New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-27
Both Teams Profess
Strong Hopes of Vic
tory, but Cadets
Are Popular
Choices.

The rival camps OF Army and Navy
needed the call Of Taps" early last
night, and long before the stream OF
pleasure seekers on Broadway had
really begun their night life the stall
wart cadets from West Point and mid
shipmen from Annapolis were safely
under guard, with Lieutenant c. D.
DAILY, OF the Army, and Lieutenant j.
Fl. Ingraham, of the Navy, the respec-
tive coaches, the last 10 retire.
The Naval Academy football squad,
thirty-six in all, arrived at the Van
derbilt Hotel on Thursday night, where
they will remain until the great battle
at the Polo Grounds this afternoon is
thing of history. The West Point
team and coaches did not leave West
Point until about 8 o'clock yesterday
morning and showed up at the Grand
Central shortly after 10 o'clock. Form
ing into fours, the Army boys marched
briskly up to the Hotel Aston and
pitched their camp there.
Both teams INDUCED in the final
.crimmage before coming to this city,
during the forenoon, they spent part
of the afternoon in signal. practice be-
hind closed gates at the Polo Grounds.
After supper at their hotels the men
who will battle for the victory to-day
listened 70 blackboard talks by Lieu
tenants DAILY and Ingraham. Nothing
more could be done until the decisive
test on the gridiron, but prepared
ness" was the watchword at both
camps. and both sides protested to be
confident OF the result.
The main body Of students from both
government institutions will arrive in
the city this morning, with the at
tendant brass bands. buttons and old
pep" in the cheering line, and 1t is said
that something rare in vocal and IN
strumental effects will be displayed for
the thousands Of spectators who vii!
jam their way into the immense Brush
Stadium stands.
BY previous arrangement, the team
from the Naval Academy was the first
to practice on the turf at the Polo
Grounds. A feet of seagoing taxicabs
was boarded at the Vanderbilt shortly
after / o'clock in the afternoon yester-
day, the midshipmen, clad in their
long, dark blue service overcoats,
bundling in three and four together.
Lieutenant Ingraham, with two or three
other Navy coaches, swung out into the
lead in taxi of the battleship class
and the voyage to the stadium was
begun.
irving at the Polo Grounds the team
was In football toys and trotted from
the dressing rooms on TO the field, led
Nv, II IN =
clothes.
More than half Of the playing sur
face was covered with hay, as pre-
caution against possible rain, but a
force of laborers got TO work and began
tossing the hay into mounds, clearing
a space through the centre of the field.
and then the practice began.
The regulars we're taken in charge
by lngraham and put through signals
without cessation for good thirty
minutes. A number Of shift plays and
fake kick formations were tried out.
and from the seats at the eastern end
OF the field everything seemed TO work
smoothly. Sveral times Ingraham or
dered n try at a goal from the field.
and each time the ball went spinning
through the air between the goal posts.
While the team as IL will take the
field was running through the signals.
the second string men were kept al
work hurting forward passes in the
hay field 20 one side. and running with
the bali. Every player was up on his
toes and things went with a snap that
augured well for the morrow.
Practice over, the midshipmen hustled
into their service uniforms and strobe
through the gates 70 the waiting taYis.
There was a lot OF good-natured josh
ing. among the players as they took
their places in the machines, each one
OF which was decorated with the Navy
fnEs.
The only member Of the squad who
did not appear 10 b. exactly at ease