The Washington times., 1895-06-28
Great Harvard Race to Be
R0Wed on the Thames.
CRIMSON'S NEW SYSTEM
1t VIII BE Tried Against the Blues
for the First Tfme-Strokes of the
Two Crews Compared-One Com
posed of Heavy Weights-Course
Not an Ideal One but Convenient.

New London, Conn, June 27-The Har-
ward varsity crew, which meets Yale on the
Thames late to-mogow afternoon, viii
enter the race under conditions radically
different from anything a Crimson eight
has experienced in years. No Harvard
oarsmaR remembers ere W from Cambridge
that has worked harder or met with more
difficulties than the eight that will strug-
gle With the Blue.
First and most important of all, the
men have undergone a system in training
altogether different from that which has
has been in vogue at Harvard for some
years, and it required constant attention
and faithful application from every men,
Der of the crew TO become thoroughly ac-
customed to the new conditions
For the first time in years the crew was
coached by single man, Mt Clifford Wat
son, whose control OF the men W as absolute.
He introduced his own ideas as to the
training and style of rowing, and no one
was allowed to interfere with him. From
the time that he took the crew candidates in
hand last fall they have been under his
watchful eye in all their practice work,
and his careful coaching has continued as
tirelessly this week as when it began three
months ago.
THE STROKES COMPARED.
The Harvard stroke this year is long with
plenty of power in it, and the oarsmen,
since they have been on the Thames have
| been pulling from thirty-four to thirty
eight to the minute. 1t is not an essentially
different stroke from that used by Yale,
| both being modification of the English
stroke
The Harvard crew sits stTaighter than
Yale and swings Wen forward from the hips
| before sliding on the recover while their
leg drive is not so snappy as that of the
Yale eight, and is started with the body
| just bit beyond the pc erpendicular Harvard
| finishes with bodies erect and with hands
| drawn into the chest, while the Yale men
finish with bodies slightly forward and
| hands several inches out from the body
The Yale stroke is better developed in
some ways The Harvard oars do not
| take the water as clearly as Yale's, and the
| blades are not brought out on the recovery
| very evenly. The men who sit in the
| Harvard boat are all oarsmen of some ex-
| perience, though only two have ever rowed
| a Varsity race.
YALES ARE HEAVY.
With one exception the Yale crew this
year is composed of veterans. All Of them
but two rowed on last years crew. One
| of those would have been a member OF
| that eight, in all probability, if he had
not been suspended. He was member OF
| the '93 varsity crew, and is no novice
| in the sport.
The principal fault with the men is that
they are heavy. This fact was the cause oi
| much talk last year, which ceased, of course
| afterthe race was won bytheheavy-weig hts
1t was said that they were apt to lack the
| celerity of ligh crew, and even Bob
Cook seemed to be troubled over this point
They defeated Harvard, though, and il
| was conceded that their weight was not g
matter to have worried about at all. Never
theless, the crew did not pull the four miles
in phenomenal time, and a comparison shows
| that the weight of the crew this year ex
ceeds that of last year.
The course on the Thames over which th'
| race is to be rowed is not an ideal one
| and is selected only because of its con
| venience for both Harvard and Yale. Tht
only fair race is rowed down stream anC
| always with the tide, and within the hours
| of its flood.