New-York tribune., 1874-04-14
THE ENGLISH BOAT RACE.
HOW OXFORD FAILED TO WIN.

lOW OAfOKD FhbLRD w WIN
THE WEATHER CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE
OXFORD CREW WE'RE LIKELY TO suCcEBD-THE
RIVAL CREws-DEsCRIPTION or THE RACE.
lrRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP THE TRiBUSE.l
LONDON, March 28-It was said by the knowing
ones that the weather would greatly affect the result
Of to-days race; that though Oxford might have
little chance of winning smooth water size would
be likely to make it unpleasant for Cambridge in
the event of a stiff breeze in the wrong quarter.
III smooth water could be assured" wrote q vehe
ment Oxford partisan in an evening paper yester
day, VIC should say that the shade of odds should
just be with Cambridge =" Bnt," added he, with
something like cry of exultation, the barometer
has fallen onethird of inch since yesterday and
IS falling STILL !" and assured that westerly
or northerly gale would knock 10 pieces that quick
stroke in which lay the hope Of Cambridge. while in
really rough water the chances should be with
Oxford.
This, with many other surprising remarks, made
London solctOus about weather it awoke this
morning. The mere holiday perhaps peered
out early to whether sunshine rain was to be
the order OF the day, but the serious-minded half
million or two who cared for the result listened for
the stir of the air. and consulted the vanes and
chimney-tOps to know whence il came. And the
light blue of Cambridge turned o shade
lighter as the breeze whistled sharply past
from the west, and Oxford welcomed
the wind with shouts, and the betting
veered round with the weathercocks. and the odds
against Oxford which nobody would take yesterday,
nobody would offer to-day. That small section of
the public which was not partisan but only hoped
the best crew might win, rejoced that Oxford which
heretofore had endured only msfortunes in getting
ready for the race was to row it in the most favor
able conditions.
When / reached Temple Pier from which the
Press steamer always starts found the wind
strong enough to make things look rather serious.
sailor would have laughed at the notion of hat
full of wind and ripple the surface being matters
of consequence to boat; but then sailor and all
oarsman are two different persons. If it did not
blow hard enough to send along frigate at her
best pace, it blew quite hard enough to bother an
Outrigger which Is moro than twenty-five times as
long as ii is broad, with sides over which the wave
yOu make in dropping a stone into the river might
wash. However, we hoped it might not be bad
enough at Putney to delay the race aud at nine we
were off The race being rowed this year on
morning food, the start was early one for Lon
doners. / think fewer of them than usual started
at all. We passed fewer small boats the way up.
and when we reached PutDey-a little before ten,
and only an hour before the race-the banks on
both sides were almost empty. Yet to judge by the
newspapers, the public interest in the race was
never greater; and the newspapers were probably
right.
For a fortnight past the London papers have
published something like column daily about the
race, the column containing minute report OF the
proceedings Of each of the two crews for each day.
The race itself can hardly be reported with more
particularly than the practice for it has been, aud
IL. kaxy Of
kind. don't know how the young gentlemen who
sec their names in print and their physique and
stye criticised like it. There more less talk
every wear about the publicity Of the being too
great and there are fastidious University oarsmen
who suggest it's removal to some more sheltered
spot. Most of these objections seem, of
late years, to. come from oxford
II was Oxford who refused-it thought with
rather scant courtesy-to attend the dinner towhch
the Lord Mayor of London invited the two crews.
have heard also-whether truly or not cannot
say-that it was Oxford who raised the protest
against allowing steamer TO the Press. 1t certainly
was the Oxford steamer which last year bored into
ours and deprived both us aud themselves of all
chance Of seeing the race-thOugh that was eX-
planned to have been the malice of their captain,
and in all seriousness nobody ever suspected that
Oxford was responsible for the mshap. The Uni
yersity authorities, aso are said ito be thoughtful
about the matter There is, however, no probability
that London will be denied its annual holiday, or
that the inter University match will be rowed on
any other course than that from Putney to Mort
lake. In present circumstances, one rea-
son is decisive against change; and that Is
the absolute necessity of fighting out the battle be-
tween the two Universities on the same battlefield
Cambridge has now won five years IN successon'
and though on the whole she is still one be-
hind, neither Oxford nor Cambridge can well pro-
pose to change the scene Of the struggle because
that would be TO change the conditions OF It, The
pride of either University is touched the fame OF both
is at stake and there really is no important reason
why they should 90 away from London to row. We
discussed this solemn question during the hour we
had to wait after reaching Putney and, as we were
all journalists, we naturally agreed that tho Uni
versties would find 1t difficult to make the race pri-
vate SO long as we thought it worth while to make
il public.
At Putney we found only q light breeze and fairly
smooth water How it might be between Hammer
smith and Barnes Bridge we could not tell. That Is
terrible spot in westerly wind for while the river
at Putney is under safe lee there is above long
reach of water on which nothing can break the force
of the blast. SO there were some queries whether,
after all, Cambridge would row in their Waite boat,
in favor of which they had lately discarded their
Clasper The latter had proved failure or, at any
rate, had been found uncomfortable to row in, and
was thought to bury forward, not having floor
enough for so heavy a crew. Ia rough water. how
ever, the Clasper was undoubtedly the better sea
boat. As Clasper has built for both Universities for
some years past and has the highest reputation in
England, his present failure surprised everybody.
Cambridge had clearly made up their mind very
strongly and they rowed the race in the Waite boat
"a boat not built for University crew but for First
Trinity Boat Club, and borrowed of them for the