Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-01
OLD RIVALS STILL
STRIVE FOR LEAD
USED FLAT-B0TT0M BOATS IN
FIRST CONTEST
In August, 1852, Harvard and Yale
Crews Were Enthusiastic
Over New Sport of
Rowing

1t is a long cry from today back to
men, enthusiastic over the new sport
Of rowing came down from New Haven
and Cambridge to Center Harbor and
had the first college boat race.
They had no shells then-great
barges; they knew nothing of nerve
destroying rivalry but were so boyish-
ly anxious to discover the best crew
that they had try-out on the morning
Of the race day and were so well
pleased with the sport in the afternoon
that they waited over until the fol-
lowing morning to have another go.
Harvard still cherishes pair of
black walnut sculls in memory of the
victory of the gallant Oneida, while
Yale stills knows the Halcyon, Undine
and Atlanta.
From that simple little race on Lake
Winnipiseogee, when they did not row
much "for fear of blisterlng their
hands," down to the present day, when
the eights are training so solemnly at
New London and Poughkeepsie, is truly
long cry, and many a remarkable
contest has happened in these fifty odd
years.
They had so much fun in those early
races that they decided to have them
often, but the next regular race of any
note did not happen until 1859, when
they met at Worcester, the Harvard
and the Yale six-oared shells-they had
shells now-and the Avon of Harvard
and the Atlanta from Brown lap
streaks. The Harvard shell had no
steering gear and frequently they
stopped to regain their course, but SO
superior were they that they won by
several lengths. Next day them met in
a city regatta and Yale picked up the
first prize of $100i
In those days affairs were conducted
with a refreshing simplicity; the cap
tain coached the crew and the selection
was by a survival of the fittest method,
in which the challenger tried out with
a man in the boat. The strongest man
took the seat. OF course they had no
slides as yet, and the boats, though
now called shells, were more like gigs
than shells.
After the Civil War names that are
still famous came to notice-Wilbur
Bacon at Yale, and William Blake and
Frank Crowninshield at Harvard.
Bacon introduced a far better style of
Craftsmanship at New Haven, when they
reached Worcester the day before the
race, Harvard invited them to see the
Cambridge crew perform. OF the next
day Yale showed her appreciation of
the lesson by soundly trouncing the
astounded Harvard six. But then came
the Blaikie crews and Yale could not
win.
The old idea of training reached it's
elimination about this time; the
scheme was to take off all the weight
possible and yet allow the man to live
They rowed twice a day and always
hard; if man showed an ounce of
flesh. he wore heavy flannels. They
ate little and only the plainest foods
beef or mutton with the blood running
out, and perhaps a few potatoes and
rice. Water was apt to put back the
weight lost in perspiration. hence the
best trainer was the man who could get
along with the east-a glass for break
fast, two for dinner and another for
supper was the absolute limit.
Between meals they had no water
whatever. and the agony of such a
mode of living while rowing under a
blazing sun can scarcely be imagined.
To further increase the torture many
coaches prohibited baths during the
final weeks Blaikie's crews began to
break down the old ideas. but some of
them have fingered almost until today.