New-York tribune., 1919-12-24
New Rowing
Course Planned
For Yale Men
University and City of New
Haven May Cooperate
in Improving West River

NEW HAVEN, Dec. 23-Plans we're
to-day announced for new home
rowing course for Yale oarsmen. Both
the university and the city of New
Haven have definite scheme for
widening and deepening West River,
giving the crews course about a
mile and half in length and wide
enough for at least two and probably
three shells.
Will be wdened for distance of 5000
feet, beginning at Edgewood Avenue.
just north of the Yale Bowl continu-
ing the length of the river to Long
Island Sound This course will be a
trife longer than the Henley distance.
which has been adopted by dozens
OF American colleges as standard.
Most of the early season races are
now rowed over a course of that dis
tance, either on New Haven harbor,
the Schuylkill or the Housatonic River
above the city of Derby
Inc survey OF the river as the
scene or iale's preliminary races and
possibly for all the rowing events on
the Eli schedule was made bv the cor
poraton of the university, which is
dissatisfied with the present arrange
ment which compels the oarsmen to
spend an entire afternoon for their
daily practice during the spring.
Since the transfer of the early row.
ing to the Housatonc River it has
been necessary for the oarsmen to
spend four or five hours going from
the campus TO the river course in Up
per Derby, rowing and returning to
the college. Nearly as much time is
required for the training of the oars
men on New Haven harbor.
II the proposed plan goes into ef-
feet the oarsmen will have new
boathouse on the banks of the west
RIVER, just outside the Bowl, will be
able to reach that spot in ten min
utes from the campus and will be
obllged to give only two or three hours
an afternoon to their rowing prac-
tlce. The races, as we'll as the prac-
tice, Will be in close proximity to the
campus, factor in Yale's permanent
athletic organization which the fac
ulty and the corporation regard ex-
tremely desirable
Another advantage of the West River
course is that it will group the Yale
athletlc plant on single, continuous
tract OF land. The Bowl or football
held, the baseball field, the track ath
letic grounds, the tennis and other
minor sport fields and the militarv
plant, including Artillery Hall. will be
on adjacent ground West River runs
alongside the Bowl, and, if it is i'm
proved as proposed, will accom- plish
Tor Yale what Carnegie Lake has for
Princeton.
The city of New Haven has some
what similar plans. A committee was
appolnted: representing the municipal
lty, the War Bureau, the Chamber of
Commerce and other civic bodies. 1t
has reported that it seemed desirable
that the form OF the permanent me-
mortal to the soldiers who perished
Or took part in the World War should
be the erection of lofty obclisk, with
suitable approaches on the West River
meadows.
Professor John c. Tracy, represent
ing Yale, pointed out that similar
plans for developing the West River
section in connection with the expan-
sion of Yale recreational sport, had
been mapped out by the university
and 1T was unanimously decided by the
committee that the matter should be
LETT for the present in an effort to
work out plans suitable to both the
university and the city.
Yale officials said to-day that in
case the idea Of a new rowing course
was adopted not only would Yale's
preliminary events be held on it but
that Harvard and Yale might decide
to row the Henley distance and aban-
don the four-mle course at New Lon
don, rowing their races on Yale's home
course one year and the River Charles
liarVard'S home courSa +ho rov+