The San Francisco call., 1907-06-09

situation. California had profted by
the able service of Coach Garnett, as
was shown by the success of her crews.
Dick Barrett, the Stanford student body
treasurer, had become greatly inter-
ested IN the struggle of the cardinal
crew and he recognized the fact that
rowing, TO take its proper place in in
tercollegiate athletics. needed the same
care and attention that was bestowed
on the other sports.
Taking his cue from the victories OF
California, Barrett secured the services
of the veteran oarsman and coach Dan
Murphy. Stock in boating took a
sudden jump at Stanford. Men came
out for the crew. the old time lethargy
was no more. California was, in turn,
stimulated to greater effort by the ac-
tivity OF her greatest rival. Then, just
a couple of weeks before the date Of
the regatta, came the earthquake of
April is, leaving the supremacy on the
water for 1906 a question unsettled.
This was unfortunate, as both Califor-
MIA and Stanford had spent consider
ably more time and effort than ever be-
fore In preparing their crews and both
sides were particularly anxious to test
the Dan Murphy stroke against that of
Coach Garnett. Coach Murphy claimed
that the Stanford varsity four was the
fastest crew he had ever trained
season
land rowing club four champions of the
northwest, and then, taking them east,
won the championship. The fact that
the two best members OF this four were
on the Stanford varsity crew in the
spring would seem to prove that his
claims for the cardinal oarsmen were
well founded.
The fall of 1906 found the rowing
spirit stronger than ever at both uni
that what he had declared of his crew
in the spring was. no idle boast; Gar
nett on the other hand was equally
anxious to show that. even If the car
dinal was as fast as claimed, the blue
and gold varsity still could keep it's
old place, in front. Naturally matters
were not likely to lag, and they GER
tainly did not.
Eight Dared Shells
Up to this time rowing on the coast
had only advanced as far as the four
cared shell; even the most ardent
devotee had not expected nor asked
for anything better. The rowing fever
grew stronger and stronger at. the uni
versities. and at last an enthusiast pro-
posed the purchase Of eight Dared
shells. The eight" idea, once started.
gained rapidly in favor. California
bought two eight Dared shells from
Cornell. while. Stanford got one from
Davy. the boat builder for Harvard.
The University Of Washington, follow
ing the example of the California uni
versities. also purchased an eight
The new rowing shells were slow in
arriving. Stanford was especially
handicapped. as she had only one four
cared barge. one four cared shell arH,
a two Dared working barge. Besides
this. the big storm of December 10 had
so badly damaged the cardinal boat
house at Redwood that great deal
of time that should have been spent in
training was used in house building
by the crew. Later on, when the new
boat was bought. an addition had to be
made 10 the boathouse and the oarsmen
again became carpenters.
Stanford received the neHs boat. but
owing to stormy weather after its ar
rival the eight was not ready for the
water until about three weeks before
the date set for the varsity race Cali
fornia Jared even worse though. for her
crew had barely two weeks training
in the eight; but this disadvantage was
more than offset by having one more
four Dared shell than Stanford. Wash
ington was no better off, having her
new shell only about two weeks What
ever the crews would lack in form, no
one coulu 1eel that they had the worst
OF it, for they all had to labor under
the same disadvantages As the day
for the race approached public interest
was proven by the space devoted by
the daily papers to the discussion of
the crews and the figuring Of the
dope
Washington sent her varsity eight
and triangle" race added extra In
terest.
Mistakes caused by ignorance spoiled
the nrst attempt to race the varsity
eights. Sausalito having been selected
as the course, the error was committed
OF trying to pull of the race in the aft
ernoon. Rough water caused all the
boats to swamp, and as the steamer
City OF Puebla was waiting to take the
Washington crew aboard Washington
had to return home without proving
conclusively her worth. She had done
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