The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-22
Bylwny Crew of Varsity Eight
Trained to Fine Point and
Ready for Struggle.
CRIMSON'S TURN TO SUCCEED.
Has Been Defeated by Yale Every
Year Since 1899 - Freshmen
Have Been Unfortunate and
May Not Hold Their Own.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

| REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
| Gales Ferry. Conn. June 2l.-Harvard's
crew work is practically over and the
| hrawny oarsmen at Red Top are waiting
| anXiously for Thursday. when the races
! with Yale will be held on the four-mile
course on the Thames River, near New
| London.
II the programme goes off without q
| hitch. the varsity fours and freshmen
| Fights will be the first to race. and then
! the big struggle Of the day will come soon
after the noon hour.
| As for the crew chances, 1t is a difficult
thing to pick a winner between two eight
cared crews which are evenly matched and
which in all probability will finish a four
mile race WITHIN a couple of hundred feet
OF each other.
That the rwo crews are evenly matched
seems to admit OF little doubt and Harvard
Sympathfzers are inclined to believe that
| II anything. the advantage this year is with
the crimson.
1t certainly is Harvard's turn TO win and
al times since the crew has been at work
on the Thames Il has seemed as If this was
ftarNaTds year at last. In 1899 with HiC-
SiJIIsoh. VINO is now head coach. at stroke
harvard Won her last varsity eisht-oared
race against Yale. The next wear Higgin-
| son broke his leg two days before the race
ana Harding, who took Higginson's place
mile mark.
SHELLS SEE-SAWED.
The following year Harvard and Vale
roWed one of the closest races ever sean on
the Thames. with the two shells see-sa wing.
with each other all the way down the course
Last year Harvard had a fast eight but
run up against the fastest crew Yale ever
by close margin.
Hissinson coached last years crew Nc
GioW stroked it. and Foster rowed at four.
!heSe are the only men VINO are left from
last years squad to begin the work with
TINS year, with the exception of Aver who
Is no" rowing at three In the four-oar. The
elsht-oared crew this year had to be made
up or green men at Harvard, and the result
Is certainly surprising.
mere are eight strong. reliable men in
the boat and TO d good man ii seems to
be one OF the best ail-around crews which
has represented Harvard since 1900 The
oniy serious question is whether they have
any sprint-any racing speed-and II must
he confessed that they have not shown any
great amount of this thus far
INCLINED SLIDES.
The crew seems to be getting little more
drive this year than last. or at least they
have more of shove on the end of the
stroke. This is partly due TO the fact that
the men are using inclined slides and partly
to the fact that the men have been coached
on his point. The catch is much less no.
tCeable and the men are not expected TO
throw themselves into the very beginning of
each stroke in the way which last year
proved to be so tiresome
The recovery has been made an all-import-
ant item this year: but whether the crew
has finally succeeded in getting SLOW recov-
cry. or whether they have acquired
hang at the full reach is question of dis
pute. There certainly seems TO be mo,
ment after the men get away out forward
before they get their oars into the water
and their power applied This appearance.
however. is often caused by an extremely
nNs..rN en- n no
does not hitch between strokes 1t is not
TO be objected to. Up to a week and
half ago the Harvard shell was actually
stopping between each stroke and to those
following on the launch il seemed as
though the coxswan really went backward
for moment Just before the catch of each
stroke.
FAULT DECREASING.
Fortunately this fault has been growing
less and less until now there is very little
hitch except when the stroke is run UP to
couple of points over thirty. At slow
stroke there is no doubt that the crew is
hard to get great deal of speed out of
crew rowing a twenty eight stroke The
principal aim of Higginscn for the last
week or more has been to put some sprint
into the men.
The Harvard youngsters have had ill-luck
ever since Fflley was taken from stroke
and put into the varsity boat and since
Pleasanton was obliged 10 leave the boat
for nearly q week. Fortunately. Pleasan-
tCl returned, but Inc crew lost a good
deal of Roadway during his absence and IL
took a long time to get INTO shape again.
At present they heavy crowd, with
not great deal of life and dash which
really is an essential above everything
else in a freshmen crew.
The varsity four-oaIed is. as usual 4
snappy organization ct Harvard ana the
men are looked upon as sure winners In
fact, 1t would lie hard for Harvard oars
men to look forward to defeat in the
four-oared race. even if the superiority of
the Yale aggregation were easily apparent
As 1t is, il seems that Harvard has the
better substitute boat.
Dillingham; is a little man. but he is very
lively and can run the stroke up and keep
1t up In good shape. Aver. who for two
years has rowed at No on the varsity
eight. is rowing at No. 3, and rows yery
long and powerfully.
sF'RESHMEN DOUBTFUL
1t would not be u great surprise to Har-
ward if they lost the freshman race. but
trey think they are going to win the four
cared and some OF those who have followed
the crews think that Harvard has a little
more than an even chance of winning the
big contest of the day between the two
varsity eigh,S. Statistics of the Yale and
Harvard crews in training on the Thames
River at Gales Ferry. Conn, for their an.
huai races th,re on Thursday, follow:
YALE VARSITY EIGHT.
Man: Name and position: Age. Weight. Height.