Yale alumni magazine. ([New Haven]) 1937-1976, August 01, 1899, Page 14, Image 14

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    408
AGAINST THREE MILES.
Opinions do not Favor a Change in
Rowing Distance.
The question of the substitution of a
three-mile course for the four-mile
course in intercollegiate championship
races has been considerably discussed
this Spring and many opinions for and
against the change have been published.
It has been contended by some that a
race of four miles is too severe for men
who are quite frequently under 20 years
of age and that the last mile serves no
good purpose, because the race has been
lost or won at the end of the third mile.
President Eliot of Harvard, in a
communication to the Harvard Bulletin
on the subject, says: “I can imagine no
possible pleasure or advantage deriva-
ble from a four-mile race which a three-
mile race would not yield as well, or
better.”
The general expert opinion, however,
seems to be that the three-mile course
would not lessen the strain on the oars-
men, but would rather tend to increase
it, the argument being that the shorter
course would be rowed at a snrinting
speed, rather than at the slower and less
exhausting stroke of the greater dis-
tance. Mr. R. C. Lehmann, who
coached Harvard in 1897 and 1898, and
whose long experience as an oarsman
and a coach of Oxford and Cambridge
eights, gives his words much value, says
ina letter to the Harvard Bulletin:
* oF * “T do not know’ what argu-
ments may have been used in support .
of the proposal to decrease the distance.
Probably, however, the chief arguments
would be: (1) that the exhaustion en-
tailed by a four-mile race—especially
on the losers—is too great; (2) that this
exhaustion would be sensibly diminished
if the distance to be rowed was cur-
tailed by a mile; and (3) that four-
mile races are always won and lost in
the first three miles; the fourth mile,
therefore, making no difference to the
result, while increasing tne distress of
the competitors. With regard to No. I,
I would admit that I have seen many
men exhausted and distressed at the end
of a four-mile race, but I cannot recall
a single instance of an Oxford or a
Cambridge man who did not recover
completely in a very short time.
“IT may be told that I have spoken
merely of Englishmen and of English
races, that there is something in the
American climate and in the constitu-
tion of the young American which dif-
ferentiates him from the young English-
man, and renders him incapable of sup-
porting the strain involved in a four-
mile contest.
“T have for my own part, no doubt
whatever that the young American, pro-
vided that he is carefully trained and
prepared, is in every way as capable of
supporting the exertion and of resisting
the fatigue involved in a four-mile race
(or, indeed, in any contest of strength
and endurance) as his British cousin.
The details of training and preparatory
work must, of course, vary according to
differences of climate and local condi-
tions, but this admission in no way af-
fects my main contention. The Har-
vard crew of 1897 certainly collapsed
badly towards the end of the race, but
I have always attributed this collapse
chiefly to my own inexperience of con-
ditions in America. I had no knowl-
edge, beyond what I got by hearsay of
the rowing history of the men with
whom I dealt, nor of the conditions
existing at Poughkeepsie. A fortnight
before the race the men were fit and
strong, and had the race been rowed
then I am confident that, though they
might have been beaten, they would
have made a bold bid for victory and
would not, in any event, have collapsed.
“This brings me to the second argu-
ment, which I have hypothetically at-
tributed to those who advocate the
change from four miles to three, viz:
that the exhaustion would be sensibly
diminished if the distance were cur-
tailed. I do not believe that you would
find that in practice this would be so.
Prima facie, of course, to any one not
experienced in boat-racing, it would
seem reasonable to expect that exhaus-
tion would decrease in proportion to the
decrease of this. distance traversed.
The practical oarsman, however, knows
that this result by no means generally
follows, for his experience convinces
him that a race over the Henley course
' in Indiana limestone.
sy A hie 3 AT Ue
is often more distressing than a race
from Putney to Mortlake. a
“The third argument amounts to this:
that a crew which is ahead at the end
of three miles will always be ahead and
win the race at the end of the fourth
mile. I admit that in England we have
generally found this to be true, but there
are at least three instances that prove
the contrary, and those three are in
themselves sufficient to prevent us from
ever entertaining the idea of cutting
down our university boat race from four
to three miles.”
—_———__++____—_
Football Team Changes.
Yale interest in athletics, after the
London games in July, centers largely in
the football team of next Fall. At
present writing, owing to the number
of vacancies caused by graduation,
there is nothing to be said about the
probable strength of the Eleven. Mar-
shall at right guard, Cutten at center,
Chamberlin at right tackle, deSaulles
at quarter back, and Benjamin, Cor-
win and Durston at half-back are
all graduates. Brown will greatly
strengthen the center of the line at
left guard; Stillman left tackle and Coy
right end are the only other regular
line men of last year’s team. Hubbell
and Schweppe, who played, as end sub-
stitutes in the Harvard game, are still
eligible. McConnell, substitute center,
and Cunha, 1902, for center; Richard-
son, 1901, guard; Francis, 1900, Cook,
1901'S: “and: “Richards; :1900'S:; “fer
tackle; Abbott, 1900, and Sharpe, M.S.,
are a few of the more prominent line
candidates. Behind the line Yale is
stronger. Ely quarter back, Dudlev.
1900 S., and Townshend, 1900 S., hali-
back, and McBride, 1900 (Captain),
full-back, are all veterans. Dupee,
1900; Wear, 1901; Rumsey, 1902, and
Fincke, 1901 S., are substitute backs.
W. T. Bull will have charge of this
part of the team the coming season.
mh
Law School Front.
The front .of the Yale Law School
on Elm street, which has been delayed
in the building by lack of funds, will
now be pushed rapidly to completion.
Corbey Court, the old wooden building,
has been removed and ground was
broken last month for the addition to
the School. Cady, Berg & See are the
architects.
The new building will be three
stories in height and will be finished
‘Lhe first. story
will include a lecture-room with a seat-
ing capacity of about two or three hun-
dred, the large main entrance and two
offices for Dean Wayland. A part of
the space on this floor will-also be
taken up by a covered passageway
leading to the side and rear of the build-
ing. The second story, occupying the
whole front, about ninety-three feet, will
be devoted to a room for lectures and
for all purposes connected with the de-
partment of the Law School requiring
a large audience hall. This room will
seat between five and six hundred peo-
ple. A reading room will be located in
the third story and it is possible that
the remaining space will be devoted to
some smaller rooms with study rooms
attached, to be used as dormitories.
The building will have a ninety-three-
foot frontage on Elm street and will be
about fifty feet deep.
————_+09—___
Col. Pettis Regiment.
Colonel James Sumner Pettit, for-
formerly military instructor at Yale, was
appointed, July 6, to the command of the
Twenty-eighth Regiment of Infantry,
now recruiting at Camp Meade, Pa., for
service in the Philippines. Col. Pettit
served as Colonel of the Fourth United
States Volunteer Infantry during the
period of the late war with Spain. He
was quartered most of the time, during
his eight months stay in Cuba, at Man-
zanillo, being military governor of that
place, where his work of cleaning the
city, establishing a government, starting
the schools and doing other such things
was of a most thorough and satisfactory
kind. Col.  Pettit’s regiment was
brought to a high state of efficiency, and
on its return to this country to be mus-
tered out he was given strong official
commendation for its condition,
Bicycle
Tires.
Ican send you by Mail or
Express, Prepaid, a good
HARTFORD Single-tube Tire
for $2.50, $3.00 and $3.50.
CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED.
W. P. W EAVE R,
Columbia Bicycle Agency,
New Haven, Conn.
Reference—Alumni Weekly.
{. Gleans and Polishes.
8. Prevents Rust.
For Bicycles, Guns, Etc., Etc.
Sample free, send 2c. for postage.
G. W. COLE & CO.,
143 BROADWAY, NEW YORK.
COLLEGE MEN
will find exceedingly comfortable and well
kept quarters at a most reasonable price at
MILLER’S HOTEL
39 West 26th St., - New York City.
This house is patronized largely by Yale,
Princeton, Cornell, Vassar, Wellesley, Smith
and other Colleges, to the students of which
special rates are made.
SEND FOR CIRCULAR.
CHARLES H. HAYNES,
‘Proprietor.
The C. W. Whittlesey Co.
281 State St.
Our line of Photographic Materials and
Supplies is larger and more complete than
ever before.
Our facilities for doing amateur work
are unexcelled.
CHARLES T. PENNELL,
Successor to Wm. Franklin & Co.,
[MPORTING TAILOR,
40 Center St., New Haven, Conn.
[Viory’s - -
es ce
. . « Louis Linder.
9. Lubricates without Gumming —
THE
AMERICAN
YOUTH
Is better ready to-day,
than ever before, to do
life’s work when he leaves
his college, because his
mental training is rein-
forced by physical vigor,
making him sane and
hopeful and well poised.
American College Youth, in
their outdoor sports, learn
the name and know the
reason for the high repu-
tation of
SPALDING
CHICAGO. NEW YORK.
FEL
Pocket Gutlery.
[s- We make the engravings used in
the “ ALUMNI WEEKLY.”
The “Old Reliable Parker” Always in Evidence.
At the Chamberlain Cartridge & Target Co.’s Tournament, held at Cleveland, Ohio,
June 14th and 15th, 1899, it won First and Second High Average in the AMATEUR Class, and
First High Average in the EXPERT Class, with
scores as follow: 97.88% in AMATEUR Class
and 90.4% in EXPERT Class.
Fred Gilbert, with a Parker Gun, at Sioux
City, lowa, June 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th, shoot-
ing at 910 targets scored, 97.32.
These Records show that the Parker Gun
for close, hard shooting, and ability to per-
form: continuous hard work, is excelled by none.
SEND FOR CATALOGUE TO
PARKER BROS.,
MERIDEN, CONN.
New York Salesroom, 96 Chambers St.
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REASONABLE PRICEs
FINE FINISH. »
LIGHT WEIGHT.
WELL MADE.
. STUDEBAKER.
BROADWAY, COR. PRINCE ST., ,N. I
WM. R. INNIS, MANAGER.
Carriage Builders
z ad LARGE VARIETY.
CORRECT APPOINTMENTS.
LINEXCELLED WORKMANSHIP.