Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-03-22
AN EXCITING STRUGGLE
The Oxford Crew Wins the
Great Boat Race on
the Thames
Cambridge. is Defeated by But
Quarter Length in a
Choppy Sea
The Finish Was One Of the
Grandest Seen in Many
Years.

l4DNlDbN. VI al tl ~ 'JAIDlA NbN INC
eight-oarcd boat race over Cambridge.
The attendance as whole did not
equal Chat OF former years, owing 10 thc
early hour at which the race was rowcd
and 90 the prevailing slcct storm and Bit
/ ter cold weather iu tho forenoon.
oxford won the toss and chose the Mid
dlcspx or north shore side. The cights
started prcttily and successfully at HOO
sharp. As the crews bent TO their work
hail and snow fell upon them in no pleas
ant fashion and "a strong, cross northeast
wind made very lumpy sea. Both crews
had been expecting bad weather and con-
sequcntY they both utilized high wash
boards.
Cambridge at first got away with the
| lead, pulling a short and somewhat
quicker stroke than Oxford and at
| Clasper's boathousc the Cambridge boat
was ahead.
Then oxford bent to her work, pulling
the long, dragging, powerful stroke pccu
| liar to the oarsmcn Of that university.
! This stroke soon told aud oxford was
/ leading slightly at Craven cottage, six
/ furlOugs from the start.
| Al Crabtrcr. one mile and three fur
! longs from he starting point. oxford had
! the lead by "a length. but under the iullu-
cucc Of "a period OF bright sunshine which
succeeded the hail and snow. the Cam
/ bridge crew spurJcd neatly ahead In fine
style.
This effort drew rodoublcd cheers from
! the river bank and al the south works,
| one mile and three and % half furIougs
/ from the start, the two boats were appar-
D hot linz
| evenly and strongly. 1t was then evident
| that a stubborn contest was In order, and
| those who had been laying heavy odds on
| oxford began To- feel sad, while CORES
| pOuding feeling of jubilatiOn was eXpor-
! fenced by the friends Of Cambridge.
| Nearing llammersmith bridge, one mile
/ and six turlUugS from tue start, Cam
| bridge again made a magnificent squirt,
! and passed under that bridge quarter
| length ahead amid tremendous excite
mcut. Their time 10 this point was 5
minutes and 80 seconds.
| Cambridgc's gallant spurt, which re-
! suited in their being first under Hammer
| smith bridge, according to tradition
should have landed their boat first over
! the winners line. oxford did not lose
heart. however, but bent down all the
more dOggedly TO work.
AT the DOws, two miles from the start,
! oxford led slightly, Cambridge still stick
! Of the creeping up Of their dark blue Op-
/ pOncnts.
The cheering was immense, and a dead
| heat was looked out upon as possibility,
not 20 say probability.
| At Oil Mills, TWO miles and one and
one half furlOngS from the start, the Two
! boats were again even with each other
and plucky struggle took place as the
| racing elghts passed Cheswick, about Two
and One-h half miles from the start, the
| tremendous cheering from the river sides
| causing each man i'm both boats to strain
! every nerve 10 win. When nearing thcs-
wick oxford was leading, but 1t was by a
few feet only.
Going toward Corney Beach the boats
| struck into smoother wat which assist
ed the lighter men in the CambrIde boat,
and beyond ThOrnycroOk they forged
ahead, eventually leading oxford by a
! quarter length.
/ The stream, however, here began TO
! favor oxford and at Barnes bridge, over
three and half miles from the start,
! oxford was leading by half length.
! Time, Is minutes aud 10 seconds.
From that point Oxford had much the
| best station, getting almost clear from the
| light blues, though both crews were row.
| ing in superb style. Here everything
/ seemed 20 depend upon the power OI
| squirting which remained in the two crews.
| The banks were literally packed with
| hOdrsely cheering crowds OF people, cX-
| citcdly waving hats, handkcrchicis, sticks
| aud umbrellas. Galldntly and cOliy,
without outward sign Of exhaustion, the
] cUutcsting crews Jugged AZ tuclr oars with
the utmost brllliancy and nerve.
The struggle in the last quarter mile OF
/ the course Will be long remcm bcrcd iu the
aquatic world. IL was simply magnificent.
oxford had all the work She could DO
cut out Tor her As the boat rounded
Barnes bend Of the river, Cambridge was
rowing pluckily aud with plenty of
| strength, but oxford was over the line
first by quarter length, amid intense
and almost inde-cribablc excitement,
winning the grandcst race on the river
Thames for many years.
| OXiOrd's time was y minutes. Betting
was nOmnaIly three to one On Oxford.