The Washington times., 1894-03-18
OXFORD AN EASY WINNER.
Fifty-First Boat Race on the Thames
Goes to the Dark Blues.
CANTAB CGEW BADLY MINDED.
Very Cold Weather Did Mot Prevent the
Usual Tremendous Crowd of Spectators
No Chance For the Light Blues at ANY
Time in the Contest

LONDON, March 1.-THE n1ty-ilrst Doat race
between crews representing Oxford Univer-
sity and Cambridge University boat clubs
took place this morning over the usual four
nile two-furlong course from Putney bridge
to The Ship at Mortlake. Oxford won by
three and one-half lengths.
Oxford won the toss, and chose the Surrey
side of the river. There was a heavy fog
hanging over the river. The weather was
very cold. There was no wind and the water
was smooth.
As the morning wore on the usual crowd
OF people commenced to arrive by train, by
coach. omnibus and every other kind of
vehicle, including the historic donkey cart,
with itsicrowd- of costumers and others, for
no university boat race would be complete
without the donkey crowd.
On all sides were to be seen the colors of
the rival universities, the dark blue of Ok
ford and the light blue of Cambridge; but
this wear these colors were pientifully inter-
mixed with the green of ole Erin, for to-day.
for the second time only in the history of
these great aquatic contests. was the race
pulled of on st. Patricl;'s Day.
oxford was out for spin during the early
morning. and they were early favorites in the
betting, odds ei .. 8 and even to / being
laid on the dark blues. Cambridge did not
20 on the water for breather this morning,
but the crew selected to defend the light
blue indulged in a walk before breakfast
At 9:lO a. m. the mist was clearing away
and at the beginning OF the race the haze
lifted almost completely and showed the old
river covered with vessels of all sorts and
sizes and many thousands of people lining
the banks, crowding the windows and max
inS house tops black with sightseers.
At 9:l2 the pistol was fired for the start.
and both crews started well together. Eight
minutes later the Cambridge crew was pull
ing y strokes to the minute and the OXfords
40. on the Soap works Oxford was in the
lead. When the Lead mills were reached
Oxford had opened u gap of Il length be-
tween themselves and the Cambridge crew.
At 9:25 oxford still mrintained the lead of
a length and was gradually forging ahead.
The crew pulled u magnificent and telling
stroke, and it was evident that they were far
superior to the Cambridge crew. Slowly but
surely they forged ahead of their opponents.
and when Hammersmth bridge was reached
It was plainly evident to the rowing sharps
that the oxford crew would win.
) perfect roar OF enthusiasm went up from
the admirers OF oxford as the gallant dark
blues, pulling strongly and finely, started to
finish the second half of the race, with Cam
bridge apparently beaten crew.
At Thornycroit's WORKS Oxford seemed to
have the race so' well in hand that the dark
blue crew eased. up, and yet increased their
lead to about four lengths. Here, however.
the Cambridge men made splendid squirt.
and. cheered on 10y their supporters sue
ceeded in cutting down 0xford's lead to about
three lengths at the Devonshire meadows.
The next point in the race was Barnes
Iril 4 ONr
by clear four lengths. in spite of the efforts
OF the Cambridge crew, who were apparently
in a somewhat demoralized condition.
Finally. Oxford passed the winning line at
Mortlake at 1858, a winner by three and a-half
lengths.
In spite OF the apparently long gap between
the Oxford and Cambridge boats at the Win
ming line, a fine race was pulled. Oxford
showed rare pulling power. and after passing
Hammersmith bridge seemed to leave the
Cambridge crew as though the boat of the
latter was at anchor. Considerable enthusi-
asm was aroused when the Cambridge crew
made their squirt as the boats were making
Tor the Devonshire Meadows: it was n beauti-
ful exhibition Of rowing under discOuraglng
circumstances but there was not that degree
of machine work in the Cambridge boat thai
was exhibited by their opponents The CAM
bridge boat rolled badly, and at the end of
the spurt at the Devonshire Meadows it was
bridge stroke. and the light-bIue boat actually
stopped before reaching the finishing post
and roars Of cheers announced that oxford
had won the ffty-first boat race between the
Oxford and Cambridge universities.
The official decision as to the distance by
which Oxford won was three and a-half
lengths. glgE
The official time of the race was 81 minutes
and 80 seconds. The finish was tame, as Ok
lord had slowed down and yet passed the
winning post three and half lengths in
adTanee ofCambridge.
ihe Gantabs did not actually row past the
JUG Gge. as 4 he light blues were completely ex-
hausted. and olliyant. their No. 5. and the
hcuvi' ST man in the boat. had collapsed some
time before reaching Mortlake waters
Experts pronounced this years Oxford crew
to &c the test lot of oarsmen gathered together
for the past ten years
The time. on account OF the tide. compares
un.avorably with that of the past two years.
namely. 10 minutes and q seconds in 1892
and IS minutes and a seconds in 1888.
OF the previous contests between these two
universities. Oxford has won twenty-sevcn,
including the races OF the last four successive
years. Cambridge victories amounted to
twenty-five and one race, in 1877, resulted in
a ..ead heat.