Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-03
BLUE OR CRIMSON I?
Oxford Cambridge Boat Race
TO Be Rowed, Today.
For the First Time An American Will
Row in Each Boat.
Comparison Of the Crew and Speculation as
10 Who Will Win.

,
London, April 1.-The following arti-
Gle on the prospects Of tomorrow's Ok
ford Cambridge boat race was written
for The Associated Press by an old
Oxford blue" who has rowed in the
victorious Oxford 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 Oxford Cam
| bridge race throughout the United
States, for 1t is the first time since the
beginning of this struggle. in 1929 that
an American has rowed in each boat.
j. j. De knoop OF New College. oxford
and Albany, n. Y. rows the bow for
his university: and B. II. Howell Of
Trinity Hall and New York city Is
number four in the Cambridge crew.
1t was at first feared that De Knoop
would not be able to row again at Put
ney, for his college authorities dis
played an unexpected eagerness that
he should pass certain university ex-
aminations, a feature which appeared
to be impossible while so much of his
time would be called upon for rowing
practice. His father however, some
what unconsciously, we suspect, prob
ably solved the difficulty by announc
ing that his son was not going to stay
at the English university much longer.
"Whereupon the younger Deknoop was
able to successfully convince his colleague
authorities that place in the university
both sides. than the passing Of one more
examination-in series which would
never be completed. This happy result
was received by the president who was
n a
was "A good waterman. OF tried expert
ence. and to call upon the services of
identicaiIy the same crew, with the one
exception of Sherwood. who rowed so good
a race last year. The boat was already
SO strong that 1t did not much matter
who rowed the bow, provided he kept her
level and swung with the rest and both
these things DeKnoop has fully shown
his ability to do. besides putting a lot OF
work to his cerdit. in which last point he
Is perhaps superlgr TO ,b ms
form Is very taking and his finish is
especially neat.
oxford No. 2 is her new man. who
comes with fine record from the same
college which provides half the darn blue
crew. including their president and sec
rotary. He is rough but strong; des-
cription which fits the whole boat at pre-
sent as well as any other.
But their staycAt Henley evidently did
them a lot of good in knocking off indi-
viduai faults and pulling the whole eight
together INTO q more NarlnOnlOuS style.
Mr.. MacLean's coaching has ohce more
proved it's sterling effectiveness and
worth, and the Improvement they have
made since they left Oxford IS eXtraor-
binary. AT strokes thwart, Gods swing
is getting better and better His hands.
however, are still slow in coming off the
chest, ard il ne were not backed up by
a seven whose arms shoot out with al.
the swiftness and neatness of the best
Elton traditions, the recovery of the crew
as a whole might suffer.
Indeed. there are several individual
flaws throughout the bow which cannot
be found in the Cambridge crew. but
there is something that more than coun-
terbalances them all. which the Light
Blues have not got either. and that Is =
long. sweeping swing that means
steady. strong beginning. that is rapidly
developing a pace above the ordinary in
showing their craft through the water.
If they race as well as they can row In
practice. there will not be much doubt
of the result But that if is big one,
and has stood in the way of many n first
class crew.
Cambridge will take a lot of beating.
Howell. the American at No T. rows a
good strong blade but does not seem to
finish well or with the others. Indeed.
the first tning noticeable about the crew
is that the bow side is all finished more
strongly ana Clearly than the stroke side. |
word or two about that. Then it soon
appears that they must not be judged
upon this form when simply padding.
They row in UNNECESSARILY better style. |
good fault for a racing crew, perhaps,
but one mat should not be too far en- |
outraged, and that already has resulted |
think, in their beginning neither as /
firm nor as lovely as that of Oxfords |
performance in fine weather with goo6
food tide beneath them.
1T only remains to note that the new
pattern of oars which Ayling offered on
trial to the oxford men do not seem TO
have justified change from the old pa
tern of a barrel-shaped blade with a
spine down the middle. forming two cups
that held the water. The new idea con-
sists in q spoon-shaped blade without the
spine. like a scull with some dozen coun-
tersunk holes. perforated in it in a reg
ular pattern the largest where the blade
swings, the loom to which is thicker than
usual. These holes have wide opening
where they grip the water, and about
of an inch only, behind, so
that the suction they create is supposed
to hold larger bulk at water in front
Of the blade than in the case with the
ordinary pattern. The same principle
may be seen in the holes cut in the latest
pattern of racing sails. to make them
hold their wind. A careful time test was
given to these blades, and as no difference
was observable. the old pattern was re-
tanned. ~
.It will be remembered that the race of
last year produced the finest struggle
known for a long time. Oxford won by
two-tifths of length only. Everyone is
almost hoping that on this third of April
Fernie may reproduces the traditions OF
some 10 years ago, and with a galansl
squirt from Barnes, like Pftman, his fam
)us predecessor. may snatch victory at
he last moment out of the hands of
rev which now looks 20 be the stronger.i
Neither university this year will! take its
beating without gallant struggle. and
here is no doubt that the winner will
rive an exhibition of far more than ordi-
lary rowing strength and skill.