A GREAT BOAT RACE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1731, 23 April 1913, Page 3

A GREAT BOAT RACE.

OXFORD'S VICTORY. HOW CAMBRIDGE LED ALL THE WAY AND LOST. T A graphic account of the last memorable |)C«t race between Oxford and Cambridge is furnished by the "London Daily Mail" of March H. It indicates tiio twists ami turns of a strenuous race, in which Cambridge lost alter leading | nearly -ail tho way. It states as follows:— ! .1 ueiter ooat race, more lull of racing ; oxciieiiU'iit ironi start to rimsh, was never j iT'-iveil tvn tho laiuoiio 'iliumes course than j race which Uxtord v.jn by less | Uie.n a length, on rljn last iaj» on 'ihursI tiav arferMoon. It'lyas a haro and tor-lo;-o race—just won by the tortoiie. i It was a bumping race as weii ns a lir.st-])a:;t-1 lie-]>ast race, and it v.a> iowl-u m almost perfect conditions before a crowd quite twice as largo as usual, perhaps three times as largo as last year's. No iosi::ig crew lias ever iought preiiiainur.y ill-luck with more chcerlul plucV tlian Cambridge; and of the winners it is enough to say that they rowed a stem chase irom Puiney till ino cos coiiii. bte thfl winning-post nt Mortlako Excitenient could not h'avo reached li'.gher pitcli from the moment when Cambridge shot tho centre arch of Barnes Bridge. The two boats cauio through the bridge ill a dead straight line. The Oxford boat might have been a longnecked, narrow-beaked cormorant pursuing a' iish. The space between tho boats v.-as not many yards. Once when a weary bow-side oar in the Cambridge boat failed ouite to linisii his stroke clean urn! tho boat rolling a little checked between the strokes, it looked as if the beak of tho cormorant might strike. It looked c. real bumpiug raco for the head ,of the l'ivcr.

{ Both Crews "Done." i Both crews were obviously done. The j long ou:side course round "the camel's j hump" of the river from Hammersmith j to tho Barnes roach had reduced tho Oxford crew lo a lifeless machine, which, however, still worked smoothly, and Cambridge vero rowing all the while against tile odds, of weight and precision. But after passing Barnes the frenzied soprano of the cox, delivered into the face of stroke, met a response. The bend of the river was in Oxford's favour, and Mr. Ho:.'sfall, ono of the younger oars, quietened, the crew took it up, tho machine came to life, and with a fine rush they finally shattered the old theory that the crew first through Barnes Bridge is the winner. Tho very highest praise Is due to the two new and half-trained lnen in the Cambridge boat. Tho whole crew was rovrod out, but they rowed - their weight to the finish. The Princs of Wales. Ono of the very early arrivals at Putney was tho Princo of Wales. Ho slipped utmost uiiscen iulo tho London Rowing Club bc3.thouse mora than, an hour before tlio start:. A group of Oxford Blues hurried forward to welcome him. ono for a long while he stood thero flushed with excitement and looking very youny and fresh and eager in conversation with a ecoro of men known in, tho roll of Oxford's greatest oarsmen. They rejoiced , that there was no need of tho twenty-six football bladders which Inst year were fixed in tho Oxford beat to keep her afloat. Tho sc{:iio was very charming in its completo absence of ceremony; and the manifest eagerness of tho Prince made hjm look what ho is and wishes to be—ail Oxford freshman clearly destined to carryforward the best Oxlord traditions. Certainly no ono felt a more genuine excitement during tho race. lie stood in front of tho launch along with four of the most characteristic of Oxford beating menMr. liareourt Gold, Jlr. A. G. Kirby, Mr. !1. R. Barker, and Mr. A. N. Pitmanand none of tho five could conceal his excitement. -

By u quaint accident the launch which bail previously been user! by Cambridge tarried at the prow (lie Cambridge mascot —a tiger fairly bc-decked with light blue ribbons; <ind tho omen was noticed at the beginning of the race. :• Tho crowds were quite astonishing all the way from Putney, where ihey wero almost impenetrable hours before tile race; round "the camel's hump," whore Oxford Buffered so from the outside, station; and up to the reach, and, where the road runs alongsido tlio river at Barnes. At this point the .crowd rccc ived a sudden access of numbers just as the' beats came into sight and 'he bumping race began. Tlio new contingent consisted ..almost wholly of university men. who had motored ucross the corner after the start. I'or. tho expectation of a tight* race was general. But the people on the banks had come to see the race with hardly less seriousness than tho companv on Barnes, whero everyone had an opera glass and a cyclopaedic Knowledge of boat-race statistics and present prospects. And they all saw 011 q perfect spring day, a raco to bo long remembered. For tho tortoise does not, out of fables, usually beat the hare. First Statjes of the Race. Although -beaten, Cambridge caine out ol the race with honour. Thev roived in ■? im f°r the-first three mid a half miles. Ilien tho handicap of the two untrained men m the boat and (lie superior strength and condition of Ihe Oxonians told,against them. Tho light Blues were unable to respond to Mr. Jtcrsfall's del»rmined effort, and they lost after keeping the lead tor over four mile? w ! n :,' ,vas south-west, in favour of tlio crews at the start off the Surrey shore Tho only rough water was at ChisVick. Cnmbridgo won the toss and chose the Surrev station, llio race was rowed on a fairly good, but _not exceptionally fast, tide. A very level start was effected, Oxford ,p l " 3B ,°J u ! Cambridge 20.17 for the iirst half and full minute. Although rowing the slower-stroke, Cambridge wore the lirst to lead, their advantage being a third ot a length at Cttivon Slops. Showing most promising,form, Cambridge led bv half a length at the Milo Post in <lmiii. 12-ec. Oxford we::o not showing much life at ibis period, ancl Cambridgo increased their lead to three-quarters of a. length at Hammersmith Bridge—time, 7min. JOsec. Amid groat enthusiasm Cambridge drew clear just by Tho Doves, both crews rowing 30. Above this point the boats met a head wind and rough water. Cambridgo showed good watermanship, and with the advantage of the inside station thev stalled off an Oxford spurt and led "by H lengths at Chiswick Steps in 12min. 3hec". Cambridge increased tho daylight between the bouts on coming out for the shoot to Barnes Bridge.

Great Oxford Effort. Just when Cambridge appeared to havo victory well in sißlit, Oxford inado a brilliant effort. It was at practically 1 lie same spot that Mr. Bourne made his wonderful spurt four years ago and cut down Mr. Stuart's crew, -about 200 yards below Barnes Bridge. In k:«s than a minute tho .Dark Ulue.s half a length, and at Barnes Bridjjn— readied in 37min. 21see.— tho Cambridge Jead had ber-u reduced In a length. II: was obvious that tho loaders had shot their bull, and although Mr. Towp tried lo rally his moil they wore, 100 tired to respond. Oxford found their best form and wore a different crew. They backed up Mr. Ilorshill with great determination in a spurt at •{!. Opposite the lower end of Mortlnkc Brewery tho boats were level, and amid tremendous' excitement in tho Oxford launches, in which the Prince of Wales joined, Oxford went away at every stroke. Cambridge wore a beaten crew, and Oxford won by Ihrre-rjiiaWers of a length in 20min. frteec.

It was ii great race tat ween two crews not quite ::irst-clas«. Oxford rowed moderately for threo mill s, failing lo get a hard finish, an.l working hard without much life and da-li. Then they improved on I of all knowledge, and earned the distinction of being tlies first crow for many years lo win after being led well at Barnr; Bridge. Mr. Horsfall's' spurt was an effort that will be long remembered. Cambridge rowed quite as well as expected after their many fdianges. They were beaten by llie superior strength and condition of their rivals. Mr. Tower stroked the boat admirably; in fact, llie four men al llie ,-droke end of Ihe boat all did well. Messrs. Either and Roper—(lie new men ill the boat—were rowed out liefore lho ::mikli. and Mr. A-kwilh al-o failed lo -lay.