The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-31 00:00:00

THE BOAT RACE,

The great aquatic struggle for the Blue Riband of
the Thames took place on Saturday under more
favourable circumstances than might have been antici-
pated. The weather was cold, but it was dry, and
fairly clear—at least, in the early morning, fog
threatening later on. As a rule the event takes place
early in the day—in fact, much earlier than the
hour fixed for its commencement on Saturday;
and to travel some miles almost in the dead of
night, with wind blowing and snow falling as
we have recently experienced it, in order to
secure what is but a passing glimpse of twc
eight-oared boats struggling together on the waves of
the Thames, would seem to the majority of people tc
be the very pinnacle of empty-headed folly. That any
real enjoyment can follow from such an ordeal is
doubtful in the extreme, and, in his sober moments,
even the most ardent lover of aquatic sports will pro-
bably acquiesce in the suggestion. These early morning
contests have undoubtedly had a depressing effect
upon the enthusiasm which in past years has been en-
gendered by the Boat Race. The attendance of spec-
tators has gradually fallen off; public interest in
the event has appreciably lessened. But still the race
takes the public fancy to some extent, and in spite of
its many drawbacks in the shape of weather, Szc., it
will probably long continue to hold a good position
among the leading sporting events of the year. Upon
the present occasion it was celebrated at a more
seasonable hour than usual, and a large contingent of
the metropolitan public assembled on the banks of
the Thames.

The regulations for the race, laid down by the
Thames Conservancy, were practically identical with
those of former years. The old aqueduct at Putney
has ceased to exist. Putney Old Bridge, as it has
often been fondly called, has gone, but in its place a
fine new span crosses the river, from which a splendid
view is obtained of the first part of the race.
Hammersmith-bridge was, as usual, closed to traffic
until after the race. Four steamers accompanied the
Eights—one for friends of the umpire, one for each
University, and one for the Press, while a small steam
launlh carried the Umpire.
To give an adequate idea of the position of matters
at the various points along the river, and of the con-
dition of the leading thoroughfares in the neighbour-
hood of the river, is not an easy matter. But there
was a falling off in the number of spectators compared
with. what has been the case in other years. There
could be no doubt, however, as to the enthusiasin of
the regular river-side habit us. The respective merits
of the rival crews had for a long time been the sub-
ject of much speculation; and, notwithstanding the
betting, opinions seemed very much divided as
to what might be the ultimate result.
So far as time tests were concerned Cam-
bridge seemed to be the better of the two.
In their spurts on Friday, notwithstanding the miser-
able., weather which prevailed, the Cambridge men
showed to great advantage. They travelled well at a
fast stroke, and sremed well able to utilise all their
strength But in rough water they showed to less
advantage than their opponents.
The times are never too depressed to stay the tido
of pleasure. Work or no work, sightseers of all
classes—the almost penniless as well as the wealthiest
—look upon the 'Varsity Boat-race as an event not to
be sacrificed on any consideration. On the District
Railway, from Whitechapel to Hammersmith, from
Earl's-court to Putney-bridge, the trains were
crowded at a comparatively early hour; and at
Charing-cross, where a large number of passengers
booked for the race-course, a number of street
vendors, laden with baskets of provisions, or Oxford
ant Cambridge favours, joined the already laden
carriages containing passengers from the East-end—
some bent on pleasure pure and simple; others
belonging to the itinerant hawker tribe, who, of course,
regard the occasion in the light of a harvest; while an
unmistakeable section of the men appeared to belong
to what might, without any injustice, be termed the
residuum, who, if an explanation may be hazarded,
regard morning as the opportunity for exercising a
felonious calling.
"Why have you about double as many Cam-
bridge' as Oxford ?' " inquired a reporter of a
female whose basket of favours at Charing-cross
Station was bound with its owner to the scene of the
struggle. "Why more Cambridge? 'Cos the
bettin's on Cambridge, o' course. Lor, we knows
what we are about. If I was to take as
many Dark Blue as I has Light, I shouldn't
sell them; that's all about it." It is true,
as everybody knows, that the betting has
been greatly in favour of the Cambridge crew,
odds of 5 to 1 being in some instances offered and
taken on the wearers of the Light Blue, and the
result justified the preference; but on Saturday morn-
ing there were ominous whisperings among the crowds
at the stations that the Light Blue might not win so
easily as anticipated. "Should Cambridge lose," said
one burly authority, "perhaps more money will be
lost than has ever been lost afore."
The Dark Blues first took the water, at a quarter
to eleven, followed five minutes later. by the Light
Blues. Both crews were loudly cheered. Cambridge
won the toss, and took their position on the Surrey
side of the river, and at 10.56 a good start was
effected. The Light Blues took the lead rapidly, and
it was at once apparent that they were the superior
crew. The wind was light, but the tide was running up
very strong, with smooth water. Before three hundred
yards had been covered Cambridge were half a length
ahead, and they gradually went to the fore, until at
Hammersmith-bridge they were three lengths to the
good. They continued to lead by this distance until
getting into Corney-reach. Here the Cantabs put on
a spurt, and at Barnes-bridge they were five lengths
in front of their rivals. The Dark Blues then tried
their hardest, but it was of no avail, and

CAMBRIDGE WON BY FIVE LENGTHS,

piffling up quite fresh. The crowd at the finish
cheered the Light Blues, who certainly rowed a grand
race throughout. There was little betting, but the
friends of the Cambridge crew wanted to lay 4 to IL
freely, but there were few takers.
Time: 20min. 48sec., or four seconds better record
than that of last year, when the Light Blues won
by 3 lengths.

Judging from the exceptional numbers who faced
the bitter winds to have a look at the University crews
at practice, the great Boat Race has not (remarks the
Graphic) lost its popularity. It may be, perhaps,
that, like so many other British institutions, it has
become " democratised ;" that is, "the masses"
take more interest in the event than they used to do,
but "the classes" less. There is an undoubted
change of this sort in the quality of the attendance at
the race; the crowd grows somewhat larger every
year, but the aristocratic element, which •in former
times was predominant, is now swallowed up in the
plebeian. It is well that this should be the case ; the
spectacle is one from which "our masters" may draw
not a few useful lessons. There is something so
English about the whole affair, so redolent of those
qualities, physical and mental, on which we pride
ourselves. Why should half a million of people go
several miles, and stand about for hours very often in
yting weather, merely to catch a glimpse of a couple
of arrow-like boats rushing past? What is there in
this to render a staid people like the English half
mad with excitement? Truly, in the spectacle
itself very little; to ninety-nine spectators out of
a hundred, the two crews present precisely the
same aspect of perfect mechanical movement.
It is neither the sixteen young athletes, models
of physical beauty as they are, nor the wonderfully
fragile craft in which they sit, that draws such enormous
crowds to the river. The real attraction to the
masses is that they know the race will be honestly
rowed throughout, and that the better crew will win.
That being the very essence of all English sports in
the olden time, the humble Cockney hies him to
Putney, or Hammersmith, or Barnes, or wherever his
favourite coign of advantage may be, to witness with
his own eyes the last survival of that honourable
system of competition. And long may he make his
annual pilgrimage; it is good for him to testify, even
with beer and paper-feather accompaniments, that he
hiows how to worship manly worth when he gets a
cl.aace.