Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-02

Of modern tines and worth crossing the
continent TO witness.
II Is distinctly a race OF American origin
and is the product of that most fertile OF
American professional coaches. Fred Plass-
ted. or the Harlem Club of New York,
where the style has been In vogue for the
past two seasons, and from the success
there the National Association adopted ii
as feature OF IT'S championship races
College Coaches Disagree.
The college coaches have taken the mat
ter up in serious way aud the question
now under discussion is whether they will
drop the present sweep-oared eight race
ana take ND the eight-oared scull Every
college IS out with some sort of opinion on
.he matter for or against the style though
Joan hennedys that master mind that di-
reefs the doings of Yales crews saws he is
aesirous or seeing the matter tried more
.uns peiere giving an opinion on the SUBJ
49, enartes courtney. the man on the
throne at Cornell. thinks In the same vein.
While here at Washington Pat Dempsey of
the georgetown crew Is heartily in favor OF
tne oclopede, as Is Ellis Ward of PhiIadel-
pla,a, Mr. James A. Ten Eyck. the profess
sioHai coacn OF Syracuse University and
Mr. Jasper I. Goodwin. the graduate coach
OF Columbia College. two radically different
minus as Far as Craftsmanship and water
,naliship are concerned, have given their
views on the subject
Ten Eyck Favors Sculls.
Mr.. Ten Eyck believes that although the
Gay OF its accomplishment may be 6ost-
poned for years, sculling in college aauat-
,cs VIII IN time supersede sweep rowing
eeheVe III Tor the best interest of oars
men generally and for the game itself
That the change takes place and I hone
the stewards of the Poughkeepsie regatta
WI. add a quadruple race on June 81 to
alow the spectators to see the good OF
s Such a contest l do not believe says
len Eyck. that college oarsman of to-
day. although he may row in his crew
TOT -FOUR years and become famous as a
stroke oar gets all that is possible from
ms devotion to the sweep that he would
IL his time were given up to scnIIinp send
out inquiries to oarsmen who have had ex-
perience with souls and sweeps and ASH
unem which they prefer, and the almost
unanimous replies would be In favor Of the
SOULS Rowing, like foot ball, has some
enemies who say that the strain upon a
man Is too great There is way of lessen
ne NE ihe STRAIN by making it more equally
felt by all parts of the body In sweep
rowing there Is bound to be an unequal
distribution of the strain, which Is impos-
s1ole IN sculiing. There need be less brac-
can be built lighter, narrower and along
closer lines. There Will be turned out much
oetter-looking crews from the spectators
point or view. Seulling in my opinion, is
rowing yet better looking crew can be
secured in scullfng than in sweep rowing in
an equal amount of time
Goodwin Prefers Sweeps.
Coach Goodwin of the Columbia Unver-
sity, however, contradlcts the assertion Of
Ten Eyck that sculling is more scientific
as ms response to request for an opinion
on the subject herewith given shows. Il
cannot say that would be In favor Of MAX
ing the change from the use of sweep oars
10 the scuils In fact, fail to see any adj
vantage In the octopede style of racing
The claim that sweep racing overdevelops
one side of a man through constantly pull
Ing on one side of the boat or the other
has never occurred to me as being valid
l know that 1t has been a part of NV
policy to shift the oarsmen from one side
to the other Of the boat frequently In the
course OF season: In fact my men are
practically what might be called ambidex-
trous oarsmen. They use both set of mus
cles equally under my training, and 1t Is
only couple OF weeks before the dates
are to be In the race. This does the unison
of the boat no HARM and has a double
value. The men when they finish with
rowing, have been equally developed all
over. and. besides, If needs arise. they can
be shifted to row in a seat on the other side
of the boat.
las for the assertion that sculiing Is a
more scientific form of rowing than the
Take. for instance. the fact that you can
get together almost anywhere a crew of
eight single scullers, and put them in an
oetopede boat. They will balance the boat
trinity, If nothing else, from the start.
Keeping an even keel is one of the hardest
things to learn In sweep rowing. and all
told, the art of rowing under present con-
ditions is far from being simple. 1t is an
exact science and does not partake of the
nature of the more slothful race of single
sculling.
These the views of two leading
coaches of their particular classes and go
for what they worth. but, In the mean
time, the rowing amateurs have already
adopted the octopede The American Hen
ley at Philadelphia in June will add the
class to it's list of entries, the national as
sociation will. from the success of last
year, continue it in their championship
contests. while at the middle states, which
Is likely TO be pulled off here on the Poto-
mac, the octopede for both senior and in
termediate classes will be among the events.
With the fad holding forth so strong
with the amateurs it is bound in time to
creep In and become a part of collegiate
aquatics.