The Washington times., 1906-07-01
FOUR-M|[E ROWING
TOO MUCH STRAIN?
Expert Thinks College Re-
gatta Distance Does Not In
volVe Too Much Strain.
INTERESTING COMPARISONS
Same Line of Reasoning Would Cut
0at Even soo-Yard Races
Football No Criterion.

Every year after the big boat races
are over the question as to whether or
not the four-miIe stretch is too big a
strain for the Jaen is raised. This year
it is not different A Washington oars
man. who has always defended the
longer distance, has this to say
at the races held on the Poughkeep-
sic course, this year, where six OF the
best c-ews faced each other, strange
10 say there were very few Of the men
that Iabored under strain so great as
to CAUSE them 10 fan. True in some
OF the boats there were one and two
that the killing pace told on, but on
no whole, of the forty-eight men that
faced the starters pistol. by far the
majority held the terrific speed and
finished without any trouble
"A different story is related about the
Yale-Harvard races on the classic wa
ters at New London One man in the
Harvard boat and one man IN the Yals
boat were overcome. The Yale man was
a dead weight for the last few yards or
the race. Pointing at this. the ex-
poHents OF the shorter distance say that
no man should be sent for a longer
trial. The coaches are at variance On
the proposition Courtney. the sage OF
Cornell. has said that the shorter course
would suit him as we'll and Dempsey.
the Georgetown teacher. IS IN favor OF
distance where so long a strain would
be avoided From the time that the
races have been rowed IL seems rather
peculiar that the shorter distance has
not been used.
Intervals of Rest.
In the freshman races. where the
timber Is not so seasoned. and where
the men are not so old. the shorter
course Is preferred. For the varsity
races. however. the race has been made
not only test OF skill. but OF en-
durance. IN the longer races on the
cinder path. which Of late have become
very much in vogue. the tWO-mile and
five-nile events have been added. These
are strictly tests Of endurance. the same
principle governing as in the rowing
world-tO get as much rest as possible
during a momentary respite.
In rowing. the rest comes after the
stroke has been finished and the mon
are coming back for another stroke.
a slide slow and steady has been taugh.
with the quick shooting Of hands. Were
this not in use no men could endure
the heavy pull. In the running of u
long race. the men are ordered to short
en- their strides, or change their pull
one minute using a long stride. the
next n short one. thus giving them the
needed cessation from a strenuous driv-
ing.
Compared With Football
III a shorter distance were rowed it
might serve the best interests as well
Certainly, from the viewpo Mt OF the
spectator on the observation train, the
race would be better one, as It would
be faster. But then it would be simply
test OF speed and not OF grit and endu-
rance. In football it was found expe-
dent TO curtaiI the halves from forty
five minutes. but this was necessary on
account OF the interminable length to
which the game was subjected by the
taking out OF time on account OF iniu-
ries, changing OF men. bandaging Of
wounds. carrying the ball out and other
causes.
In rowing no such reasons present
themselves. The men are trained for
that distance like a prize fighter is for a
long mill. or like a runner for a Mara
thon race When the proper stroke IS
inculCated. there Is as much RESPITE
from work as in any other sport, and
when the end is figured out. the re-
suits may be no more harmful than II
any other sport.
New Distance Worth Trial.
I'm order to eradicate the quest:>,n
there should be a meeting Of the stew
ards Of the various races, and a trial be
given to the shorter system. The same
tension which is attained in the long
distance races might also be reached in
the shorter, for the men would row
themselves out In them as well as they
would in the longer In the running
game, IL the same reasoning We're to be
pursued. the quarter-of-a-mile race
should be wiped off the list of events.
for 1t tells on a man as much. II not
more, than the four-nile row. There is
one considerable drive and push all the
way in that and the heart and other
organs are forced TO an unnatural state
with the blood pumping faster than ma
ture ever intended
with just as much force of reason
ing might the 3oO-yard race b elinI-
mated This race. according to Bernie
Wefers. was the hardest race that he
entered. and the one he liked least to
run He maintained that he was going
at top speed all the time and that the
effect was very deleterious. Whether
the men who row these long races ex-
perience permanently bad results is stiu
an open question. Rowing OF any kind
has the tendency to make one shoulder
higher than the other on account of the
continual raising. If man rows on
the port side of the boat his starboard
shoulder viii be little higher, and vice
versa. -