The Washington times., 1895-03-03

With the first day of spring the athletic
world begins its preparations for the sea-
sons outdoor work, and in lighthouses and
on athletic fields decided signs of activity
will make themselves manifest during the
coming week.
Locally the season now at hand promises
to be very active and prosperous one.
The fact that the Columbia Athletic Club
viii have an athletic field where once
again our local athletes may have a chance
to show what they can do in trick and field
events win add to the interest.
For two years land athletics during the
summer have been virtually dead, simply
because neither the C. A. c. nor Y. NJ. c. A.
have had athletic grounds, and the harm
this lack of grounds has done for local
events it is impossible TO calculate.
Now that the c. A C. has secured a field
and q well and conveniently located one,
and the prospect that the Y. NJ. c. A. may
do likewise, has revived the interest locally,
and a very large number OF members, es-
pecially the new ones, of the two organi-
cations viii lose no time in taking advan-
| tage of the conveniences placed at their
disposal.
| The new c. A c. field will be model
! of its kind, and no doubt a great source OF
| pleasure to all members, but more especially
| TO the men who are actively engaged in
| advancing physical development in their
| several lines and specialties. The track
! win be fast one, and by some it is said
| that it will be as fast as the one at Anales-
tan Island was in the palmy days when at
| the A. A. U. Championships several ma
| tional records were broken.
WEEKLY INTERCLUB CONTESTS.
That was good suggestion made by
President Alex Grant, OF the c. A C. ,thatthe
local boat clubs have a race on the water
weekly or semi-monthly, only two clubs
| to row against each other each week, this
! suggestion being made with a view to
| further interesting the old as well as
new members of the clubs. 10 cause them
| to work hard and to aid in perfecting
| each mans rowing, and especially to bring
! out more men to make up the crews,
| striving as far as possible to change the
makeup of crews for each event.
! BY MANY it is thought this triangular rae
! ing plan viii tend to attract to the river
! banks a large number of friends of rowing,
| that very hest of all exercise and sport,
1 friends who, forsome reason or other. have
| lost interest IN the sport.
| You cannot have too large crowd for
/ The men who row The trouble is, they
/ do not receive enough applause and encour-
/ Augment. III which particular the track and
/ field men have much the advantage.
! As an incentive for regular work tits
! suggested that a small silken peDnant he
| procured and presented to the winning
| crews. to be held by them until some other
crew beats them
| the rTagticp they WOuld need wOuld
be had in these races. leading up to the
! annual Potomac River Regatta or for
1 such out-of4town events in the interior
as it may be decided to enter.
OF course it would have to be decided
and agreed upon that these are TO be
!! friendly contests for the sake Of the good
| the practice would do, and that all dan
geFous practices, such as fculing. Jockey
I ing, and so on. would be left severely alone.
Neither OF the clubs has any boats or
! other property that it can afford TO have
! broken.
AS TO LAND EVENTS.
1t is fufther suggested that the above
plan be extended to include field and track
sports, and that those who have no athletic
grounds be permitted on certain weekdays
to practice and prepare themselves for the
! coming events
The officers OF the three clubs VIII
shortly meet for the purpose of discussing
| the important topic now before them as
suggested.
TO MAKE ROWING SAFER
| For some years l have made an effort
! to secure the cooperation of some one 70
secure permission to blow up the rocks
| which in the upper river are just covered
with water, and necessarily dangerous.
.i | Tt 9 hnrlpd that this apmptb hing def
mite will result from the effort.
| Charlie Baker, who has been elected
lieutenant OF the C. A. c., in charge oil
rowing, during the recent cold weather
and over the solid ice, measured mile and
a half over the upper course, and the lines
begin at about the outlet lock and the
course finishes opposite the c. A. c. house
! On occasions the finish can readily be
moved down opposite the Potomac boat
| house. 1t is gratifying to have at least
one of the courses measured, so that cal
culations may be made omit
WATER PoLD GAMES AND REGATTA
The swimming pool of the c. A. G. is q
splendid one, and several years ago the
swimmers of the club played number OF
water polo games, and they proved quite
| interesting. Why not revive this sport il
the club and get up team and invite some
| Northern or Eastern team down for game.
AS is well known, the temperature of the
water in the pool is usually about 65 de
grees, and it could be made to suit the re
| quirements OF the players, and i am sure
that the game, or even the practice of it
| would interest a number of members, an6
possibly draw out game with swimmer
from other local organizations,
| The event of the season in the East in this
sport is the polo game between the New
York Athletic and the Chicago Athletic
| Club teams in the pool of the former, to be
| played on or about March %.
The national regatta will be held by the
| National Association of American Oarsmer
| on Lake Saratoga, Y. Y, on Wednesday and
Thursday, July II and Is. The regatta
| committee is already at work preparing FOL
| the regatta, which promises to belarger and
more successful than ever before.
BASKET BALL LEAGUE.
If several of the teams which constitute
| the basket ball league were Intentionally
to go to work to break up the league they
| could not do so more effectively than was
| done during the past week.
Rules seem to have been overlooked en-
| tirely and the rules and tactics of football
adopted, and tackling and bucking and hold
ing took their place. The G. I.-W. L. L
| game was very rough, and unnecessarily
so, and very unsportsmanlike way to win
a game. The general impression seemed to
be that the w. L. 1. was to blame, and il
this be so it is unfortunate, for the team is
| capable OF doing good clean passing
| Which ever side was in the wrong should
| see to it that it does not occur again, or we
will not have corporal's guard to witness
| the game hereafter.
tits difficult to state who began the rough
| tactics, but in self-defense. at least, one
team had to play rough game
As a result of this work it is said that the
Carroll Institute team will withdraw from
the league, though it is hoped that the team