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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (June 22, 1897)
4 has resulted in the evolution of the present Yale stroke. The Fall practice of the crew contin- ued until nearly Christmas time, when the harbor began tobe blocked with ice. On the return from Christmas vaca- tion, Captain Bailey issued a summons for candidates for the crew, and the usual tank work in the Gymnasium began. The work in the tank was less severe than in previous years, but the out of door runs were longer and hard- er. Captain Bailey is not a believer in the value of hard indoor work. As soon as the weather permitted it, about the midle of February, he had his men working again on the harbor. It has been his plan throughout the pres- ent year to have constantly a crew with which the University could race, believing that these races instilled greater enthusiasm into the men and excited them to keener competition. SECOND BOAT ORGANIZED, For this reason he organized, at the begining of the year, a second Univer- sity boat, some of whose oarsmen have since won their way into the Univer- sity. The second crew were retained and taken to the training table for their evening meals until Easter vacations, when the Freshmen proved more than able to supplant them in giving the University practice. The coaching was done by Captain Bailey until March 1, when Mr. Cook again came to New Haven. He has remained with the Crew and had entire charge of their work ever since. ROBERT J. COOK, YALE 77%. Coach of Yale. On the day of Mr. Cook’s arrival the training table was started at Kent Hall, with twelve men. Both Fresh- man and University crews remained in New Haven during Easter vacation, and were out on the water working very hard both morning and evening. The work of the crew at this time, how- ever, was far from satisfactory. The whole crew were somewhat out of con- dition owing to continued hard work, and the damp weather, and a few of the men were impatient and dissatisfied because, as it seemed to them, they had been spending a large share of their’ time in experiments, and. their hard work had not been rewarded with the. progress which they had expected. It was at this time and under these influences that Simpson retired from his position at stroke. Langford was put back at number eight, Griswold was taken from the list of substitutes and placed at 7, Payne Whitney’ was moved forward from 6 to 2, and two Freshmen, Greenway and Allen, were tried. respectively at 4. and -6. Since about this time there has been a grad- ual but steady improvement in the work of the boat, and at the time of the race with University of Wis- consin on May 29, the crew were row- ing in fully as good form as is usual at that time of year. TO GALES FERRY. On June 2d the University crew moved to Gale’s Ferry and established themselves at Broadview, the old Co- lumbia quarters immediately adjoining Capt. Latham Brown’s house, where Yale crews have stayed in previous years. Here they remained until June 20th. The practice on the Thames was a good deal hindered during the first few days by wind and rough water. and in the latter part of the stay, examina- tions, coming this year nearly a week later than usual, often curtailed the morning work. Butthe weather during the entire time of their stay at Gale’s Ferry was much cooler than it usually is at this time of the year, so that the men were kept in perfect physical con- dition, and there was no danger of over- Ade PL MON SS SOC TE SESE ESR SS SS SSS SS SDS training them, even with much harder work than they were given. Their sojourn on the Thames proved a riod of notable progress for the crew. he air was more bracing and healthful than at New Haven, the crew had fewer things to detract their attention from their work, and the smooth water of the Thames permitted much more satisfac- tory practice than could be gotten on New Haven Harbor. Mr. Cook and Captain Bailey believe that the crew made fully as much progress while they were on the Thames as they did during all the previous practice of the earlier part of the year. THE ROUTINE OF WORK. The routine of the work was much the same as usual with Yale crews— rising at 7, a short brisk walk before breakfast, then two hours of study or recreation, followed at 10.30 by instruc- tion in the pair oar, and light work in the shell before dinner. From dinner time until the first supper at 4.30 no rowing was done. At 6.30 the hard work of the day began, advantage being taken of the cool of the evening. This work consisted sometimes of a pull over the four miles on time, or else a row of five to eight miles rowed out in long stretches. Then followed a second light supper, and before bed time another short brisk walk. 7 The results of the conscientious work of the crew men and of Mr. Cook’s con- stant coaching at Gale’s Ferry are shown in a firmer, sharper catch, a more pow- erful pull through the water, an easier and more graceful recover, and greatly improved time work in the boat. The boat is at present moving very evenly on its keel and travelling well between strokes. The stroke now rowed is fully as long as Harvard's. FAST BUT ERRATIC. This year’s crew have shown them- selves to be fast but erratic. They are especially fast in the short distances, having beaten the record for this course three or four times in the half mile. and having equalled anything that has been previously done in both the mile and the two miles. Their best time for four miles was but a few seconds behind Cornell’s record time of 19.25 made on the Hudson last year, although the Hud- son course is said to be a minute faster than the course on the Thames. These figures show what the crew has been able to do, but unfortunately they are the record of exceptional performances and not of everyday work. Mr. Cook believes that the pace set in the great race on the Hudson this year is going to be the hottest of any race ever rowed in the country, and that in all proba- bility each one of the contesting crews will beat their previous records. The fast time already made by Harvard and Cornell in practice seem to confirm his idea. The changed stroke which Yale is rowing this year is a return to first principles, in use before the straight, WHE BaLY . ramrod-like position of the back and the well-timed and precise arm, leg, and shoulder movements on the full reach were introduced. THE LONG STROKE. The long far-reaching body swing of the English stroke which is used to-day, is less attractive to watch, but it is believed to be more effective, and to give greater power with less effort. The other changed features of the stroke are a somewhat longer reach, a sharper finish catch, with the oar cutting the water perpendicularly, instead of being slightly beveled, and a longer, more powerful pull though from the catch. The recover is done with an easier and less jerky motion, and the slides are shorter, and made horizontal instead of being slightly inclined. If there is one general criticism to be passed on the present crew, it is that it lacks powerful men. With the excep- tion of Captain Bailey, the entire crew is of the wiry, muscular order, instead of being heavy, stockily built men of large frames. They are a con- scientious lot and willing to do any amount of hard work, but they are not particularly quick at picking up new points, or overcoming their faults. Since two days before the University of Wisconsin race the order and make-up of the ’Varsity crew has remained the same, viz: bow, Rogers; 2, Whitney ; 8, Campbell; 4, Greenway ; 5, Captain Bailey ; 6, Allen; 7, Griswold; stroke, Langford. YALE UNIVERSITY STATISTICS. Position, Name, Class. Age. Ht. Wt, Bow. D.F. Ro gers, ’98, New Pe Rae OTN. Pi sees hos ok 21 163 No. 2. Payne Whitney, ’98, LSE PES BR) gy | qaueren ane A a eager greater 21 510% 167 No. 3. H. G. Campbell, ’97... 22 6 168 No. 4. J. C. Greenway, 1900, . RTOLSODTINGS, GAL. sees cases 20 6 170 No. 6. Fred Allen, 1900, Wal- Pe MASS. i.e sino peaks ears 20°64 182 No. 7. W. E. S. Griswold,’99, 20 6 1 168 Stroke. George Langford, io. ol, Paul, Minnis, 66 216 416-174. Coxswain. Louis Green, ’99, 115 Substitutes: Po Mills;:: °798:38.,: West PORE acc nek ae Pies RUNS ROS 21 510% 175 G. T. Marsh, ’98, Lansing- PUP ONS Vasc eitseabe a ceeawas 21 6 1% Wale’s Individual Oarsmen. The stroke of the Yale crew is George Langford, 97S. His home is at St. Paul, Minn., and he prepared for college at Hill School. His only boating experi- ence previous to coming to Yale was in rowing single shells at the Minne- sota Boat Club. At Yale he made his f ll class crew, where he rowed No. 7. In the Spring he was taken on the University squad, and soon gained the most unusual distinction for a Fresh- man of stroking the University boat. He has maintained this place during the entire three years of his course, and has been steadily improving each year. Last year his work at Henley excited a great deal of favorable com- ment, and his work with the changed Yale stroke is as good as with the old one. He is very strong, with unlim- ited endurance, and pulls a powerful steady stroke, which sets a splendid example for the other men in the boat. Langford is regarded as probably the best stroke among the college crews Of America this season. W. E. S. Griswold, 799, of Erie, Pa., is not as strong as Langford, but is 2 very conscientious and hard working oarsman. His build is much the same as that of Langford, being tall and slim, so that the two make excellent neighbors in the boat, and have come to work well together as stroke of their respective sides of the boat. Griswold was Captain of his Freshman crew, and rowed the best oar in the boat. He prepared at Black Hall School, and never rowed before coming to Yale. Fred Allen, at No. 6, is one of the two Freshmen in the boat. He is very strong and remarkably well developed for a Freshman. He is about the big- gest man in the boat, and an extremely hard worker. He prepared at Andover, and never rowed before this year. He played guard on his Freshman foot- ball team last Fall. His home is at Walpole, Mass. Captain Philip Horton Bailey, ’97, of Windsor Locks, Conn., has had four years of experience in rowing. He rowed on his Freshman crew, was 2 sub on the ’95 University crew, rowed No. 5 on the Yale crew at Henley, and now as captain fills the same position in this year’s University boat. He has been under the disadvantage of having to unlearn the old Yale stroke, in ad- dition to mastering the new one, and he sometimes shows a tendency to re- lapse into some of the features of the old stroke, doubtless because he has paid soi much attention to the develop- ment of the other men that he has not watched his own work closely enough. He has. however, improved wonderfully since the crew went to Gale’s Ferry. He is the most heavily built and strong- est man in the boat, and drives his oar through the water with terrific force. He prepared at Hartford High School, and never rowed before he came to Yale. James C. Greenway, the latest of the Greenway family of athletes to dis- tinguish himself at Yale, comes from Hot Springs, Ark., and is a member of the Freshman class. He is strong and wiry and possesses plenty of sand. He has been greatly hindered in his work bv illness. which for a time threatened to keep him out of the boat altogether. As a result of his comparative inex- perience, his stroke is not as steady as that of the other men, and he is avt to be a trifle slow. He has worked very hard to overcome his faults. and has improved ravidlv since he was fin- allv chosen to row at No. 4 just before the race with the Tlniversitv of Wis- consin. He prevared at Andover, and has never rowed before. Henry C. Campbell, Jr., ’97, of Pater- son, N. J., rows No. 3. He prepared at St. Paail’s School, Concord, N. H., where he rowed on the Halcyon crew, and he has rowed in his class crew ever since coming to Yale, but this is his first year on the University. He is more slenderly built and not as strong as most of the other oarsmen in the boat, but he is a careful, hard working and enthusiastic man, and promised to fill his seat in an entirely satisfactory manner. VALE UNIVERSITY CREW: The Oarsmen are Just Coming to the Catch. 7, Coxwain, L. F. Greene. 4, J. C. Greenway. Stroke, G. Langford. 3, H. G. Campbell. 7, W. E.S. Griswold. 2, P. Whitney. season 6, F. W. Allen. 5, P. H. Bailey. .Bow, D. F. Rogers. (From a photograph taken at New London by Corbin & Konold.)
