New-York tribune., 1900-06-24
BIG VARSITY RACES NEAR.
ANNUAL STRUGGLES THIS WEEK ON
THE THAMES AND THE HUDSON
WORK OF THE CREWS.

".
Poughkeepsie and the ripping waters of the
hudson viii be the centre OF interest For the
-uocessfuI oarsmen all the fruition Of their toll
the last eight months. and Of the fierce
heartrendng struggle of the final race will he
crowded into the brief twenty minutes or So
which II viii take the speeding crews to cover
the four mile courses. And IN rne same heeting
glimpse OF time may be seen the pent up en-
deavors and cruel disappointInents Of the losing
crews. Altogether the outlook is that bigger
crowds VIII witness the coming races than ever
before for last seasons struggles have lent a
keen relish TO the contests which are to be
fought out on the Thames and on the Hudson
The races between Harvard and Yale at New
London next Thursday could not have been bet
ter arranged for the comfort and convenience of
the spectators. Only providing wind and
weather are favorable. all three races will have
passed into history before o'clock in the
afternoon. thus enabling the eager thrones from,
New-York and Boston TO get back home 2 little
after nightfalL The wind on the Thames. how
ever, is an uncertain factor, and a postpone
neEt until later in the day is one OF the con-
tinsencies TO be thought Of The order Of the
races VIII be the same as last year, and will
thus form a perfect climax The four Dared
boats VIII start from away up the river and race
TWO miles down TO the Navy Yard. No sooner
VIII the cheers for the victors have died AWAY
lively clip and row their two miles down to the
bridge. Then the two observation trains one
on each side OF the river, Will wend their Uav
four miles up the stream again 10 the point
where the varsity crews viii be living ready N
catch the word This last race viii be royyed on
The bosom Of flowing tide. and the conditions
should be fast. The finish will be right bv
The railroad bridge. and the carloads Of specta-
Tors viii simply have 10 step back to their
&zV- YORK and
moreover that the observation trains this year
are rnarvels Of convenience and elegance. II IS
10 be hoped that this is the case There has
been certainly room for Improvement
or course the chief interest at New-Iondon
VIII centre in the outcome OF the varsity race
The foUr-Oared crews seem TO be about a stand
Of. With the freshmen the advantage seems To
he with Yale Such prediction however. is
little better than hazard. and in auv event
VIII net cause much OF q beating of hearts. all
The deeper emotions being reserved for the
struggle between the senior eights At the
present writing Harvard is showing perhaps
The better form, better time and slightly better
workmanship She is not, however, enough
superior at any one of those points TO warrant
any prediction Of victory for the Crimson Yale
has improved steadily without a single break.
ard the last few days of practice will undoubt-
edly see further strides forward
WHAT THE RACE MEANS TO YALE.
To Yale, however. the race on Thursday
means good deal more than simply the win
ming or losing Of the regulation four-mile strug
gle against Harvard The present is a crucial
period with Yale rowing interests. and next
thursday IL is not merely the merit Of the
crews that viii be trial but also the entire
rowing system at New Haven In 1896 Yale
r5"ed al Henley, and Captain Bob" Cook
came back from England with an idea that the
Yale stroke, which he had developed in the
previous decade, would better be considerably
changed. and not a few of the English methods
aslsspted. Changes We're accordingly made. but
not II soon became apparent. 10 the advantage
Of the Yale crews. In both '97 and '9S Yale
'ost 70 Cornell. and IN 80 TO Harvard Such =
record was certainly not hattering TO the inno-
vatiors that had been adopted As q matter of
TACT many Yale boating men appreciated this
fact after the race in '9S and feeling that Yale
had been wandering away after strange boat
ing gods set about for a reaction. 4 stroke was
adopted in which the best Of the innovations; s;
brought from England were retained and com
hined with the chief features Of the stroke
which had made Yale famous on the water for
years. The result last year was not successful
puI Il must be remembered that the newly
evolved stroke was not complete last sea son
Despite that fact Yale turned ont 2 very fast
crew, one Of the fastest a matter Of fact in
her history. It simply happened that Harvard
stroke Of Yale has been further developed with
he consequence that IL resembles very closely
-le Harvard stroke which. it must be borne in
----L-1- mas q good deal OF LehllaLn IN Il When
therefore the two crews bend their backs TO
The struggle next Thursday II viii be imposs-
G.e even for an expert Oarsman to detect much
difference between the strokes which they win
row II looks II it would be a redhot race
from start 10 finish, with physical condition
playing big part and the nerve of the two
crews deciding the matter 70 large extent IN
The last quarter mile Of the struggle 1t has
been more or less OF & tradition Of Harvard
Yale races that. as the crews stand al the end
II the lrst rNvo miles, SO they viii finish There
has, however, been no particular reason Tor
this. and IL is not an unbroken tradition. 1t
looks this year a # the struggle would be in
The last half Of the race.
Those who are fond Of college boating VIII
travel almost directly from New-LondOn 10
PoughEeepsie and witness there on Saturday
the larger regatta, which viii be less provincial
in way than viii be the contest on the
Thames The University Of Syracuse has
dropped out Of the running, but there are stiu
left five eight-oared varsity boats 10 row
abreast down the Hudson and two or three
freshman and fouT-oared crews AT Pough-
keepsie the contests viii not begin until MD
afternoon and with so many crews IN each
OF the three struggles, the ofnceTs OF the race
VIII have 70 do some lively moving to have the
varsity contest ended before dark. Last year,
il may be remembered, there were several Ialse
starts which ought II possible 70 pe a. a olIFT 5i
this year Richard Armstrong, Yale, 20. VIII
referee the races, no doubt IN a thoFouShIS
acceptable manner. The West Shore Rallroad
VIII provide ample facilities for the races anc
VII have trains departing for the CITY lhneul-
ate!y after the finish.
With all 03 the struggles on the Hudsoh iess
tEan week OF. none Of the crews arrlEeu a.
their quarters before yesterday except CoIuIIp1a
and Wisconsin Cornell and Pennsylvania came
yesterday. This IS a great exception 10 the Iuie'
for ordinarily the crews come TO their quarters,
nesting al the foot Of the Highlands al least
a fortnight and sometimes longer before the
races. Pennsylvania. Cornell and Wisconsin,