The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-24

"A
The Approaching Contests mt saratOga.
IL Ii pleasant to note the satisfaction among
rowing men and lovers Of fair play generally
over the plan to be introduced at the APP
preaching University race of portioning of
the course into parallel lanes each hundred
feet wide, thus giving the many crews album
dant ROOM BY this plan the boat that strays
into another's water can be detected at once
and the blame laid where it belongs, and the
bow oarsman who cannot steer his craft
within bounds is unfit to be intrusted with
his very responsible position Whoever con-
templates run to Saratoga to see the great race
will have the comfort Of knowing that at last
the day of fouls is over and that, If his favor
ties do not win, they must lay the fault at
their own door. We would take the liberty
of offering one or two other ideas which seem
to us to commend themselves to the good
sense of the rowing community and which,
as they viii probably be adopted in later
years (for the contests are scarcely yet out of
their infancy, had better be taken advantage
of now.
All who have Witnessed these races will
remember that the plan adopted for dis
tinguishing the various crews has been to
require each to wear as part OF their head
dress the favorite color OF their college. Even
in former days, when there we're but two
competing boats, this distinction proved very
inadequate, and until within quarter or half
mile of the finish, especially If the suns rays
at all interfered, it was almost impossible to
distinguish the crews, except to such specta-
tors as could appreciate the different styles of
rowing But in these later years. when the
number has swollen to more than twelve,
and the crews save in head-gear. dressed
to all appearance alike, and when OF
necessity it lie hard to make the seven colors
of the rainbow distribute well among so
many; when, too, in the great heat and labor
of the race, the rover is very apt to tear off
this hot and useless head covering and throw
it into the bottom Of the boat it is easy to see
that in the intense furry and excitement of the
last half mile the average spectator cannot
from his place on the grand stand tell with
any accuracy one crew from another; and
when the boats are at all close together,
as in such a race many are sure
to be, the confusion Of last year
in this respect will be found regu-
lar if not necessary feature of what
without it would be such an interesting and
beautiful spectacle. Now. instead Of doff-
ing their shirts and donnlng these handker-
chiefs, as they did last summer, let them re-
tain the latter, and on the bow of their sew
eral craft raise graceful little flag. 1t need
be but foot long and its staff of silver or
FURNISHED steel may be as light and graceful
as the shell itself When the boat comes
home, instead of few handkerchiefs swaying
sharply back and forth, soaked. and partially
discolored, the motion of the boat will throw
the flag out full and free, telling its story
mile away. And again, why need each col
lege wear but single color, or, at most two2
Instead Of differing with Harvard as to which
owned the crimson, what could be more ap-
propriate for Union, for instance, than the
beautiful little tricolor, the red, white and
bluei And moments thought would soon
arrange other combinations equally effective.
II is proposed, we believe, that the oarsmen
this year, as last row without shirts. Wilt
not this plan offend against propriety or
decency1
We are glad to see that the gentlemen in
charge OF the foot races propose TO insist that
the contestants shall wear the usual costume.
1t can work no injustice, and the racing shirt
is such q mere tissue of gauze at best that it
can hardly incommode contestants enough to
make five seconds difference in their time.
Finally, it will also be remembered that
when the crisis came last July and the boats
were just starting the official timekeeper could
not or would not serve, and only through tho
courtesy OF Commodore Brady, who happened
to be on the judges boat was the time OBJ
tanned at all A very simple continuance will
meet this need in the future Let wire be
stretched across the lane Of each boat just at
the finish at such depth that as the boat
crosses the finish line its bow shall touch this
wire. Let the wire connect with o chrome
graph so arranged as to catch the time OF
each touch, and with indicating inks on
the instrument adapted to the color Of each
college. The times Of the various boats can
in this way be taken and recorded even down
to quarter Of q second, and an end had to
the frequent uncertainty that has existed as to
Just how quickly the rowers had done their
work We would commend this plan to the
Saratoga Rowing Association