New-York tribune., 1876-04-20

IrRoM rBR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT THE TaIBUNEl
LONDON April s.-But one thing has been want
ing TO make this memorable day among the series
of yearly festivals the Thames, which OXFORD
and Cambridge 80 kind as to provide for Lon
doners. 1t is perfect weather, brilliant sun, more
like June than April light breeze from the west
yeering to southeast spring tide with the Hood
not making too soon, the water smooth as glass,
multitude mnumerable as tho bursting buds on tho
Putney elms. But what went ye out for to see 7 A
race suppose, and race there was none. The men
clothed in soft rament-snd not much of it-were
indeed there, and pretty enough promenade they
made up the river Cambridge showing the way, but
nothing that looked like a. struggle for the blue
ribbon of the Thames. Took the lead and kept it
sums up the whole story. There was no more ex-
citement in it than in walk down Piccadily and
the victory of Cambridge too hollow TO be
glorious. The men who were betting ten to four on
Oxford three weeks ago may have got little men
tai animation out of it. But | suppose they had
long since hedged, and did not care much. The bet
ting hal atterly yeered completely round, and as
much as 3 to and even 100 to 80 has been laid Oh
Cambridge.
To account for this state Of facts is not very diff
cult. oxford acquired their great reputation before
they arrived on the Thames. They were powerful
crew. and above all. they numbered SIX old oars
among LDclll-SlA Hitn WHO udu lONtu i"SN y'''i'
Experience goes for much in rowing race, as in
other things; and Oxford won 80 easily last year
that everything was expected from tue reappear-
ance of 90 large proportion of that crew. IL was
not a irst-rate crew even then. but 1t was good
enough for what it had to do; and there was not
much reason to expect any very great improvement
this y, ar in Cambridge. Bad reports of their row
ing MP carly and the reports seemed To be JUS
tilted by their style when they began work at Put
ney They had but two of last years men in the
boat, and the crew had two marked faults--a slow
recovery, and a tendency to feather under water.
But within week or ten days of their arrival IN
London q complete revolution in public opinion
took place. Oxford. little as they were fancled at
FIRST went from bad to They grew ragged,
aud took to rowing short rs well the truth being
that their training had been forced by rowing
quick stroke before they able to row 1t. Cam
bridge, on the other hand, being both coached and
trained with great judgment gained as steadily as
their rivals lost and they were really very pretty
crew indeed when they To the post to-day; eX-
tremely well together, and without much trace oi
the two faults which they brought with them from
the Cam. The moral is for oarsmen-if such there
stilIbe IN America-wbod decry scientific teachingand
believe that hard work does it all. There can, ap-
prehend be no doubt that If tho race hal been
rowcd three weeks agn, Oxford would have won II.
Her stanchost supporter lost heart when Cam
bridge rowed the whole course down on the
cbb last Monday. In 10 min. 10 sec.-the fastest
known time. except that Of S73. The time test Is
not infllible, indeed great deal depends on the
state Of the tide, the wind the steering and so on
But the performance was undcnlably good one, and
seemed still bet ter compared with that oi oxford on
the previous Friday from Putncy to Mortlake, when
the Dark Blues took II min. 90 sec. to cover the
course. But why s it that better time is not made
IN these daysf Races now rowed with sliding
seats and il il agreed that sliding seats are at least
minute faster for the four miles and quarter than
fixed seats Are the crews growing poorerf
donbt that, yet I have heard no other salts
factory explanation. To-day's time, for example
90 min. ~ sec, is by no means bad. all things con-
sidercd, but il ia not remarkable The race was
rowed with the best of the Hood. and it only in
Corney Reach that the wind was foul and fresh at
the same time IL is certain that Cambridge could
have done better had they been pressed. Winning
crews proverbally come in fresh and the easiest
race is not won without work. But | never saw
crow who seemed TO have little tho matter with
them az Mortake.
This may seem like anticipating. but in truth it
makes Ntle difference whether you begin at the be-
ginning or the end of this 10 is impossible I"
feel any interest in il a race, though II IS not
without value as a study of rowing Such per
forInancc that of to-day makes yon feel as II you
had been imposed upon-as il your nerves had been
strung without cause. For-be the end what II
may-thcre is always thrilling moment when the
Light and Dark Blue eoue padding softly down o.
their stations You may have all the practice
and know all about rowing. and be as confident rs
Won like about the result but the result il at the
mercy of accidents after all broken stretcher III
one of tho boats or a lubberly sght-seer steering
athwart the course may spoil the incest cacula-
tions Aud tile critics, after all, seldom agree and,
if il did not sound paradoxical, should lie inclined
TO say that the best of them are oftenest wrong.
They draw it too fine, and everybody's opinion is
botter than anybody's "Whatever may be the
rcsultp wrote one of them yesterday lSir. Wood
sat) "t will be close enough to fa!sify the present
tone of the betting" The result did not filsfy but
justified it, so far a. it can be justified. But the
odis can hardly ever be really much as three to
one. for the reason above given. The chance of All
accident cannot be left out of account. Accident,
however there has been none, 80 far n yet know
and if one happened it was Tot to the winners. MIR.
Woodgate il an Oxford man, and. with oil his acute
ness and good judgment, his wishes have more than
once misled him.
The arrangements for the race differed in respect
from those | have described half a dozen times
before. Between Putney and Mortlake the whole
commerce and traffic of the Thames was stopped two
hours before the start. The usual four steamers
followed the boats, for the umpire, Mr.. Chity,
and his friends and old oarsmen and some celebrities,
Lord Dudley conspicuous among fhc latter; one
for the Press. one each for Oxford and Cambridge.
The two latter were left behind, aud their enthusi-
astc passengers little Of the rowing while those
of swho were lucky enough to he in eitherof thetwo
foremost saw the whole perfectly. The course was
kcnt bett r. than remember il kept before the only