The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-30


The average ago about twenty years.. the aver
ago weight 49, pounds, and the height averaging
about Ave feet nine inches This about tho CON-
mon ago OF Harvard crew, while IN height and
weight. think, the present candidates somewhat
overtop past crews Nv tins period OF their training.
During tho months OF May and June the crew VIII
tram down 10 about 40 pounds average. AT present
the mon are living on easy diet, having care that
their meat shall be go0d aud their tastes not always
INDUCED. Captain Bancroft iorblds them the OF
vine and tobacco, but will not put them 10 liked Dill
OF tare until nearlytwo months before the race The
daily exercise consists OF a OF IA mile aud half
TWO miles, pull OF 500 or 600 strokes at tho patent
rowing Machines ana occasionally additional
work at tho gymnasium. THIS gives them
all they Can conveniently aud healthiIy do,
aud S, perhaps, more than crews DO 50 hong
before the Before the ice closed the Charles 10
the crew they could Oe daily the barge, getting
back those cacies OF the Harvard stroke winch had
naturally been lost during the summer VACATION As
soon however, as Tue Ice appeared the crew took up,
under the very Careful eye of CAPTAIN Bancroft the
above described work. About two months before the
race which Will happen In the last OF June or the very
hrs, oil July, the crew, which by that time win be
selected, Will DO put through the trials of boating
Having once put their shoulders to the wheel,
or moro properly, their hands 10 the oar, there
Will DO looking back IL Is only when
the training comes before approach
ing race that oarsmen begin TO oc the pleasures
lney have elt behind them. They then begin to coz
trast the rigid regimen with tue easy and delightful
lie which they lod month or Two beore they begin
10 question whether after ALL 1t Is such tremendously
glor thing 70 race when sucn SERIOUS prIva-
lions must be met before victory they begin TO see
less beauty in perfected stroke AMI an admirably
trained form In fact, there never were before the
past or Two years such hneness and severity OF
training as tnat which now SO characteristic OF col
lego crews Its trais scare away all buL the few and
We may therefore bel,eve that the small num-
Der oil mon VINO annually oner themselves Tor
tho university etsn nna que, que 70 o., tins
university captain dare Withdraw from the system.
for II he did he would lnd himself distanccd IN u
contest with neishboring rival There appears no
help Tor IT, The Candidates are now looking capiialy
aud saow an interest in their work, which is probably
intensified by their easy victory las. year ut Springs
field with Yale and Columbia. AS the spring APP
proachcs expect 10 sec much OF the candldates'
iicsh wearing oil and their stroke visibly becoming
refined. Tho patent by draulic rowing machine which
the present clew use was used ny the crew IN 1875
nnd 1877. Last week there was added 10 The machine
an attachment by when the relative strength and
durance Of the DC tested. The beauties OF
the working vi the machine are that the men eau DO
placed in line as IN their boat; that they uso
sliding seats and learn leather their oars and that
tue reslstauce oil The water DO exactly Initiated.
These machincs are placed IN the boatIouse. where
the crew he aiuuc, ana not under The gaze oil q
crowd, WAS the case wncn the rowing weights were
used ~ them III the gymnasium. Captain bancroft
keeps tGe men steadily at work aud exhibits tho kcoh
esi interest III what every man is dong.
THE CAPTAIN AND THE COACH.
One cannot al rst SEQ how dIncult and disa1roanbo
are the duiies 10 DC performed BY the captain oil u
college crew On him depends entirely the success or
failure Of all Ho must he abe, patent aud wholly
to The Interests OF the whole crew and each
vldual IN II; he must KNOW every mans weak points
ana ready with specific cares; his eye must be ac
curatcly framed 10 uctcCt graceful movement
well hidden aud important fault; nc must DC able
10 adjust each movable part OF the boat. and his
walcl,iuness must DO inccssant. Mr. Bancroft has
had years experience IN boating ana was captain
the 10 freshman crew and OF tue III university
eight aud the Harvard men iee that IN MIN tDey can
IL u not known Is be tue crews coach. Cap
tam Bancroft told me he found II very difficult 10 ind
any one wno Is both abo aud wiling To take the po-
stiop He is determined not 10 mar Hyrvards record
by hiring sisnai coach. but viii eventually
cure the services OF some old Harvard oarsInai IT
Inc financial CONDITION oil the CLUB will allow The
viii coached on the Charles IRON steam launch,
winch would % enabled 10 Keep constantly by thor
side and from wnosc deck the most careful watch
could be Kept on tho crew. IL Is doubtful, however,
whether club can an rd to indulge IN this luxury,
MS subscriptions this year are not so large tor
merly. The amount neeued by the crew is anywhere
between 3d. 00O and 81 00O, anu only 500 have thus
lar been raised. Tue freshman class has usually the
largest share To contribute toward the boat clubs
penscs aud the present freshmen have done very o.
rather dsgraceu portion OF Their assessment has
unpaid and the goads OF collectors have been
Piled again and again.
Fortunately tho boats used last year seem TO DC in
very lar condition, anu captain Bancroft Intends 10
again use the racing she'll which brought them IN
last spring BIZ Mr.. Waters, OF Troy, who Will make
the winch the freshmen Will use in their race
with Cornell. The BOAT is brautiuy made, IL OF the
KIND known AS paper boats Is about % leet IN length
aud about $50 pounds in weight The race last sum
mer proved coneiusivcy that the Harvard crow could
DO ,ralncd luey enough TO get ali the good points
IRON TINS style boat aud it seems probable mat II
Will always be used here no barge the crew use IN
their practlce on the Charles Is very strong one,
|
heavy has lasted very we'll The oars are o
| American mar uiacturc aud compare very well with
the English have seen. The latter are alitllC
lighter and shorter but are not capable Of doing any
| better service than American oars.
| THE RACE.
The race with Yac viii, as sad above, be either al
the very last OF June me FIRST oil july The OBJECT
IS get the day rs near as possible 10 commencement
days at both colleges, that the race may DC htung
close the college year ana that greater number OF
undergraduates may be present. The race Is TO bt
| rowed under tho conditions aud arrangements Of last
year, aud a meeting OF the Yale and Harvard captain:
Will presently determine upon the names OF tue Judges
and referee most sincerely TO DO nopcd that
coming struggle VIII not DC followed by disalreeaolc
Suspicious OF the iarness OF the referee or mat auy
thing else Will appear TO make tho pubic wish the
races discontinued tho future When the collcaians
meet tor let them meet rs gentlemen athletes
or not at ALL AT any rate people are getting tired o
such as Of 1875 at Saratoga, or ady Of the
! springfield disturbances.
HARVARD AND COLOMBIA
u is TO be regretted that Harvard Is not to row her
far sister Columbia. Tho Harvard mon
that Coium bIa del nded TOO much In asking that men
be allowed 10 row Who NOT IN the aca damic depart