The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-19
THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE.
Oxford Defeats the Cambridge Grew
with the Greatest Ease.

with the Greatest Ease.
LoNDoN March 15.-The race between
the representative ''eights" of the Oxford |
and Cambridge University Boat Clubs |
which was rowed to-day over the Putney
Mortlake corr, will be remembered for
some time to come both by the contes-
tants and spectators. Twice before has
the race been rowed as early as March Is
i'm 1915 and 1856-And although the
weather was very cold and inclement in
1915, it did not compare with the snow
and hail in which to-dAy's race took
place. The race was originally fixed for
Saturday, the 18th, but owing to the early
hour at which it would have had to be
rowed with Il food tide, it was agreed TO
row to-day The hour was fixed at $50,
but owing to the gloomy and stormy
weather, it was nearly dark when the race
was rowed, a change that caused the
greatest inconvenience and discomfort to
the crowd, which was considerably larger
than had been expected. The crews made
their appearance shortly before $50 p m.
and were received with the customary
cheering Both boats were at once to
their stations, with Cambridge on the
Middlesex side. The tide at the time was
very sluggish. and there was but little
wind. In the betting, which was quite
heavy, the Cambridge crew were the
favorites, as much as to being bet OIL
their success. The Oxford got the best
of an uneven start, and with quick and
powerful stroke at once took the lead,
which OF the end of three-quarters of a
mile was nearly a length, and as the Cam
bridge boat Was then steered in towards
the Middlesex shore, Oxford, at the end of
the first mile, rowed in min. Is sec, was
leading by fully two lengths and all the
crew were rowing well together, notwith
standing the snow which began soon after
the start to fall quite heavily. Going
past the soap works the Cambridge crew
rowed badly, and at Hammersmith bridge
they were timed to be nine seconds be
hind the. Oxford boat. AT Cheswick. a
little more than half the distance they
were four lengths behind, having i'm
proved somewhat after passing Hammer
smith. At Gorney Beach a heavy half
storm began, and although the Cambridge
stroke made a desperate effort to close up
the gap. it was plainly apparent that his
crew were unable to respond The final
result was that the Oxford boat gradually
drew away and won with the greatest
ease. The result OF the race caused much
excitement, owing to the bad form shown
by the Cambridge crew in the face of the
heavy betting on them, defeat under
such circumstances being almost UMPIRE
dented.
The above is the fOrtieth race between
the selected eight-oared crews of the Ok
ford and Cambridge universities, of which
Oxford has won twenty-five and Cam
bridge seventeen, the race in 1877 having
been decided dead heat" The first
race was rowed at Henley in 1927. when
Oxford won. Then Cambridge won the
second, third, fourth and fifth races.
rowed in 1886, 1889. 1910 and 1871, over
the Westminster to Putney course. The
race in 1S42, over the same course, was
won by oxford. In 1845 the race was
first rowed over the Putney Mortlake
course, which has since been used except
ing that in 1846, 1856 and in 1853, the
race was rowed on an ebb tide from Mort
lake TO Putney. No race was rOwed in
1S47, 1848, 1850, 1851, 1853 or 1865, but
in 1856 the race was made an annual
event and although differences have
threatened on more than one occasion to
prevent a match they have always been
successfully tided over, In 1916 "out-
rugged Fights" were first used, in 1857 the
present style of boats without keels was
adopted, and in 1878 sliding seats were
first used, on which occasion the race was
rowed in 19 min. 35 sec, the best time on
record The next best record was made
last year when the distance was rowed in
20 min. and II sec. In 1877 the bow"
of Oxford broke his oar, and the race re-
suited in dead heat, while in 1880 the
race had to be- postponed from Saturday
to Monday by reason of fog. For a mum
Der of years the race has invariably been
rowed January 1. before holy week. the
custom being for both univel stiles to have
their trial eight" races in December, and
for the Presidents of the University boat
clubs. then to make up a crew, principally
from the winning eight. which shall begin
practice on the Cam or Isis, as the case
may be, about the middle of January.
On the first day of Lent both crews usu
ally go into regular training, it being pre-
sumed that by that time the racing crew
will have been selected Tlfe practice in
the meantime continues on the home wa
ters until about two weeks before the
race. when change is made in the upper
Thames whence, after few days work
the crews take up their quarters at Put
ney, rowing once or twice day oyer the
full course or portions of the same. with
occasional short faces against scratch
crews" from some of the London rowing
clubs.
This year, owing to the early date on
which Lent began. the time for prac tice
was very materially shortened, while ow-
| Ing to the bad weather and floods, the
practice was much interfcred with, the
Cambridge crew having TO journey to Ely
and row over the Adelaide course. where
on one occasion their boat was swanped.
The practice was, however, continued
daily until March l. when the crew ar
rived Mt Putney. In the meantime the
Oxford crew had bean .practicing for
nearly week at Taplow on the upper
Thames. They reached Putney on March
5. AT first the betting was decidedly in
favor OF Oxford. and 100 TO so was taken
on several occasions. but week ago the
current of public feeling changed and
Cambridge in turn became the great ia
vorite. Heretofore the betting has nearly
always been right. and so rarely have the
favorites been beaten that it is not sur
prising that the result, as above stated,
caused great excitement