Evening star., 1921-02-12

ma ctt vi tlidl idNC lllduS
er IN water sports have been on its
In 4 room of the old Union Hotel in
Georgetown. July 6. 1869, almost be-
fore the dust raised by armies on
both sides of the Potomac had settled.
several men met and organized "A row
ing club. to which they gave the name
Potomac Boat Club: and the move
ment initiated that day has gathered
momentum during the intervening
years. and today the Potomac Boat
,lub, under its original name and with
the same general principles adopted
nalf "A century ago as its guide, is in
tae most prosperous condition il has
.>nown.
Win Their First Race.
The first race in which the club took
part was in the fall of the wear it
| was organized. Early in September
Inc fotomacs challenged the Falcon
Boat Club. a rowing organization
Whlch since has become almost less
tlitn d memory, ana the crews luet iu
It match race Ior three miles over the
upper Iotofnac CouISc. Inc race WAS
close until the nnisn. but the Poto-
macs began their notable career with
a victory.
Since the race in which the Falcons
We're defeated the IoIomacS have nau
many successes, and 1T would be I'M
possible to cnumeIate them al, An
TACT, II is possible to toucn ouiy thy
hiSn spots in tracing the career ..
The organization when has done mos,
To Keep rowing alive in the DlstrIct.
Probably the nrsI big victory
against crew of national reputation
was IN 1888. when the Eureka BOD,
tluD OF Newark, y. j., was defeated
IN the Potomac river regatta. The
winning OF the race was especially
noteworthy because the Eureka CIuu
mad just d short time before won the
championship in the national regatta
IL was tour-oared crew which won
from the Eurekas. the crew being
composed OF Mckinney, bow; Ryan
NO. =; Baker, NO. 5. and Frazer.
stroke.
In reality. though. the club de-
veloped four tour-oared crews from
1seo until 1886 which won sectional
championships and just about clean
ed UP in regattas on the Potomac
ana on the courses in Virginia waters.
Among men who held seats in thes.
boats were Sam w heller. Dick Nor
gan, Con Bailey, Tom Cropley. Charley
Baker, Bill Mckinney, I'D Ryan, L..
Frazier. The best four developed IA
those years was composed OF heroert
w. Elmore, A j. Robinson, Il. X. Key
nolds. and l. S. Dyer. BlIi Mckinney.
known formally as " William s. Nc
Kinney, held the singles championship
OF the Fotomac river at thus time anu
was succeeded in 1896 by Steven A.
harney- Mckinney StiII takes an
active interest in rowing and is vice
president of the club. He has been,
and stiil is, one or the potent factors
IN the development OF the organiza-
ton.
karney Captures Title.
In 1886 Karney celebrated the cham
pionship which went from Mckinney
to him by winning the championship
in the regatta of tnat year by defeat
ing entrants from the old Columbia
Athletic Club, the Analostan Club, and
others from clubs representing New
fork, Philadelphia Anu Newark, n. ..
In TINS same Regatta heavyweight and
lightweight lo-Io wealing totoln.,.
colorS swept the r.ver In their events
against the Sale Organizations.
During the Io.iow..Ig len years the
bicycle craze came over the Dis-
trlct and little attentIon was given ~
rowing, but 1885 touna the sport r.
vived, and the PotoA.,cs got BACK into
1T by going to AnnapoIis and beaIIna
the Navy This Was the first race A..
which Navy crew rowed, and the
boat was coached by HartweIi, whu
mad got his experience at ale. Ia
the Potomac crew were j. A. Oliver,
Bill offiey. J. J. Nolan. Dr. Cockre.l.
Sam Boyle. Corbin Ball, Billy Jones.
A. Won Dauchenhausen, Charles q.
Warden, the aforementioned having
been the coxswain.
1t was not until 1903 that men
wearing Potomac colors finished IN
front in race in the national regatta.
and then two men well known today
in local sportdom We're the heroes
Sam Edmonston and Clarence Hecox.
the latter coach of the Potomacs for
the last two years and still in the
position. 1t was in the doubles at
Worcester. Mass, that Edmonston
and HecoX placed themselves on the
roll of those whose names will not b.
forgotten at the Potomac Boat Cluu
as long as rowing races are held.
Again in 1907 great crew was
turned out; it won the intermediat.
race in the national at Philadelphia,
but was defeated in the senior event
by few inches by the famous Ar
of Canada. In 1919 Bob Dun
can brought down another national
title when he finished in the van OF
fourteen men who started the cham
pionship singles.
Score Recent Successes.
During the last two seasons the
Potomacs have been exceptionally
successful. Besides Bob Duncan's
National victory in 1919. the junior
quadruple sculls boat won at Balti-
more, in the regatta of the Southern
Rowing Association, and the Junior
eight was first in the Middle states
regatta at Philadelphia.
Last year almost took the banner
for victories. On Memorial day, in
the Harlem regatta. Bob Seigneur and
Andy Hutterly won the junior doubles
and Bob Duncan the senior singles.
In July the club captured the south
ern championship by taking the junior
single Sculls. the junior quadruple
sculls. intermediate eight and junior
eight-oared races in the Southern
Rowing Association regatta at Alex
andria. Later on. Labor day. the senior
gig event and intermediate quadruple
sculls were won in the Middle States
championships. Probably last season
was the most successful the club has
had since 1886.
Connected with crews turned out by
the Potomacs have been some of the
best coaches rowing has produced.
Among their names are Charley
Courtney of Cornell, James Taylor of
England. John Kennedy of Yale. Mike
Davis, inventor of rowing equipment;
John Fitzpatrick of Princeton, Dick
of the Naval Academy and Pat
Dempsey, who won the world cham
pionship with the Vespers, and who
later coached Georgetown.
Last summer the crews were coached
by Clarence Hecox. the same who sat
in the boat with Edmonston in 1903, and
he still is in charge. Members of the
club expect his boats to accomplish
great things before the 1921 season is
finished.
In most organiza tions back of what
ever success is attained usually is
Sol i,,at, NIB, ,.I,