Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-08-31
THE INTERNATIONAL BOAT RACE.

fish Crew Victorlous-The Harvards
Beaten Three Boat Lengths-Detailed
Accounts of the Race, &c.
The great international boat race be-
tween the Harvard American and OK
ford English four cared crews came off
in the river Thames Friday afternoon,
according to arrangement, and resulted
in the victory Of the Oxfords by three
lengths of the boat, about 1926 feet. The
Harvards were six seconds behind. The
following account is furnished by At
lantic cable:
London, August 27.-The excitement
over the Harvard and Oxford boat race
to-day was intense. The city has been
almost deserted and business quite neg
lected. Vehicles of all descriptions,
bearing Harvard and Oxford colors, and
heavily laden with people, crowded all
the roads leading to the course, and
during the entire day the roads in the
vicinity of Putney, Hammersmith, Ches-
wick, Barnes, Mortlake, &c., were
thronged with pedestrians. The rail-
way companies found themselves almost
unable TO provide cars sufficient to carry
the vast numbers in waiting at the de-
pots. It is no eXaggeration to state that
probably million of people witnessed
the race.
THE RACE
The course for the race was that
known as the Metropolitan, OR better as
the Putney to Mortlake course. Its
length is four miles two furlongs. The
race was rowed up stream. The boats
did not row under Putney bridge, but
started directly above it, The river is
about seven hundred feet wide at this
point, and the banks are level and low
along the whole course. For one third
of mile from the starting place the
river is straight; it then curves like the
letter U. There are two bridges on the
course, the Hammersmith bridge, one
mile and six furlongs from Putney, and
the Barnes railway bridge, three and a
half miles from the start. The course
ends at place called Barkers Rails,
where the direction of the river makes
another U, in position the reverse of
the first.
The Harvard crew won the toss for
position, and chose the Middlesex side,
the outside of the semicircle. Both
boats started at 5 o'clock IA minutes
lei seconds. The tide at the start was
sluggish, and light southwest breeze
prevailed, with smooth water. The
Harvards were the first to catch the
water, and took the lead, gaining rapid
ly upon their opponents and making
forty-five strokes per minute, against the
Oxfords forty. At Bishops creek, three
furlongs from the starting place, the
Harvards led half a length. Gaining
Roadway, they increased their speed as
they passed the willows. Their pace
was subsequently slackened, and the
Oxfords pulled up, but the Harvards
were still three~fourths of a length ahead
at Craven Point, three-fourths of mile
from the start.
The Oxfords now went on with a
steady drag, but the Americans rapidly
increased their lead, and at Crabtree, a
mile and an eighth from the aqueduct,
were couple of lengths ahead. Beyond
this point the Harvards were taken wide,
and the Oxfords quickening their speed
reduced the gap at the soap works, a
mile and half from the start, to half
length. The Harvards now pulled
up with magnificent burst to Hammer
smith bridge, a mile and three-quarters,
but in shooting the bridge lost the dis
lance they had gained. Opposite the
middle wall the Oxtords spurted and
came up gradually to the Harvards, but
when opposite the Danes the boats were
found to be too close, and the Harvards
gave way, and at Cheswick Ait, %
miles, the boats were level. After pro-
ceeding fifty yards further the Oxfords
began to gain, though temporarily, and
the Harvards again got even with them.
The Oxfords gained rapidly at Cheswick'
where it became clear that the race APP
parently told on the Harvards, who
were rather wild at this part of the race.
From this point the Oxfords drew ahead,
and in few strokes obtained lead Of
two lengths. The Harvards, rowing
pluckily, held them there for half mile
when they fell astern and the Oxfords,
at thirty-eight strokes per minute, shot
past Barnes bridge, 50 miles. three
lengths ahead.
Along Barnes beach the Harvards
Gonntjr1ad On Eourth naoU