The record-union., 1891-03-22
Rowing Contest Between Oxford
and Cambridge.
THE FORMER WINS AFTER A GAL
LIANT STRUGGLE.
Sir Charles Upper, Sir John Thomp-
son and Mr.. Foster Selected as Rep
resentatiyeS of Canada to Confer
With Secretary Blaine Relative to
the Formation of, Commercial
Treaty Between the United States
and Canada.
Special to the SUNDAY UNION.

Especial to the SUNDAY UNION
LONDON, March 2l.-The forty-eighth
boat race between Oxford and Cam
was won by quarter of a length by Ok
ford. Time, % minutes.
Tho race was over the usual course
from Putney Bridge to the ship at Mort
lake, about four and quarter miles.
Owing to the shape of the course, the
first mile is in favor of the right-hand or
Middlesex position, while the left or
Surrey side is best for the next two miles,
and the Middlesex water most advant-
ageous for the last mile and a quarter.
This year the tide was high at London
Bridge at p. NJ, and at Putney an hour
later.
The whole course was crowded with
spectators. The attendance, as whole,
did not equal that of former years, owing
10 the early hour at which the race was
rowed and to the prevalence OF sleet-
storm in the forenoon and bitter cold
weather. Oxford won the toss, and chose
the MiddleseX or north-shore side.
THE START.
The rival eights started prettily and
successfully at ll:09 A. NJ. As the crews
bent to their work hail and snow was
falling upon them in no pleasant fashion,
and strong cross northeast wind was
raising very luInpy sea. Both crews
had been expecting bad weather. and
consequently they both utilized the high
wash boards.
Cambridge at first got away with the
lead, pulling a shorter and somewhat
quicker stroke than Oxford, and at Clas-
per's boat-house the Cambridge boat was
oh naI l%yf,N f,N,.1 1,
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 the start.
AT Crabtree, one mile and three fur
longs from the start, Oxford had the lead
by length, but under the influence of a
period of bright sunshine, which sue
ceeded the hail and snow, Cambridge
spurted neatly ahead in fine style. This
effort redoubled the cheers from the river
banks, and at the soap works, one mile
and three and half furlongs from the
start, the two boats were apparently nose
and nose, both pulling evenly and
strongly.
1t was then evident that q stubborn
contest was in order, and those who had
been laying heavy odds on Oxford began
to feel sad, while corresponding feeling
of jubilation was experienced by the
friends of Cambridge.
Nearing the Hammersmith bridge, one
mile and six frlrlongs from the start,
Cambridge again made a magnificent
squirt, pulling finely and strongly to-
gether, and passed under that bridge a
quarter OF a length ahead, amid a scene
of tremendous excitement. Their time
to this point was Sminutes and 56 seconds.
Cambridge's gallant squirt, which re-
suited in their being first under the Ham
M m
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.
AT the Doves, two miles from the start,
Oxford led slightly, Cambridge still stick
ing to her work in magnificent style in
spite of the creeping up of their dark-blue
opponents. The cheering and excite
ment were intense, and a dead heat was
looked as possibility, not to say n prob
ability. At the oil mills, two miles and
one and half furlongs from the start, the
two boats again were even with each
other, and the excitement grew in in
tensity., A determined, plucky struggle
took place as the racing eights passed
Chiswick, about two and one-half miles
from the start, the tremendous cheering
from the river sides causing each man in
the two boats to strain every nerve to
win.
Oxford, when nearing Chiswick, was
leading, but il was by few feet only.
Going toward Corney Beach the boats
struck into smoother water, which as
sisted the lighter men in the Cambridge
boat, and beyond Thorny Crofts they
forged ahead, eventually leading Oxford
by quarter of 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, 1910.
From that point Oxford had much the
best OF the situation, 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 re-
the two racing crafts redoubled, if possi-
bic, the power and mechanism which
they sought to infuse into the men be-
hind them.
The river banks were literally packed
with hoarsely cheering crowds of people,
excitably- waving hats, handkerchiefs,
sticks and umbrellas.
Calamity, coolly, without outward
sign OF exhaustion, the contesting crews
tugged at their oars with utmost brill
fancy and nerve.
A MAGNIFICENT STRUGGLE
The struggle in the last quarter of
mile of the course Will be long remem-
bered in the equatic world. 1t was sim
ply magnificent. 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 quarter of a
length, amid intense, almost indescriba-
Bile excitement, winning the grandest
race rowed ON the river Thames in many
years.
Oxford's time was % minutes. The
betting was nominally to l on oxford.
RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA.