New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-26
JOYS or 4 BOAT RACE.
ROWING FROM THE CONTESTANTS POINT
OF VIEW.
From The Badm.nton Magazine.

From The Badmnton Magazine.
The strain OF a boat race and the week preceu.nB
Il Is by no means incOnsiderable, Dut II - 80.
makes Itself felt The physical strain OF boat
race is in nine cases out OF ten. no sIra". tn Tn
that Of a hard day TO hounds or on the 'oS Sor tbe
relief which man feels for rev LAYS S , me
race is caused far more Dy ' NE he last week or
so than by the absence OF hard work ana pnys'cai
For the first few weeks of practice the work is
comparatively light. the fourth htth ana slx, n OF
being by far the hardest; and toward the END Of
the seventh week the wnoe thihs nctn9 !" III aiIi;
round the parks At ,w or or three times to Ifiy
Lasher or h e'T a, eW state Of affairs which
makes the to Putney really WeCoe e. r', h
for the crew ana awak'' ,d t'S are eager to know
What sort OF al Impression they Will MAKE nov
the tida water will suit them ana whstner o" re
ported to be- The mere iacts OF 49, soa ,hen,
coat and nanncs. and having cr sn rs 10 very
time they ROY, are peasan ts ~ fhs university
The drst view OF the other crew is always inter
esting. sometimes even .n,ournsn o,s ceiling which
creates within one certain nervous bich Increases
every rowing man knows. feeling MI" +,Tn
the day OF the race draws neT irving to 20 e
sleep a, nigh, by thinking now satisiaG'oy ~, thc
orxtcty. and each time ono dreams In some nor
rible nightmare that the boat reinalhs En- crew
AID 10 he a2d ennnot be found when it is
morning
4, which very one tries 70 show that ne IS not
nervous IS almost luicrons IGpcs %, oni to
sali nat because every one IS thinking OF the pros
poets OF the race and even me -n osso 'e''''''-
II see I'm the paper" some one will remark, they
,oot Minutes 20 seconds to row from Putney 70
~ ns s'i have done is minutes 80 seconds"
Il can that quite poor 9I % ib@ breskast table
"thev had a leading wind and roaring tde wheFe-
as WG had Ia. hg pap T says they hadn't good tide
and me- win S was against them and tina, it was
a" 1h yo Ever see word Of truth in tho rowing
column OF that paper why. rs VIZ h 49,,
fact that 1t never makes single correct state
"poesn', IT? see little farther down 1t says
~W A., thnis tn. only tru. thing IT said. or
Will say i should think. Now. do read 1t yourself
ani |. tve peace.
Il, also says in the next parasraph that s6 you
your place In varsity crew. ....- ,,o.s,,,.
oh do dry up! don't care what y your P Stnay
f@p,tiI o,,rscrsmith was a poor one and haven't
,he slightest doub, shall be a length ahead al
Thon every one pretends 10 agree with the last
speaker bu, feels IN his nmost soul that putney 70
good performance. and that there Is consideraotss
thrv arc ahead a, all when the first mile has been
n the tide does not happen to suit Ill the after
week 70 tho crew First they 20 for snort walk
on the on thu fn' ry e JUST to see that every
bof In tho boat is strong and that every oar -
right then after early luncheon. they start 10 the
boa thouse FOR the last time; - -. 49, ,,,,.,
The halfhour spent on the balcony o. me mouse mouse
trying FOR those who are going TO- row frienas wig
intend to follow the race g[op m one hy X,rSnn
confession from each member Of the crew that ne
never fS " Th od ID oar is there and describes
the races he rowed In. explaining elaoorately now
l"tcSt betting. ana points out another City man
Who. although ne knows nothing about rowing.
am To have made such bad book that he stands
to win IS lose 500 The foni mother adlureS her
dear hoy not to risk injuring himself by rowing 10"
In fact every one seems to have a word OF advice
for the crew At last the two presidents go 10 TOSS
for stations | Will assume that my crew set the
Mddesex side We are disapp9nb,ed as be6 gVf rs
me- means that We shall have to go hard can
At drst ana try il possible. TO take their water at
Hammersmith. Now our opponents are getting guy
we can only see the tops Of their heads. they SO
close to the bank and the crowd Is so dense AZ
between double row OF mounted police: VINO can
with difficulty keep back the crowd We take
are all right and paddle gently down to our stake
, boat The four large steamers that are TO follow
the are moored two on either SIDE ana chee i
comes from our own vessel as we pass the small
launch. which carries only the ump.re an engineer n
and waterman at the wheel. Is all ready 70 go am
is shooting out clouds Of steam as II It HAD made
Steamers behind. and the other crew are waiting
at their post looking thoroughly uncomfortable
waterman grasps the stern OF ship Sweaters
and scarfs passed to the stern and put Cd
Il shall say. Are-you-ready' once, shouts tie
Si%1'[I" '''"a II ! get no reply STA" "''
Then follows quite the most UNCOMFORTABLE, me mo,
ment of ones life. II makes me shudder as '"'''"
Bang we are OFF. Thoughts at first co IN rsed
and then distinct follow one another III ~,
Observation-Disclosures which sometimes wanrTr r'E m
away from the race that one mas WIN ~
preston afterward Of the sound Of bd pa. Of the
umpire's hat What a good start; Not d sp,a aat
to speak t Of Th what Gtar r0 How we are going
away. How those coxes swear at one another another.
How blown am gett,ngmanI, tner' look At them
Perhaps had better not? Yes As suroRe II , Is nS
duty to do Why we're ba Gdar't the o. ADVANTAGE
Of thc very first corner we draw gradually ahead.
and almost clear at the soap w W ount '' a
most to be able to take their water at the corner
thinks If cox would o Sny The Re er WhcrS @'
he going 10? was there ever such atrocious steer
ing? They coming up nanu over NAM H en
drawing in TN they eventually get level with us
just the river stralghtens OUT AZ CmS"vn ina
| I'm the crew knows that our success depends on
regaining our lead without delay.
They are holding us. but only by rowing nearly
two strokes a minute faster than we are. as we
can see by the fash Of their blades II we can only
keen them at that for minute or SO longer We
shai have them! Then. in response to a yell from
our we quicken our stroke LICK 1t up 5rd do
| them, Wen rowed." And gradually We begin to
draw ahead. soon we are half length In front ,Sa;
well I'm ha nd with two lengths to spare. From this
point to the finish 1t Is almost unmiXed pleasure.
/ There is just fear that some one might eaten a
! crab or that an might break Fortunately,
such accident seldom happens. and we san past
paddle up few yards to the boathouse. where
both crews leave their boats and change their
so It will be seen that the experience OF training