The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-23
ACROSS THE OCEAN.
AOIGODD IHI OOI1AAN'
The Oxford Cambridge Boat Race.
A Magnificent Contest Of the Oars Between
the Rival College Crews Oxford
Wins by Three Lengths
General Foreign
Notes.
THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE.

LONDON, March 22-e:S0 A. M.-The SIX!
is clear and there is a light breeze, indica
ting favorable weather for the boat race
Both crews took short spin on the rive
Saturday afternoon.
$50 A. M.-The crowd, both on tht
bank Of the River Thames and on the rive
itself, to witness the thirty-seyenth ract
between the crews representing the OK
ford and Cambridge Universities, is a
great as ever. The sky is grey. There Il
a slight mist on the river, and bitter north
erly winds are blowing.
9:45-The Oxford crew has Just taken
a short paddle, and were enthusiastically
received by the crowd. The press and
umpire steamers have arrived. A report
from Barres says the crowd which has
been assembling in that vicinity since
o'clock is much greater than on Saturday.
The river Ia crowded with boats and
launches. The haze which at first over.
hnng the river has completely cleared of.
I1:15-The Oxford crew, as was expect.
ed, won the race. The course was the
one usually rowed from Putney to Mort
lake, four miles and quarter.
NooN.-The Oxford crew won the boat
race easily by 81 lengths in q minutes
% seconds. The Cambridge started at the
rate Of forty strokes per minute, and the
Oxford crew at thirty.seven or thirty-nine.
The race at the commencement was beau.
tifully close. The Cambridge at first gained
q slight advantage from rowing quicker
stroke, but the Oxford crew drew TO a
level with them by the time half mile
had been rowed, and at the grass wharf,
81 minutes from the start, had the lead OF
afew feet. When mile had been left be-
hind splendid struggle took place for the
lead, which the Cambridge secured, aud
opposite Grab Tree, one mile and quar-
ter from the start, 1t seemed as il they
would row right away, but the spurt had
told on the Cambridge crew, who began to
row short. They, however, maintained
the lead to Hammersmith bridge, half a
mile further on, partly because OF bad
steering by the Oxford.
The boats were on even terms very
shortly after passing the bridge and the ex-
citing struggle was maintained to Chiswick
Eyot. The irregularity OF the Cambridge
crew, however, was percepibly increasing,
while the Oxford crew were rowing like a
machine. When halfway up Chiswick
Eyot the Oxford crew led by half length.
At Chiswick Church, two miles and five
furlongs from the start, the race, which had
80 far been one OF the finest ever seen, was
virtually over, the Oxford crew leading by
two lengths. The race is remarkable as
one of the few instances in which the
boat first under the Hammersmith bridge
has been defeated. The rough water and
greater force OF wind in Corney Reach,
doubtless gave Oxford the advantage as
their style OF rowing was more suitable to
cope with them. The start took place at
at 10:Ss. The latest report from Mortlake
Is that the Oxford crew passed the judges
boat two and half or three lengths
ahead.
At presentthe record between the uni.
versities stands: Cambridge, II victories;
Oxford, 10 victories. Since 1870 victory
has only fallen twice to Oxford. It must
not be forgotten, either, that during nine
years Can bridge never scored q victory.
The contest OF 1877, it may be remembered,
resulted in dead heat.