The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-24
HOW OXFORD WON THE RACE
the STRUCGLE on 7HE THIMES DE
SCRfBED ny 4 SPECTITOR.
What All london Went Out Tor 20 sce-'rhe
sympnthies ofthc Muititudes-A Hard Tug
mud Then IA Victory for the Dark Blues


LONDON, April 49, Many English pastmcs
have n distinct national character and have go
interviewer themselves with the lie and habits
of tho people rs to almost seem part of tho
very constitution Of the country itself. The
Derby is more than mere annual horse
race; it IA an institution. Tho University boat
race is much younger in its history. aud yet
very few persons are living who attended the
first OF these contests in 1929.
Ii is always rowed on the Saturday before
Good Friday. No prize OF any kind Is awarded
to the winning crcw the race Is rowcd simply
for the honor Of the victory Preliminary prnc-
tee begins in January. put tho crews do not 90
into strict training until Ash Wednesday. and
it is not until about three weeks before the timo
Of the race that the training Is transferred to the
University course on the Thames. Then the
health and progress Of the men become topics
q public interest and the daily papers give
thcm the most careful attention.
The comic papers Of this week nre full Of the
rncr. Pu"t indeed, says very little about it. hut
.jiufV aud Fiui fairly rrVk with u. the former
has n half- page illustraiiun showing u muculnr
young man on platform SURROUNDED 10y young
ladies', who ARE nutcy udurinE the hero uf the
hour. The note at the bottom SAYS: " At this
moment there can bc no question about the
Indies sympalhi,s being all ON the side u the
huS'lr-mnn. ran gives double pax" car
tpon. In which the boat race Is nuilo 10 happily
Illustrate = present inspect ct the Eastern In"s-
IL y
number OF hrawuy Englishmon IN their shirt
sleeves sit in u boat, and are bonding to the
work rs If for very he and in their fice, it is
casy 10 Soc 'he members of the British Cabinet.
with Lord Saishuryas stroke. In the stern sits
Lord B.Aconsnrld ~ coNswain managing the
hrlm John Bun, IN Mn9ihrr boat who Il doing
the reserves. pull together. whatever you d."
After IN. rowing OF the first rnrc in 1929 there
WIS no other contest until IN 1896. In that year
and also In the next four races. the course was
from Westminster to Putncy. In lsij-ihr
the river. and was then. and has been ever
since. from putury 20 Mpriukc. distance OF
four miles and two furiungs. Since 1856 the
races have been annual. The race ~ to-day ~
the thirty-flnh. OF tho previous races. Oxford
has won seventeen and Cambridge sixteen. A
member OF me oxford crew oil 1877 bccain"
Bishop of 81. Andrews, and member OF the
| Cambridge crew ol the same year became
| Is @hop of Litchiicd.
Eacn GROW consists of eight oarsmcn and a
| coAswnin. In the early races the weight of the
| coNswaln was nearly that of the rest " the crew
hut IN recent races they have learned to carry as
| little unnecessary weight rs posshln The OK
| ford crow is u fin lot Of fellows. Their syrr-
axe weight tnf the eight narsmenl is us.
| pounds, tho lightcst Weighing lj3 pounds.
| and the heaviest 1882 pounds. The cox
sw %n ,pu u3 Ssmhri3p ounIS; lne "E cn
| loluially. Of the Cantahs." is nearly lG7
| pounds. the heaviest weighing l76f pounds,
| the Clntals weighs exactly the same ~ his
| rival For four years in succession DAYS. has
! -tecred the Cambridge boat. Three others OF
| the Cambridge crew-iikc, Gurdon. and Hook in
have now taken uait in the inter-university
contest or the Oxford crew. SIX have taken
| png IN previous races: Edwards. Moss. and
| Marriott have taken part in four; Cowlrs. Gr"n-
! lrl. AMI Prlh"m ~ Two: nni the roNswdin.
| Hence only three ~ the oxford crew were new
| men. while i've of the other had not srrn scr.
! vice before. The appearance of the oxford
crew was in thcir favor NJ once. and the betting
for some days before the race was 3. and even 4.
| 10 ON tins crew.
| rae Is u.usI ths same at both uulVcrs itirs.
| Nearly ali the colleges composing the two Nni-
| Nrr-lties have their Own boat clubs. \ kini 81
union OF thrse minor clubs constitutes the [ MI
| Ntr-lty Cub. Early in tho Mlchnclmus Torn
| 1.-The IAN term the captains %! the various Col
| l'ge Ciui suggest different ones 81 their soy
oral crews To- the President of tho University
Club rs possible cand dates for he final crew 10
! row on the Thames. The President notes their
| work for some time. and ut length selects six
| teen. who form two crews OF eight. Ia row what
| are termed III" " trial eighs.' These crews are
! trained three weeks, and from them are selected
| the eight who ultimately form tho University
Thr thirty.nth race was rowed this morning.
| The day op'n ned rather hay. AZ O'Clock. the
| sun could barely 10" discovered looking through
| ihr London smoke. ~ Inc morning Wore on.
| hnv'v' r. the weather grew more propitiou-.
and when the arches II the Putn"y bridge were
closed ui iitr' n minutes past g. the day Wa all
| that could reasonably b" desired. The start
WIS appointed for 10. hut even before the
lltfle eraft. ali bound Tor Putnoy. Private boats
were prolu-sly decorated with illgs ana stream
! cr-. and generally ia" owners SympNhics III
ot the layorite crew. Dark blue Indicated that
| Oxford stood first. AMI light blue that Cam
| bridge had their mpathy. Many LITTLE part $
| rreierred 10 20 70 the race IN q rowhont and.
whilr they sat in the stern. two lusty Wutermrn
earned q few shillings a, tho oars. Most Of
| iaNoriic crow and II sympathy could have ai-
footed the result, the Cantahs must surely have
! won. fur light blue WAS crrtainly in the major
| ity. Many buildings on the way were decorated
| with strramcr... Often there were two stream
ers on a single -tan-one dark blue and the
az 10
| GROW was there the tavor,e Between West
minister and futnev much II London is below
the level of the river, and II II not until near
! the latter place TINT the banks Of the river be-
| come really inviting. Above that place the
| green fields begin. and the meadows stretch
away on either side. Going 10 the boat racr Is
rally gong into the country though 1t Is
larcly on, oi London. after all.
Ahpvr the PutnrY hridg" the banks OF the
| Thnmrs sWarmed with people. In England
there il no suspicion that II woman il not Just
| as right IN attending a rae" rs a man. And tnty
| 30 a. and in force, too. Along the river banks
| were all kinds Oi dpNlrrs Tor taking the pence
| OF the nassDS aud | could not help noticing that
| almost all OF them pnrtOOk OF chance. such
things nrr not really uncommon IN the Unit 4
| States. hat they are ten tunes more common
| here. one of the most thoroughly successful
| games of the day was one which was new Ia me
| when came To- England. tocoanuts are ball
uh'vu on N, tprs 81 i'tl' r'tNos uI ven ii'" IN,
ground. ana me pu'lir Is !nyi"d Ia throw at
| them with balls or clubs. penny Tor thrr.
shirs" is very usual price. successful
| throw WINS nut, and an unsuccessful one
gives the proprietor penny.
| 4 few minutes before 10 o'clock the Oxford
boat WIS launched and one by one the crew
carefully stepped into it.eght onrs simultaneous
IS dipped INTO the water. ana III" boat shot away
toward the starting place. ust " their boat
moved away. the royal steamboat Nicorin, ifs
ing the royal nag and with the Prince Of Wales
| ON board. passed down tho river, also toward
the starting point. 4 few minutes later III,
| Cambridge mon took their places in their boat
ulli also started on with II good stroke toward
the Surfing point. The dress OF the OXoninns
consisted Of very light trousers. loose jackets al
dark blue; and caps Of dark blue. Tho Canlats
| wore trousers much the Same HS thoother crew
their jackets of light blue. however. and. iu-
stead Of cups. wearing hglt-colorod straw huts
trimmed with light blue The dress ofthe Can
tails is certainly much the more graceful. Til,
boats ARE essentially the same. the length is
about 81 feet width ut widest part, 9j inches
and druih ~ or ID inches. They usr outrigEcfs
AMI sliding seats. The latter were Introduce,
in 1873. The entire weight of one OF these buais
H. about $50 pounds. without the oars. The eos
oi building Is nbout $500. Tho hndcs of TIN
OARS are i've inches wide. No paint is used ou
the body of the bout: yarnish only. The out
Triggers and tho blades ol the oars are painted
the latter with tho coors Of the respectiy,
crews
In u boat race II Is somewhat unfortunate thu
one cannot bee in some degree omnl present. /
II pOs- Bile 10 see il tor only few seconds. My
own point If view Wus about n milo ahuVe IN,
] fpt rtIu nm fItl II 1T Avn.