Evening star., 1909-04-25
B0ATH0UsE GOSSIP.

Secretary Fortmyer Of the National AS
ISOLATION Of Amateur Oarsmen has sent
out the annual for 1909, and the 800 pages
are full OF important aquatic facts which
will gladden. all lovers of the sport. Tn
fortunately. Secretary Fortmyer has un-
Willingly made an error in his arrange
ment OF regatta dates for the year. one
especially in regard to the Middle States
regatta, which has caused him quite
nutter. He announces that the next Mid
die States will be held at New York La
Dor day. September 8. and this announce
ment is all premature and misleading In
every respect. The Middle States Asso-
citation will meet in New York Monday,
for the holding of the annual regatta, and
therefore this direct statement that 1t
goes to New York is wrong. New YORK
failure to get the national regatta TINS
year has set a number OF the ciuos on
the Harlem river agog, and they are pull
ing hard to land the Middle States for
their section, but the clubs OF the Patap-
SEQ Navy at Baltimore have also got the
Middle States bee buzzing in their bonnets
and have been actively and quietly push
ing the affair for months, end they win
tcoinbat New York's claim to the regatta
with a decidedly warlike spirit. They nave
secured the friendship Of nearly all OF the
Schuylkill Navy contingent, Washington Is
H.,
dria. 80 the Baltimore clubs will start
of with a very good vote at the outset
They claim also that several or the New
York organizations are In their favor,
Williamson of the Ariels, everything is
over but the races, for Middle States
comes to Baltimore. Still. the Baltimore
oarsmen and promoters are rather sore
over the premature announcement OF sec
retary Fortmeyer that the regatta is New
York's when every indication points to
Baltimore.
The National Association Of Amateur
Oarsmen has reduced the distance in all
races from a mile and a half down to that
OF q mile and a quarter. Some OF the ad-
yocates OF lessening the distance wanted
to make it the same as ct the so-called
Henley, one mile and $50 yards, but It
was decided to make ii shorter by
quarter OF q mile. 1t will como eventu-
ally to the one mile. which Is tho best
distance to really test the abilities OF
oarsmen and single scullers.
Another good thing the National As
soeiation has done is the cutting out OF
the pair cared races for intermediates
and seniors. They are. and have always
been. tiresome and tedious races. and
every oarsman IL glad of their relegation.
In their place will be added senior
single quarter-miie dash and a senior
quadruple scull race.
!. X
It is expected that quite large crowd
will 90 down to Annapolis next Saturday
to witness the race between the two
crews of tile Navy and the seniors of the
PotOmacs Mfdshipman Benson. in charge
Of the crews Of the academy, has in
formed The Star that the race will take
place at $3.50 o'clock. over the. upper
course Of the Severn river, a point two
miles from the Short Line Railroad
bridge and directly OF from the cemetery;
The only thing to prevent the race will
be extremely rough water. something
very seldom experienced on this stretch
Of the Severn, and that the distance is the
full navy course Of two miles. Reports
from the crews are to the effect that they
are pulling exceedingly strong this year.
and that Coach Glendon Is Of the opinion
that they are the equal OF any the acad-
enly has put out in years. and he is firm
in his belief that both first and second
crew Will lead the Potomacs over the
line at the finish of the two miles. He
bases this belief on the fact that his
two crews are better trained than the
ciubmen can hope to be at this time OF
the year. and that the distance is some
what long for them to pull. they being
used to the shorter races. 1t is the only
race the second crew will have this year.
and as from it comes the nucleus of the
what sort OF material they have in stock
for their varsity for next season.
The Potomacs will send down crew
made up of three of their former seniors
and five of the winning Junior crew of
last season. They did not get into the
boat as crew until Wednesday, as