Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-08
LOCAL OARSMEN TO
MEET NOTED CREWS
Virginia Boat Club Will Compete
Against Famous vespers,
of Philadelphia.
QUAKER CITY HOLDS RECORD
Coach Van Vliet Was Once Star
Observation-Disclosures Boys
Show Progress.

Show Progress.
Members OF the Virginia Boat Club
crews entered in the Middle States
Regatta at Philadelphia on Labor Day
anticipate the hardest kind OF oppo-
siton. as they are pitted against some
OF the greatest fours and Fights In
the East. The local oarsmen will be
lined up against crack crews from
New York, Baltimore. Washington and
Philadelphia, which means the stiffest
sort Of competition.
The local crews under the direction
or Coach George Van Vliet, will be
handicapped by the fact that they ara
practically new at the game, while
their opponents are veterans at tho
game. The Vesper Boat Club. under
Coach Frank Muller, Is one of the best
known organizations in the country,
and Its crews have captured prizes in
every section, as we'll as in Paris and
Canada.
So far this year the vesper colors
have crossed the line in frot of all
others twelve times and Coach Muller
is anxious to establish a new winning
record for the champions In this. his
ftrst year AS the amateur coach of the
club The best string of victories was
In 1910 when sixteen victories were
recorded. The club will take part in
IL,
Guiding that of Labor Day.
Other entries in the events in which
the Virginia Boat Club crews will
compete include men who have in the
past pulled oars against the speedy
Philadelphians. AS the local boys are
new at the game, 1t means that Coach
Van Vliet has his work cut out for
the next few weeks to develop a win
ming computation.
Van Vliet. however, is confident that
his charges will make a good show
Ing, provided the club co-operates
with him. At his request Captain
Bob Forrest has made n thorough can
vass of tho organization for the pur.
pose of organizing eight that Will
be able to make the crews extend
| themselves in practice
VAN vLIET POINTS OUT
WAY OTHERS GET TRAINING
Van Vliet has pointed out that the
Vesper eight, as we'll as those of
other Dig rowing organizations. will
protit oy the advantage OF having
their own senior crews pace them
every day and that 1t will be a severe
handicap to the Virginia eight IL II
don't have another crew to do the
same for It.
| Captain Forrest has organized
crew with the exception of two more
men, and beginning Tomorrow will
| give the regulars n lot Of real work
until the crows leave for PHILADELPHIA.
| practically every man in the SCRUB
| crew Is veteran on previous winning
| shells.
1t is a matter of aquatic history that
! In 1894 Van Vliet. then n member Of the
| 'esper Boat Club. beat all existing rec
| ords for races won in a single season
by crossing the finish line first, twelve
| times. without being defeated once. Four
OF these twelve victories were cham
pionships, being the senior double-sculi
and pair-oar races at both the Canadian
and American championship regattas.
van Vliet says the Vespers train ear
nestly. No member Of Vesper crew
would. under any circumstances, absent
himself from practice for any consid-
Grafton That Is one of the secrets Of
their success. Another is their club
spirit. Every man who wears a Yes
per uniform feels firmly convinced that
| he must win.
BOAT CLUB CANDIDATES
SHOW GREAT IMPROVEMENT
In talking of the work Of the Vir-
ginia crew candidates up to the pres
ent time the coach says that the abb
sence from practice OF first one and
then another has retarded the progress
| OF all. Lum Wexford has been out Of
town on business ever since laet Mon
day and 1t has been impossible to fll
his place In either the -four" or the
| eight" And while Wexford personally
can't be blamed, his duties being more
nrduous and he being farther from the
boathouse. his absence has handicapped
both crews and prevented them from
progressing as they should.
On the other hand. the coach ac
! knowledges that the rowing OF the In
dividual men is improving. He has been
sending Mason out in a single every
afternoon before the crews go out The
result has been marked betterment
in Mason's work in the -four"
The best thing that happened all
week. however was the return Of Dor
sey Tyler who reported for practice
on Monday. "ft as a fiddle" having
spent a week in the mountains. Friday
and yesterday Tyler stroked the -four
In frst-rate style, keeping the recover
slow and slashing his oar through the
water with lots OF dash and power II
he continues to recover slow he will. no
doubt regain the post of honor at
! stroke.
Tyler's younger brother struck his
gait last week and gives every promise
! OF developing into hlgh-class oars
man. He, too. has been sculling, which
| accounts for his Improvement. Cava-
naugh and Joe Montgomery are both
pulling strong starboard oars. On &C
count OF the great scarcity of portside
men. both Hart and Leo having quit, ir
was necessary to shift Peter Plunkett
! from starboard to port. He kicked over
the traces about the change. but appar-
emily is doing as we'll on port as on
starboard, which is mighty good for
Peter.
SOME OF YOUNGSTERS
HAVE PLENTY OF SAND
Bruner and Cottrell have done less
! rowing than any of the others. conse-
quently have not the form as yet. Both
are very earnest. however, and make
manful efforts to execute the instruc-
lions OF the coach. Terry Morrison, the
lightest man in the bunch, has plenty
of sand" and Is improving steadily.
J. j. Wallis. the New York boat
| builder, in a letter to Coach Van Vliet.
says the hull OF the new $500 eight
cared she'll Is finished: that he Is now
II nuttine In tho interior fittings, braces,