only crew here that do not slide, Price,
their trainer, believing that any such movement is
a waste Of time and muscle, and that all the extra
power from the use of the legs thus obtained
may be employed as well and easier If the oars
man is true to himself and takes his brace in the
beginning OF the stroke fairly from the stretcher
power into the first part OF the stroke, finishing 1t
before the body reaches the perpendicular. Their
and In squirting they are able to Increase 1t to
iOrty-two or forty-three.
Not less powerful in appearance than the
Bowdoins, and very similar In point OF personal
physique, are the Aggies, whom Josh Ward has
under his watchful care and keeping. Their style
OF rowing is naturally much ike that OF the Ward
brothers. though lacking the skill which years OF
experience and practice have given that famous
GREY Edrsd the stroke and Benedict who
Of the crew. and, with Simpson the bow, were
together in the winning boat at Engesde two
white pine shell from George R0ahr, which, how
ever, Is unfortunately tribe too light for this
should it be rough or choppy they will stand good
chance OF sending her to the bottom OF the river
instead OF across the home line.
The Columbia crew have already been described
at full length in the HERALD but have, since the
arrival OF their new boat, made marked improve.
ment in their style. They only lack, as Hank Ward,
their trainer, expresses It, a lew more years to
make them one OF the most formidable crews on
doing all that could be expected OF any crew OF
their age. Barring accident, they VII by no means
can name five crews that Will be behind them at
the finish.
THE WILLIAMS CREW,
with the Cornell, AggIes and BOwdOins, make up
the four stockiest looking crews here. The Dart
heavier, but these have a thick set and stouter
and more enduring look Their stroke, Gunster,
pulls an almost perfect oar, equalling in style and
finish that OF the best man in the Harvard boat.
The crew are hardly up to their stroke, however,
but pull very evenly and with much power. They
reach well forward, get their oars well into the
water and pull them steadily through, finishing
however, rather too soon, and with The exception
OF the stroke, before the body reaches the perpen-
per minute.
TIE PETS OF THE BETTING CIRCLES,
until within day or two, have been the Dart
mouth giants who, under the tutelage OF John Big
lin, are expected to perform wonders This crew
nave done an enormous pile OF work, walking some
days eighteen or twenty miles and rowing three
times besides Their style OF stroke is best de-
scrlbed as being no style at all. In the language
Of Bgin, "they row Just like any other crew." but
this expression probably arises from the fact that
John Is terribly down on "stye'' or scientific
strokes" believing that everybody rows alike all
the world over. TO the careful observer they APP
pear AS though they were not half using their
s%s the cas ser Of these
then each one seems at loss what to do. Finally,
the oars are put In and then there Is tremendous
pull. which, while 1t lasts. sends the boat ahead
with great force.
DARTMOUTH UNDER THE WEATHER.
Unfortunately they have been In bad shape for the
past two days, and have been forced to omit their
regular pull. The principal trouble has been from
bolls ana general lndispostion; but Cater, one of
the most powerful men IN the boat, has been
seriously threatened with % lever and IL hardly
out Of danger yet, although he and all the rest are
on the mend; and John Blglin remarked to by
stander Yesterday that the boys were all right