Torpids 1889

BUMPS CHART

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 Christ Church 35 33 Christ Church 2 Brasenose 29 31 Brasenose 3 Balliol 22 26 New College 4 New College 20 23 Balliol 5 Exeter 16 18 Keble 6 Corpus Christi 14 13 Exeter 7 Keble 14 11 Corpus Christi 8 Magdalen 11 10 Queen's 9 Hertford 10 10 Magdalen 10 Oriel 8 9 Trinity 11 Queen's 7 7 St John's 12 Merton 6 6 Hertford 13 Trinity 5 5 Oriel 14 Wadham 5 5 Merton 15 University 4 4 Wadham 16 St John's 4 3 University 17 Lincoln 3 3 Pembroke 18 Pembroke 2 2 Lincoln 19 St Catherine's 2 1 St Catherine's 20 Jesus 2 1 Worcester 21 Worcester 1 1 Jesus

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=rank Crews Bps Avg New College 2[ 1] 8[ 1] 4.00[ 2] St John's 1[ 7] 5[ 2] 5.00[ 1] Trinity 1[ 7] 4[ 3] 4.00[ 2] Brasenose 2[ 1] 3[ 4] 1.50[ 6] Keble 2[ 1] 3[ 4] 1.50[ 6] Queen's 1[ 7] 3[ 4] 3.00[ 4] Balliol 2[ 1] 2[ 7] 1.00[ 8] Pembroke 1[ 7] 2[ 7] 2.00[ 5] Worcester 1[ 7] 1[ 9] 1.00[ 8] Christ Church 2[ 1] 0[10] 0.00[10] Wadham 1[ 7] -1[11] -1.00[11] Merton 1[ 7] -2[12] -2.00[13] University 1[ 7] -2[12] -2.00[13] Corpus Christi 1[ 7] -2[12] -2.00[13] Exeter 1[ 7] -2[12] -2.00[13] Magdalen 2[ 1] -3[16] -1.50[12] St Catherine's 1[ 7] -3[16] -3.00[17] Oriel 1[ 7] -3[16] -3.00[17] Hertford 1[ 7] -4[19] -4.00[19] Jesus 1[ 7] -4[19] -4.00[19] Lincoln 1[ 7] -5[21] -5.00[21]

• 6 days: Thu 14 – Thu 21 Feb 1889 (No racing on the Monday)

• Notes from Sherwood

  River in flood throughout the races.

  Races postponed fourth day owing to an accident in which a man was drowned.

  First day: New College were entangled in Christ Church, and bumped by Exeter

• From The Times of Mon 18 Feb 1889

  Drowning of an Oxford Undergraduate
  Our Oxford Correspondent writes:— A fatal accident happened at the College Torpid Race on Saturday afternoon. After the racing of the lower division of boats a punt crowded with men returning from the Berkshire side to the St. John's College barge capsized, and the occupants were thrown into the stream, which at the present time is swollen and rapid. Three gentlemen in particular were rescued and recovered with difficulty. One of them especially, Mr. Gray, of St. John's, who was brought to the bank by the exertions of Mr. Montagu, of Balliol, was only restored to consciousness after an hour's efforts. A fourth, Mr. Johnson, scholar of St. John's College, was subsequently discovered to be missing, and his body was not found till late in the evening. Mr. Johnson came up last year as one of the scholars of his year to St. John's from Merchant Taylors', and his sad fate has cast a gloom over the College which has sustained the loss of so promising a student.

• A more detailed report from the coroner's inquest appeared in The Times of Tue 19 Feb.
• First report on Torpids appeared in The Times Fri 22 Feb 1889, which just gives the overall starting and finishing order. Although Trinity are missing from the start order, the finish order lists 14 boats in Div I.
• From The Times of Thu 28 Feb 1889

  The recent accident at Oxford
  A meeting of the Oxford University Boat Club was held yesterday afternoon to consider what measures should be adopted with the view to preventing accidents during the annual torpid and summer eight-oar racing. After considerable discussion resolutions were passed, among others, limiting the number of passengers to be carried in the watermen's punts; requiring a swimming test for men rowing in any race; and recommending a bridge across the Trill Mill Stream [the stream behind the Head of the River pub]

• In other news ... [1889]

  Monarch: Queen Victoria

  Prime Minister: Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative)

  11 February

  The Meiji Constitution of Japan is adopted; the 1st Diet of Japan convenes in 1890.

  12 February

  The London County Council elects Lord Rosebery as its first Chairman.

  17 February

  Royal Society for the Protection of Birds founded in Manchester, originally as "The Plumage League" to campaign against the use of plumage in women's clothing.

  22 February

  President Grover Cleveland signs a bill admitting North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington as U.S. states.

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