The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-02
FOUR MILE RACE TO-DAY
CORNELL, COLUMBIA AND PENNSYL-
VANIA CREWS TO ROW.
First Named Stands the Best Chance
to Win-The Coaches Tell
About Their Strokes.

POUGHKEEPSIE. n. Y, July 1.-The
second varsity race over the Hudson river
four-mile course of the crews from Column
bia Pennsylvania and Cornell will take
place, tide and water permitting. tomorrow
afternoon, between the hours of and 1880.
1t is of as great Importance as the race
won from Yale and Harvard last week by
Cornell, because the successful crew rows
in it and its defeat or the smashing of the
time records made in that race will mean
the raising of the serious question as to
whether Columbia and Pennsylvania should
not be admitted TO future contests in which
Yale and Harvard take part with Cornell.
The best information here tonight leads TO
the belief that Cornell will not be defeated,
but it is also said on like good authority
that her crew will have to row as 1t never
rowed before, and that with any kind of ia
vorable conditions the records of last week
viii be cut under. This is the opinion
openly expressed this afternoon by Coach
Cowles, OF Columbia, and concurred in by
the rest.
The conditions for the last two days have
been remarkably good al the hour set for
the race, and the indications are that they
VIII be repeated tomorrow. In drawing
tor positions this afternoon Cornell had her
usual good luck. and drew the outside
course where the ebb tide flows strongest
This is the third consecutive time that Cor
nell has drawn the outside position. Co.
lumbia drew the shore and Pennsylvania
drew the sandwich or middle place. 1t is
asserted, and with some degree of truth
that the position that Cornell has held in
the last two races, and will hold tomorrow,
gives her considerable advantage over the
other crews, the tide assisting her
The crews Of Columbia, Pennsylvania and
Cornell are all rowing very fast. Perhaps
the most notable Improvement has been at
Columbia where the disheartening expert
ence of last year had made Ii almost i'm
possible to get up enthusiasm: There is
plenty OF it there now and Mr.. Cowles's
remarkable work has had great effect
Pennsylvania is rowing the fastest-looking
beat on the river and the longest stroke.
Columbia is rowing the fastest stroke and
Cornell the neateSt, prettieSt and sloWest.
There has been lengthy discussion in the
newspapers over the principle OF the strokes
used by each of the crews, and the experts
here have attempted to give description
of the strokes. Tonight the three coaches
gave for the first time brief descriptions of
their stroke.
Mr.. Cowles's stroke, rowed by Columbia;
The forward reach is with straight arm
and back, the back in perfectly natural
position. The catch is quick and is followed
Immediately by a hard, steady finish of the
slide, the swing of the body going back
little beyond perpendicular, with hands fin
ishing on the same level on which they
were when the blade entered the water at
the beginning of the stroke. The recovery
is a slight drop of the hands into the lap,
sufficient to clear the blade of water then
a quick shoot of the hands, followed by a
slow forward movement of the body and
the slides together until body and slides
are in the same position as at the begin
ming of the stroke The length of the slide
varies from sixteen to eighteen inches"
Mr.. Wards stroke, roWed by Pennsyl-
Vania: I'VE are rowing the longest stroke
on the river averaging thirty-four and 60
ing to thirty-six on spurts often; then go
ing back to thirty-four. The men are
reaching further than any other crew, al
though they do not move their bodies so
much as the others, but use the full length
Of the slide, twenty-five inches. This can
be seen by watching the angle of the oars,
and not the bodies. The leg drive is also
the greatest of all the crews here. The for
ward reach finds the legs we'll drawn up to
the armpits the back almost perpendicular
easy the blade being slightly inclined as it
strikes the water. When the blade is fully
in the force of the legs, slide and back is
applied with all the energy possible. The
blade slides out of the water easily and the
recovery is almost instantaneous, yet not
Coach Courtney's Cornell stroke: "A long
reach forward, followed by a vicious lunge
with the blades that places them quickly
and firmly in the water before the applca-
ton of the power which begins instantly
The slide goes back under the straighten-
ing of the legs, the body gradually assumes
an upright position, then backward tilt,
the elbows beno4r~ from the straight arm
are at the side at it's conclusion. The
shoulders through this movement are well
set and do not round. AT the conclusion
of the body and arm movements which
creased application of power, almost jerk,
and the downward motion Of the wrists
which lift the blades and form the begin
ming of the swift recovery. Thus there Is
every fkAHan of the blades submersion is
utilized -