HOW CAMBRIDGE WON THE BOAT RACE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13894, 4 May 1907, Page 13

HOW CAMBRIDGE WON THE BOAT RACE.

A DEAD CERTAINTY'FROM THE START. Writing in tho. London Morning Leader of March 18 "TT. A." states: —"Tho Oxford and Cambridge boat-raco was vowed from Putney to Mortlako oit Saturday in a wild March gale. From tho Tory beginning thoro was practically no doubt as to tho result.

" It was a day on which superior strength told, and Cambridge won an interesting race by four lengths and a-half in 20min 26sse. Considering the uncertain weather, thbra was an enotmous crowd aloiijj tho riverside to watch the straggle— a. crowd full of enthusiasm for the clever watermanship of Cambridge and tlm unshrinking pluck of the Dark Blues who rowed gr.mely throughout.

'"The race will be memorable Tor no supreme efforts or masterly generalship; but it. will be long before anyone who witnessed it enn forget the most, admiriole losing game played throughout by Oxford. Oe.trowed from the very beginning, and full v coin nous of (lie sparkling abiliiv of a crew stroked by thai yoimg Xnpolear. of watermen. Mr Klunrt, they jnsr lay over their cars in a tumbling ?ea, and did :br>ir lic.-f. willy-ni'.iv. Tliev played ilic gnat game; and they put their lest ounce : .nf.o it

"Down from the hoathouses. just before 3 o'clock, came the crows—Oxford first, according lo ihe etiquette of the river, and Cambridge at their lurk Winning tlio toss, tl»e Uarl; llitie eapta'n it*;? Surrey side, an advantage which gave him pcini-. and p'-ciris"d jinn le,iVnoe'd the Fates be kind) in weat'no- which clearly meant brrakers ahead :•>■<! high i""l toVing vavr-i along by Hammorsniith and Chiswick.

''At foil I .' minilin-4 ]:3;;' 3 li.v t !jo <i>.l deck across 111? river the ii;ind Jtr Pitman, the starter. sho' heavenward"., and there \v«-< a little y nll' <if «moka. The win,l carried nil »o;md f;tr uivav: h:'. fivvn fie sudden fikifry ir> tb« water, 1 lie .ie's o[ steam from tlio attendant. launches, and flio mysterious internal nunblin:;ti of Lottie, wo understood I'utt the two cows were on "We (-oi')il see f'liuiiiv/ijjo fMt!itr.r ''own to their work nfier starting at 39 (so I was luld afterwards). v.irh neve,- a splsrh, end re\er i roll, but willi a clean, clear ilriv-i tliat meant lm«ir.e.-s. Oxford, nlso thi-tv. nincrs, were pluyt;iin aivay, 100, lm'-, not ridin;- -o well. an'.l r.j>iji_sl?iri£f a bit. .At tho very Imciiininj; tile contrast was vivid and tH>niis|-tkable. Tim lic.iiliful sivV'—rail' it tho Kion suing, par -excellence, if you \yill --of ill? C'aiiibr;d<,'o e!-:i]t was timed to a lair, and Riovious to gaze upon. Stuart. the hero of many jjreat battles, was •tiniiiiff it like a metronome. They rowe.d aiul ro'.vcd and rowed. mid Oxford dropped behind, almost imperceptibly at first, but dearly at Craven slow, where ' lwfigard daylight 'gnu to .'how' between tho two ships.

"*' Cambridfjo won.' suki mv friend the Expert, shutting down his binoculars with a snap. Tho snap was fierce, bceausu my friend was wearing a dark blno cap tricked out with tho mystic letters 0.U.8.C. in white. A Lewtdor tio- Wore ovideneo of hir, put prowrcs. Ho had been there bofo-«. and he know tho Rait. " IJe cheered up aa a. wave-top, detached by tho blast, smote him across the faco like a whip lash. 'But, by Rum. Oxford aro : nulling some work in! Look!' lie cried. They were—undoubtedly 1 Gladstone had given the sign, ami his men woro puttmc fclieir barks and their lega into it with a will. Pluck, sheer pluck, and conserved energy, gave them tho 1 nover-say-die' battle cry. They woro making a fight of it, and Stuart wasn't goinj; to walk away from thorn, though tho landmark of Harrod's Stores heaving; -up through the mist gavo him a geed threo load. " Here tho wily Cambridge cox saw room to slip in and talio possession of Oxford'a water—which he did. And presently tho Dark Blue boat rocked in the wash-of the enemy, and the advantage of tho much|iri:ied Surrey station broke up in the breaking spray.

'' lioth cri'i'.s struck lough v/oJer before they wcro, seemingly, aware of it. Bojond Hammersmith bridgo tho wind howlctl viciously over the reservoirs, am) tho waves rose— dirty brown traitors with curlinff v/bito fringes to them. First Cambridge run atilt into tlio maelstrom, and fell to splashing like a whale school. Oxford followed suit, feathering high to dodge the angry waters— and s!iip])ed bueketfuls. Tlien we, the hardy miuinors of tile press, rode elap into it. We, too, wore unprepared, and got Boukcd from head to hoel. One recording angel of an evening newspaper—scribbling liardl against time—had his notebook reduced to pulp under the first onslaught of the racing waves.

"l'or a spell tlio two 'Varsity boats' Ecemed to hang almost motionless in tho water. Ours bent, baoks creaked, muscles strained as the wild waves leapt abroad. Both crows spurted with short, sharp strokes to regain their headway. They hugged tbo shore, and so got along somehow through the 'howling tumult of wind and spray.

"Oxford were beaten by sheer strength, and they knew it; But they fought and fought and fought, not raring twopence for a lieatin? as long as it was not a sheer licking. They showed true gril. ever.v incl: of tho way.

"Nearing Barnes bridge the Cambridge cos, weather-wise and wary, turned his boat almost at right angles to tho Middlesex shore, sHiing more shelter, and here again, iw you a!! know, tho battle ol the Blues is won if cither is leading. It was won on Saturday, for when Cambridgo ill it wild torrenl of cheers, shot the bridgo nearly fivo lengths ahead, my friend tho Expert, wiping tho wild spume out of his dirk-bltio eyes, roared, 'Well rowed, Oxford! Rowed, indeed!' It was a compliment deserved for playing the groat game to well, and with so much 'fine epirit,' against a f.troko who is indomitable, and who can lead a forlorn ho)>e ar, well as a foregone conclusion—as all tho wise heads said this race was, weeks and weeks ago. Well, the. Indomitable one carried hi* crew by the winning-post at the Ship four iir.tl a-half lengths ahead, and was tho first, to load the cheers, in a lust.v voice., for tho vanquished crow. " "Time,' .said my friend the Expert, ico!;ing at lib gold blop-watch, '20 minnlt-3 26 souonds. And, thank heaven, young Stuart won't livo for ever to stroke tho Cambridge bait. Otherwise ' "The Veil- was silence."