New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-02
THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE.
HOW THE OXFORD BEAT THE CAMBRIDGE
CREW.

CREW.
FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE CREWS ON THE THAMES
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RACE-THE PRINCE OF
wALEs-CIRcUMsTANCE WHICH FAVORED OK
FORD.
rypox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUNE.1
LONDON. March eo-When the Oxford and Cam
bridge crews made their first appearance on the
Thames public opinion to their merits was pretty
equally divided. That was about two weeks ago.
Since then the tide has been setting steadily in favor
of Oxford and when the last hard practice work OF
the two crews had been DONE nearly every impartial
person was. if the expression be not too Irish, on
the side of the Dark Blue. The betting, which,
whether we like it or not exists showed how strong
the feeling in their favor had grown 1t left on at
to on Oxford and few no takers. One large wager
on Oxford of 81 300 TO fS0o was laid quite early and
the layer esteemed himself lucky to have got SO
much money oD while partsans of Cambridge could
still be found ready to back their opinion with their
money. Every test that could be applied to crew
seemed to prove the superiority of Oxford. The men
are heavier Though not much heavier) they are I'M
deniably more powerful their boat is the better OF
the two their rowing is, according to all critical
Judgment better than the rowing OF Cambridge IN
nearly all points but one. and they nave
uniformly done better against scratch crews
and made quicker time their trials whether over
the whole course or. over part OF It, never
has crew been more completely abandoned by
friends or more openly trlumphed over in advance
by foes than the Cambridge crew OF this year. Mat
ters have gene so far that they might almost have
been expected to adopt what is here believed to be
a custom of the Western States of America. There,
we have lately been told upon chance meeting OF
two enemies each announces TO the other what arms
he carries and he whose arsenal is the weaker sur
renders without contest an expedient adopted 10
prevent the too rapid depopulation OF hre-eatlng
communities. The odds against Cambridge were
almost great enough to justify her IN withdrawing
from the race, were this and its chances only
10 be considered and were it not that such with
drawal would be thought hundred times more DIS
graceful than the hollowest defeat. Were 1t not,
also, that Chance or Fate has sometimes had more
to do with the winning and losing of races than
strength or STYLE Did not Cambridge lose in 1919
with odds of to- on them their boat sinking beneath
tbemi Did she not once win with seven oars against
eight when it was all Lombard-st to China orange
on her opponentsa victory more glorious than ever
was won before or since' Away then with all
craven c0unsels-not that mean any such have
been given. don't suppose the idea which am
mentioning in a speculative way, to show now unl-
versal the feeling against Cambridge really has
been has occurred 10 any other human being, as the
most distant possibility 1t may well be that the
steady current Of talk against them has had dis
couraging effect OH the Oarsmen OF the Cam
They must be more than mortal not to have felt the
influence Of all that has been written the past fort
nipbt-let alone the riverside belief in their defeat
the strong professional opinion in favor OF
their rivals the results of time-trials, aud the
fifty other things that have combined to
foretell victory for Oxford. Once or twice
during those nine weary years of successive
disasters the question whether Cambridge should
again send what seemed hopeless challenge to Ok
ford was mooted. Many times after it had been sent
did the race seem equally hopeless with the race OF
this year. but never did anybody think of escaping
defeat by retreat. If you should chance to hear
betting man discuss the yearly Oxford and CAM
bridge match you would be sure to hear him
remark sooner or later. that this race was always
rowed on the sQuare'-n his eyes not its greatest
merit by any means. What would become Of its
reputation should faint-hearted crew once refuse
TO row The British public points to it with pride
as struggle free from the least faint ofthat suspi
cion which now clings TO the Turf. which touches
every race on the Turf, and almost every man who
owns q race-horse in England This luster, too,
would vanish. The crew might or might not. care
for opinion in general. but they would care great
deal for the opinion of their own colleges and uni
versity and not a man Of them would dare to show
his face ever again inside their walls
Yet If Won would like to see to what certainty
about the result very competent judge committed
himself in print you may take this deliverance on
Friday: There is no doubt as to the result. Some
critics qualify their selection by anticipating
splendid race we expect nothing OF the KIND we
consider Oxford the best University eight of either
color which has rowed on the thames since 1866"
And the same writer goes to say that he thinks,
the Light Blue the worst crew Cambridge has turned
out since 1868 though better than many of the
Cantab losers in former years. Other men wrote less
yenturesomely hut with scarcely less plain indica-
ton of their conviction that Cambridge must lose,
barring accidents.
A year ago / remarked on the extent to which crit
icism on the crews and reports of the preliminary
practice carried But this year beats everything
Ii would he impossible to describe the race itself
so minutely OF to get in any other way so clear
notion of the prevailing faults and exceences OF the
two crews as you may get by comparing different
accounts of their performances during the past fort
night. Day after day each crew is accompanied in
its iwork on the river by steamers carrying their
coaches and critics. The men who do the news
paper writing are old oars and one two or them,
certainly hardly less capable than the coaches
themselves albeit the two most famous strokes
either University has of late years produced have
been coaches this year: Goldie for Cambridge, and
Darbishire for Oxford Goldie it was who stroked
the Cambridge crew which won the first victory
after the nine years of defeats. OF Darbshire our
Harvard friends perhaps remember something and
be has many other titles TO renowD. l suppose am
forbidden by etiquette to say out loud who the ones
are who have done the admirable technical crit
icisms which have adorned the columns of some of
the London papers. But they will get their immor-
tally in some other way. If rowing men IN America
want TO get notion of the nicety the finish, the
scientific precision of the work now done here in
,ow;no tbav had hefter read tbese articles Were