The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-26
o'DEA BREAKS SILENCE
Badger Coach Says His Men Can Win on
Their Merits

. j ~ - g &. NJ % #
Poughkeepsie, N Y, June 26.---When
the 1870 college oarsmen looked out OF
their windows this morning they We're
surprised to find theirsarace day opening
with clear skies and to see the sun for
the first time in twenty days. The wind
from the south was hardly more than
d zephyr While the conditions this morn
ing are exceedingly favorable, there Is no
assurance that they will continue 50 pro-
pitious, for the wind Is in a naturally
bad quarter, the majority Of storms along
the Hudson valley being heralded oy soutn
winds IS
! Never in the history of Poughkeepsie
has there been such light attendance
of college syrnpathizers and followers as
appeared In the streets this morning.
However, this may be due to the TACT
that the races are held late In the after
people in the cities up and down the river
= 10 get here by special trains before the
first race is rOwed.~g,.s a4 ,fs .
The fotilla of yachts and pleasure boats
of all kinds began to arrive this morn
ing, some of them coming from New
London, where the owners had witnessed
the Yale and Harvard races yesterday.
Among them was the Governor Flower,
the state quarantine boat, carrying Gov
ernor Odell and party. The governor al
fects the colors of Columbia. his alma
mater. Cornell is still the favorite ~
Coach O'Dea of Wisconsin said to-day:
o'Dea Makes Statement.
IT have been trying to instill In my men
that they are on merits and not merely
on a chance accident to the CorneH
crews, but the public press and the peo-
pie surrounding the men are continually
pounding into them that they haven't any
chance and I am afraid that this affects
the mems minds and thus the chances
Of winning. But race is won by the
men at the oars, and not by the people
making bets In the hotel lobbies'
Hanlon Of Columbia is, next to Court
ney of Cornell the most confident OF all
the coaches here this morning, he says
that his men, especially In the varsity
crew, have a good chance to win and that
1t is anybody's race.
a-The Syracuse coach Is confident that
his youngsters in the freshmen race will
give the other crews a good fight and
stand chance to land first.
Il Cornell puts the heaviest crews on the
river this afternoon and Syracuse the
highest The fact that Cornell has the
heaviest crews shows decided change Of
sentiment on the part Of Coach Courtney
as to the weight Of the men behind the
oars. Some years ago when Yale and
Harvard were rowing with Cornell, Court
ney commended that a light crew was bet
ter than heavy one, and, In fact, he
won two races from the very heavy Yale
crews. II
The program for the day is as follows
4 p. M, four cared race; 4:45 p. M.
freshmen's race; 6 p. M, varsity race.
At noon the wind had shifted around
to the southwest, with indications Of a
further shift westward. This, If main
tained, would be good for the course and
make smooth water, for the Highlands
along the west bank shields the course
from westerly winds. All indications al
noon favored ideal weather for the con-
test.
There was no practice this morning. Of
any account, the principal work scheduled
for the oarsmen being the moving of theil
shells from the respective boat houses tt
the icehouse at the two-mile mark
which is the rendezvous for all. They are
required to have their boats placed ir
the icehouse at least two hours before tbs
race to insure all hands being promptly
at their starting lines on time.
The Cornell boats were first at the
rendezvous at 10 o'clock. Wisconsin was
a close second and Georgetown, Syracuse
Columbia and Pennsylvania arrived at Z
seasonable hour so that there was no like.
lihood Of any delay in starting the race,
thru fault Of any of the rticipants. f