The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-18
AMBITIOUS BADGER BOYS.
They May He Able to Row Penn
syIvania Yet.

The champion Yara Yara eight of
the university of Wisconsin, which
came near distancing the Yale freshmen
on Lake Saltonstall last spring, is
anxious to get on race with one of
the varsity crews in the East Chair
man Reath, of Pennsylvania, says he
We uld gladly row them in Philadelphia
in May on early in June before the
varsity crew leaves for POughkeepsie.
We can offer no financial induce
ments," said Mr.. Reath, las thee would
be no revenue derived from such
race, but We will row them any dis
lance they desire / should like to see
the race brought off on the Schuylkill.
The Schuylkill course is not straight
by any means, but there are no more
turns than in the course from Putney
to MOrtlake, where the Oxford and
Cambridge crews meet each year. 1t
would be a race in which the skill of
the coXswains would figure in a con-
siderable degree 1t is considered prob
able that Wisconsin will accept Penn
Sylvania's offer. Wisconsin would like
to row in the big race at Poughkeepsie,
but it is said that Cornell and Harvard
are opposed to their entering.
OF last years crew four men will be
out for work They are Walter Alex
ander who rowed at No. 3; A. F. Alex
dHueI, NO. a, FOT0St, D, anu capt. ME-
CCnville, stroke. Besides these, every
member except one of the freshman
crew has returned, and that crew last
season promised to produce some eX-
cellent oarsmen.
Coach O'Dea introduced the Austria
Fan stroke into American rowing cir
cles. AS a result of his first years
work, the crew of '95, composed mainly
OF freshmen, lost to the Minneapolis
crew at Lake Minnetonka by three
quarters of a length, and made the two
miles in 10:23-the best time ever made
by college crew on dead water.
few days previous to this race the Bad
gers defeated their old rivals, the Della
ware club of Chicago, on Lake Monona.
Last year a race was rowed with the
Yale freshmen on Lake Saltonstall,
Conn. IDEAS men distanced the Yale
crew by eight lengths. Eastern men
are still wondering how long, lean,
lank muscled men averaging 1913 pounds
could distance a beefy, brawny crew
averaging 165.
Aquatic discussion at present is CEN
tering about the new winter rowing
tank to be erected within a few weeks.
The tank will occupy small building
close to the university boat house, and
will be % feet wide by 20 long, and
will be 20 feet to the apex Of the roof.
The structure will stand on piles, and
will have an adjustable floor, which
can be raised and lowered with the
lake level. Along the center of the
building will be built a long box re-
sembling the cockpit of q racing shell.
In this long box are placed the regu-
lation sliding seats and to its edges
are affixed the customary outriggers,
in which the long oars, or sweeps"
as they are called, rest. This box is
thanked on either side by shallow pools
Of water which come in from the lake
beneath through the open work of the
floor. The pools are divided length
wise by partitions, which, however
stop short Of the walls of the building
to pass in a current around the parti-
lions, or "bunkers,' as they are termed
at the ends, thus permitting the water
in the speech of boating enthusiasts
The oars or sweeps play in one side
of these pools or shallow troughs Of
water, and thus furnish a very good
imitation of rowing. The water moves
along with the sweep of the oars and
passes in current around the ends
Of the bunkers and is kept in circula-
ton as long as the practice continues
The result is that in the dead of win
ter the men get as good rowing practice
as if they had a short streak of open
water in rapidly running stream and
HluSi heep the pOdC from moving down
with the current, the boat remaining
in the same position while the stream
flows on.
The future sailors Of the United
States navy and the oarsmen of thu
university of Pennsylvania will meet al
Annapolis next year on the Severn
river. The middies want the race to
take place May 20, and the date sue
geSted by the naval academy will
doubtless be accepted. The length of
the course has not as yet been def
nite1y decided, but it is probable there
will be a compromise and three-miIe
course agreed upon. Pennsylvania will
nave the same number of crews as last
year-'varsity, varsity freshmen and
college freshmen. Both the varsity
and varsity freshmen crews will enter
the big regattas near New York, Deco
ration day.