The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-03-27 00:00:00

THE RACE.

The contest between the two crews came off on
Monday morning, at about twenty minutes to eleven
o'clock, and resulted in an easy victory for Oxford
by about three boats' lengths. The exact time of the
race was 21 minutes 23 seconds, or five seconds longer
than the race of last year.—We take the following
description of the race from the Pall Mall Gazette
"A (lull, grey and cold morning, a haze on the river, but
no fog; rather less crowd than usual; the four regulation
steamers moored at their stations, the press boat in mid-
stream and the three University boats under the Middlesex
shore. Such was the picture at Putney by 10.35 a.m. to-day,
when Cambridge were reaching their station and Oxford were
lying at theirs awaiting them. Oxford had won the toss
and taken the Middlesex side ; the crews " peeled,"
3lr. Searle performed his time-honoured office of starter,
and we were at once in ntediasres of the prettiest University
race that we have seen for eleven years. Oxford were away
cleanest and quickest, leading by a few feet when each had
settled down to their stroke. Then Cambridge set to work
at 40 strokes to the minute against Oxford's 37, and began to
forge ahead. Past the London Boathouse Cambridge seemed
to have a quarter of a length lead, and as they came round
Craven Point they went still further ahead. Both boats had
at this point slightly slowed their stroke, Oxford to 36 and
Cambridge to 30. For the next quarter of a mile the lead
remained much the same, and Oxford lost some
little ground by steering sharp and wide to the right. At
Rose Bank Oxford drew up a little, but Baillie piled on the
stroke again, held his own, and then added more to. his lead
than before. At the Crab Tree he led by two-thirds of a
length to three-quarters, and in much the same position they
shot Hammersmith ißridge in 8 min. 18 sec. for the
leaders. Up to this point West had been rowing well within
himself, about three strokes slower an his antagonist, and
quietly biding his time. Cambridge had been rowing better
together so far than we had seen them in any day of their prac-
tice on the Thames. Oxford had been a little wild for a few
strokes off Craven, but had settled down again to uniform
action. When Hammersmith Bridge was clear astern—just
the place where Meredith Brown used to make his effort in
the exciting races of 1865 and 1866—West made his, and
quickened. The crew took up the stroke as one man, and at
once began to overhaul Cambridge. By the lower end of
Chiswick Eyot they had come almost level, and along the
Eyot they went by fast. At Chiswick Church they led by
half a length, and still drew away. The pace had begun
to tell on Cambridge, and they fell out of time ;
this was their worst piece of rowing in the whole
race. Oxford had one ugly splash, something rather
like a small crab —on bow side, off Chiswick
but settled down again. Up Horse Reach Oxford drew away
fast, and crossed Cambridge with a clear length's lead below
Barnes Bridge, which they reached in 17 min. 38 sec. After
this point Cambridge fell together again, and rowed in pretty
even form to the end. Oxford slowed down to 36, drew
away a trifle more, and passed the judge in 21 min. 22 2-5 sec.
from the start, winning by two lengths and three-quarters—
i.e. one length and three quarters' daylight separated the
boats according to the award of Mr. E. Fairlie, C.U.8.C.,
the judge. The tide was spent when they started, and was
dead water at Barnes."

BIRTHDAY OF THE EMPEROR OF
GERMANY.
Wilhelm 1., King of Prusata and German Emperor,
was born on March 22, 1797, and Monday w a accordingly the
a
83rd anniversary of his birth. He succeeded to the throne of
Prussia on January 22, 1881, and was proclaimed Emperor of
Germany, at Versailles, on January 18, 1871.—1 n comment-
ing upon the event, the Daily Telegraph of Tuesday re-
marks :

"Yesterday was the eighty-third birthday of the
venerable German Emperor, the Doyen of the world's
reigning Monarchs, and the object of an even more en-
thusiastic hero-worship throughout the Fatherland
than that formerly accorded to his redoubtable an-
cestor, Frederic the Great. Upright, ruddy-cheeked,
vigorous, and sprightly, this Imperial patriarch
has outlived all the friends of his youth, and has
seen pass away generation after generation of
the men whose first commissions in the Prussian
army were signed by his father when he had already
risen, by long and faithful service, to General's rank,
and who, having attained the topmost height of their
professional ambitions, have died off, one after another,
full of years and honours, while he has remained, appa-
rently untouched by the scythe of Old Time. Those
whose privilege it is to see and speak with him daily are
never weary of expatiating upon his clearness of mind,
cheerfulness of spirits, and extraordinary capacity foy
enduring physical fatigue without visible inconveni-
ence. He rises early every morning, is indefatigable
in the transaction of State and military business,
eats with undiminished appetite, and inspects his
favourite regiments- periodically on horseback or on
foot, sitting firmly in his saddle for hours at a stretch,
or striding briskly along the front of a far-reaching
line of troops, paraded in the Schloss-Platz of Pots-
dam. That this patriotic Monarch, chivalrous soldier,
and most amiable gentleman should have been so long
preserved to his country is a subject for hearty con-
gratulation to the German nation, with whose heart-
felt rejoicings upon yesterday's anniversary English-
men of all social classes and political parties, we feel
assured, will cordially sympathise."