The Washington times., 1915-04-26
HURRAH! CANOEING
TIME HAS ARRIVED
Hundreds Of Lovers of This
Sport Seek River-Potomao
FIecked With Little Craft.

Hurrah Canoeing time has come!
Lured by the summer weather Of yes
terday hundreds of lovers of the sport
sought the river and long before the sun
reached the zenith the smooth surface.
Of the Potomac was hecked with scores
of the little craft. all with their bows
turned upstream and each occupant
eager to reach his favorite camping
spot before some other picknicker beat
him to it.
The young swain was there, clad In
spotless white duck, and chatting
merrily to his lady love, who peeped
shyly from beneath her purple parasol,
and insisted that he stop every time she
spied a particularly fine bunch Of dog
wood blossoms. The confirmed bache
lor was there too, with his pipe and
Sunday paper, to say nothing of numer-
Gus small boys who had stolen away
from Sunday School to enjoy the first
swim of the season, at old Forty-foot
Rock.
Day a Record Breaker.
The day was record-breaker. Never
before in history. say the old boat
house keepers, have so many canoes
heen seen on the river so carly in the
year. May 90 in past years, has been
about the earliest date when the first
real rush to water has been made, and
even then there were always ample
boats to accommodate the crowds. And
as for any great demand for canoes in
April. 1t was not even thought Of.
But yesterday was different Before
10 o'clock in the morning every boat
house Keeper along the Georgetown
water front was turning away would
be canoeists.
il,h L. 1,
ed. and still they came. Each boathouse
keeper, when his boats had been all
rented would send his patrons either
up or down the river to the nearest
boathouse, thinking that his house had
suddenly become very popular, and
never dreaming that the same condi-
tion existed with all of his neighbors.
Il never saw anything like it, said
Pat Dempsey, who conducts the largest
boathouse on the Potomac, They be-
gan pouring into my boathouse early
this morning. and there has been no
let-up. I could have rented 100 more
boats If l had had them. 1t looks like
the Fourth Of July instead of April 25."
Most Own Their Boats.
The vast majority of Washington
canoeists. however, own their boats,
and these lucky ones made the most of
the ideal weather. spending the entire
day padding along the picturesque
shores of Virginia and basking beneath
the overhanging boughs of the elms and
syCamores. AS the sun was dropping
behind the hills the water was for
few moments transformed to gold, ana
when this had faded In the deepening
twilight, the young moon. as though
desirous of contributing her share to the
joys of the day. made patchs of silver
among the ripping waves. Along these
the picknickers journeyed homeward,
h4 10 ,,lo cI, nf tbo
casional ripple of merry laughter. or the
twang of guitar. being the only sounds
that broke the stiffness of the night:
The increase in the popularity of this
sport during the last five years has
been remarkable. In 1910 there were
scarcely 500 canoes. all told. in the boat
houses along the Washington water
front. Today there are 800 and indica-
creased to 1000 before the season IS
far spent.
Rush Started In 1911.
The rush started early in 1911. when
Patrick Dempsey completed his first
boathouse, Just above Aqueduct bridge.
The house had racks for 140 canoes, then
considered a tremendous boathousc for
Washington. They were all rented
however. before the roof was put on
the house. and many were turned away
during the summer because of lack OF
1912 season. Mr.. Dempsey made an ad-
dition to his house during the winter
19l1-l2. bringing the total capacity to
800. These were Immediately rented.
and. in 1911, many were turned away.
Early in 1913 Dempsey made still
third addition to his boathouse, provid-
ing accommodations for $50 canoes.
capacity larger than that of any boat
house IN the United States. 1t Is stated.
The racks were eagerly rented. how
ever, and today work Is under way for
a fourth addition to the giant boat
house which will make available an
additional l60 racks, bringing the total
up to 720. almost as many racks as are
in all the other lighthouses combined.
Safe If Properly Handled.
Although the growth in canoeing has
been so great and hundreds of canoe
lists have been on the river daily
throughout the season during the past
five years, not one fatal accident has
occurred that can be charged to the
canoe. which has been long considered
a frail and unsafe" craft. Care IS
exercised at the lighthouses to see that
only those who are experienced in pad
ding are allowed to take canoes out.
Canoes are as safe as any boat, say the
rivermen, If properly handled. To the
novice all craft are dangerous.