Year: 1874

The University Boat Race-How to


Render Collision Impossible.


Before the University rowing race of 1874
passes entirely out of notice there are one or
two suggestions which those who will have the
conduct of the race next year might do well to
note That which alone prevented the recent
contest from being great success was diff
Guilty the like Of which need not come again.
1t Is no easy matter on broad sheet OF water
to steer very long and narrow keelless boat
on straight line even for one mile, let alone
three, and this, though the helmsmsn has
nothing to divert his attention but when the
task is added of rowing an oar at ones best
over the whole distance, and this in the midst Of
intense excitement and when not hum
dred feet away to either side are other
similar boats, with long projecting oars,
even the coolest and most practised eye is
likely to err. The English ex-champion,
Kelly, and his companions, for instance, on
this very Saratoga Lake. when beaten by the
Wards, worked out of their course in toward
the east Shore above Point Breeze, thereby





been laid before US for averting this danger
for the future. One is to adopt that in vogue
almost universally abroad of carrying cox
swain. This would let the bow oarsman de-
vote his whole attention to his rowing, while
the coxswain would have the single duty of
keeping the boat directly on her course.
Besides strong Judgment and much experience
he would be worse than useless without steady
nerves; yet this combination is always hard
to find in one who would be about sure to be
chosen-namely, some student weighing less
then o hundred pounds-while in bow oars
men it is 80 common that the chances are
that the coxswain would steer no
better course than is Low obtained.
But far more serious objection to an extra
man is that our students have not yet shown
themselves good OF carrying weight They
have for years averaged ten pounds man
lighter than the members of the Oxford and
Cambridge University eights, and this deficit
of trained bone, muscle and sinew Is sure to
tell, and the more especially when the man
carried is quite as heavy, is carried by six
men instead Of eight, and by six men trained
in high midsummer instead of cool March or
early April. To be sure eight could perhaps
be had here, but the rule has been that even
in the best skies there was always at least one
man noticeably weak.


The other plan is that of an able patent
lawyer of Boston, and seems to us to meet the
case exactly. Marking the eastern edge of the
track the other day there stretched o line Of
buoys, tagged and easily visible for long
distance. As is we'll known, the lake
is very wide, over mile in most
places Instead Of hundred feet to each
boat thers might be . hundred and fifty, or
even two hundred, and still enough to go
around, yet converging the lines enough to
bring them oil within the thirteen hundred
feet at the finish. BY marking off each boat 8
lane by q line of floats and flags parallel for
most Of the way with that on the eastern side,
and making each line of flags Of the color
worn by the crew to be guided by it, these
lanes could be as clearly defined almost as the
banks of canal, and each bow oarsman
could keep in his own course without ever once
turning his head-a very great advantage over
the present helter-skelter system. Then the
referee, following in his steam launch, could
see in moment whether any boat was out
Of hef fightful confse, and, In case Of collision,
could fix the blame at once and absolutely on
the real offender. In very many ways the
management of the recent race far surpassed
that of any previous year, and if as long
stride forward as that suggested above can be
taken next summer, we will soon be in fair
way to have race that all may know in ad-
vance will prove fine one.


But while this exceedingly important step
can and ought to be taken, there are several
other changes almost equally imperative. In
stead Of putting off the meeting at which the
arrangements are made until far on into
next year, let it take place this fall Then
there would be for more time in which to at
tend to all there may be to do. Graduates of
years and business experience could be found
who would both see to it that all preliminaries
were attended to and that the race was de-
spatched with promptness-a quality seemingly
new to the Undergraduate mind; there would
be no public discussion, or private either, as
to whether tardy boat should be waited for;
proper arrangements could be made for getting
all the crews up to the start beforehand,
and also their boats official time could be
taken o railroad track could be run from
Saratoga 10 the lake, and adequate cars made
ready to co away with the swindling which
must either be made impossible or the race
should not again be rowed there. And with
such throng as that the other day almost the
entire expense of such branch road might
by good management be met in one year
alone the double track could be completed