San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-07-05
WILL CORNELL w1Np

! HENLEY, England, July 5.-As
the date draws near for the great
regattas Of July 8, 10 and IL, in
which are to appear the Cornell
and the Toronto crews, the lethar-
gle Englishmen are waking up to
the fact that they are about to wit
ness some Of the greatest aquatic
events Of the century. Though the
Canadians are famous four, the
greatest interest centres about
the Cornell crew, which is repre-
sentative of the American college
strength at the oar. They are the
first eight-oared crew from America
to compete in England. Thew have
been here long enough practlcing
to get the country well worked
up. Henley shows signs al.
ready Of eclipsing past years
In gayety. The demand for
houseboats was never SO great, and
40 guineas ($S60) have been given
for one boat for weeks use. The
great race of the regatta week is
for the grand challenge cup. Six
crews are entered for this race,
among them the Thames, London
and Leander Rowing clubs, the crew
from the German college and Cor
nell. The Englishmen do not
seem to be the least bit frightened
at the American crew, but look on
the Germans as very dangerous
rivals. The grand challenge cup
is perpetual trophy, which can
never be won outright, but the
members of the winning crew each
receive gold medals. 1t is Cornell's
ambition to have the name of their
college engraved on that cup.
The English crew no doubt will
prove faster than the Continental
Oarsmen, and the Leanders are re-
garded as showing by far the best
racing form. All the crews are
either made up of college oarsmen
! or young men who have mastered
the use of sweeps at the clubs they
represent. The Leander crew is
made up Of the best oarsmen Of
Oxford and Cambridge universe
ties, and in many instances Of men
who have rowed an oar in winning
| university crews. The Leander,
Thames and London clubs also
draw from the college. Everything
connected with the appearance Of
the Cornell eight is American
throughout--an American univer-
sity crew, composed entirely OF
Americans, coached by Charles E.
Courtney, to row distinctively
American stroke, rowing in paper
boats made in America and rugged
according to American ideas, and
carried to ad from England on an
American line of steamships.
The race will be rowed against
the stream, over course OF one
mile and $50 yards. The fastest
time ever made over this course
was by the Leander B. G. in 1891,
when they covered the distance in
6 minutes and 81 seconds. The fast
est time given out by Courtney for
his crew this season over the same
distance on lake water was 6 min
utes and 81 seconds, but 1t Is safe
to cay that Cornell has rowed fully
fifteen seconds faster, for Courtney
would not be silly enough to take
a crew to England that could not
better the fastest record made at
Henley on lake water. 1t is safe
to say that Cornell would have
just as easy task winning from
Oxford over the Henley course
as she will have from the crews
of the Thames, London and Lean
der clubs. The race will be rowed
in heats, two crews to compete in
each heat. Lots are drawn for the
various heats, and crew is ex-
pected to row only one race each
day. The first drawing assigns the
rival crews. Another lot is drawn
which assigns the winners Of the
heats to row together. AS the win
ners are not then known, the draw
ing, which is done by two little
girls in public is fair. With six
crews and three winners Of heats,
one will not have to row until the
final heat. This crew will have a
slight advantage. The positions
are also assigned by lot before the
| races. The course has slight curve
near the finish which gives the in
side, or crew on the Bucks side, as
it is called, q slight advantage. All
drawings occur before a single
heat has been rowed. The Prince
of Wales has promised to attend
this year, and it is expected that
he will distribute the prizes.
Here is the Cornell crew make
up:
f. B. Matthews, '96, bow; E. O.
Spillman, '97, No. 2; E. G. Hagar,
1915, No. 3; T. w. Freeborn, '97, No.