Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02

FNOy uclItS Itedlld II titHlts,
Fights from Cornell. Yale and Pennsylva-
mia have in turn tried to win the prize and
have in turn failed. much to the derision
of those aIlwise critics on this side of the
water who declare that British oarsmen
are superior to American. and that is all
there is to It," II is to blot out this stigma
that the American oarsmen repeat their
attacks on the cup-not SO much for the
honor of capturing the title of the worlds
champion eight-for that Is what the win
ners of the grand challenge plate areas
to vindicate American oarsmen In the eyes
of the American people.
A Record of Defeat.
Those who have followed the different
meetings of British and American oarsmen
know that the latter need no vindicatlon.
True. they have nearly always been beaten
in England. but so have the British been
beaten in America. The former have not
always been defeated. A four from Co
lumba College in New York city went to
Henley in 1878 and captured the race for
the visitors challenge cup. Three years
later Cornell sent four over to row in
the same race, which was for college tours.
but the Henley stewards decided that Cor
nell was a university and that its four
could not be admitted to a college race.
Unwilling TO have all the time and training
SpeUI on the Undertaking go lot X.
the Cornell four rowed in the race for the
stewards cup topen to all fours) and was
outrowed. Years later Cornell sent over
an eight. One man In the boat collapsed in
the race and destroyed all hope of win
ming. Yale then sent over eight in
which Bob Cook had great confidence. but
although it won golden opinions it took no
races. Then Pennsylvania University tried
Ii, but failed to finish In front
The Champion Vespers.
The crack varsity crews not having sue
ceeded in their quest of the challenge plate
the leading amateur rowing organization of
the country has determined to try Its for
tune The Vesper Boat Club OF Philadel-
phia has entered crew for the regatta to
be rowed at Henley early in the coming
summer. The Vespers sent an eight to
Paris some years ago and won what was
called the worlds championship there. 1t
is true that they met quite a mediocre lot
Of crews. None of the crack English eights
participated. But the race was for the
title and the Vespers won 1t. They conse-
quently have a reputation and are conse-
quently justified in representing America
in the Henley regatta. The Vespers have
never defeated Cornell, Yale. Harvard or
Pennsylvania on the water, and 1t Is not
known how they rank as compared with
the leading university Fights, but the col
lege men having failed to win at Henley 1t
Is deemed only right that an amateur crew
should try.
The entry of the vespers was mailed
months ago. with the proper affidavits GER
tifying to the amateur standing of each
member and accompanied by the affidavit
of the British consul at Philadelphia. The
daily training of the oarSmen Will begin
this afternoon. Besides the Henley crew,
the Vespers expect to put two other Fights
on the river. The greatest activity will pre-
vail at the club house. The fact of sending
a crew to England has stirred up the other
oarsmen of the club and a great many men
will be seen working to make a place in
some of the many crews to be turned out by
the club.
Forbes Drops Out.
OF the seventeen men chosen from whom
the crew will be finally picked one has
dropped, leaving but sixteen men in the
Henley squad The man to drop out Is
William II. Forbes, the skllful Cornell
oarsman and he has gone back to Cornell
to finish his studies for the year instead OF
staying and working for a seat in the YES
pers' Henley boat.
Forbes left Cornell about ten days ago
and went to Philadelphia. unknown to his
mother. brother and guardian When he
appeared with his bag and baggage they
were amazed and lost no time in telling
him to- get back to college and his studies
and forget about England and the Henley
regatta So Forbes has returned to Ithaca
and the Vespers lost strong candidate for
their crew.
The Henley committee decided to At the
crew out with new racing she'll The
craft which is to be a model of American
workmanship. is to cost 5000. and will be
May q, but scarcely in time for
the American Racing Association regatta.
The Vespers now have a good racing shell,
with only the best. A transportation COM
mittee was chosen, consisting of George 8.
James, Daniel A. Shern, Frederick Schoet-
tie and Harry b. Hoffman.
How the Men Row.
One of the Philadelphia sporting writers
who watched a trial of the Henley candi-
dates writes as follows:
Favored by the weather. the Vesper Boat
Clubs Henley crew yesterday rowed four
miles up the Schuylkill and back to the
club house In way that indicated that the
men will not be long In rounding into form.
There was a natural curiosity among the
crowd to get glimpse Of the Vesper Boat
Club Henley candidates. At 3:45 the race
committee arranged a crew selected from
the Henley squad, and, manning the trim
eight-oared shell Victory, a three-mile row
was taken. Lott stroked the crew, with
Marsh No. Z, Flanagan 6. Armstrong 8.
Johnson 4, Williams 3, Gleason 2. Scheil
bow. and Lew Abel handling the filler
ropes. After the kodak fiends got through
with the crew the coxswain called Give
way all" and the oars swished through the
water at a lively rate. second crew COM
posed of Rothermel, stroke; DAILY, q; Sher-
mer 6; Pietz, 8; Carl, 4; Brown, 3: Noel. 2;
Roll, bow, and Billy Hay, coxswain. fol-
lowed the Henley squad up the river.
"Exley, who will In all probability be the
regular Henley crew stroke, was late in ar
irving so did not go out. There was little
effort to speed things up. but the spin was
made In fast time, though a stubborn cross
wind was encountered. Every man per-
formed with precision throughout, and Cox
swain Abel commented favorably on the
form shown.
1.-The Vesper house was the center Of inter-
est for Fairmount Park sightseers, and q
great crowd watched the first crew and the
second mixed eight, which followed 1t and
covered the same course.
"A systematic course of preparation Is to
be mapped out by Coach Dempsey. and It Is
believed that vigorous work can be begun
It once. Chairman Hoffman Of the Henley
has engaged the auto boat
Unique, and In II he and the others of the
committee, with Coach Dempsey. win fol-
ow the crew on the water
''The Vesper oarsmen will be strengthened
by the appearance of ex-Capt. Kunxig Of
Yale"
Cremations In Germany.
Statistics for the German empire, says
United States Consul General Guenthar ct