The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-04-27

The formal opening of the Columbia Athletic |
Clubs new house took place on Friday evening !
and, as expected, it was the largest and most
successful gathering of the kind that has oc-
Cured in this city in number of years. The
palatial home of the Columbas has already been
described in these columns, but these descrip-
tons fell short of the reality as seen under the
favoring conditions of Friday night The
thousands of visitors were charmed at the
convenience and magnfcence of the house
The home of the Columbias, while not as large
as one or two in New York and Philadelphia, is
generally admitted to be the most conveniently
arranged, beautiful in design and finish, and the
best equipped athletic clubhouse in America.
The design of the building is the product of the
brain of Mr. j. West Wagner, Washington
boy and a member of the club, which is natur-
ally matter of pride to his fellowmembers.
Careful estimates place the number OF those
who attended the opening at 1000. The whole
evening long there was steady stream of
promenaders through the various rooms, in
specting the beautiful decorations and hang
ings and the complete equipment of the gym
nasium. The full Marine Band, Mr.. John
Phillip Sousa, conductor, was present until
midnight, and played their best. The central
point of attraction seemed to be the gymna-
SUM, on the upper floor, where almost every
known apparatus invented to develop the mus
cles of the body was to be seen. The club
members are especially proud of this gymna-
| sum, as it is as complete as any in existence.
Among the visitors during the evening was
| Commo dore Harry Mcmillan of the Schuyl-
| kill Navy, the head of the Amateur Union.
| He said the building was unquestionably the
| finest in America for its size. Mr. Charles Z.
| Coon, formerly president of the club, and Mr.
| G. l. Kentner, the old reliable oarsman, came
| on from New York to attend the festivities
A beautiful pair of silver figures for the re-
ception parlor was received from Mrs. w. B.
Hibbs, while Messrs. A. A. Wilson, o. G. Green,
and w. A. Gordon presented the club with a
magnificent onyx clock
The Columbias have raised their limit of mem
bership to 1000, but it is pretty certain that the
| splendid success of Friday nights event will
soon cause that limit to be reached.
After most of the guests of the evening had
gone there was Joyous gathering of nearly all
the young men of the club and lot of visiting
athletes from New York, Staten Island, Pha-
delphia and Baltimore in the large reception
room. The success of the occasion was drank
in many draught of sparkling champagne
There were speeches, breathing the spirit of
harmony and progress among the athletes:
songs, sentimental and comic, and stories
galore that kept the gathering in roars oflaugh-
ter and wound up the great event of the night
in the happiest state. Chairman Howard Perry
was postmaster, and in neat speech told of
the struggles of the club to secure permanent
home worthy of the organization and of Wash
ington. He also urged harmony among the
athletic clubs of the city and throughout the
country, especially extending the hand of
friendship to the Potomacs, Athletics, and Ana
lostans This sentiment was loudly cheered.
President Mcmillan, of the Amateur Union,
also made felicitous speech. Capt. Livings-
ton, of the Staten Islands, sang several jolly
songs, eX-President Coon made some pleasant
remarks to his old companions, showing how
proud and glad he was to be with them in the
hour of their triumph, Capt StinemetZ dev-
cred capital Speech and Mr.. Howard Nyman,
of the Analostans, sang some dittes very clev-
erly. Speeches were also made by Messrs.
Clarke and Baclay, of the Patapsco Navy. AL
) together it was glorious time.
Work has commenced in earnest on the new
athletic grounds of the Potomac Club. On
, Wednesday last Messrs. Catz & Co. put on four
teen men and as many teams The club at its
meeting on Monday last appropriated 81, 200
for the purpose of putting the campus and
tracks in order, and it is expected that similar
sum will be expended for the other necessary
adiuncts to firstclass grounds. The baseball
field was surveyed on Wednesday, as also
the quarter-mile running track. The committee
in charge, Messrs. Sawyer and Hillyer, were on
hand to lay off the pegs The ball field will be
the finest in this section of the country, as the
ground is now almost dead level and embraces
a field that is 5S0feet long by 500 wide The track
for running races and bicycle contests will be a
model one in every respect, as the contractor has
had long experience in building them in various
sections Of the country. AS an adjunct to the
track the club is also going to lay off straight
away 220-yard course for use in hurdles, etc
The means of getting to the grounds are varied
and much easier than many imagine, and when
people are once familiar with the ways the clut
expects to see good crowds there every day
They are located at the mouth of Grayelly
Creek, or near the famous Custls spring that
. belongs to the old Arlington estate. 1t is eX
pected that every day a number of trips will be-
made by steam launch from the boat-house
By code of signaling from the foot of Seven
teenth street, on the new river improvements,
ferry is to be inaugurated, while members dowI
town can take the trains from the Baltimore
, and Potomac depot, get off at Jackson City
u and by a few minutes walk reach the grounds
= The grounds will be finished, 1t is hoped, b,
D next Saturday. The club will give a big blow
out to celebrate the occasion.
= The new eight-oared shell of the Potomac Clul
will arrive the early part of May. Capt. Zap
pone has had several crews on the water lately
: He expects to get out better crews than eve
= before, and hopes to have crews in at Richmond
- Philadelphia New York, and Staten Island
), The club will probably be in the Amateu
" Athletic Union May TO- and altogether tn
prospects for it were never brighter,
The AnalOstans had several crews out durin
the past week, and the information is vouchsafe
by an officer of the club that not only will til
club race this year, but they will also enter int
an arrangement for making all details for
regular regatta. They are certainly we
equipped for this purpose as they are bette
off for rowing material than ever.
The Atlanta Boat Club has accepted the cha
lenge of the Bradford Boat Club, of Boston, an
the two crack eights will meet on the Passai