Evening star., 1924-05-25
ashngton to Be Represented Olympic Games by Canoe

and then remarked that it felt con-
siderably lighter and better balanced,
although scales showed hardly any
difference in its weight.
The success of the Washington
Canoe Club during the last half dozen
years has been due chiefly to the en-
thusiasm Of Vice Commodore Knight.
who not only has padded in most all
Che important races. but also has
coSsched the crews. Known popu-
iANy among his eliminates as Pops
XAxht, he is extremely expert rs u
mentor of canoeing sports and styles.
Here is one case, at least, where
two brothers can agree and work
shoulder to shoulder for a common
cause without any signs of friction
or dissent. Harry and Karl knight
forget all about their relationship
when they begin to train for the sum
mer schedule of water sports. Both
of them ara experienced track men
and swimmers as well as powerful
and proficierff paddlers.
K i: x
THE WashfnSton Canoe Club is the
National Capitals most creditable
representative as an amateur athletic
organization. Professionalism in any
form is not tolerated. These youth
full athletes love sport for sports
sake. Pecuniary profit has nothing to
do with their participation in foot
ball games, track meets, wrestling
meets, bowling contests, swimming
races or canoeing regattas. for these
clubmen maintain teams in all these
branches of amateur sport. w. D. and
c. w Havens and Clarence Bruce are
a trio of the best amateur wrestlers
ever developed in the District. They
are South Atlantic champions at their
weights in the graphing game. Last
winter the track team of the Wash
ington Canoe Club won the All-Balti-
more athletic meet and captured the
Interclub relay championship at the
Penn Athletic Club games in Phila-
delphia.
The Washington Canoe Club now
has 240 members, 200 of whom are
active. The fleet of canvas and cedar
craft numbers 225. Fifteen of these
are racing boats owned by the club.
while the balance are pleasure canoes
belonging to the individual members.
One historic canoe, a home-Spun aMair
of canvas, made by one of the older
clubmen, is preserved as a relic, a
it was the craft in whi'sl these PotO-
mac paddlers won their first competi-
tive race.
Pleasure trips and marathon cruises
are outstandingly as important as ar
the racing tournaments. The club
house is ideally situated, as it affordS
easy access to both the Potomac River
and the Chesapeake and Potomac
Canal This is an immeasurably Ln-
portant natural asset. When the rfver
is too rough for canoeing, recourse
can be had to the canal, which af-
fords placid waterway 200 miles
in length. stretching from George
town to Cumberland. Marathon canoe
cruises can be enjoyed under ideal
conditions.
The Potomac is navigable in canoes
for a distance of three and one-haIf
miles above the Georgetown bridge
to Chain bridge. In the opposite d.
rection the clubmen cruise down the
Potomac every summer as far as
Piney Point, 81 miles from George
town, or Cape Lookout, 1913 miles
from Washington. Harry knight has
spent his vacations at Piney Point for
the last seven years, padding the
round trip of 1S2 miles During the
last two years Commodore A. F.
Weeks of the Washington Canoe Club
has accompanied him. The best rec
ord they have made for the trip is
| to negotiate the downriver journe:
| in forty-eight hours.
x X
| A MOTHER favorite cruise is To
paddle up the canal to Great
| Falls and there TO portage the canoes
into the Potomac directly below the falls
| The paddlers then attempt to run all the
| rapids between Great Falls and
| Georgetown, which of itself is con-
siderable of a river adventure. for the
minor falls and whirlpools of the Po-
tomac are paved with dangerous
rocks. Many of the canoeists have
successfully run the rapids at Diff
| cult Run, Bull Neck, Stubblefield
Falls and Diagonal Ripples. but none
of them have ever made the trip
through Little Falls below Sycamore
Island without experiencing spill
| and a ducking.
Some of the most hardy and expert
paddlers are making a special study
of Little Falls. They have repeat
edly thrown logs into the water and
| then watched them with powerful
glasses as they plunged and pivoted
| their rough way along the rocky
course. Hundreds of pictures have
! been taken along the upper and lower
| exposures of the falls and then stud
led carefully under the microscope.
All these data are bit by bit exposing
the secrets of the wild waters which
gush over the ricky and rocky boule-
ward.
| Some summer day one of these
/ daring canoeistS promises to make
the wild plunge through the boiling
rapids without upsetting his fragile
craft. The man who first turns the
trick will be deserving of special
honors, for it will be an achievement
that has long resisted the attempts
of some of Americas most accom-
plished canoe chauffeurs.
Sociability and amusing entertain
ment are not neglected at the Wash
ington Canoe Club. Teas, musicals
and dances are regular features of
every winter season. The club mem
bers have organized an excellent or
| chestra of ten pieces, which PROVIDES
music for all the social affairs. IN
door athletic shows, as well as IN
formal smokers, unite together the
bonds of good fellowship.
The Washington Canoe Club is do
ing all in its power to popularize ana
improve the standards of amateur
athletics in the District. These Hub-
men hope that sometime Washington