New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-29
Trneof


In s55 he course Lake winnipsso'goe ~ H. two
miles In ls55 It was al sp,ngneid Mass o iGs Sni
miles aud turn.
From these statistics one very important pOnt-at
present q subject of warm discussion among college
boating MEXICAN be settled, namely: Can boat
steered by the bow make faster time than ono stterod
by coxswaini BY examining these statistics, the
following facts will be noticed: First, Harvard
rowed twice IN Fights with coxswaIn, and nine
times in skies without a cOxswain second, Yale
rowed once IN an eight with coxswain, three times
in skies with cOxswain. and seven times in skies
without coxswan; third, HarvsrdS average time in
SKIES without cOXswan IN a series of eight trials
the ninth trial not being taken account of afoul-
Is ISM 36.2SS.; fourth Iales average time III skies,
without o coxswain, in a series of seven trials is
Ism g. 2ls and its average timein skies, with cox
swains in series of three trials is 2lm. O7.S3s.;
fifth Yale first gave up the idea of rowing III
Fights and Harvard first abandoned coxswans !;
sixth Yale never till it introduced steer
ING by tho bow and il the first two years IN sue
cea,ion after introducing this system seventh, out
Of the eleven races rowed, Harvard won nine and
Yale two. 70 any unprecedented mind, all this af
forls conclusive proof that racng-boats can be
towed fastor without coxswains than with them,
provided the course is suitable and it furthermore
shows that Harvard and Yale both became con
WINGED of this fact by experience
VERY many persons settle this point satisfactorily
70 themselves by some such sylogsm as the follow
ing: oxford and Cambridge make faster timo than
We do they row with oOxswain therefore 10 make
our fastest time we must also row with coxswain
Noimpartial person will deny that the English I'M
yersites can row better than we can but 1t does
not follow that they row better because they row
with cOxswans The real cause is that their course
OIL the Thames is very crooked, narrow fun OF cur
rents and often DISTRACTED during the race by row
boats Under these circumstances 1T would be utter
folly 20 attempt to steer boat 10y the bow and our
English cousins are very well aware of this fact.
With American college racing however, 1t is entirely
different and the statistics given above show clearly
that on the unObstructed courses over which ON
races are rowed, the cOxswan must be thrown over
board IL we wish to make our fastest time.
As before stated, Yale's withdrawal is no surprise
tcmos. boating men but it is very strange that II
.dcsires TO row eight oars with ccxswain, when we
consider the facts that have Just been produced from
the statistics OF its own races. There can be only
two plausible reasons for this change; first. by so
doing Yale forces nearly all the other colleges To
abandon the idea Of rowing with 1t, because most
Of our collegiate institutions have not men enough
to man AN eight nor money enough TO meet the adj
diona expense; second. as this new departure is IN
exact accordance with the English University Sys-
tenn If rowing Yale hopes to be able to make a race
with <ford and Cambridge to the exclusion OF all
ths Other colleges If the first reason be correct,
tbef Columbia and Cornell wish to have a chance 10
sustain the honor Of the Empire State for both have
men enough from which to select an elght, ana
money enough TO back them up. III the second rea-
son be correct then Columbia and Cornell claim the
iirht of first contestng the point with Harvard ana
Yale ~ to who is most competent to represent the
American colleges in the proposed international race
fnext year. From statistics given below, 1t VIII d.
seen that we-Columba and COrncll-are perfectly
Justified in putting forth this claim, because We can
show tbe baat a vera pe of racing time: