Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-17
OXFORD AGAIN WINS
TWenty-Eighth Aquatic Victory
Over Cambridge.
BEST OXFORD CREW IN TEN YEARS
The "Cantabs" Were OutcIassed
From the Start.
SCENES AT THE COURS

LONDON, March lin spite of the
early hour at which the race was rowed
and the cold weather which prevailed, in
addition to the fact that Oxford was gen.
orally conceded to be a winner, the crowds
which witnessed the ffty-first Oxford
Cambridge University boat race this morn
ing seemed to be as large as ever.
oxford won. making her twenty-eighth
victory. Cambridge has won Twenty-Five
and one race wss dead heat.
There was no wind and the water was
smooth and covered with a slight haze
this morning when the boating enthusiasts
commenced at gray dawn to gather on the
towraths, bridges. river banks and other
points of vantage. in order to be certain
OF obtaining a good position for Witness
ing the varsity race.
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 it's crowd of customers and others
for no university boat race would be COM
plete without the donkey crowd.
On all sides were to be seen the colors
OF the rival universities, the dark blue Of
oxford and the light blue of Cambridge
but this year these colors We're plentifully
ir termixed with the green of old Erin, for
today, for the second time in the history
VI lHese great aquatic contests, was the
race pulled on st. Patrick's day. The
Oxford and Cambridge boat of 1862
whsn oxford won by three lengths, was
also rowed on st. Patrick's day.
Oxford was out for a spin during the
early morning, and they were early favor
ties in the betting. odds of .. , and even
to l being laid on the lark blues. Cam
bridge did not go on the water for a breath
er this morning, but the crew selected to
defend the light blue INDUCED in a walk
before breakfast.
At 9:10 am 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 rhe windows
| and making the housetops black with sight
SeerS.
Newspaper Enterprise.
The London Daily Graphic had large
| balloon inflated and in the air, with the in
| tention of following the race from the
| clouds, as it were. but the wind was un-
favorable and the Graphic's balloon was
| hauled down amid howls Of dersion from
the crowds who witnessed the collapse.
Loud cheers greeted the crews as they
made their appearance above the Putney
bridge. preparatory to taking up the posi-
tons for the start
Oxford won the toss and took the Surrey
side of the river, that course being consid-
cred the most advantageous of the two.
The weather was very cold when the
crews embarked, and those who had neg
lected to bring overcoats and wraps shiv-
cred in the morning air.
Cambridge was the first TO show up on
| the water, and the light blue boat was also
the first to take up it's position preparatory
! to the start.
| The Start.
| When everything was ready the starting
pistol was fired at 9:12, somewhat earlier
than had been expected, with the result
that thousands of people, who were under
the impression that the race would not be
started until 10 O'Clock or 10:30 missed see
ing the race. But the veteran boat-race en-
thusiasts We're not to be deceived by ap-
parently an effort to pull off the race before
the river banks became too crowded, and
there was an immense assemblage present
to cheer on the rival oarsmen.
Cambridge got away with pretty forty
minute gait, and Oxford starting
with long and steady forty-one stroke.
The Duke of York was on the umpire's
launch in company with a number of other
distinguished people.
Cambridge led at the start but II was
only for about a minute, as Oxford was
soon on a level with the light blues, and off
the creek, which was reached in one minute
and eleven seconds from tio start, both
crews were rowing steady thirty-six- to-
the minute stroke
AT Craven steps there was a marked con-
trast observable in the two crews The
dark blues were working like clockvork
and the Cantabs were already pulling in a
short and scratchy manner their boat hung
between each stroke, and at the steps OK
ford was a few feet ahead
/ Both crews went well over toward tho
surrey Shore and at the one-mile tree
which was passed four minutes and twenty.
nve seconds after the start, oxford led by
three-quarters of a length.
| Cnmbrfdge's Fine Squirt,
Here the Cambridge crew spurted and
pulled up in spite of their wild steering
and succeeded in getting within half a
length of the Oxford boat. But Oxford put
little more speed into their boat and
drew away.
The time of passing Hanmersmith bridge
| was SIN. les. from the start.
| AT the Doves, on the other side of Ham,
| mersmlth bridge. after beautiful display
or powerful rowing Oxford led by two
| lengths.
Passing Chiswick Church Oxford was
| four lengths to the good and still increas-
ing the lead. The dark blues shot through
/ the center arch of Barnes bridge Inn
/ AS. from the start. six lengths ahead of
| Cambridge, but nearly two minutes slower
| than the race of last year at this point
Ihe Cambridge crew went through the
same arch in 1Sm 42s. Thereafter all in
terest in the race was lost.
| The official time of the race was 21m.
| 39s The finish was tame, as oxford had
| slowed down and yet passed the winning
post three and half lengths in advance
| of Cambridge.
The Cantabs did not actually row past
| the judge. as the light blues were COM
| pletely exhausted, and Ollivant, their No
| D, and the heaviest man in the boat had
| collapsed somewhat before reaching Mort
/ lake waters.
| Experts pronounced this years Oxford
! crew to be the best lot of oarsmen gath
cred together for the past ten years.
The time, on account of the tide, COM
pareS unfavorably with that of the past
! two years, namely ION. 2ls. in 1892 and
| Ism. AIS. in 1898.