The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-08
WITH THE COLLEGE ATHLETES
DOINGS IN THE FIELD OF SPORT
IN EAST AND WEST.
Cornell Undoubtedly the Leader In College
Rowing THE Harvard.Yale Regatta
PROBLEMS at wisconsin and Columbia
in Aquatic ARaiFs-Crew Coaches.

-REODlemb ~ WtuCUtt1th bhu
In Aquatic ATairs-Crew Coaehes'
The victory Of Harvard over Yale IN the
intercollegiate boat race at New London
serves only to establish Cornell the more
firmly In the leadship in American college
aquatios for the year. The Ithacans hav-,
ing defeated Harvard In a two mile race
by the respectable margin OF three lengths,
OF course could be counted on TO score over
the Cambridge men for a longes distance.
All the more Is this true because Cornell at
~Poughkeepsie beat two crews which GER
tainly would have defeated Harvard as
badly as the Cambria eites trimmed Yale.
There was one marked difference In the
two races which marked the close OF the
aquatic season OF 1905. At Poughkeepsie
the crews, although their men rowed faster
finished with all the men in good trim.
BothHarvard and Yale had men who showed
signs Of considerable weakness in the races
This IL, of course, largely a matter OF dis
cipline and training. Another marked diff
ference was that the crew with the greater
amount OF technique and polish won ON
the Hudson in the varsity race. AT New
London the reverse was true. Harvard's
bunch, who were OF the type that oodw
Of Columbia calls %"sluggers. men who can
20 the distance fighting all the way, out
paced the lighter, truer trained Yalensians
and won a victory possibly more pronounced
than deserved.
The comparison on the Thames was a
great deal like that made between Syracuse
and Cornell in that memorable year OF 1904,
when Ten Eyck's oarsmen for the time being
stopped the steady stream OF victory and
diverted 1t from Courtney's camp. 1t was
said then that although the Syracuse men
won, it was a triumph for brute force, pure
strength and lots of courage. Cornell had
the form, the approved style, but not the
physical ability to deliver the goods" Tit
same was true this year of Yale. The New
Haven men we're the better oarsmen and
their style Of rowing, according to its lights
and needs, was good enough to outpont the
Harvard crew. I'VE want to see Harvard
win in the interest of college rowing; we
want to see Yale win in the interest OF the
science OF college rowing" That was the
way it was accurately characterized by one
c~ollegian. That Harvard did win spoke
more for the personal elements in the boa
than for the abilities Of the Harvard coach
ing system as a whole. Those who look
forward to seeing Harvard enjoy a string
Of victories solely because the crew won
this year and will have a great many men
back are going to be fooled. 1t was filley,
and not Wray, who made the Harvard crew
what it was. There was no triumph OF
coaching system; it was all one man.
Filley is and was to Harvard rowing
what Bob Cook was to Yale aquatios in his
time. Never before has there been a cap
tain at Harvard who was 30 absolute in
power. He was determined from the start
that his was the way to be followed. 1t Ia
probably because of, that that the fresh
men and f%our-oared crews we're 30 bad.
Wray wanted to give them coaching, but
he was not permitted to do what he thought
right, wat the ell Gavin l do?" he pite-
ously asked one man who questioned him.
sFilley won't let me do nothink.' And
that was about the size Of 1t. Tit talk
after the race about n Wray system and
the triumph of that worthy Australian
doryman, as Courtney sSaid to have called
him two years ago in Cambridge, made
most persons smile and certainly caused
O refined and faint flicker Of mirth to glide
across the chastely modelled features Of
Harvard men who knew the rights Of the
matter.
1t is about two months ago that in this
column the prediction was hazarded that
Yale would win the varsity boat race at
New London. The Yale crew at that time
was rowing about as well as it did on the
Thames. There was no question OF good
training in a proper four mile stroke. The
only query in the minds Of those who had
the crew in charge was whether it could
stand the strain. There were doubts of
it's stamina; Of its finish and courage, none
whatsoever.
It was said that Capt. Morse had never
been able to finish a four mile race strong
and there were fears for Boulton, the stroke
oar, whose experience had been confined
before he sat in the eight. There were
slight doubts about other men, and only
one or two were passed upon n known
as tried and able. That was the condition
when the men came to New London, and
the question as to staying power was left
unanswered until the two crews were about
q quarter mile from home. Then the whole
Yale boat wavered an emphatic "No!' to
the question proposed by Harvard, and
broke UP. The losers were game, but Joe
Cans, clever as he is, cannot beat Jim
Jeffries.
There arises now a question Of whether
Yale did after all do the time row of 10
minutes n seconds ascribed to the Blue
and at first denied but after%Fard affirmed
by the New Haven oarsmen. The circum-
stances are something like this: The
day Harvard arrived on the Thames, which
was about the third day that Yale had
been there, the Yale varsity crew went
out in the afternoon considerably earlier
Thar is the custom. The newspaper men
coming to the quarters that day saw ohe
crew coming up in the launch with the shell
towing behind. When they arrived at
the Yale quarters they asked Kennedy
what had been done. ooh, nothing" said
foxy John. I'VE just padded over the
course TO get the boys acquainted with it."
When the newspaper men vent down to
see Wray they asked him il he had seen
Yale padding over the course just before.
padding, says you,' was James's reply.
"A right smart paddle, l calls it." He
took out his watch and showed the time
for the first mile Of the paddle" recorded
there. according to his statement. It