The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07

casion of the day Of the race, one coach ex-
planned that he believed that his second
crew taking the inside course where Column
bia was could beat the first crew. out on the
Nays lane, by ten lengths in four miles
Just because OF the difference in courses.
A statement Of this kind naturally is taken
with a grain Of salt. But there is not a
great deal Of doubt that some Of the courses
are better than others.
Coach Glendon was hoping for the sake Of
the Navy crew that the water would not be
rough. He explained that IL il was rough
the Navy boat might as well be left in the
boathouse. He did not explain why rough
water should disturb the Navy crew, we'll
used as it was to the by no means smooth
course on the Severn. The Tact was that
those who backed il. The expectation was
that the crew could hardly fail to get
second place, at least
The Navy men figured it out right in
the honors. At least there was such small
difference between Columbia and Cornell
that il was like pairing horses In the betting.
Where the Navy failed. IL appeared, was in
rowing the first part OF the race. IL was
suggested that the midshipmen had the
idea that possibly they could not last out
the distance IL they started to pull as they
did customarily, 80 they were content to
lie away back and then depend upon a
squirt. They did try a squirt at the bridge
which cut down a great deal Of the advantage
the leaders had, but it was impossible to
make the squirt last and the Nays tactics,
II such they we're, we're wrong.
Plainly speaking, the Navy crew did
poorly for n boat composed OF the men
| that Glendon had. There wasno better lot
of men on the river; only one crew, pos
sibly, hat was anywhere near as good.
1t may be figured out that the Navy did
F! pretty well to be third in n recollection OF seven
crews in its first year, and viewed in that
way 1t il not so bad. But public expectation
was that the Navy was bound to be very
we'll up, and anything short Of second place
does not appeal as a very good performance
for a crew made OF men OF the build OF the
Naval Acadmey eight.
But in one way there is some satisfaction
in seeing that the Navy did rot win, be-
cause it partially insures a return to the
Hudson another year. II the Navy had
won and there had been the least sentiment
against returning. the academy men could
have pointed to the victory as showing
that their departure was not q retreat
but a withdrawal. AZ it now is. they can
considerable comment. even II they wished
to do it, which Is extremely unlikely. In
fact, next year there will be a four cared
crew from the naval academy in ther race.
much recently when speaking Of the chances
Of coming back another year. A Navy
four should ave a much better chance than
an eight IL the men row the stroke they
did this season. The Navy men fall very
far behind the perpendicular. and it does
seem that any extra length Of stroke they
may get through IL Is offset by the wrench
to the muscles that follows in the unusual
effort TO get back to the full reach. Those,
Of course, are matters on which Coach
Olendon feels himself better qualified to
speak than the mere onlooker.
What Georgetown did in the varsity race
need not tend to discourage the oarsmen
from that place, 1t is believed. The George
Ao-D a,vht osxoplv In ckad tha rn10rx - 80 ~.
distance with q boat full OF water. II the
day had been calm the Georgetown crew
would nav nae a much better showing.
Naturally IL cannot fail to be d~iscouraginR
at the game in a college. but the general
idea among those who watched the crews
In that he should stick right at it. When
Georgetown gets anything like a heavy erew
the men should perform creditably. There
is. however. one feature in which Coach
Russells theories do not appear good.
His men do not cover the blades Of their
oars, and IL il hard to see how they can get
the power in the stroke il they continue to
do that.
1t is said of Harvard in the other regatta
that the enforced change in makeup the very
day OF the race through the illness OF Glass,
one Of the strongest men in the boat, natu-
rally hurt the chances. That this 10 so
Is not hard to realize. The Harvard crew,
however, did not seem to get any speed into
a low stroke, as the Cornell men do. They
had their slides all right when they used the
low stroke. but the boat did not make the
proper progress. When the Harvard men
had to fight It out to keep up with Yale they
had to raise the stroke and thai killed the
slide work. Harvard's crew was powerful
enough. That is to say. the men Of muscle
were there. but they did not seem to apply
, the power rightly. That made all the diff
| ference in the world.
Tn Yale crew was trained along different
lines. The men were instructed for one
thing in pulling the oar throug h on a low
parallel to the line Of the shell. The Har-
ward men pulled in high on their chests,
finishing with slap down to their laps. which
made all the weight sink down at once and
buried III DOW of the boat. They were
| getting a certain amount of power on a
| part OF the stroke where power seemsu n-
|, necessary, that is to say, right at the
end. II the power is rightly applied there
Is no need TO jerk through the very last
part OF the stroke.
The average Thames winner would hardly
be a victor on the Hudson, but a good crew
Is a good crew anywhere. In view Of
that 1t 10 interesting to note that In the
Yale varsity eight were five young men
from New York city. The talk about
husky farm lads making a crew gets
another rap right there. In fact, Of the
remaining three one Is from Syracuse and
the others from South Orange and Norris
town. which are not far from New York.
There are fewer New Workers. in the Co
~ NpS .-. -. .