St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-29
THE ENGLISH UNIVERSITY RACE
WAS THE BEST ONE ON
RECORD.
CAMBRIDGE CREW DIED HARC
IN DOUBT no THE BITTER
END.
sPURT WILL BE. REMEMBERED
1t Carried Oxford Over the Line q
winner, but by Less Than
BOat,s Length.

| PUTNEY, Eng, March 2S-Oxford
today won the fifty-third race between
! the universities of Cambridge and OK
rord by less than boats length, after
contest OF unusual spirit, and a finish
that was superb. The time was 2O:O1
and the course the usual one, from
Putrey bridge to the winning post
ABOVE Ship Iron at Martlake dis
tance of AZ miles
The event was pronounced the best
ever seen on the Thames course. OK
rord won simply because her repre-
sentatlves refused to be beaten. Cam
| prldge seemed to have the race well
IN hand, but did not prove equal to
| Oxford's final spurt The weather con-
d1tions We're terrible. Almost immedi-
ateiy after the crews started a cold
pllndlng rain was driven against them.
After the first mile had been rounded
| unuer these conditions the wind in
creased In strength and the rain
| changed into a binding hail storm.
winch obscured the rival crews from
the view or the spectators ashore and
against which one could scarcely stand.
/ Ihe hail lasted only a few minutes.
but on the final stretch beyond
Barnes bridge the wind swept over
the course with redoubled fury. stir
ring the water up until 1t resembled an
angry sea. In fact, 1t seemed that the
splendid racing craft must capsize.
Owing to the bend in the stream
the Oxford boat at that stage of the
race was on It's best station; but it
seemed matter of sheer impossibility
! m
| bridges lead. Nothing, however, could
withstand the terrible squirt made by
the Oxfords when Gold called for the
final effort. 1t proved too much for
| Cambridge, and in the last rs yards
Oxford shot ahead.
| The scene at the finish was a remark
| able one. Both crews were drenched to
the skin, and the two boats were half
full of water. Two or three of the
"Cantabs" were completely exhausted,
so much so that they were unable to
| raise their heads. The dark blues also
showed the effects of the struggle, but
to much lighter degree, and Deknop.
! the American member of the Oxford
crew, and others In the dark blue boat,
waved their hands in triumph az they
sat on their seats painting, but happy
In the extreme After a few moments
delay, Oxford padded gaily to the Isis
boat house, from where, In addition to
! the union jacks the stars and stripes
| were floating in honor of the United
| States and its sturdy representative,
Deknop. The Cambridge men soon fol-
lowed Oxford's example, and padded
to their boat house, adjoining Oxford,s
| quarters, and the sfrst thing the light
blues did after landing, was to repair
| to the boat houseo the dark blues and
heartily congratulate the victors.
Among the spectators at the race to-
day were Lord Chief Justice Baron
Russell, Of Killowen. Sir Edward
Clarke, the solicitor general, was on
! the press boat. The time at Craven
Step was 2:26; the first mile was done
IN -4:08; Hammersmith bridge was
passed In 7:45, and Chiswick church
in 1880.
THE RESULT A SURPRISE.
The result caused a great sensation
in the London clubs. The light blues
were thought to have sure thing"
In today's race. Cambridge this year
put forth unusual efforts to secure a
victory. The fact that Oxford had an
unbroken record of six consecutive
winnings was largely responsible for
| this.
The names Of the crews, with their
positions and weights are as follows:
oxford-J. J. Deknop new, bow. 1853
pounds; G. K. Philips new, No. l. 172; E. c.
Sherwood lMagdalen), No 2, 1870; c. D. Bar
nett (Magdalen), No. 8, 1s1; E. B. Balfour
dalenl, No. s. 178; W. q. Crum new No 8,
Ill; H. Gold (Magdalen), stroke 1884; H.
Pechell (Brazenose), cox. III pounds.
OF these, both Deknop and Gold
were members Of the Eton crew, which
made so favorable showing at the
Henley regatta last year, Gold being
the stroke and Deknop pulling bow in
the Eton boat. What gives additional
interest to this fact is that Deknop
is an American, q resident Of Alba,
N. Y.
Cambridge. B. Hope Trinity halD. bow,
17S; D. Pennington (Caines), No. 2, 1711a;
r. Y. Bonesy 0ady Margaret No. 8. 178;
W. A. Bieber Trinity halD, No. 4, 17IA;
T. F. G. Duncanson (EmmanueD No. s. 1913;
A. s. Bell Trinity halD, No. g. 1859; w. ].
Fernie (Trinity halD, stroke 16S; T. R.
Paget- -Tomlinson Trinity halD cox III.
Cambridge embarked first, won the
toss. and chose the Surrey side of
the river, which was a decided ad-
vantage, as half a gale Of wind was
| blowing from that shore, raising lumpy
| water everywhere and quite a sea at
the bad places. The crews embarked
at 1888 p. m.,-and- were cheered as
warmly as possible under the circum-
stances. At the pistol shot at 1902,
both boats got away sharply Cam
bridge pulling a pretty SO to Oxford's
slightly more powerful sweep of "a.
There was little to choose between
them for the first half-mile, when the
Cambridge boats nose showed slightly
In front. The two crews were pulling
with great determination. At the half
mile oxford laid down to 1t in fine
style, drew up and showed ahead. At
this there was great cheering, for 1t
made it apparent that a splendid race
was to be rowed Gold, OF Magdelen,
the Oxford stroke. evidently had his
men well in hand and ready for some
good work without any danger of the
distress signal being displayed. But
Fernie, the Cambridge stroke, whose
training on board the Worcester stood
him in good stead, quickly called his
| crew together, and, pulling long,
powerful, clean, telling stroke, with the
high feather characteristic of this
years Cambridge crew, regained the
lead nearing the one-half-mile post
GOLD WAS GOOD.
Gold, in the meanwhile. was stick
Ing to his work most greedily, and
calling upon the dayk blues to hit her
up again. The oxford boat Tapped up
to and passed the Cambridge craft