Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30
WON BY GOOD STEERING
OXFORD DEFEATS CAMBRIDGE IN A
GRAND RACE.
Contest Was Rowed Under DeplOrable
Conditions, but Record for First
Mile Was Broken.

LONDON, March 3O-Oxfordts coxswain
snatched victory from Cambridge today
in boat-steering race after the light blues
Cambridge had led by length and a half
at Barnes bridge, advance which, at
that point, is supposed to mean a sure vic
tory.
The crews were so evenly matched that
clever steering meant everything. In this
alone the dark blues Oxford had the ad-
vantage.
The weather could hardly have been
worse. Rain fell all night. and with a
south wind made dscouraging outlook.
The race was up stream, on a flood tide,
with a seven-knot breeze on the port quar-
ter at the start which was made at 1925
am. Both crews rowed down to the start
ing skiffs. There was little to choose be-
tween them in action or physique.
At Colonel Willin's signal the crews
caught the water together, but Cambridge 8
snappy stroke gave them a shade the bet
ter of the start Cambridge rpwed "a
strokes to the minute at the start and Ok
ford 80, which brought the dark blues
abreast of Cambridge and gave them a
fractional lead, which they lest before
Hammersmith bridge was reached
Cambridge First at Hasnmersmith.
Cheers rose from Cambridge's steamboat
as their crew passed Hammersn1ith bridge
half length ahead. On the Oxford steam
er there was deep silence and anxiety.
At Thorneycroft's very rough water was
met and the turn of the course brought the
wind around and ahead. There the super
iority of Broca's Oxford boat showed
itself. Both crews dropped their stroke to
20, but Oxford was the steadier. Still
Cambridge gained. At Barnes bridge her
'lead was length and a half. Then the
Oxford champions, on the Oxford steamer
gave tongue for the first-tfne and yelled
nnf IN fhafp pr-ar GO
was instantaneous, and as heartbreaking
las the pace had been for the first mile,
which was one second under the record
Oxford quickened her stroke to 81 and then
to "a and Cambridge quickened to 80. But
the latter lacked the driving power Of Ok
ford. who. went up, foot by foot. The
crowds on the banks caught the contagion
OF the struggle and surged along toward
the finish
Oxford Steadily Gains.
Oxford crept slowly up and overcame the
Cambridge lead, in spite of the constant
quickening of the Cambridge stroke. On
the Cambridge steamer the passengers fol-
lowing the race cheered despairingly, and
Cambridge quickened again to 80, then to
SO and finally to 40.
The Oxford bow Tapped the Cambridge
stern for time and the race hung in the
balance. Oxford quickened to SO, and Cam
bridge struggled gamely, but lost her hard
Won lead by inches failing sgnally in her
steering at each turn, while Oxford never
lost an inch on the geometry Of the course.
In the last two hundred yards Oxfords
bow began to show ahead. and she re-
lentlessly overhauled Cambridge, who
rowed strong to the finisn Nevertheless,
deep-throated cheers arose as the crew
flashed between the red flags at the finish,
and Cambridge saluted Oxford as they
ceased rowing.
Then to the American spectators came
surprising feature. The winning crew rowed
to their landing place and carried In their
own oars and boat instead Of being them
selves carried in on the shoulders Of their
an American crew.
The time Of the leaders at the main POINTS
of the course was: Craven Steps, 9 min
utes 2s seconds: mile, 8 minutes "a Sec
onds (beating the record by one second);
Hammersmith bridge, I minutes 80 sec
onds; Chiswick. IL minutes So seconds;
Barnes bridge, 10 minutes