New-York tribune., 1876-07-17
SARATOGA PREDICTIONS.
NOW TOE CpFWS WILL COME IN.

CREWS AT PRESENT.
IFRou SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
SARATOGA, July l5.-Thrce days before the college
regatta TIE old boating mon always settle down Oh
q general programme of how the crews are going "
come ill., Year by year this preliminary estimate mas
approached nearer and nearer to correct prophecy
nj the actual result AT Springfield, in 1873, Cooks
victory was a universal surprise and Cornell, winch
had been great favOrite, disappointed all eX-
pectations Nobody predicted anything right that
wear. Wesleyan had been backed by one or two
Midllctown tavegn-kccpeTs. on the strength on the
trainers confidence in them, but the college crowd
never dreamed of Wesleyan taking second place.
In 1874 at Saratoga, the prophets came nearer
Columbia was generally placed second with laie
whose foul with Harvard finally threw her out Oh
the race first and the others pretty nearly IN the
orler in which they came in, Williams only breaking
the slate by taking fourth place. Last year tl'
weIl-ipf,rned came closer yet, and named Cornell
winner, excepting the Yale party, WHO mad Iaiu
conflrn c in their own boat. They placed the SIC
ceedng boats almost exactly in their real positions,
except that Dartmouth and Yale weTo fourth and
fifth respectively, instead OF fifth and fourth.
This year it may be expected that the rowlng
sayant, will come nearer yet in their estimates, for
there is no doubt that The large number Of good
minds which have been at work upon the principles
of rowing in connection with the regatta have
brought prediction nearer aud nearer 10 science
each year 1t NAV not be possible To make ii so en-
tirely demonstration as Ncw-Engiand journal
did in foroshadowing the result at the late contest
between Harvard and Yale at Springfield. In that
ease he writer 10y fixing the relative power OF the
men and of their stroke, aSce:talle1 that 1ae
gained so much on every one OF the STROKES. Ihrh
ascertaining the number OF strokes pulled
over q thrcc-milo course, he multiple"
the number of inches gained IN each
strike by the number of strokes reduced the dstance
gained back the time necessary to traverse IT. ana
found as his grand result tlat Yale must beat iaE-
ward httlc less than minute, which was TO be
demonstrated. Fortunately this proved to he about
the result of the race. The system of prophecy IN
this region has not been brought 10 that stage O!
perfection as yet but there are certain general points
by which the opinion of the initiated governs Itself
within certain limits. This opinion Will endeavoF
in a dispassionatc manner to indicate.
Let ne hasten to gay in the first place
that the difficulty with Cornell alluded to
in my last letter has been fally surmounted'
and the crew stands as well as before.
The trouble was simply a giddiness of one
of the crew after practice pull, which came from
the great heat and did not prove, as was feared by
the friends of the crew. symptom Of the great bug
bear-overtraiuing. Cornell is again at the head OF
the list and If nothing breaks and nothing changes,
is expected and expecting to come in first on Nednes-
day. Between the two crews Coraeli and Column
ba, the struggle viii be a tough one Columbia
Will do speud,dly better perhaps than she has ever
done In perfection Of the little details of the row.
ing drl-scrgeant she is to-day perhaps first on the
lake, but the grand test is the time made IN the
course Theories and notions about throwing the head
back or balancing the elbows, and even more, the
altique specuatOns and weglings OF loin and leg,
II. ;,+ W
actual result Of it all. Theories Of physique and
shimsicahies about rowing are very well III the
srew formation period OF Nay and April But i'll md
JuIv three DAYS before the race the inquiTing
spccuaor puts the inquiry of that great practical
ccneralissimo, Tweed, How does the whole thing
work 7" How quick can your siX-oaIcd machine get
over this coursei
Time of crews il hard TO get. In recent race the
official tme-kceper made n mistake If whole min
ute in the result ard great deal of the time taken
at miles distance from the finish by the cessation
OF the oar flashes when the crew sto? rowlrg may
naturally be held Of dubious value. But have il
from frst-rate authority, based on observations ac-
curately taken that Conch Las trayersed he course
in time better than their has ever made before
better than any on recOrd-ard better than has
been made by any crew now in training on tie lake,
Columbia not excepted. Columbia Las al>O made
extraordinary time much so that the crews were
last week rowing within second Of each
other: but Cornell Lad room fer improvement
IN form AID size has let out enough to keep her men
very confident, notwithstanding that they have
n most formidalc crew against them, keen for im-
ployement in every point. Circumstances have
cogspired to produce two crews this year Of skill
and power which have very rarely If ever been
eoualad in the previous history Oi American row.nG
a1d tho tussle between the leading crews viii bc
desperate.
The next crew it is believed will follow al n re-
sncctfnl distance ana / tiinI, nobody feels certain
as 10 which one it viii be. Harvard might have
stood for third, notwithstanding some bad notions
which they have, for llaryards crew is strong and
brave; but their new Blaikley boat was badly
twisted in coming up the train. so that she rolls 20
vort with every stroke. Good judges think the boat
is rigged too low, bat that is question Of complex
ity unprottabc to discuss. From one or both causes
arises the important effect that the oara Of ;he stroke
and more or less Of the crew, slap along the
top of tho water on the recover after feather
ing. with q noise like pistol shots, which
creates great deal OF friction and stops the way OF
the boat. By the side OF a calamity like this tie
tact that tie crew do not catch together with much
success, and that No. Two often slides too far
back, sinks into usiguirance. There Is some talk
OF the University using the freshman boat, but they
viii have 10 do go if at all, with a single practice
pull 10 get used to her which would be an evil
about equal to using the strained boat. This makes
things look bal for tho Haryards il thci last rc-
gatta II is rather discouiaging situation, bat
there Il yet tire for something to turn up and give
them a chance 20 do their bet.
Tie Weslc,aus have manly way Of going 70
work, regar es of consequence Or cilcus sta"ces,
which make many people viii they might ut tho
third place. r.. tncy ar: ysry !iyht, aud though
they are no. rowing better ani 5st.er daily, Prince
Ton 4. cofr.t.I 10 Ls doing the .aIar. lnucei0n'4