Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-21

NEW LONDON, Conn. June TO-
For the sixth time IN six consecutive
years Harvard's varsity eight-oared
crew friumphed over the Yale oars
men IN the long four-nile race that
closed the annual interuniversity re-
gatta here yesterday. Preceded by
the two Crimson victories OF the fore
noon and the two wins yesterday, Il
completed a Harvard sweep bhat has
been eduaied only once or twice in the
long history of Harvard rowing.
The final defeat administered to
Yale was so crushing that the English
stroke and rowing methods imported
from Oxford were ridieuled In a man
ner which many veteran oarsmen
think unjust. Sweeping down the
river with a steady and consistent
stroke. Harvard crossed the finish
line eleven lengths ahead Of the Blue
In q minutes and AZ seconds. The Ell
eight rolled and splashed across in
Harvard's wake, just IS seconds later.
as badly a defeated crew as had been
seen on the Thames river course In
years.
Except during the first mile the race
was merely a procession, with tbs
Crimson steadily increasing the lead
as the flags slipped past. It was not
that the Yale oarsmen broke or failed
to get speed out of their English
stroke, but Harvard surpassed them
in every department of rowing.
Using a slightly quicker stroke.
Coach Wrays pupils drove their
racing craft through the water at q
faster pace and with less lost motion.
yet in the end they failed to show the
symptoms of excessive exhaustion
that marked the finish of the Blue
During the last half mile Harvard
maintained fast pace. finishing with
racing spirit that carried the stroke
up TO forty TO the minute. As the
shell slid across the finish the oars
men dropped their sweeps and slapped
each other on the back. and then
waved to friends who were chanting
the long-drawn-out Harvard cheer.
Far back in the rut came the Yale
eight. rolling and ragged. the shell
barely crawling through the water
and the oars trailing and splashing as
the men went automatically through
the motions of rowing, without either
catch or snap TO their blade work.
So far as the English stroke. as
taught by Advisory Coaches Kirby
and Gold, of Oxford, was concerned,
the Yale oarsmen appeared to get
considerable power and speed early
In the race, but when the crucial test
IL
the period of coaching was too short
for them to hold letter perfect under
the strain. Slowly but surely faults
began to creep into the individual
work of oarsman after oarsman. until
during the last mile it was simply
a case of every man rowing for him
self. without either rhythm or form,
SO far as the man In front of him
was concerned
Speaking of the efforts and result
ant effects Of the Yale crew in con-
nection with the English stroke. a
famous amateur oarsman said last
night:
THE stroke taught by Coaches
Kirby and Gold is all right in itself,
but II is not adapted for use by
american CNc CAICPA a1tCA q AAA01t
gruelling and lengthy preparatory
course OF training preceding the
actual work in the shell. The strain
upon the stomach and loin muscles
is terrific and no crew, IN my opinion.
can go four miles with the stroke
unless they are especially fitted by
several years preliminary work for
the muscular strain thai the stroke
imposes"
This opinion, backed by statements
from former varsity oarsmen that Il
would take several years before Yale
could expect satisfactory results from
the new system, was borne cut by
the Yale showing. Starting with a
thirty-six-t o-the-minute stroke, the
Eli oarsmen jumped into the lead at
the very flash of the oars. For a
me ment the bow of the blue smell
showed in front and then the Har-
ward o-the-min1te clip began
to tell. II was nip-ani-tuck for .
few hundred yards, and then the
Crimson eight rowed slowly into a
fair lead.
From this time to the end fhey
x-a-s. 1,arar- haa1ad