Vou. VIIL No. 30.
NEW HAVEN, CONN., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1899.
Price Tren Cents.
THE YALE CREW,
Whe General Features of the Stroke—
Coaching Unity—A Clever Device.
When Robert J. Cook, the most ac-
tive and successful University Crew
Coach for twenty years, retired last
Summer and announced his intention to
coach no more, there was much specu-
lation as to the course to be followed
in Yale aquatics and some misgivings
as to the result of what must be a com-
plete change in the plan of training.
The situation, though not clear at first,
worked out in a very natural way. The
first step towards the new order of
things—the appointment of Dr. Edson
F, Gallaudet, ’93, a member of the Fac-
ulty; to be head coach of the Crew—
was a satisfactory one from every point
of view. He had had the benefit of two
years training under Mr. Cook; knew
the old stroke in every detail; was
capable of teaching it, and besides, was.
a member of the University. The new .
system, which included in its workings
the codperation of Yale’s prominent
oarsmen for the past fifteen years, has
now been in force a trifle over twelve
weeks and in all ways has proved ad-
mirable, working in the way it was
hoped it would. Already, Dr. Gallaudet
has had the aid of twelve graduate oars-
men who have worked together without
friction. ;
THE EIGHT AND THEIR WORK.
The Crew itself, which was drawn
from as good material as could be
wished for, promises to be an average
Yale Crew. The first boat as rowing
to-day is somewhat heavier than usual,
the men ranging from 160 to 190 pounds
with an average of about 173 pounds.
Two of the men are over six feet tall,
the tallest six feet three inches, and four
others are six feet. Notwithstanding the
weight there is great driving power in
the boat, for the oarsmen, though big,
are lively and take unusually well to
coaching. Like last year, the cold and
windy weather has made development
slow, because it has been extremely dif-
ficult to get smooth water for pair-oar
work, which is so necessary at the be-
ginning of the season.
It is too early in the season to at-~
tempt an individual criticism of the
Crew, for of course, there are faults
common:to most crews at this period
of training, but in general the weakness
seems to be in the pull through the
water and a failure to get the blades
anchored quickly and firmly at the be-
ginning of the stroke.
is due in part to insufficient skill in con-
trolling the slide and partly to lack of
deliberation on the last portion of it.
The coaching of the last two weeks has
been mainly to correct this fault.
Captain Allen and Dr. Gallaudet have
been trying for two or three weeks past
a pair-oar fitted with a measuring
gauge, the mechanism of which is the
invention of. Captain Allen’s brother.
The device makes a record of the pull
on the oar-lock and the push on the
stretcher each independent of the other,
or both together. By it an absolute
check is had on the force exerted at the
catch and finish and at every inter-
mediary point of the passage of the oar
through the water. It is interesting to
know that the machine verifies the
theory that the catch is the most im-
portant part of the stroke and also the
most difficult to get. ~ or
The poor catch >
THE UNIVERSITY GREW SQUAD.
P. L. Mitchell.
R. A. McGee. J. H. Niedecken.
i> FP; Glente: :
Greenway.
4 85, 3
H. P. Wickes.
J. C. Greenleaf. J. W. Cross. F. G. Brown, G.S. Stillman. A. Cameron, Jr. W. B. Williams.
R. M. Newport.
F. W. Allen (capt.) W. E.S. Griswold.
R. -L. Atkinson. H.
Photograph by Pach.
Kk. P. Brock. R.P. Fist. :
Auchincloss.
A RETURN TO THE OLD STROKE.
Although there is no distinct change
of stroke being taught to the present
Crew, it is noticed that there has been
a gradual return, since 1897, to what is
known as the “Cook stroke,” .typified
best, perhaps, by the Crews of 1888,
1892 and 1895. In 1897 the year after
Yale’s Henley trip, Mr. -Cook shortened
the slide considerably and had the men
reach out much farther for the water,
which reach, however, was. greatly
modified before the Poughkeepsie race.
Last year the men were taught to
catch the water, get their shoulders into
it, and start the slides almost’ simulta-
neously. To-day the Eight do not start
their slides till the shoulders have
swung well up, after the manner of
Yale’s old crews: —
There is some thought now of re-
turning to the inclined slides of a few
years ago. The two boats now being
built for the Crew by Davis of New
York will probably be fitted with slides
whose elevation toward the bow will be
somewhat greater than at the other end,
the idea being to keep the blades buried
in the water at the finish more easily.
Avery valuable help in the coaching
of the University Crew is the aid ren-
dered by the second or College Eight,
which it has been named, corresponding
to the College eleven in the Fall. It is
composed of experienced oarsmen and
is nearly, if not quite, as fast as the
first eight. With very little coaching
this eight has been frequently able to
hold the University on short and even
long distances and once or twice has de-
feated it. The members work as hard
and as conscientiously as the first boat
and have the appreciation of the coaches
and the entire undergraduate body.
With these men to choose from, a fall-
ing off in the ability of any member of
the first boat from any cause whatso-
ever will not be so serious a matter as
formerly, because a substitution can be
made very easily with no bad results.
The presence of this excellent second
eight also makes the composition of
the first boat a very uncertain matter
till well along in June, for changes are
liable to occur at any time.
MANY COACHES RETURNING.
Alfred Cowles, ’86, of Chicago, has
made the longest visit of any of the
coaches so far. He came on April 3,
-and stayed with the Crew a couple of
weeks, coaching them on the catch and
finish. He expects to be with Crew from
about June 1 up to the time of the race.
Richard Armstrong, ’95 S., spent a week
watching the Eight, directing most of
his attention to the catch. Besides Mr.
Cowles’ and Mr. Armstrong’s help, oc-
casional visits have been had from Dr.
John Rogers, ’87; Percy R. Bolton,
’86S.; G. S. Brewster, ’91; Dr. J. A.
Hartwell, 89 S.; Dr. S. B. Ives, ’93; F.
A. Stephenson, ’88; F. A. Johnson,
’94S., and Payne Whitney and J. O.
Rodgers, ’08.
The statistics of the men who are
rowing in the University and College
Crews follow:
- UNIVERSITY. BOAT.
Class. Psn. Age. Hgt. Wet.
W. B. Williams--. 1900 8 20 5.10 160
J. H. Niedecken ._1900 9. 2h: Oh 170
Bay Allen 22... 1900 6 2 6 180
BAGS. Brow bs sce 2. 1QO1 [ 19 6.3 190
RP pie ’99 8. £5 ee 170
W.E.S. Griswold ’99 4 22. - 5.0 165
H. P. Wickes: ..- - 1900 2 20 5.10% 173
J. GC. Greenltaf: 3: 'goS. . Bow - 227. 6 168
COLLEGE BOAT.
Class. Psn. Age. Hgt. Wet.
A. Cameron, Jr. ..1900 8 18 5.11 160
H. Auchincloss .--1901 7 20 6.1 173
G. S. Stiliman__. 190 6 16.2 Os 185
FW SteTOSS Sooke. 1900 5 21 6 184
He POOR. cs IQOI 4 20 5. FX 180
Sick. Becks 1900 3 21 5.10 175
J. C. Greenway..-1900 ae 6 168
P. L. Mitchell ....1g01 Bow 19 5.11 165
R. L. Atkinson....1901 Sub. 19 5.914 167
Ki Ay Motes: 5233 1900S, Sub. 22 6.1 185
i at
Hooker, 1902 Captain.
Henry Stewart Hooker of Washing-
ton, D. C., who has been elected Cap- —
tain of the Freshman Crew, prepared
for College at the Groton School, Gro-
ton, Mass. For two years preceding
his graduation he rowed on the First
Hemenway Crew, stroking it in Ninety-
Seven. He played a guard on the
school football team in_ the, Fall Nis
Ninety-Seven, and was Captain of s e
gymnastic team the same yéal. e€
