Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1869 — The Cable Account of the Great Boat Race. [ARTICLE]

The Cable Account of the Great Boat Race.

London, August 27. The excitement to-day over the great international boat race has been intense. The banks of the Thames have been lined with spectators since an early hour this mofniitg. Tile tntjr lifts beeh, almost deserted, nnd business quite neglected. Vehicles of all ouscrintlons, bearing the Harvard and Oxford colors, and heavily laden with people, have crowded all the roads letidltUf fothe 4>ptfr«e<undenting the entire day the roads In the vicinity dirutney, Hammersmith, Chiswick, Barnes, Mortlake, &c., were thronged with pedestrians. The railway companies found themselves almost unable to provide cars sufficient to eai'fy the vast numbers in waiting at the depots. It is no exaggeration to state that probably a million of people witnessed the race.

The Harvard crew won the toss for position and -chose the Middlesex side, the outside of .the sumi-circlii. . Both boats started at .4 hqurs, 14 minutes seconds. The tkhi.at the start was sluggish, and a slight sduthw’est b'tfceic prevailed, with smooth water. ThdHafvards were first to catch the water, and took the lead, gaiiiifig rapidly upon their opponents, and making forty-five strokes tier mihute against the Oxfords’ forty. At Bishop’s Creek, three furlongs from the start, the Harvards Jed half a length. Gaining headway, they increased their lead as they passed the WilloWd Their pace was subsequentlyskudwaed ,and the Oxfords pulled up. but .the Harvards wers still three-quarters of a length ahead at Craven Point, three-quarters or a mile from the start. Oxfords now went nn with a steady drag, but the Americans rapidly increased their lead, and at Crabtree, a mile and an eighth from the aqueduct, were a couple of lengths ahead. .Beyond here the Harvards were taken wide, and i the Oxfords quickened their speed, reduced the gap at the soap works, a mile and a half from the start to half a length. The Harvards now pulled up with a magnificent burst to Hammersmith bridge, a

mile and three-quarters, but .in shooting the bridge lost the distance they list gained. Opposite the Middle Mail the Oxfords-spurted and camo up gradually to the Harvards, but when Apposite the Doves the boats wore found to be too close together and the Harvards gave way, and at Chiswick Alt, miles, the boats were level. After proceeding fifty yards further the Oxfords began to gain, though temporarily, and the Harvards again got even with theni. Oxfords gained rapidly at Chiswick, where it. became clear tha| the race apparently told on the Harvards, who were rather wild at this part of the race. From this point the . Oxfords rapidly drew ahead, and in a few strokes obtained' a lead 1 ' of two lengths. The Ilarvards, rowing pluckily, held them there for half a mile, when they fell astern, and Oxfords, at thirty-eight strokes per minute, shot Barnds’ brklge, 3®g miles, three lengths ahead. Along Barnes’ Reach the Harvards refreshed their stroke," Mr. Loring, with river water, thereby retarding their boat. The Amer - icans then tried to spurt, but found the effort ineffectual, ’and the Oxford’s- getting more of a lead, eventually won the race by four lengths, casing up in the last few strokes and pulling up fresh; The Oxfords arrived at the ship at 5 o’clock, 36 minutes, 47 seconds, "making the fonr and one-quarter miles in 21 minutes, 20 3-5 seconds. The Americans were well received at the finish, and, returning, landed at Barnes. The race was a good one, and excited a degree of enthusiasm along the banks of the river utterly unknown in former races.