Evening star., 1909-01-24
EXPERT OPINION
ON ROWING DISTANCE
Little Chance 'of Reducing
Course From Four to
Three Miles.
Bv Edward r. Bushnell.

College athletic legislators are mighty
slow to accept innovations Of any kind.
The latest display of this characteristic
is the refusal. which seems to come
from several seats of learning with real
unanimity, to consider the suggestion
that the length of the rowing course
at Poughkeepsie or New London be re-
duced from four miles to three. Va
rious learned authorities have contend
ed that the four-mile course is entirely
too long for student who has not yet
gained his full strength. To prove their
charges that the distance is dangerous
and too long they have cited numerous
cases Of collapse in recent regattas. 1t
is the strain of the last mile, they say,
which causes the damage to the physique.
Much has been made of the recent
death Of Griswold, the Yale stroke,
which some persons have charged to the
eXhausting sport of rowing. If there
were any real connection between row.
ing and Griswold's death the Yale men
ought to know it. But. strange to say,
the Yale men show the most determina-
ton to stick to the four-mile race. 1t
would be ridiculous for any one to as
sumo that Yale men are without proper
regard for the safety of their students.
The athletic authorities at Yale have
studied this question eXhaustively. and
they declare that there is absolutely no
reason for a change. and have announced
their unalterahle determination not to
consider it. They insist, and the facts
seem to bear out their contention, that
Griswold never exhibited the slightest
injurious effect from his rowing.
But in spite of the attitude of Yale
there is a sentiment. even among coaches
themselves, favorable to a reduction OF
the course Mr.. Courtney Of Cornell
has frequently committed himself to
three-mile course, and so has Ellis
Ward of Pennsylvania. but the latter
declares that in his thirty years of
coaching college crews he has never
heard of a fatal or even serious injury
that could be traced to rowing.
The argument in favor Of three
mile course is based on the fact that
in a boat race every man must do his
work, no matter how exhausted he may
be. If one man fails to pull his oar
through the water properly he weakens
the entire crew. 1t is for this reason
that some oarsmen are physically ex-
hausted at the end Of the race, though
others finish comparatively fresh
certain percentage of the Paintings at
the end Of race are purely theatrical
but there may be real cause for some
of the breakdowns. The shortening of
the course may come in time, but 1T will
have to make greater headway among
college rowing authorities than 1T has
within the last few years. Such prop
osition to shorten the course would hard
ly be entertained seriously right now
by the stewards of either the Poughkeep-
sic or New London regattaS.
Yale's Peculiar Rowing Position.
One would think that Harvard's row.
ing successes over Yale within the last
few years would lead the Ellis to wonder
If Harvards plan of rowing several races
prior to the final clash with Yale were
not the better plan for the development
of a crew The Harvard innovation was
started several years ago, when oliver
Filley was captain. He insisted that the
best way to get together a winning eight
was to give the men actual racing expert
ence against the best available crews.
Consequently a race was arranged with
Cornell and another with Columbia. Even
the second and freshman crews were not
neglected and they were sent annually to
the American regatta at Phlladelph,a.
Harvard is now reaping the fruits or TINS
wise foresight, and has built up rowing
organization second only to that OF Cor
nell.
In spite Of the lesson to be learned from
what Harvard has achieved. Yale per-
sistently refuses to arrange dual races,
and this year. it is announced, the race
with Harvard will be the Els only COM
petition. An exception to this will be the
annual trip of the junior and freshman
crews to the American regatta There Is
serious competition. There Is nothing
that stamps real oarsman like the way
he acquits himself in a race. There are
plenty of men who row magnficently
in practice, but give sorry exhibition
in an actual race. Harvard, by her dual
races with Columbia in April and Cornell
in May will know before the crew goes
to New London just which Of her candi-
dates can be depended upon. What the
Crimson will gain over Yale In the mat
ter of confidence and experience Is In
calculable. 1t Is unquestionable that Har-
ward is taking the wiser course.
Cornell's Stiff Foot Ball Schedule.
The Harvard foot ball manager has
effectively disposed of the oft-repeated
rumor that Harvard and Princeton would
meet on the gridiron this fall with the
announcement that the Crimson had
scheduled a game with Cornell November
g. This is the first time that Harvard
and Cornell have ever met on the grid
iron. and the outcome of this combat
will be watched with great interest. The
Cornell date also puts end for the
time being to the efforts of certain parties
to bring about triple alliance between