Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18
Fifty Years Ago
I'm The Star

In the Correspondence" column of
The Star, covering the news Of nearby
settlements and COM
Heavy Hail munities, In the Is
in Virginia ~. sue 81 9d, MAY Is, 1sSU
sent from Ballston, Of a strange wis.,
tation Of weather in adjacent Virginia:
Yesterday afternoon, about 4 o'clock,
the severest hailstorm known to our
oldest inhabitant visited this particular
neighborhood and inflicted considerable
central line of the storm was northeast
and the width of It's damage-doing
strength did not exceed miles. Fails
Church escaped wholly, while at Ross
Ign, on the Potomac opposite George
town, the hail was small and injured
nothing. Here at Ballston the hail
was as large as hens eggs and cut and
smashed everything capable of being
broken, as 1t was driven by a gale Of
wind as fierce as hurricane. It Is
impossible now to estimate the damage
done to our grapes, Strawberries, small
fruit generally, wheat, rye, etc, but 1t
must be very great, for oak and other
hardwood twigs were cut from the trees
as clear as by bullet. Mr.. Horn, a
clerk in one of the departments, had
his buggy smashed into smithereens by
his frightened horse, which, unfortu-
nately for him, happened to be in the
storm. The severest sufferer Is our lit
tie Presbyterian Church. It's northern
windows, containing several hundred
panes Of stained glass, were all broken,
entailing an expense Of many dollars
upon its membership. The ladies OF
this congregation merit much sympa-
thy, for they have been struggling hard
for years to relieve themselves OF the
incubus Of q church debt, which by
this deplorable accident was greatly
enhanced"
After many maneuvers and much
backing and filing In preliminaries,
Harlan and Court
Rival Oarsmen ney, the oarsmen,
Ready to Race. WsId nmaa az this Is
time 30 years ago, ready for Q match
race on the Potomac, and public inter-
est was at high pitch. The Star OF
May IS, 1880, says:
about the boat race on the Potomac
next Wednesday between Hanlan and
Courtney, one fact Ii assured: There
will be no cut boats. Hanlan's friends
In the Potomac boat house two men,
unarmed in the day and with rifles at
night, keep guard over Courtney's boats.
II all depends on the boats, everything
will be all right. The Analostan men
are betting on Hanlan, while the Po-
tomacs are putting their money on
Courtney. Hanlan is In favor in quar-
terS where professional bettors are,
while Courtney has the profession
ais on his side. No pools have yet been
sold here on the race. It is the opinion
of those well informed in boating mat
tiers that Courtney will win the race.
There is always connected with this
expression of opinion the modification.
If he rows to VIM Courtney, the better
man Of the two, as claimed for him,
does not seem to have the nerve Of the
Canadian. He Is afraid Of Hanlan.
There Is no doubt Of that fact If he
overcomeS this fear and pulls fairly, he
ought to be reasonably sure of success.
In regard to the positiveness of the
race coming OF, the impression is wide
spread that there must be a race.
Courtney in this respect occupies a
somewhat unenviable position. To Ak
himself right he has got to win. A
failure on his part means 10000 times
more than 1t would to any other oars
man."