Litchfield enquirer., 1876-07-06
Before the Regatta.


 SPRINGFIELD, June 18th, 1876.
 MIR. EDITOR: Among the pleasant will lages that lie hidden amidst the New Eng land hills, West Springfield may be class ed with the pleasantest. Its broad streets, old houses and venerable elms have Q deep savor of revolutionary times. The chief street is quite mile and half in length, in passing up. turning to your right about mid way, few rods will bring you upon the green shady banks of the Connecticut. close upon the boat house of the Yale Crew. suppose the committee did not know they were guilty of uniting beauty with utility when they made the selection. but they could not have succeeded better had they made it a study. As you look up the river, over green fields and luxuriant farms, your eye rests upon Mt. Holyoke in one of it's bold est aspects, while down the stream, ,spann- ed by the substantial new railroad bridge, you have a pleasing prospect of the city with it's ''seven hllls." upon one of which stands the U. s. Arsenal from whose tow CT is ever seen waving the Red White and Blue.
 Returning from drive about the coun- ty, yesterday, Preached the boat house in time to see the crew, in working order, launch their shell and fly over ''the course" which on the coming Friday will be so eagerly watched by warm weary wal ting multltudes. never saw eight stron- ger brown-looking backs, the various shades of ecru forming good contrast with the Yale blue. They are splendid specimens of rowing gladiators, and their presence gives such promise of success that were I given to betting l should "swear" by them, aside from my wearing of the blue. Their head quarters are at the old Hotel on the green, and during this week of training they are ''early to bed, early to rise, take their prescribed diet, row morning and evening, and enjoy life hugely; fully believing it'a joy to live." They have with them now two boats, one made by Clasper, the builder for the Oxford (England) crew, and un- like the American mode, the braces being entirely of wood instead of iron, and is wider than our average boat. It weighs two hundred and thirty six pounds. is fif- ty eight feet long, twenty inches deep, and twenty inches wide, and cost in gold, four hundred and fifty dollars, the duties on it being one hundred and fifty dollars While rowing on the Whitneyvllle Pond, New Haven, they met with an accident and had to pay $lOO for repairs, so this boat cost the crew the trifing sum of seven hundred dollars. The new boat which they expect to use at the Regatta IS twenty pounds lighter, wider and deep- CT, and was built by Collin of New Haven, the Yale Crew builder. Kennedy of Yale won the 'Southworth Cup" at Saratoga and also at New Haven. At present Yale is decidedly the favorite.
 The Harvard crew have their boat house farther down the river, near the l junction of the Connecticut and the Aga wam Creek. and are younger and less har- dy men. They combine the hip and hand motion. making thirty-three strokes a minute while their opponents use long oar with the body motion making only thirty strokes minute. Blakelie of Cam h.;l s. klo lr.lInp kho oruo~l and their boat is about the same as the Oxford boat. The course begins about half a mile above the railroad bridge and the finish is opposite the Long Mead ow, depot. The four mile race is a new thing in this country, this one being the first, though it has been rowed long se- ries of years in England between the Ox- ford and Cambridge crews.
 The regatta Committee which is com- posed of many of the graduates of the two Colleges and are among the most promi- neut citizens, have peen working with per. feet accord and good fellowship and have completed all the arrangements for the ease and comfort of the thousands that will come to the city for the race. At the finish they have hired about forty acres of land and have erected commodious stand that will seat nearly two thousand people. A band has been engaged to fur nish mnsic which will lessen the tedium of waiting. On the evening of the regat- ta an elegant reception is to be given for the crews and their friends at the Spring field Club House, and there seems prom ise of happy time for all those that en- joy excitement large crowd, music, dancing and late hours.
 Time alone can tell which of the con- testants will gain the colors of the day. hope the best will win. X.