Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-16
COLLEGE ROWING
AND OTHER SPORTS
Harvard's Experiment With an
English SheII-TroubIes
of the Middies.
By Edward r, Bushnell.

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Americas rowing coaches will watch with
deep interest the experiment to be made
this spring by Harvard with an English
shell. rugged after the latest methods on
the other side. 1t might almost be said
that Harvard Is inviting certain defeat by
using the English shell. especially In the
race with Cornell on Memorial day. The
Harvard eight is SO much stronger than
Yale that the Crimson, although handi-
capped by an English shell. may still be
able to defeat the Ellis. The action of the
Harvard rowing authorities in adopting the
English shell is not altogether surprise.
for Harvard has invariably adopted En-
glish ideas and customs in preference to
the American. The disastrous experiment
Harvard made a few years ago with an
English coach and the English stroke is
still fresh in the minds Of rowing men. 1t
was amply demonstrated at that time that
no matter how we'll adapted these were to
the other side they had no place in
America.
Probably the most thorough test ever
made Of the English shell was that made
by Coach Ellis Ward Of the University of
Pennsylvania. When the Quaker eight re-
turned from the English Henley in 1901
Coach Ward determined to make q thor
ough test Of the two shells and the two
strokes. To this end two boats were rugged,
one after the American fashion and the
other after the English. Then the Ameri-
can and the English strokes were tried
with each. Wards object was to deter
mine whether or not the English had q
longer stroke than the Americans. as had
been claimed The experiment proved
oar the American rigging permitted much
more freedom and q longer stroke, the adj
vantage to the American shell being at
least sixteen inches Mr.. Wards expert
The majority Of Americas professional
coaches who have made q study OF rowing
in the two countries agree that Americans
have nothing to gain from adopting En-
glish ideas either In regard to stroke or
shell. For this reason the Harvard ex-
pertinent is being laughed at, the prevailing
opinion being that Harvard will speedily
regret both the time and expense she will
spend In making the test
YALE-ANNAPoLIs ROWING TRoU-
BLEs.
1t is doubtful II there will be any more
dual boat races between Yale and An
napolis. at least for the present. The fall
ure of the Yale eight to remain at An
napolis over Monday and row off its sched-
uled race with the middes is not a bit rel
ished by the Navy men. The impression
prevails there that the Yale authorities
very obligingly came to the assistance of
their charges and saved them from a GER
tain defeat. Inasmuch as the water was
too rough for the race Saturday the middies
saw no reason why Yale should not have
rowed the race Monday as agreed. The
Ellis were under heavy expense to go to
Annapolis, and since they needed the ex-
perience of racing very badly they would
certainly have prof1ted by the race, al
though they would probably have been de-
feated.
Yale. apparently. does not wish to race
Annapolis In the future. The Ellis have
been getting ready for this decision all
spring. Although the Ellis will not admit
it, the rapidly growing strength OF the Navy
on the water seems to be the cause OF
Yale's disinclination to meet the mfddies.
In previous years Yale has excused her de-
feats at the hands Of Annapolis with the
statement that the crew which represented
it should be noted that in nearly every