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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1898)
YALE ALUMNI WHEE EKLY THE EIGHT IS GOOD. [Continued from rst page.] Most of the work on the river so far has been done in the Clasper boat and it is not unlikely that the race may be rowed in it. It is light, but stiff, and since the men have learned to keep it well on its bottom, shows good speed. The new shell from Davy in Cam- bridge was tried last week and will be tried again to-day when the oars for it arrive. It is a trifle wider than the Clasper shell and sits very steadily upon the water. HISTORY OF THE CREW. Twenty-four candidates answered Captain Whitney’s call for University oarsmen on January 26th, including five of last year’s boat now in College and, with one exception, the entire victorious Freshman Eight. Immediately after the Junior Prom. training was begun in the Gymnasium tanks, the men be- ing divided into three squads. Fixed seats were used at first instead of slid- ing seats, to better ground the beginners in the principles of the stroke, and proved to bea very good plan. Mirrors were also adjusted in such a position that the oarsman could note his own faults in style after being told what his faults were. Unusually mild weather in the early part of February made the harbor available for practice and on the 11th of that month the Crew went to the harbor. At this time the men rowed in the following order: Stroke, R. P. Flint, ’99 S.; 7, J. C. Greenleaf, ’99 S.; 6, F. W. Allen, 1900;.5, R. A. McGee, ’99 S.; 4, J. H. Niedecken, 1900; 3, J. P. Brock, 1900; 2, J. C. Greenway, 1900; bow, rE. Whitney, ’08. After a week’s coaching the order was changed. Williams, 1900, who had been absent from illness, went in at 2, Nie- decken went to 3 to replace Brock, who was sick, and Cross, 1900, occupied 5. At this time it was noticed that the Crew was much further along than Yale Crews usually were at this time, a fea- ture which was encouraging to every- one. These men were shifted some- what from time to time, but no import- ant change,was. made. till.Wickes. was substituted for Williams at No. 2, on April 18th, Williams going to stroke the second boat. The latter part of the month of March and the whole of April was almost unprecedented in the amount of rain and cold weather. . Dur- ing this time the four-mile course was fit to row over but twice. The work was therefore largely confined to _ short stretches and a great amount of pair- oar rowing under the personal direction oii. Cook, . About the last of April, Greenleaf was forced to leave the boat on account of an old knee trouble and Niedecken was moved up from No. 4 to take his place. Flint went in at No. 4, and Williams was brought from the second boat and put in at stroke, the position in which he began the tank rowing. Greenleaf’s trouble did not prove so serious as was feared and in two weeks he resumed his place at 7. Niedecken was moved back from 7 to 5, supplanting Cross, 1900, whose weight and consequent slowness was disturbing the boat. From this time on no further changes were made except for the temporary absence of Wickes and Williams due to a slight ill- ness before leaving the harbor. Thus it will be seen that the Crew with one exception, Captain Whitney, is made 2 ALBE YOUMANS STRAW HATS ARE CORRECT FOR COLLEGE MEN. up from the Record Freshman Crew of last year. Coxswain J. McL. Walton, 1900, has recently replaced Louis Green, 98, the latter having fallen below the required stand. The statistics of the men follow: MO PRY RE VEILNOY 2 vos pices enegi 22 5-1046 — - 164 a SF od We OR CE nn co ds oo Caine ys bo 19 5-11 168 O62 DR, Ps TOOK nso we ws ook er ER 18 5-1045 «138 Be iy: Cais oes oS ip 2 18 amg =p Stn rar a 22 5-11 165 ND. bc Do ee NIPOGCCKEN |... 6 os. oo as 21 634 17 Ns ict ND Savas cad So ohne 5 9 Sie dee 21 6 181 Mo: %; J, -Greentieal 30755 ae .tesss. 20 169 Ry RW Th VALAIS. ns ook ca ea ee cos 18 5-10 157 Coxswain. J. McL. Walton........... 18 5-9 "414 Sirs oie ArlOG GG. occas conse 18 6-1 189 + Toe) ASTOCO WAY so scenic de> ss 20s yee 172 aa MG POSS 45 ic ae eeea ee erede 20 6 174 HARVARD'S EIGHT. Crew is Light and Was Chosen Late —Only One of Last Year's Eight Retained—iIndividual Records. (Correspondence of YALE ALUMNI WEEELY.} Cambridge, June 11.—Amid the cheers of enthusiastic undergraduates, the Har- vard Crew and substitutes left Harvard Square for New London last Wednes- day morning. Contrary to the custom of recent years, four substitutes accom- panied the regular Eight and will train with the regulars until the big race. On Tuesday afternoon, a body of several hundred students, headed by the college band, marched down to the boat house to witness the last work of the oars- men on the Charles. As the Eight rowed back and forth upon the river, they were the recipients of continual round of cheers, and Coach Lehmann as well as his pupils has the assurance that the University is back of him to a man, and, whether his English methods win or lose in the coming race, he will have the gratitude and esteem of Har- vard men. He has stated that, whatever the outcome of the race he will not return to coach next year. Two years of disinterested devotion to the cause of Harvard aquatics and American amateur rowing cannot fail of appre- ciation, and Mr. Lehmann will return to England with the sincere thanks of a large circle of friends on this side of the water for his generous ten of Service. ' Although especial effort has ‘been made at Harvard this year to secure a Crew capable of rowing the stroke through to the last mile flag, yet there is some doubt whether the effort has been successful, and it is thought that Mr. Lehmann himself is not sanguine of the outcome. The crew is a light one—lighter than most University Fights. It is a striking fact that, al- though most of the men who rowed a year ago are still at college and eligi- ble for the boat, only one has held his place. The other seven members of that year’s crew have come up from the class and Weld crews after a long contest for places. It would seem, at first glance, that the men must be supe- rior to those who pulled the Harvard oars last June, and it is certain that they are better grounded in the essential principles of the English stroke. But the lack of weight in the shell would seem to be against them in a hard race. THE PRESENT ORDER, The present order of the crew will doubtless be maintained until the race. It is as follows: F. Dobyns, ’08, stroke; Biddle, 1900, No. 7: J. H. Perkins, ’08, (Capt.) No. 6; C. L. Harding, 1900, No. s.r; &L.* Migpinson, 2000; No. 43-5: Wadsworth, ’98, No. 3; F. Blake, ’g9, No. 2; G. Derby, M. S., bow. The substitutes are J. F. Perkins, ’99; G. D. Marvin, ’99; J. D. Kernan, 1900, and H. Adams, ’08. The work of the rowing squad began last Fall, when two crews were organ- ized. Mr. Lehmann came from England and coached them until the latter part of November when a race between the two crews concluded the Fall training. After the Christmas recess an awkward squad was organized and trained until the river work began. The class crews began work shortly before the outdoor rowing commenced and continued un- til the class race on April 15th. Mr. Lehmann returned with Mr. Willis, the latter part of March. The Weld Boat Club races which were set for the day preceding the class race, were spoiled by rough water, but the class race proved a good contest, Nineteen Hundred winning, with Ninety-Eight second, Ninetv-Nine third, and the Freshmen last. Mr. Lehmann then selected sixteen candi- dates from the various crews to con- tinue training for the University eight and two eights were kept on the river for three weeks. Four of the candidates were then dropped and the first crew selected. Since that time there have been few changes. The only addition to the ranks has been Derby, who was given the bow oar two weeks ago, re- placing Harding, who moved into the waist of the boat when Heath was dropped from No. 5. : Soon after the class race, Captain Goodrich resigned and later joined Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, J. H. Per- kins being chosen to succeed him at the head of the crew. Mr. Willis, who had been assisting Mr. Lehmann in the coaching, sailed for England a month ago. A larger number of crews has been upon the river this year and it is be- lieved more general interest in rowing has been aroused than at any previous time in Harvard’s history. : It will be seen that the final selection of the men was not made until late in the year. All the Spring work was im the class crews until the recess. Whether this delay in selecting the University Eight is a wise step may be questioned. RECORDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL OARSMEN. Dobyns, who will pull the stroke oar, prepared for college at Oberlin, and has had his previous rowing experience upon crews of the Weld Boat Club. He stroked the Weld Crew which won in the Metropolitan Regatta in New PAYNE WHITNEY, CAPTAIN YALE CREW. York last Summer. He is under size for an ideal stroke, but shows excellent judgment in a race and is considered thoroughly reliable) He drives his crew hard, but, although he keeps ex- cellent time, he is sometimes difficult for the men to follow. He is 25 years old, 5 feet 9% inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. Biddle, who carries the stroke to star- board is a second-year special. He prepared for college at St. Pauls School, where he rowed on one of the school eights. He-is regarded by some as te best oar in the Harvard boat. He, too, is a light weight, but gets a hard catch and uses all his strength. He has not always been with Dobyns in practice, but it is thought the two men will be perfectly together by the time of the race. He is 19 years old, 6 feet tall, and weighs 157 pounds. Captain Perkins has been out of the boat more or less since the crew was selected,.on account of poor condition, THE HARVARD EIGHT AND SUBSTITUES.
