The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-09
Argonnutn vs.. Atalnnta.

ArgOnauta VS.. Atalanta.
The uncertainties of boat racing have been
seldom more obvious than yesterday after
noon on the Kill Won Kull. Which is now
the champion four-oared amateur crew Of
America is not easy to say. At ten minutes
before six o'clock last evening it was the
ATLANTA crew, of Harlem; at ten minutes
after six o'clock it was the Argonauta, of
Bergen Point. Twice recently without APP
parent difficulty, the former have beaten the
latter, and now, though in good condition,
they in turn are defeated quite as easily. A
new proof has been added of the danger of
tackling an enemy on his own ground. To
say nothing of the running down of the
Atalantas and the wrenching Of an outrigger
just before the race, the swirling,
rushing waters of the Kill, ploughed
occasionally into surf by passing steam
boats, brought new and valuable ex-
perience to the Atalanta Club. To dash
through ferry swash in twenty-inch boat,
eight inches deep, at a hot pace, is no easy
thing to do, and feat at which the Argonau-
tas are plainly better than the Atalantas.
Each club seemed to row the race in the way
it had before marked out. The men of the
Harlem, caring little for the start settled
promptly into their usual stroke, and rowed
it with tolerable steadiness to the end, while
the men of the Kill, with cousin of the
Ward brothers at the bow, at once, after the
fashion of that famous blood, made a terrifi C
dash for the lead, got it, and would not be de-
prived of it. This latter plan works well with
the well-seasoned professional, but is hazard
GUS for the amateur, simply because he has
very seldom the stamina to row hard race
after such trying work in the first mile.
But more important question suggested
by this contest is whether-as one of these
crews is probably the fastest amateur four
now together in the country-we can safely
trust our interests with it in the races on the
Schuylkill River early next July. A novelty
in American rowing is promised then, no
less than the advent of the flower of the
whole rowing navy of Europe. Can either
of these New York crews then do for the
best of the foreign oarsmen what our rifle
team did for the Irishmen at Dollymount?
Whether they can or not, both have yet much
to do. The work Of the Atalantas yesterday
was surprisingly rough. The starboard oars
often did not strike the water together the
lack of parallelism of the stroke and the man
next him was glaringly apparent, and all
save the stroke rowed too much with their
arms If this is fair sample of their row.
ing they are evidently in need of rigorous
coaching. AS to the Argonautas, while work
ing much better together and swinging their
bodies harder through the air. yet,
Notwithstanding the superb way in which
their stroke did his work throughout, they,
like their rivals, not only do too much arm
work, but almost entirely fail to get the adj
ditional good they would if they rowed as
Ostrom, of Cornell, rows-namely, by throw
ing their heads far up and back in the last
half of the stroke 1t is better to mend these
things at once than to delay it, and unless
they are mended there is serious danger that,
whatever the fact may be before the Cen
tennial meeting, after that event the amateur
championship of the world at the oar will re-
main for time at least with the men across
the water More power, too, in the Ar
gonauta boat and a change of one of the
ATLANTA men, would create feeling of more
confidence among all who want to see Amer
lea win in the great contest.