New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-04

+. ii. Han, Corpus Christi (coxswain). OF
Cambridge luck still to the fore. She won the
toss and according to the tradition which prevails, took
the Middesex BERTH the Advantage Of which to me
very slight the start and less than nothing afterward
Mr.. Seare was starter, and gave the word at h. "a m
52s. The two boats got away as nearly as possible
together. In dozen strokes Cambridge seemed to
have gained few inches lead hut the difficulty OF udg
ing from steamer astern is very great, and n lead
is not certainly till IL has become consld-
cradle. The moment they had settled down 10 work.
the better form of Cambridge became evident, and it
was also clear that both better than the
average. The Cambridge stroke has not trace OF tho
faults OF five years and has nearly all the merits
which made that OF Oxford so long famous and
full. Godie is the rival II not than the rival of
Da-bishire and is TO my eye better looking in
boat What l have quoted above about the
rowing of the two crews during their prac-
tice Is nearly true Of their rowing during
the But I could not any want Of catch
in Cambridge. Goldc has 1t beyond question, and not
Darbshrc himself who was celebrated forit got more
sudden grip of the water at the beginning Of his stroke
His men have learned well the lesson he has been setting
them for four years past They perfectly together
throughout the At the start they rowed 3s to the
minute. oxford beginning with no. which did not keep
them from being, far could judge, nearly half
length behind at the Point. Just there began tho
curious steering of the Cambridge coxswan which moro
than afterward during the race was inexplicabe
being out of the tide, while oxford had the full strength
of it, the Blue began to up that for some
time 1t hard to say whether Cambridge had any lead
at ALL Gode had idea Of leaving the matter long in
doubt and calling his at the wharf he took them
mp the Crab Tree such style that the tide could no
longer keep oxford by their side This feat had to be re-
peated just below Hammersmih Bridge, and again just
above the being forced by the coxswans deva-
ton from his right course to row two otherwise
needless spurs to maintain and increase their lead.
They shot the bridge still about half a length in advance,
the time from Putney being Sm 29s IL was at the bridge
that for the first time caught sight of the ofash-
ioned crowd, and heard the old shout which welcomes
the leading crew it passes under the arch. Thence
around the right bank of the river was pretty thicky
peopled, but neither there at Barnes at Mort
lake there than perhaps half the hTonG which
turned ont last year.
Above Hammersmith Bridge came the struggle which
always comes do not remember to have seen a race
from Puney to Morake which was not IN fact decided
between the two bridges 1t was this year. EDeour-
aged by the wide berth which The Cambridge coxswain
giving the Surrey shore just where the bend was
greatest UOubon made his effort. The stroke had been
about 4certanly two more than it ought-al the way
from Putney 1t was more than oxford could row
through, and more than they could row uniformly.
Nevertheless, Houblon put on steam, and crowded
his men in a moment up to 40 or A. Thanks partly to
that spasmodc effort and partly TO the favor which the
their opponents. was watching GOlde ut the moment
through glass, but could not detect change in his
in bis stroke. DOUBT if Cambridge ever rowed
40 from one end Of the to the other They answered
the Oxford spurt, but it not by quiekening their
stroke. Before they were past Chswick Eyot,
the effort of oxford had died away and tie effects OF 1t
showed themselves all the boat They never at any
time TO pieces in the crazy way the last years
crew did but their CHARGE OF winning the race il they
had one, at end. Cambridge went ahead, rowing
wcii within themselves aud az the te IN Ino.4 'j.iS
able style. Taking the last two miles together It IL
seIdom-never think of late years-that better bit
OF rowing has been seen on tie Thames.
The race from this point needs long description
Oxford moved with unyielding pluck, but without
hope. The cheers OF the crowd grew heartler all the
way to Mortlake they their fayorite coming up
with the race perfectly in hand. AS Lesley did last
year. so Houblon to-day tried final squirt above the
Barnes Bridge and within few hundred yards OF the
post, but 1t was all for honors sake and not with
notion of reversing the settled fortunes or the day
Cambridge swept by with her measured stroke, and
when the gun fred, was, nearly as possible, two
lengths ahead. From steamer the eight looked
like pair-oar oxford came in good deal
distressed as natural but, on the whole they made
better of it than most people believed they would
or could The time was q minutes IA seconds-falfly
good the tide and weather considered Our sno w-squa
had stopped almost without noticing it, though for
the first mile had hardly been able to keep our eyes
open so violent it, with the rapid motion OF the
steamer But the wind not violent, and the water
was nearly smooth throughout the course. Lattery,
something that looked like the out for ten
minutes, and there was prospect OF at least decent
weather to 20 homo ill., In ten minutes more came o
fresh squa first of rain and then Of snow, and the last
hope Of a bright holiday vanished. G.w.s.
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