The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-09
HARVARD ROWING ON TINE.
An Advantage Which Might Be
Turned to Good Account.

ter IN the afternoon being very Indifferent, IL
finally decided TO row IT In the morning. On
the third day good water was obtained, and the
winning crew made one OF the fastest. II not the
fastest time ever made by q six-oarcd boat over
a straight away three mile race. For several days
past The observation OF the crews here has been
that the water Is much more likely TO be still
throughout the morning than the afternoon,
and that when the wind comes ur, as 1t
Is almost sure to do every day. 1t COM
mences late IN the morning or course
there are exceptions to this. some days the
afternoon has been calm throughout. and others
rough throughout In Sc ting on the hour. there
fore great pains should be taken to accommodate
them In the best possible way. What we are COM
ing at is that the lake is quieter till the mid
die OF the morning than later and as all The prac
uce OF the crews has been Tor eleven O'Clock
racing, II the hour were changed to ten O'Clock
1t would be far more likely to insure good water
and good racing, and that without incommoding
the crews In any way.
THE oARsMEN AND THEIR PRACTICE.
1t will be remembered that last year the start
ing point OF the race was little to the northeast
Of Snake Hill, q bold headlan1 projecting from the
easterly side OF the lake. easily visible from the
grand stand. The course this year has been
changed, as IS well known, so as to start, not I'M
der the hill, but out in the middle of the lake,
above and to the south or II. This hill is covered
with pine and spruce grove, and until within
year no one has thought OF living 1t. But O
tasteful little cottage has been erected this season
by the Messrs. Southgate, which is occupied by the
crew from tine young university the heart Of the
Statc-tne Carnelians from Cayuga Lake. They
have been here Tor some time. and have been as
slduousy practicing morning and afternoon, and
1t Is no more than just to say they have excited
n A
at Springfield. they came out with a crew that
was almost always named among the favorites. 1t
had in 1t some large. and, as the race proved,
bulky men. SUN, the way that they attended to
their work and the apparent POWER In the boat
made them popular then. The day before the
race one OF tho largest OF their number, MIR. Dut-
ton, rowed a single scull race with a gentleman
from Yale, whose proportions were so slight as 10
be almost dimiautive, but was beaten by him, to
the surprise Of nearly every one, with the
greatest apparent ease. This, OF course
dampsned the ardor OF their constituents consid-
erably. But still they went into the race with
very strong hopes Of being In the first cluster.
But the river that year was unusually low, and
their situation was near the east bank, necesst-
tating their rowing across some very shallow
water, where, unless great care was taken, they
woulo often strike their oars on the bottom. This
disadvantage they bore manlully. Nothing
daunted, and believing that they were fairly
fourth out OF eleven crews they worked hard
throughout the cemIng winter, and came up here
last summer full oil selfrelance. They had how
ever fallen into an error, not uncommon among
rowing men, OF picking out the largest men avail
aole. Tots Is all very well II the large man has
seen work OF the kind and quantity as dincult for
him and his weight as the men OF average size
have known Tor themselves ana their weight. But
general observation Will almost certainly show
that the large man tends to DC sluggish when he
is called on TO test his strength. Last year,
notwiShstan ling their (Cornelps) efforts and
ttably won In 1873 and 1874 they Iell back two
places. Something han to be DONE Some OF the
men had, by graduation or other causes become
ineligible, and there remained as the nuceu us for
the new crew only Messrs. Ostrom and King.
Perhaps on the whole TINS has not injured the
prospects or cornell University In the only meet
ing which has yet been devised which commands
an interest throughout the United states, IN
which the principal parts are taken by college
der -graduates. Mr.. Ostrom, after having rowed
In 1873, went TO and ned, and by all means well
come str0Se, and the man wnom he now retains
from the IA crew Is also one Of much experience;
in fact The early training OF both these men would
make them likely 10 become, under 1avoring cir
cumstances, hard men to whip IN u rowing race.
Mr.. Ostrom took his airing on the Ohio as RATS
man, and. as Is evident TO the most casual 90
erver, ne Is a very tough, hardy man.
Mr. King is raltsman also, and knows some
thing about raftSman's life, the Saranac being
the river that helped educate him. Instead OF, as
last year. ming up their quota with men notice
able for their bulk and height, one OF the most
striking features OF the present crew Is It's uni
formIty. They VIII average 100 pounds in weight
and ve feet ten incnes In height, and have the de-
cIded advantage oil being one OF the oldest crews
on THIS water. still crew may have all these
and even more points In their favor ana yet not
be worthy to be named among those IN the first
hall even OF tine race. The more important ques-
lien Is, sufficient strength ana endurance being
given, do they know how to use It ms question
was answered last night 10 the entire satisfaction
OF one person at least. The afternoon had been
oppresslvely close, ana in the West the gathering
6f Lar nah QNE nd nj INN INN
told the coming storm 1t was not long before the
ram iell in enormous quantities, keeping the
crews from practlcing at their regular hours. Not
I'll after SIX O'CLOCK did any OF the attempt
their usual afternoon row.
CORNELL AT WORK.
Cornell's men, instead OF going out then, as did
q number OF other crcws took their supper, walt
ing 10 give 1t fair chance to digest and were not
on the water until about quar- ter to eight O'CLOCK
they went away from Snake Hill at 80 strokes,
which they maintained Ior nearly mile, and
then, laying OIL Tor a few minutes, came back.
One thing that was noticeable In botn spins
the good steering. And the more noticeable and
more gratifying feature TO the friends OF cornell
University was the spring and reach, the swing
and dash OF the entlre crew. There are stronger
men on this lake and there are crews made up OF
six stronger men, but there are not more tnan
two or three at best that better know how TO use
their strength. Reaching well over their toes
FORWARD, while they have the defect that seems TO
attach Itself TO all slow rowing OF apparently
pulling little in the air, they get an excellent
through long arc, pull their oar COM
pletely through. slow crew Will nave
seems sluggish. Tne fulcrum OF inc water against
which the oar presses VIII be sbvered almost by
the oar, while the same crew striking the water
sharply Will so sodfy that Iulcrum that tue oar,
instead OF moving through the water, Will eaten
it as II IL were solid substance, and the
boat itself Will give way and spring forward. One
OF I common dangers OF crew mat abounds In
dash IS tnat the Gasn Is all In tue start ana can
not last. There was mounting last night which
showed that their work on the last quarter was
not qulle as good as tnat on the FIRST Inc men
themselves, while becomingly modest, are yet
"A
The question is whether their pace Is "a winning
pace.
THE MEN or YALE.
Early In the evening before the shower, crew
came up rom the lower end OF the course, pad
ding slowly IN toward their boat house. and lay
on their oars. BY their blue legglnHs ana their
superDy long and clean work, though noticea ,y
slow, ey were at once recognized as the Yale
University crew. The cornell men invited them