The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-03
CAPT. ROCHE IN TOWN.
Leaves With the United
Team Wednesday for
England.

James T. Roche captain of the Harvard
track team, was in this city yesterday to
spend Sunday with his parents. He will
sail from New York Wednesday morning
on the St. Louis for England with the
joint Harvard-Yale athletic team which is
to compete with joint team of oxford
and Cambridge universities The team
has not been fully decided on. Some of
the men will compete at the Knicker-
booker games tomorrow, and on their win
ming depends the decision.
The games will take place July % at the
grounds of the Queens Club in West Ken
sington, London. Thus the American
athletes will have about ten days train
ing on the other side. They will not train
on board ship, but will exercise by walk
ing on deck.
The Americans accepted the challenge
with slight notifications as sent them by
Oxford and Cambridge. They have han
dlcapped themselves by consenting to the
three mile run, which Is feature of the
annual competitions between the English
universities, but which is not included in
the competitions of American universities.
Il the races are run as are the Oxford and
to the pole, they will be further handi-
capped.
The list of events are: 100 yards dash,
10 yards hurdles quarter mile run, half
mer throw. running broad jump and run
ming high jump. This is the regular OK
ford-C Cambridge program, with the half
mile substituted for the shot put.
Whether the sea voyage will be delete
rious or bracing In Its effects on the ath-
letes from this side depends upon the
weather, and the individual. The Yale
team, which crossed the Atlantic in 1894,
did not suffer on the whole from the six
days at sea. Mr.. Lathrop said he should
advise all the well men to get moderate
made deck; the long-distance runners will
probably walk several miles each day. No
gymnasium will be fitted up on the ship,
as some expected.
The Yale and Harvard men will have
tables specially set apart for them in the
saloon, and will be served regular train
ing fare. Any one who is taken sea sick
badly will perhaps be at disadvantage
in the games. but Mr. Latnrop thinks that
two weeks on the other side will be just
enough time for the men to recover their
balance and not long enough for them to
what USE" said he, lis six months train
ing if the results can be lost In one week ?
To be sure, the performances of the Yale
team in England in "a showed that they
We're too fine, but nothing follows from
that. Consider the present case. After
the Mott-Haven games the men of the
Harvard team lay off for two weeks; they
will have had only three weeks Of work
when they sail the second week in July,
and the week on the ocean will be an
other intermission. The last two weeks
of July will be just enough time for the
men to timber up and to tone up their
stomachs.'
What Capt. Roche and Mr. Lathrop re-
gard more fearfully than the sea trip or
entertaining are the differences in condi-
lions to which American and English
athletes are used. For instance, on the
other side the hurdle races are run on
turf instead of on cinder path. Fox of
Harvard and Fincke of Yale also are now
practicing their event on turf to accus-
tom themselves to the difference. The adj
ditional springiness of the turf will per-
haps offset the disadvantage of a less
| firm footing, and it may be that their rec
ords will not suffer by the change
| The Harvard captain Is especially dis
| appointed that the first places alone are
| likely to be counted He would be glad
| if second and third, or at least second,
| places were counted, as he considers the
American second string much better than
that of the Englishmen. Yet, as one of
| the challenged he will abide by the deci-
sion of the committee, which will support
undoubtedly the English custom. 1t is
| possible an agreement may be reached to
count second places as Oxford and Yale
did in their dual games.