The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-31
OXFORD'S CREW WON
CAMBRIDGE DEFEATED AGAIN IN
THE GREAT VARSITY BOAT RACE.
The Dark Blue One Length and n
Half Ahead at the Finish-Tine,
20 Minutes, 30 Seconds.

PUTNEY. March 30.-Oxford won the
fifty-seventh, boat race to-day between the
crews representing the universities of Ok
ford and Cambridge, crossing the line one
and a half lengths ahead, and covering the
course in twenty minutes and fifty-two sec
onds.
The morning was gloomy and cold, but
this did not prevent crowds of people from
vending their way to Putney in order to
watch the final practice of the crews. Dur
ing the morning both the oxford and the
Cambridge boats practiced starting for
about a quarter of an hour. Rain fell at
intervals throughout the morning and
strong southwest wind was blowing; but
the banks of the river Thames were crowd
ed at an early hour. At p. m. the Cam
bridge coxswain went over the course again
in a steam launch. Happily the wind mod
Grated greatly during the afternoon, until
at $3.50 p. m. it was very light and the
water was almost smooth.
The press and the umpires boats took up
their positions when the hour for the race
approached, and they were shortly followed
by the crews. Oxford won the toss and
chose the Surrey side of the river. The
scene on the Thames was animated as usual
and until the course was cleared the river
was alive with craft of all kinds. The boat
houses of the two crews were besieged with
their admirers early i'll the day. and both
Oxford and Cambridge were loudly cheered
as they launched their boats. The betting
just previous to the start was unchanged
from that of last night, when the odds
were to on Oxford. $50
The crews started at 4:0S p. m, and Ok
ford soon had lead of half a length At
Claspers boat house Oxford held her lead,
n ~
quarters of a mile from the start Oxford
was only u length ahead, and atfsWaldens
the dark blue boat had not increased this
lead. At Hammersmith bridge, little
over one and tnree-quarter mile from the
start, Oxford had increased the leadsto half
length and was widening the gap. At
Thornycrofts, about three miles from the
start, Oxford was a length and a quarter
ahead, and at the Devonshire Meadows the
dark blue was leading by about two lengths.
Oxford at Barnes bridge, slightly over
three and a half miles from the start, held
the lead, and eventually won by length
and half.
Oxford started at forty strokes to a min
ute, the Cambridge stroke contenting him.
self with thirty-eight. The dark blues
throughout the race pulled steadily and like
clock work. Opposite Lead Mills Cam
Drldge drew up a little, but the hopes or
the admirers of the light blue soon faded
away and Oxford increased her lead as she
liked. Opposite the Doves. about two miles
from the start, Oxford was pulling thirty
nine and Cambridge thirty-eight strokes
to the minute. Shortly after passing the
Doves, Cambridge again spurted and re-
duced Oxford's lead a trif1e, but the dark
blues had increased their lead to- two
lengths at the Devonshire Meadows. and
this lead Cambridge could not cut down to
any great extent. ..nen the Oxford boat
shot under Barnes bridge the dark blue
We're rowing well within their strength and
in perfect form. The Canuabs towed gal
lantly throughout and did better than ex-
pected, but they had evidently had enough
of it at the finish. According to the judges
decision oxford won by length and a
half.
The race to-day was over the usual course
from obliquely opposite the Star and Carter
Inn at Putney to the finish line, 120 YARDS
above the Ship Inn at Mortlake. The exacth
length of the course as measured by the
Thames conservancy is four milestone fur
long $50 yaras. If you stand on PIltney
bridge and face as the bows of the racing
boats point, up stream the Middlesex shore
is on the right hand and the Surrey shore is
on the left. From the start the river curves
to the right as far the Crabtree, thence
to the left all the way to the three-mile
post, when it again inclines to- the right
UP to the finish.