Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-28

EX-CHAMPI0N EDWARD HANLAN
ic battle. This may seem paradoxical, but
it is nevertheless true. The collegians
should have only arrived at Henley few
DAYS before the contest, so that they would
still feel the invigorating effects of the
strong ocean breezcs, or else have put up at
Henley months before, so that they would
have been thoroughly acclimated. They
were at Henley just long enough to be-
come limp and debilitated by its soft, en-
ervating atmosphere. They felt it all the
more by reason of the contrast with the
health giving sea air they had enjoyed on
their trip across the Atlantic few weeks
before 1t was the climate and not Court
ney that killed the boys. 1t knocked him
as well as his pupils, for, as l have been
reliably informed, the big Ithacan was as
sick some days before the race as a lady on
her first day at sea. He was full of mala-
ria as well as anxiety.
Courtney is an adept at aquatic train
ing, and 1 do not believe he overworked
his pupils one jot. l am satisfied that he
did all mortal man could do to get them
in fit condition for the great struggle they
had to undergo.
-. Another thing. Courtney has been crti-
cised upon the shortncss and quickness of
his crews stroke The answer to that is
this What is one mans meat is another
mans poison. Some crews use long, slow
stroke to the best advantage, others
snappy, speedy one Personally 1 favor a
long stroke, especially for long race, but
| have known instances where the short,
quick stroke won notable contests. Take
for example, the famous Showaecemettes
of 1876, who defeated the best men of Amer
lea and came within an ace of conquering
the famous London Rowing club crew in
England in the following year. They
rowcd a short, jcrlly stroke, often running
up as high as 81 to the minute, yet they
suffered only three defeats in two years out
Of twenty odd contests. Those defeats,
too were only by a hairbreadth and due to
bad management rather than poor rowing
Even style and symmetry in rowing some
times don't count, as is evidenced in the
famous victory of the Bcvcrwycks of Al
bany over the London Rowing club crew
at the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876.
The Londoners had defeated the great Yale
team, captained by the renowned Bob
Cook, in tho trial heat of the day before,
and tho sturdy Northwestern and Showae-
cemctte crews the day before that. Yet of
all the crews at Philadelphia at that great
epoch in rowing history the Beverwycks of
lbany rowed the most awkward, scraggy
stroke and still won the worlds amateur
championship.
Now, for the benefit of ambitious oars.
men, whetherE they be scollegians or non
collcgians amateurs or professionals, who
contemplate an aquatic invasion of Eng
land or any other foreign country, will
give leaf out of my diary. My expert
enco may dothcm some good. Either row
in the country you visit almost immcdi-
ately after arrival, while you still have the
benefit of old Ncptunc's tonic, or four to
six months afterward, the period in which
one will get thoroughly acclimated. If YOU
row soon after your arrival, take hogs
head of your own country's water with
you. The water of another country is al
most sure to sicken and dcbilitatc you I'M
til your system has been accustomed to it.
If you can 20 abroad in time to be accli-
mated-and it is the better wGy-train
just exactly as you did at home. You can't
change the customs of lifetime any moro
than leopard can change his spots. Work
and play, eat, drink and sleep as you did
at home. You can't in few short months
learn any newfangled notions nor try a
change of regimen without danger TO
either your skill or physical well being.
This is the rule j observed when l went
to England the year after l won the cham
pionship of America against ali corners at
the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876. ]
was over there four months before / rowed
competitor, and hcwas not champion
at that-only rising" man, John Haw-
IL, of npla aft ~
however, I met and defeated William III.
lioi, the champion of England How ]
mot and afterward defeated in succession
Ned Trickett and E. c. Laycock, both OF
Australia, for the world championship is
row matter Of history. pursued exactly
the same methods Of training and accli.
matization with them as did with Haw-
don and Elliot
The first defeat l ever encountered, after
| had conquered Charles f. Courtney, Wal.
lace Ross, Eph Norris, James Ii. Riley,
George Hosmer, Frenchy johnson, Warren
Smith and host of others, | attribute TO
a divergence from this rule. That was
when Beach beat me in Australia when l
had the victory all but won. / had not
been in the antipodes long enough to be
acclimated, and | also departed somewhat
from my system of dieting, owing to the
peculiar climatic conditions Of Australia.
l had got away from Beach at the start
and had good lead up to distance from
the finish. The Paramatta river, WHARF ,yf
rowed, was filled with craft of all kinds.
and grew nervous us we approached the
winning line lest I collide with ono OF
| them, the more so as Beach hung on to me
| with bulldog grit, and could not shake
him. suddenly huge vessel lowered oyel