Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-01
FOUR MILES TOO
LONG FOR A RACE
Efforts Being Renewed to Re-
duce Length of the Course
at Poughkeepsie.

Once more effort is being made in GER
tain intercollegiate circles to have the re-
gatta course at Poughkeepsie on the Hud-
son reduced from four miles to three. The
agitation in favor of this change was set
In motion a year ago by Charles Courtney
OF Cornell. just after his crews had swept
the Hudson. Courtney Is still the principal
supporter of the change, but several of the
other coaches. including Dempsey OF
Georgetown, Ward of Pennsylvania and
Goodwin OF Columbia, are in favor OF try
Ing the reduced length for at least year.
The coaches, however, have nothing to do
with the change of the course, as this Is in
the hands of the board of stewards repre-
sented by Pennsylvania, Cornell and CO.
lumbia. The stewards, of course are
largely influenced by the views of their re-
spective coaches. so that it is not unlikely
that the course will be three miles instead
of four next year.
There are three very strong arguments
advanced for the shorter course The first
Is that four-mile race is too exhausttng
on an undergraduate and is likely to lead
to serious consequences in after life. The
four-mile idea came from the Englishmen
who row this distance at Oxford and
Cambridge. But the Britons are more ma
ture men than the American collegians and
can stand the strain with less danger
The second argument IS that the ma
Jority of the college oarSmen find IL most
difficult to secure the necessary course at
home to train for four-mile race. Cor
nell enjoys a distinct advantage over the
other college crews because of the posses
stems OF Lake Cayuga, on which to train
Here the Ithacans can get course OF any
length desired and the men are SO ac-
customed to rough water conditions that
they are always at their best over the
Poughkeepsie course. Pennsylvania, for
instance. has great difficulty to secure
more than a two-mile course on the
Schuylkill The same is true of Columbia
on the Harlem AS result these colleges
are quite seriously handicapped.
The final argument is that the Hudson
river at Poughkeepsie does not supply all
Ideal four-mile course But it does fur
nish the best three-mile straight-away in
existence. To get four-mile course the
crews have to row around a bend. For
these three reasons. therefore. the advo-
Gates of the reduced course are growing
every year. and it is safe to say that the
stewards will be asked to try the innova-
ton next spring.
Proposed Western Regatta.
Since the Poughkeepsie regatta the prof.
ect for a western intercollegiate regatta has
been doomed again, and this time with more
prospects of success Wisconsin Is back
OF the movement which aims to hold the
regatta at Lake Mendoza. where an ideal
course COuiu ne Obtained. HS Ouly uiu-
Guilty would be to get enough other west
ern colleges to take up rowing Both Min
nesota and Michigan are 50 situated that
they can develop good crews without much
difficulty. The same Is true of Chicago
University. and the midway institution did
try to develop the sport last spring, even
going so far as to send challenge to
Wisconsin for a race With four colleges
competing, the western regatta would be
a winner from the start. Wisconsin finds
1t almost impossible to make a good show
ing at Poughkeepsie. owing to the long.
tedious trip her crews must make and the
short time they have to train over the
Poughkeepsie course.
Changes in Coaches.
AS a result OF the Poughkeepsie races this
year there are likely to be two important
changes made In the coaching of the big
crews. Columbia students and alumni
make no effort to conceal their deep disap-
pointment that their crew was able to beat
only Georgetown and had to finish fifth far
In the rear. For three years Jasper Good