The morning call., 1891-03-22
BY A FEW FEET.
Oxford Victorious Oyer Cambridge in a
Magnificent Contest

LONDON, March 81. - The forty-eighth
boat-race betweeus Oxford and Cambridge
was decided this morning and was won Dy a
quarter of length by Oxford. Time, ~
minutes.
The race was over the usual course from
Putney Bridge to the ship at Mortiake,
about four and a quarter miles.
Owing to the shape of the course the hrst
mile is in favor of the right-hand or Middle
sex position, while the left or Surrey SIDE
is the best for the next two miles and the
Middlesex water most advantageous for th9
last mile and quarter.
This year the tide was high at London
Bridge at l o'clock and at PutLey an hour
later.
The whole course was crowded with spec
tatOrs. The attendance, as whole, ala no1
equal that of former years, owing 10 lne
early hour at which the race was roWed
and to the prevalence of sleet-storm IN
the forenoon and bitter cold weather. ON-
ford won the toss aud chose the MlddieseA
or nortf-shore side.
THE START
The rival eights started prettily and sue
ceSsfully at :09 o'clock. AS the crews
bent to their work hail and snow was fall-
ing upon them in no pleasant fashion, ana
strong cross northeast WIND was raising
very lumpy sea. Both crews had been eX-
pectiDg bad weather, and consequently they
both utilized the high wash-boards. Cam
bridge at first got away with the lead, pull
ing a shorter and somewhat quicker stroke
than Oxford, and at Clasper's boat-house
the Cambridge boat was ahead. Then ox-
ford went 10 her work, pulling the long,
dragging, powerful stroke peculiar to the
oarsmen OF that university. This stroke
soon told, and Oxford was leading slightly
at Craven Cottage, SIX furlongs from tue
start.
At Crabtree one mile and three furlongs
from the start, Oxford had the lead by
length, but under the influence Of period
Of bright sunshine, which succeeded the ran
and snow, Cambridge Spurted neatly ahead
in fine style. This eff TT redoubled the
cheers from the river banks, and at the
soap works, one mile and three and hall
furlongs from the start, the two boats were
apparently nose and nose, both pulung
evenly and strongly.
A STUBBORN CONTEST
1t was then evident that a stubborn con-
test was in order, and those who had been
laying heavy odds on Oxford began to feel
sad while corresponding feeling OF Ju6lla-
ton was experienced by tue friends of Cam
bridge.
Nearing the Hammersmth Bridge, one
mile and six furlongS from the start, Cam
bridge again made magnificent spurt, pull
ing finely and strongly together, and passed
uhuGT lldb UIlustE QudIltI VI Il IOuSbu
ahead amid scene OF tremendous excite
ment. Their tune to this point was min
utes and sc seconds.
Cambridge's gallant spurt which resulted
In their being first under the bridge, accord
ing to tradition should have landed their
boat first over the winning line. oxford,
however, did not lose heart, but bent down
all the more dOggedly to work.
OXFORD IN THE LEAD.
Al the Doves two miles from the start,
Oxford led slightly, Cambridge still sticking
to her work in magnificent style IN spite OF
the creeping up of their dark-blue op-
ponents. The cheering ard excitement
were intense, and dead heat was looked
upon as a possibility. not TO say probable
ity. At the oil mills, two miles and one and
a half furt0ngs from the start, the two
boats again were even with each other, and
the excitement grew in intensity a de-
termined, plucky struggle took place as the
racing eights passed Chlswick, about two
and half miles from the start, the tre-
mendOus cheering from the river sides cauS-
ing each man in the two boats To strain
every nerve to win.
Oxford, when nearing Chiswick, was
leading, bat it was by few feet only.
Gong toward Corney Beach the boats
struck into smoother water, which assisted
the lighter men in the Cambridge boat, and
beyond ThOrDycrOftS they forged ahead,
eventually leading Oxford by quarter of
=
to favor Oxford, and at Barnes Bridge, over
three and half miles from the start. Ok
ford was leading by half a length. Time,
1910.
SPURTING FOR THE GOAL.
From that point oxford had much the
better of the stua ton, getting almost clear
from the light blues, though both crews
were rowing in superb style.
Here everything seemed to depend upon
the power Of squirting which remained in
the two crews. The strokes of the racing
crafts redOubled, if possible the power and
mechanism which they sought to infuse into
the men behind them.
The river banks were literally packed with
hoarsely cheering crowds of people, eX-
citedly waving hats, handkerchiefs, sticks
and umbrellas.
Calamity, coolly, without outward sign of
exhaustion, the cOntestng crews tugged at
their oars with utmost bIilliancy and nerve.
A MAGNIFICENT STRUGGLE.
The struggle in the last quarter of mile
of the course will be long remembered in
the aquatic world. 1t was simply magnfi-
cent. Oxford had all the work she could
do cut out for her. AS the boats rounded
Barnes Bend of the river Cambridge was
rowing pluckily and with plenty of strength,
but Oxford passed over the line by n quar-
ter of a length amid intense, almost inde-
scribable excitement, winning the grandest
race rowed on the river Thames in many
years
Oxford's time was % minutes. The bet
ting was nominally to l on Oxford.