COLUMBIA OARSMEN.

A recent number of the New York Herald contains an article on the Columbia crews which gives a very fair idea of what the oarsmen of that college are doing:

"Captain Cowles was particularly fortunate in having but one vacancy to fill on the crew this year - that caused by the graduating of E. T. Lynch, who rowed No. 4 last year - and four men still remained who had taken part in the race of 1881. These old and well tried oarsmen were W. A. Moore, D. E. Reckhart, H. R. Muller and Captain Cowles himself. The 1882 new comers, who had been well tested and found up to the mark, were E. Fitzgerald, D. P. Porter and W. Wheeler. The crew is seated in the following order:

Name. Age. H't. W't.

G. E. Fitzgerald, bow 22 5.08 155

D. E. Reckhart, No. 2 22 5.11 178

W. A. Moore, No. 3 23 5.09 172

D. P. Porter, No. 4 22 5.09 1/2 180

D. Wheeler, No. 5 23 600 1/2 182

A. H. Van Sinderen, No. 6 23 6.01 178

H. R. Muller, No. 7 22 5.11 1/2 175

J. A. B. Cowles, stroke 21 5.10 160

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Average 22 5.10 1/2 172 1/2

J. T. Walker, coxswain 115

"The new oarsman, Mr. Van Sinderen, is a great acquisition, being a thoroughly versed oarsman theoretically as well as practically. He carries himself nicely in the boat, swinging straight fore and aft, and avoiding that stiffness of carriage so painfully visible in many college oarsmen who have studied the art of rowing."

"The addition of Van Sinderen to the rear of the boat now gives Columbia a four sitting together that it would be well nigh impossible to duplicate for uniformity in style and general excellence... The work done by the crew during the two months they have been in the boat, has had the effect of perfecting them in uniformity of time, and there is plenty of 'lift' to the boat when on the stroke."

Columbia has not been in the least influenced by Yale's exhibition of a fast stroke last year, still keeping to the opinion that a slow stroke is better for a four mile race and a fast one for a short race.

"Captain Cowles gives it as his opinion that with 36 or 37 strokes per minute his boat travels faster for a distance of three miles, or even less, than if the crew is hurried up to 40 and kept at that rate. At the fast stroke the rowing becomes short and scratchy, and the energy of a heavy crew is wasted in swinging back and forth instead of the power being reserved as much as possible for the driving of the boat along when the oar is in the water. The training stroke of the crew has ranged from 35 to 37 strokes per minute, and the daily work after the first week has been extended up to six miles per day, and from that to eight as deemed advisable by the captain. The individual members of the crew, as is customary with the Columbias, have been left to their individuals tastes and facilities for dieting and exercise, the strict dieting and regular team work being put in practice when the crew reach New London. It is intended that the crew should leave for the scene of the race of June 20, on Tuesday night a boat."

"For the annual race with the Harvard freshmen Columbia has again been able to secure a lively lot of young oarsmen with a really good stroke. As is natural with a crew selected in the way usual with freshmen, there is not much polish about the work, but there is evidently plenty of willingness, and all they require is a little care and attention to make them fully as good if not better than the freshman crew of last year. Up to Wednesday last they had been using the '83 class boat, which was not rigged to suit them at all, and the crew was not very well placed in the boat. Mr. Jasper Goodwin took hold of them that afternoon, saw what was the matter, and on returning to the boat house at once made arrangements for the fitting up of last year's freshman boat to suit the present crew, at the same time making some changes in the position of the men. Since then they have done much better, and, as they will have the benefit of coaching from the launch at New London they will probably be an exceptionally good crew. The crew are rowing together as follows:

Name. Age. W't.

B. F. Morningstar, bow. 19 140

W. A. Merkleham, No. 2. 18 148

E. DeWitt, No. 3. 20 143

E. J. Lederle, No. 4. 19 160

C. E. Beckwith, No. 5. 19 155

J. Lawrence, No. 6. 18 158

E. R. Hart, No. 7. 18 142

N. J. Doyle, stroke. 20 147

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Average. 19 149

W. Stout, coxswain. 20 105

The freshmen have been on the river since April 15, previous to which candidates for positions in the crew did daily work on the rowing machines at the college gymnasium."