Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-30
WON OUT AFTER BEING FAIRLY
beaten
CONTEST OF BOAT STEERERS
THE HARDEST FOUR MILE RACE
FOR YEAKS-NEW RECORD
FOR A MILE.


snatched a victory from Cambridge to-
day in a boat-steering race, after the
light blues (Cambridge) had led by
length and half at Barnes bridge, an
advantage which at that point is sup
posed to mean a sure victory.
The crews were so evenly matched
that clever steering meant everything.
In this alone the dark blues (OXford)
had the advantage. The weather could
hardly have been worse. Rain fell all
night and with strong south wind
made a discouraging outlook. The race
was up stream on a flood tide, with a
seven knot breeze on the port at the
start, which was made at 1925 a. m.
Both crews rowed down the starting
skiffs. There was little to choose be-
tween them in action or physique. At
Col Williams signal the crews caught
the water together but Cambridges
snappy stroke gave them shade the
batter of the start. Cambridge roWed
thirty-four strokes to the minute at the
start and Oxford thirty-five, which
y. ought the dark blues abreast of Cam
bl ;dge and gave them fractional lead,
which they lost before Hammersmiths
bridge was reached. Cheers rose from
Cambridge's steamboat as their boat
passed Hammersmths bridge half a
length ahead. On the oxford steamer
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 superiority of Brocas (Oxford)
boat showed itself. Both crews dropped
their stroke to 90, but Oxford vas the
steadier. Still Cambridge gained At
HoC hr;5 hai
and half. Then the oxford champions
on the Oxford steamer gave tongue for
the first time and yelled encouragement
to their crew. The response was instap
taneous, and as heartbreaklng as the
race had been for the first mile, which
was one second under the record, Oxford
qu1ckened her stroke to 32 and then to
"a and Cambridge quickened to So. But
the latter lacked the driving power of
cXtord, who went up, foot by foot. The
crowds on the banks caught the con-
tagion of the struggle and surged along
toward the finish.
oxford crept slowly up and overcama
the Cambridge lead in spite of the con-
slant quickening of the Cambridga
stroke. On the Cambridge steamer the
passengers following the race cheered
despairingly and Cambridge quickened
again to 36, then to 3S and finally to 40
The Oxford bow Tapped the Cambridge
stern for a time and the race hung in
the balance. Oxford quickened to Sc and
Cambridge struggled gamely but lost
her hard won lead by inches, falling sig
nally IN her steering at each turn, while
Oxford never lost an inch on the
geometry of the course.
In the last 200 yards Oxfords bow be-
gan to show ahead and she relentlesslv
overhauled Cambridge who rowed strong
to the finish. Nevertheless deep throat
ed cheers arose as the crews flashed be-
tween the red flags at the finish, and
Cambridge saluted Oxford as they ceased
rowing.
Then, to the American spectato came
a surprising feature. The winning crew
rcwed to their landing place and carried
in their own oars and boat, instead of
being themselves carried in on the
shoulders of their admirers, as would
happen in the case OF an American crew.
The time at the main points Of the course
was: Craven Steps, minutes 2S seconds;
mile, minutes 54 seconds: beating tho
record by one second: Hammersmith
Bridge, minutes 80 seconds: Chiswick
II minutes SO seconds; Barnes Bridge,
10 minutes,