The Portland daily press., 1897-04-03

A"S1ACdh ASOy III 6dCh OEeW lOT GlEcb
Time Since Races Begun.
Copyright 1897, by the Associated Press. J
London. April 2-The following article
on the prospects Of tomorrow's Oxford
Cam bridge boat race was written for the
| Associated Press by an old Oxford
blue" who has rowed in victorious Or
ford boats at Putney and at Henley, and
| who is an Acknowledged authority on the
subject:
There should be an unusual amount of
interest In tomorrow's S Oxford Cam bridge
| race throughout the United States, for IL
is the first time since the beginning Of
this struggle. in 1899, that an American
has rowed in each boat. ]. ]. DeKnoop
of New college, Oxford, and Albany, N.
Y, rows bow for his university; and B.
H. Howell of Trinity Hall, and New
York city, is number four in ths Cam
bridge crew. 1t was at first feared that
DeKnoop would not be able to row
again at Putney, for his college authori-
ties displayed an unexpected eagerness
that he should pass certain university ex-
aminations, feature which appeared to
be impossible while SO much of his time
would be called upon for rowing practice.
His father. however, somewhat uncon-
sciously, we suspect, solved the difficulty
by announcing that his son was not going
to stay at the English university much
longer. Whereupon the younger DeKnoop
was able tu successfully convince his
college authorities that q place in the
university boat was worth considerably
more to both sides, than the passing of
one more examination in series which
would never be completed. This happy
result was received by the president v ho
was thus enabled to put in q light bow
who was good waterman, of tried ex-
perience, and to call upon the services OF
identically the same crew, with the one
exception Ut Sherwood, who rowed so
good race last year.
The boat was already SO strong that 10
did not much matter who rowed bow,
provided he kept her level and swung
with the rest and both these things ne-
Knoop has fully shown his ability to do,
besides putting lot of work to his
credit, In which last point he Is perhaps
superior to his Cambridge rival in the
same place. though Campbell McMuirs
form is very taking and his finish is
especially neat Oxford's No. is her
new man, who comes with q fine record
from the same college which provides
half the dark blue crew, including their
president and secretary. He Is rough but
strong; a description which fits the
whole boat at present as well as any
other.
But their weeks stay at Henley evil
IDENTIFY did them lot of good in knock
ing of individual faults and pulling the
whole eight together tato mors har-
monious style. Mr.. MaoLeaiI's S ooaching
has only more proved it's sterling
effectiveness and worth, and the I'm
Drovement they have made since they
left Oxford is extraordinary. At stroke S
thwart, Golds'swing Is getting better
aud better. His hands, however, are still
slow in coming off the chest. and If he
were not backed up BY seven whose
arms shoot out with all the swiftness and
newness Of the best Eton traditions, the
recovery Of the crew as whole might
suffer.
Indeed, there are several individual
flaws through out the boat which cannot
be found in the Cambridge crew. but
there is something that more than
countsrbalanoes them all, which the
light blues have not got either, and that
is n long sweeping swing that means a
steady, strong teginning that is rapidly
developing pace above the ordinary In
showing their craft through the water
IL they race as well as they can row in
practice. there will not be much doubt of
the result. But that "if' ia a big on, and
has stood in the way OF many first class
crew.
Cambridge will take lot of beating.
Howell, the American at No. 4, rows
good, strong blade, but does not seem to
finish we'll or with the others. Indeed,
the first thing noticeable about the crew
is that the bow side all finished moro
strongly and cleanly than the stroke