New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-16
AN IDEAL COLLEGE RACECOURSAs
WILLIAM Blake ADVOCATES LAKE oU1N.
srGAMOND FOR HARVARD. YALE. COR
NELL, PENNSYLVANIA AND


To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir In to-day's Tribune you quote a passage %
mine urging the Springfield course as on tho
whole. the best for the Harvard-Yale University
When that written there was no reason
to think that the causcway across Lake Quinsisa-
mond near Worcester would be opened WITHIN
a week the press said that representatives OF tne
Worcester Board Of Trade thought that IL ~ouio
be opened II the was row ed there. III So a
serious objection TO that course still remains
namely that no railroad for observation trains
skirts II The Boston and Albany Railroad runs
along n small part Of IT. Let that or the trolley
lay a track along the west shore Of the lake TOT
four miles. and no other water In Ne"-Engiand or
the Middle States would compare with Lake
Quinsizamond for shell-racing The banks are
nigh. and the AXE IS so narrow that unless tns
wind is almost or quito due north or south tns
water is nearly always smooth Many passing
steam craft during each day Of practice so SUR
up the Hudson Poughkeepsie as seriously 10
interfere with shell-rowing indeed. AZ times en-
dansering IT. when Governor Mortons tug
swamped Pennsylvania shell on race day ana All
her hopes Of winning for that year.
But thee are large craft on Lake Qun-
sigamond Captain COOK was reported 10 have said
ut the university -ace at Pougf keepsie, In 1871
think that Cornell had al least lengtns faster
water than Yale This is unfair; yet II Is next 70
inevitable for boat In either current or tde'
But there il neither current nor tide on Qnnsiga-
vantage through the whole four miles. unless there
was a breeze and had the Ice shore.
The chief drawback about raj road Is tnat
IL would have 10 earn about 81 Of It's income
for the wear upon race day. and that the crews
will not stipuate TO come there FOR enough years
mako it pay. But the shores are 20 hish thae
a road along the middle TWO niles would let you
SEQ about a Of the certainly Of The best on
IT, Two-story platform cars. with seats below ana
standing room above would do. Thirty thou
sand people view the great football ana wneet
contests at Springfield. SIX thousand would read-
ily pay $1,000 to see this the greaf race ~ tns
year. and would nearly pay ior iwo ul''s a hsn
i'm one div. The scenery is picturesque ana oedu-
ternriss would soon MAKE II pay on many other
days besides The FIRST year would test me rack rack
second would 90 far toward building the remaln-
ing two miles. while Misunderstanding ana doup,
las; we would have an absolutely fair university
racecourse alike for all The tine each year ,S So ,ei
to a second which was the fastest crew that ever
And why conhne it to The Harvard-Yaie race!
Professional rowin, in this country - dead VINO
is the single-scu champion VINO are us I LSs
Ward, Ham. John Bisln Coulter waiter B owl:
Ross Hossn,er Hanlan. Gaudaur and a long list
Of those brilliant names have shown mat AMER.
cans can row fast and far. The Paris orew OF
St John. 3. and the two great rowing fam
lies Of America the Ward brothers and The Big.
world all they wanted and beat them 49,.
But though have no professionals we nave
the clements of "a greater contest tnls coHihs
smmme~ than has been yet arranged Row me
Hnrvard-Yale race on Quinsgamond waters cary
ono afternoon the Cornell Pcnnsy lvanla { oumbn
an hour later next day the class and cup So rd tws
vrinnars of the first day Never since captain
Strom's Cornell crew whipped Yale and Har HIar
in ls72 has either Of them whipped Cornell Here
they can stick to It til they do. and the three
davs racing will pay all II costs 10 lay troneys.
T'hen have the National amateur meet ht.!N later
on The same course. and IL can make money,
y" ~ WILLIAM BLAlklE.
Nau-York Mach II. 1899.