The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-07
POWER Is Big ASSET
OF COLUMBIA CREW
Comparatively Slow Stroke Is
So Well Applied That Boat
Keeps Speed.
TO USE NEW WARD SHELL
ny CONSTANCE =. TITUS,
Retired Amateur Champion AZ
sweeps and SOULS.

Columbia's varsity eight shows great
form in practice. 1t certainly will be
the dark horse in the big event Of May
10 on the ~Schuylkill River when II will
compete Tor the historic Child's cup with
Princeton, which defeated Harvard April
20; Pennsylvania. which heat Yale
easily on April 90. and the fast Navy
crew. which rowcd Penn down on
April 20.
Columbia is using tho famous Jim
Rice stroke. which he has found SO sue
cessful for a number of years. Stroke
Bratton is the equal of the great G.. +.
MacCarthy, who troked the winning
eight at Poughkccpsie in 1914. Although
he Is a much bigger man In every re-
spect. he puts a lot of life and spirit In
his work, and his judgmen; of pace is
remarkable. 1t is true Columbia Will
row a lower stroke than any of the
above mentioned crews. but the speed
Of the boat between strokes is far SUI
perior TO that OF any of the crews which
will compete on May ~. | have watched
z az ptAh al i"NNANN 49, u
ton this spring, and to my judgment
Columbia has the best foundation laid
for the future. The workmanship is
very clean and the men are well to-
gether.
When they reach on. for the catch
and the oars are well anchored In the
water. Immediately they swing their
weight on the oar faster than any of the
crews which have shown up this spring.
They rip the blade of the oar through
the water with great vim. There Is no
slippage Of any of The oars while in the
water. They throw the water clean
from the oar with a terrible Kick OH the
flnish. leaving a great hole in the water.
and the blade comes out as clean as a
knife. which Is an asset for speed. The
slide work Is dom with the greatest Of
skill and science. AS the men sneak up
on their seats reaching out for the next
stroke, the shell has no check on her
whatsoever. II n shell will run along
between strokes without utilizing power
such a crew. as a rule. should be able
TO win a race by rowing four or five
strokes less per minute. At all times
Coach Rice's pupils keep the boat well
on a keel. You never see their boa
rolling or rocking with their oars drag
g1ng on tho water. as has been seen In
some OF the crews this pring-the same
proving such a detriment 20 speed.
Columbia's crew will row in the Fran
els s. Bangs, her new shell Just COM
pleted by A. r. Ward, which is one OF
the prettiest ] have seen in a long while
She is a great rough water craft, and
when they are speeding her, she climbs
cut in the bow. getting over the rough
spots in fine shape. Being a very dry
boat she will assist them materially n,
Poughkeepsie. where az n rule they
strike rough water and n seaworthy
craft counts. Coach Rice has her rugged
up 10 n nicely. He has adopted ever,
conceivable idea that a coach could thini
Of to make his men comfortable. SC
that their minds will not be distracted
from their work. and has looked TO tn.
rigging, which IL strong and rigid. Thi!
shell is not a sectional one. The keel is
all In one piece. which makes a boat
much sitter. II Is a known fact that
rigidity and lightness are the main fac
tors in the construction OF a fine race
shell.
Columbla's varsity crew will bt
boated the same as the crew which de,
feated Yale late last fall with. the ex
ception Of the bow man. That seat I,
now held by s. ". Sengstaken, which
place is very hard to M Coach Ric,
has only two Old varsity men in tn,
boat, No. ) and stroke. who rowed a
Poughkeepsie last year. Columbia:
crew will average 1877 pounds They ar.
rather of the lanky type. having long
sinuous muscles. which Indicate grea'
staying qualities in an athlete. The crew
will be boated as follows Bow. g. W
Sengstaken, ~ .. ". II. Myers. 10: 2
r. r. OLoughlin. rs: 4, r. ". Lahev
rs s. W. H.. Diekmann. 10 6, n. w
Legs. rs; :. X. q. Pennell. rs: stroke
Car'. W. y. Eratton, 'l6S coxswain
N. Thomas, rs.