The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-18
WHITECAPS RAN.
High School Crew Be-
gins Training
in a Gale.
TWO CREWS TRIED.
Boys Showed Up Fairly
Well Considering
Handicaps.

High school oarsmen took their first
practice on the water yesterday. 1t is
late start and the crew is under a
terrible handicap for its race with Har-
ward freshmen, the only race of the
year, probably, which will take place
on May 27. With little more than
month in which to make preparations
and develop a crew, Coach James A.
Ten Eyck has a great undertaking be-
fore him to attempt to beat crew
which has the advantage of several
weeks training already on the Charles
River
There was not a vestige of ice any
where. The warm weather and rain
OF last week rotted the ice, making Dig
holes in it. The wind of Sunday and
yesterday cleared it away entirely.
A more inauspicious opening for acrew
could hardly be imagined. A north
wind blew straight down the upper lake
on which the boys practiced, causing
whitecaps at the lower end where the
work was done. 1t would have been a
credible feat for a crew with several
weeks practice to ride shell in such a
sea as was kicked up by the wind yes
terday. AS for splashing no crew could
pull against that wind without throw
ing water by the bucketful
The High school boys did well con-
sdering everything that handicapped
them. Had the surface been as smooth
as a mill pond and the oarSmen splash
ed as they did, probably the coach
might have reason to find fault even
if it was the first time on the water.
But with whitecapS running and four
new men in the shell it was wonderfully
good work that the lads could pull their
oars through and clear the water
enough to avoid crabs on the recovery.
They didn't catch any although on the
start a few of them got bite and came
near landing the unwelcome article.
The first crew that went out was
composed of DAILY stroke, Johnson Z,
Perry 6, Wheaton 5, Taylor 4, Hagberg
8, Mexican 2 and Cosgrove bow. Mason
was in the cOXsWain's seat.
If Captain Daily continues to exercise
as good judgment and win follow the
advice of the coach as well as he did
yesterday in setting the pace, he will
prove an admirable man to captain the
boat and set the stroke. Coach Ten
Eyck, accompanied in the pleasure boat
by James A Ten Eyck, Jr., went out
for short stretches against the head
wind which was terrible stiff. The lads
rowed diagOnally across the lake to the
old Pine tree and then down with the
wind. They covered maybe a mile in
their practice spin.
Coach Ten Eyck laid particu-
lar stress on the handling of
the oar and the clearing of the water.
He also coached the men to ride the
boat on an even keel above all other
things He instructed Capt. Daily to
set a slow pace and the latter followed |
the instructions to the letter. He pull !
ed about Is to the minute and some- !
times even slower than that in order |
that the others might be able to give |
as much attention as they could to |
keeping the boat even.
The first few strokes were fierce. The |
boat rocked and the oars dug through
the water on the recovery almost stop |
ping the shell. But when the lads got
going with the wind they did well and
finished near the causeway with hard |
ly any splashing.
They came back to the float, and
three changes were made. Harvey took
number seat, Carroll number 2, and
Weyer was given the seat that Wheaton
had occupied. The second squad went
away from the float far better than the
first did, and went over practically the
same course as the west side of the
lake was slightly protected from the
wind. The men who rowed in former
crews handled themselves admirably.
OF course they were handicapped by the
four new men. But they showed the
same ability to pull the oar through, |
and their form was good even at this
early season of the year.
Two of the men occupied seats they
had in last years crew. johnson is at
I a1,..,. 4
seats they always rowed in. DAILY, who
is now strOking the SHE'LL rowed number
6 last year, so that he is still on the port
side. Perry rowed number 2 on last
years crew. He is now rowing number
g. also on the port side, so that he
| hasn't much of a change. COsgroVe !
rowed bow oar of the second crew last
year, but the second crew didn't mean
much. 1t did not practice to any ex-
tent Cosgrove handles his oars well,
and has the earmarks of a good man.
His work is clean. He is a trihe light,
but plenty below for the bow if he has
the strength
The work Of the new men could not be
/ judged yesterday. 1t would not be fair
to them to judge their work in such
rough water. They showed great will
I ingness, however, and a desire to do
I just what their coach ordered, and if
/ they continue to be careful in that line
! they viii certainly improve greatly.
I The crew seems a trihe light for an
( eight-oared crew. The men look small
/ er in the boat than did last years crew.
/ There is sufficient weight, however, to
stand the strain for a mile and half
| and the greatest handicap which the
| crew is under is lack of time. A crew
| is not made in day or a week, and not
/ in a month either. The lads will have
to put in as much work as they can
stand to insure good crew work in
their race.
Jackson of the two high school crews
that have raced will be found in the
boat later. He has not been training
with the squad on account of difficult
ties over which he has no control. They
will end shortly, and Jackson will
probably row on the starboard side in
order to trim the boat. There are at
present three old men on the port side,
and Johnson is the only experienced
man on the starboard side.
A change in the style of rowing was
noticeable yesterday. The men keep
their knees well together on the recov-
cry, instead Of allowing them to swing
out, as is the custom with many
Fights. The purpose of this change is
to secure greater force in the leg drive,
Coach Ten Eyck thinks greater power
can be applied by driving the legs out
straight than if they We're doubled up
when the start Of the leg drive is made.
II aunaars rpa soma HE at that