St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-09-03
-HOre Of the Great Boat Race.

IHS New 1Ofk lIlDune tuullSIeS q
special dispatch from London, from Mr..
G.. w. Smalley, the special correspondent
of that paper. As Mr.. Smalley's de-
scription adds to the details of the race,
which are so very generally in request,
we copy a portion of it
''The boats started abreast of the UNI
pire's steamer. Blake gave the word
Co at exactly five hours fourteen min
utes fOrty-one seconds and two ifths.
The tide had almost ceased running up,
and the whole race was rowed on nearly
slack water. Harvard jumped away at
the word, Loring beginning with the i'm
possible stroke of forty-six to the minute.
DarbiShire, vino will never be hurried,
was content with forty. The pace was
terrific from the start.
! Harvard began almost Immediately to
lead, drawing away from Oxford amid
loud cheers, and rowing well together
and i'll better form than ever before. At
Craven Cottage they were half length
ahead, and thence to Crab Tree kept stead
lily gaining. Both crews were doing
all they wanted; but Oxford, which was
never under any stress, increasing its
measured stroke Of forty to the minute,
rowed with a precision beyond all praise.
Darbishirc is like a machine, and il
never Hurried by an opponents lead.
Long before Iammersmith was reach
ed, Harvard having Il clear lead, Burn
ham should have taken Oxford's water
but trying to do SO lie grew nervous.
sheercd Wild, seemed then to lose his head.
and never after regained his composure.
He lost at least Il length ON the whole
course. OXtord stcered admirably well,
masking II straight line from Crab Tree
to the center Of IIammcrsmith bridge.
and thence did not lose an inch to the
end
At Crab Tree Harvard was Il good
length ahead, the time being five minutes
and fifteen seconds, But here the pace
BEGAN t. tell. The stroke had fallen
from - to Il and 10, and then went up
again /" Is. Flesh and blood could
stand 1t no longer.
Beyond Crab Tree Oxford began to
creep up, and at the soap works were
alongside. This Lorin. would not suffer.
Out drove ON ms boat with spirit, and
S''o' il'lii'''ri7mi'h bridge Il length ahead
once more, Darbi>hre impassivcly pull
IN 10 to the minute. and never getting
many inches a>tcrn of iIarvards ruddcr
The bridge was a bedlam of VARYING
shouts and cheers for the two struggling
crews. Harvard passed under 1t i'll an
unprecedented tIme-elght minutes and
thirty sec"nd>-but alas and alas, the
effort hu! been not only tremendous but
desperate. 10 critical eyes the race was
lost WimIr Harvard WAS sill "a good length
ahr;'d. Their growing wild, their form
hitherto G""d, was lost, their time for
-otten, and -addenin@ symptoms OF dis
Tres III the American boat became evl-
deit h"t lar beyond HImmersmlth.
oAior" u second time BEGAN 10 draw up
ON the leading boat, ncv-r accelcrating
their >troNy. but r"wln- with that final
test OF perfect Craftsmanship, a spirit with
out haste. II W. the last real struggle
OF tie race. Harvard had little lett to
answer ONior'l'o challenge, the dark blue
drew swiftly level. then aheaI, ;hcn a
iuiI lcu-tu ..hrs'I,and OF Chiswick church
took liarNard'~ water. From that mo-
ment Oxford had clear lead. The race
wA> over.
Ihrrr remained two miles and more
to row, but the last chance and hope Of
Harvard wa, gone. Thence they rowcd /.
"H - BRAY" mon viii row, Il hopeless /
race race they snow to be hopeless,