Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-01
DEFENSE OF CANOEING
Deyotees Of Sport Aroused by
General Criticism.
PRESIDENT FRAcKER TALKS
Head of Washington Canoe Club on
Recent Drownings.
DIR. DEAR SAVED BY CAN0EIsTs
The Sport Develops Manliness and Is
Offset to Artificial City Life
Believes in Care.
PRESIDENT FRAcKER TALKS
DIR. DEAR SAVED BY CANoEIsTs

canoeing which has arisen among the I'M
| initiated as a result of last Sundays sad
| drownings has aroused the canoeists OF
Washington of whom there are very many,
| in defense of their favorite pastime. 1t Is
generally felt among the padding frater-
nifty that only one side of the question has
| been told.
President Willard Fracker Of the Wash
ington Canoe Club. who assisted In the res
cue of DIR. Dick Dear near High Island
last Sunday, in speaking of the matter to a
Star reporter yesterday said:
THE natural outcome of the unfortunate
accident whereby two of our best canoeists
OF Washington lost their lives few days
ago has raised storm Of protest among
the more timid against what they term "a
most dangerous sport They fail to see that
all sports must, of necessity, carry with
them certain degree Of risk and even
danger. The fact that penalty is exacted
from time to time by their Indulgence is
hardly reason for condemning them In
toto. 1t would be just as unfair to claim
| that because certain number of accidents
occur in automobiling the automobile
should be abolished. or that on account of
an occasional death from swimming or
skating persons should not indulge in these
| sports. They fail to see that the benefit
derived from their practice does not con-
sist merely In the pleasure obtained there
FROM but as means Of securing skill and
experience, of fostering a spirit of self-re-
lance, of developing the higher traits of
, character, such as courage and heroism.
AS canoeist who has INDUCED in this
sport for the past ten years I know of
nothing more valuable in developing these
traits than that of canoeing, and as a
| means of restoring and retaining health 1t
certainly stands without rival.
"A protest against the artificial life which
the city SO readily develops is expressing it
self at this time In the q n
terms. The people are turning from these
artifcialities to the fields and the streams.
The tide which has set in that direction
cannot be stayed. 1t is a sane and healthy
one, and should be encouraged. AS a nat
ural result of this popularity In all outdoor
sports there has been a marked increase
In the number of devotees in all of them
especially of that Of canoeing, and this
popularity is bound to increase.
Stimulate Sports.
THE wise thing to do is not to discour-
age these sports, but rather to stimulate
them. At the same time, they should be
surrounded by every possible safeguard
the less experienced and ignorant should be
instructed and the expert and overdaring
cautioned.
I'm this connection the work of the Wash
ington Canoe Club during the past winter
and spring has proved of inestimabIe value
commended. Numerous meetings of the
members and their friends have been held
for the discussion of such topics as Safety
In Canoeing Management Of a Canoe.
Safety Appliances for a Canoe, etc. In
addition to this, the services Of one Of the
best and most experienced instructors in
swimming in this country were secured and
lessons in swimming have been given free
to any member who desired to take them.
In fact SO far as human foresight could
prevent accidents, this club has done all
in It's power to forestaH them. Unfor-
tunately, there is no way of reaching one
who persists in venturing beyond the line
of prudence or safety. 1t frequently hap
pens that this superior skill or experience
Is often the very means Of his undoing.
Secure in his belief that he is equal to
any emergency. he will undertake feat
which results disastrously-a feat which
one less experienced would not think Of at
tempting. The editorial in The Star ad-
mirably expresses this situation.
Water pleasuring must be surrounded
by many safeguards In the best circum-
stances. The enjoyment of a river outing
should not, and to reasonable people does
not, lie in the danger. But some water
farers are otherwise constituted and are
imbued with the idea that their fun is in
proportion to the risk they run of capsizing
or swapping. The boat rocker Is an ex-
IRENE of this type. The real Zest of river
sport should be found in the gentle mo-
ton, the soft fluctuations of the craft, the
part of the oarsmen or the paddler, the
exercise. When these delights are compli-
Gated with useless invitations to disaster,
as by the use of narrow, fral, treacherous
craft, the fun becomes folly.
1.-THE improvements made in canoes dur
ing the last few years have added greatly
to their comfort and safety. These I'M
provements have been principally in the
direction of additional increase in breadth
and weight, thus adding to their stability
in the water. With ordinary care and pre-
caution canoeing is as safe, If not safer,
than the majority of other sports.
'On account of the excellent water ia
cilities which obtain both on the upper
and lower stretches of the Potomac and
on the Chesapeake and Ohio canal from
Georgetown to Cumberland the sport of
canoeing Is bound to increase here. Many
of the most expert handlers of the paddle
In the United States are found among the
several canoe clubs In and around Wash
1ngton. To any one who has not wit
messed the management of this craft in the
hands Of an expert such a sight would
be revelation. With apparently but slight
effort the canoe can be propelled through
the water at high rate of speed and
forced through narrow and tortuous chan
nels impossible to a row boat.
In Swift Water.
ut Is. however, In the swift water that
1t shows it's most marked superiority over
all other forms of water craft. 1t is due
entirely to this fact that Dr. Dear owes
his almost miraculous rescue last Sunday
after having been swept over the dam at
High Island 1t would have been a
physical impossibility to have reached him
with row boat.
''As an eyewitness of this accident. and
the thrilling and heroic rescue which fol-
lowed, cannot speak too highly of the
two gentlemen who volunteered the rescue
and who took their own lives in their hands
to make 1t. Such an exhibition of skill
and pure heroism would be difficult to find.
After DR.. Dear had been hurled over the
dam and dashed against the jagged rocks
as he was swept down the river, fighting
for his life as only an athlete can fight, he
succeeded in grasping a bush and draw
ing himself upon a rock Without losing
a moments time these two conference.-the.
w. Ray Garrett, commodore OF the Wash
ington Canoe Club and commodore of the
High Island Canoe Club. and Mr.. Andrew
r. Tallmadge, member of both these clubs
and founder of the Kenton Canoe Club. pro-
cured a canoe and insisted upon making
the attempt to reach the unfortunate man
far out in the stream. No one unfamiliar
with the river opposite High Island can
appreciate what this meant. Dangerous
even when the water Is udite low. it was