Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-28
BOATHOUSE GOSSIP.

~
ed during the session of the incoming
Congress looking forward to the remova!
OF the Three Sisters" the group Of rocks
above the Aaueduct bridge, and which lie
directly in the course of the river USED
for all regattas. This subject has been
up several times before, but was always
stdetracked because certain parties
claimed the land adjoining the rocks as
theirs by patent, one party, John moore
by name. being listed on the tax books as
owner thereof. But this year the move
ment has received quite an impetus be-
cause in the budget submitted by the en-
gineer In charge Of the river imp Owe
ments an appropriation is asked Tor lhns
purpose, hence the oarsmen feel that IL Is
now up to them to get busy and snow
that they have a little influence with the
solons of legislation in the way of max
ing such trifles as this important
In view of the fact that the Potonacs
intend making a bid for the Natona! re-
gatta here next season. and in view OF the
fact also, If they are successful. the re-
gatta will be held that part OF the
river, ii will require some hard work In
order to get the place in shape FOR An-
gust, 1910, when the National usually
takes place
OF course there is large faction who
| would like to see the course changed
down to that part OF the river aa1aceht
to Potomac Park, where the september
regatta of this year was pulled on, claim
ing that 1t is the one natural spot TOT
such big affairs. as was clearly proven IN
the late racing carnival The adherents
of Potomac Park claim that the place is
the ideal one. that more people can be
accommodated there than at any other
course while the vantage ground for
autos and carriages is unsurpassed, ana
| that the place Is the one logical race
meeting resort. The friends OF the upper
course admit that the environments of
Potomac Park are unsurpassed for
rounding up OF people in autos ana car
riages but there the advantag stops, for
there Is no other one to advance. The
water on the race course is easily az
fected they claim. the large open space
giving it the appearance OF a iake, ana
is therefore ruffled by the slightest
zephyrs The course is laid parallel
with the bank and the tides affect II con-
siderably, as next to the banks II mas
filed in. and at low water the shoals are
exposed. This shoaling caused Tom Cor
mans defeat In the senior SOULS, as the
tide being out, 1T forced the great gather
ing of canoes clustering around the nm
ish out into the course and before ne
knew it he was among them and placed
hors de combat as far winning the
race was concerned The upstream Is
always sheltered, rarely ever rough. has
plenty of deep water and Is never al
fected by tides, while thousands can reach
the course by tramways from every sec
ton of the city, where they would have
to walk from a mile and half to two
miles to get out to Potomac Park.
The upper course Is among the boat and
canoe clubs, private and public. is close
| to the Baltimore and Ohio tracks, which
| can be used for transportation of boats.
| and also a sightseeing train during the
regatta SO the hackers of the old course,
pronounced by all to be the best in Amer
| ica will hold on to it in case the National
regatta is landed for Washington III 1910.
So the oarsmen and canoeiStS Will join
with the river improvement commission
n
| Three Sisters in order to make the 70
tomac river course the finest and most
| perfect stretch of rowing water in Amerl-
| ca. It Is recalled in this regard that
Frederick Law O.msted, the great land
scape architect. and the commission he
| headed that visited England in search of
| ideas for the Greater Washington, made
| recommendations on this line in order to
bring about rowing interest In the Ma
tional Capital such as he witnessed in
England at Henley.
| That aquatics will start among the stu
| dents of George Washington seems to be
| an assured fact il the words of such NOV
ers in the affairs like Messrs Lucas, Muel
| Ter. Hart, Ellis, Bullough and others can
| be taken. The men are only waiting for
| the foot ball season to finish before they
start out to work up the idea among the
| student body, as they are convinced that
among the large student body, outside the
| we'll known local talent, they can find
number who have had experience among
| the other colleges who have rowing on
| their list of sports. According to Messrs.
| Lucas, ct al, the idea is to get number
to join the Potomac Boat Club. where
they will start the George Washington
! crew. and have the use Of the racing
shells OF that organization for the time
| being. and then if the movement grows to
| any size, to start out for themselves with
boathouse in prospect. The promoters
| believe that they could get a crew to-
gether in 1910 that could make a good
showing at Poughkeepsie, have races
! with the naval cadets 1t. Annapolis and if
| the breach is mended, meet Georgetown
| here on the Potomac. The fate Of foot
| ball will decide crew rowing at George
| Washington, and as there is a likelihood
| of abandoning the game, 1t is more than
| likely rowing will come forth next spring
The annual oyster roast and outing of
/ the Potomac Boat Club will take place
| next Sunday on Analostan Island, and
| from the arrangements being made the
affair will be one surprising all previous
| efforts. Chairman Daily of the roast COM
/ mittee' has appointed numerous subcom-
| mitteeS looking after entertainments,
| transportation, food and athletic events,
| and they are all hard at work getting
things in shape for the outing. Each
member of the club will be allowed to in
! yite two guests.
| The new Riverside Boat Club that
started to erect a building on the west
side of the Aqueduct bridge seemingly
has struck a snag for work has been
suspended for a month or ever since the
/ piles were driven home for the founda-
ton. 1t is said that the projectors were
| frightened off by river men telling them of
! the ravage Of flood and ice in the spring
| of each year at the spot where they
started to build: that their house would
not stand the pounding of the ice. which
| always gorges at that point. Whatever
has caused a cessation seems to have
been permanent, for there is nothing do
ing there now. nor has there been for
over month.
| There is some talk Of the Analostans
sending across the water and securing
from Sims. the builder of the Oxford and
| Cambridge universities shells, one of the
celebrated efght-oared boats that are
made by this establishment. 1t is Sims
who is also making the detachable eight
cared shells, the boat being made in three
pieces for the purpose of economy In
| travelling. and such craft are now used
by the Belgians and Leanders of the old
country and the Detroits of this country
with great success. The boats can be
made in England. shipped to this country
! pass custom duties and freight charges
and be landed here in Washington at a
saving of nearly 500. The boats are
much finer in workmanship than those
i made in the United States, as Is shown
il in the single SOULS now In use by Capt
Carl Mueller of the Potomacs, which was
built by Sims.
Il The ON nopiuieps ara going to u,aIa