2, D. P. Porter 21 5.9 1/2 174
3, W. A. Moore 22 5.9 165
4, E. T. Lynch 20 6.0 179
5, D. E. Reckhart 21 5.11 172
6, W. Wheeler 22 6.0 1/2 182
7, B. R. Muller 21 5.11 1/2 176
Stroke, J. A. B. Cowles 20 5.10 160
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Average 21 5.10 1/2 170 1/2
Coxswain, E. Benjamin 90
The following description of the work done by the Yale crew during the year will, perhaps, be of the most interest: "As early as Oct. 15, the same date as at Harvard, the Yale oarsmen were afloat, and two eights were organized for practice, the prospective 'Varsity men being distributed in both boats. From Oct. 15 to Nov. 22 uninterrupted practice was carried on by both crews, and again after Thanksgiving until January 10, omitting of course the Christmas holidays. At that advanced date the boat work had to be given up and the gymnasium appliances brought into play. The rowing machines formed the main portion of the indoor work, to which was added a series of general exercises laid down by the captain, the details of which he considers a 'trade secret.' At the machines the amount of exercise varied as to length of time, sometimes being continued as long as twenty-seven minutes, but always at a stroke of forty per minute, with occasional faster bursts. Daily runs were taken and always out of doors, no matter what condition the elements might be in. Turning over the leaves of the record, Captain Hull said: 'Here is the record of our last run, five miles; these were always at a steady pace, improvement, not distress, being their object.' On February 20, the ice was out of the river, and work on the water was resumed, the gymnasium exercise and running being both dispensed with. Both eights were put to work again as in the fall, and on April 1 the crew, as at present constituted, was decided upon. It should be stated that all the Yale rowing has been done in shells, and always at a fast stroke - or forty strokes and over per minute.
It is well nigh impossible to criticise the style and form of the Yale crew. All the teachings of "Bob" Cook have been thrown to the wind, and in their place we have the "Hillsdale" stroke. Swing there is none, and all that is aimed at is a fast stroke. The men vary but little from the perpendicular either at the beginning or end of the stroke, and the sole means of propulsion employed are the legs and arms. The former to push the slide back and the latter to finish the stroke by pulling the oar home. There is a very general aptitude throughout the boat, however, to resort too soon to the use of the arms and do bent arm work, but that is little else than natural with such a style of stroke. The men go back and forward without swinging out of the straight line and the boat is kept tolerably steady. The stroke is nothing more than so many snatches at the water, but for all that the boat travels fast, and the rapidity of the rate should take the crew away from one rowing something like ten strokes a minute less; but it remains to be seen whether it can keep them in front of a boat propelled by long, telling strokes."
The following criticism is made on the Harvard crew: "Mr. Bancroft deserves the greatest credit for turning out the crew in such shape. The men who occupy the last four thwarts are as perfect a rowing four in style, time and swing as ever sat in any American college eight, and it is only in front of these that individual faults are to be found which mar the perfect uniformity and symmetry of the crew. Captain Hammond, who rows at No. 4. carries his oar up too high at the end of his feather and misses the first part of his stroke. He begins the swing before dropping his oar blade into the water, and then when he does get hold his swing is retarded and his shoulders give with the strain put upon them. The swing is thus subdivided into two movements. Bow is the only one of the crew who fails to row with a perfectly straight back, and as No. 2 is particularly strong on that point bow's faulty shape is rendered all the more conspicuous. With the faults of the bow and No. 4 corrected the crew would be as nearly perfect in form as it is possible to get an eight.