Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-03-28
Contrary to Expectation, Oxford
Won the Boat Race Over
Cambridge, To-Day.
SEVERAL BAD FIRES OCCUR
Editor Acquitted Of the Charge
of Inciting Revolutions
Against Mexico.
THE IOWA" is LAUNCHED

NEW YORK. N. r., March 2S.--A
dispatch from London says: The fifty
second annual boat race between the
picked crews OF Oxford and Cambridge
universities was shorn to-day OF none
of it's usual cc,at.4 There was an even
larger eutpouring Of spectators than in
any previous year, while, Ia the matter
OF enthusiasm and general jollity, 1t
might have been Derby day. There
were fewer royalties and d'mtmbers of
the aristocracy on the banks than last
year, but the wage.workers, shop
keepers and professional men turned
out in their scores of thousands, and
the banks Of the Thames from Putney
TO Mortlake we're black with people.
OF shore, on both sides OF the stream,
there was continu, US line OF gaily
decorated launches and tug boats oc-
cupid by the "upper ten," while
here and there on shore
were four-in- hands, tally hos, dog
carts and other handsome equipages of
the smart set, which aided in giving
picturesque color to the scene. Every
body displayed ribbon according to
his or her prediction, the dark blue
Of the Oxonians appearing by all odds
10 be the most in favor. Largely due
to the fact that the crews were regard
ed as being so we'll matched, there
was less betting than usual, the odds,
when any could be found, being tribe
In favor of the dark blues. The weather
was fair, but there was trifle of wind
from the'>lee shore which tended to
make the water somewhat choppv.
The tide was full at :22. Nearly an
hour earlier the Cambridge nine made
their appearance from The Star and
Garter inn, at Putney, and took to
their shell. The OK nians followed
fifteen minutes later. Both crews were
greeted with enthusiastic cheers from
the throng in the vicinity.
At l:11 the crack of pistol came
from the umpire's tug, and both boats
shot forward, that of Cambridge hav-
ing its nose in the lead. The light
blues maintained their advantage up to
Craven's Cottage. three-a quarters Of
mile, whom sha OxonIsDs put on5 q
spart and crossed their bow to the
mesdaw's side, keeping weii to the
fore past Waldens and the lead mills.
At Hamm arsmith the dark blues were
making thirty.six strokes to the min
pte, and their opponents about thirty
four. Encouraged by the cheers of an
trnnense crowd of their friends at this
point. the light blues bent to their
oars and. blowing the water at q forty
stroke. shot along like all electric cur
rent until they had reached and passed
the Oxonians by nearly two leng hs.
This lead they maintained at
Thorny crcf 1.-The three-mile point; but
the dark blues, moving their oars like
ciocA work. at a forty one stroke, came
abreast at the Deyonshire meadows.
and had lead Of a half.length at
Barnes Bridge, three and one-half miles
from the start. Each crew then bent
for supreme squirt over the remain
ing half-mie, and the oars flew at
fOrty-two stroke. The Oxonians dog
Eedly maintained their lead, crossing
she line at the Ship Inn, at Mortlake,
. quarter length in advance Un-
0iIicial time was twenty minutes, thir-
ty-five seconds distance (ofiicial) four
miles. Twenty five thousand people
awaitedd the finish at the Ship Inn,
And the reception given the defeated
Grew, for its gallant struggle, was hard
ly whit less enthusiastic than that ac-
corded the victors. The latter, upon
landing from their shell, were caught
upon tie shoulders of their friends and
carried, bodily, to the club room of the
Inn. This afternoon, in accordance
with time. honored custom, the yictors
bsnqueted the vanqulshed.