Evening star., 1938-04-03

in 1880, since the evidence In The
Star of Monday, April II of that
year is fully convincing as to its birth:
"A New Boat Club" The Star
states-"A meeting for the purpose
of organizing new boat club was held
Saturday night at the Riggs House
and was well attended by gentlemen Of
Georgetown and Washington, and
an organization to be known as the
Columbia Boat Club was formed,
with an active list of about 40 mem
bers. comprising many of the best
known among our amateur boating
men. A tasteful house will be erected
Immediately at some point on the
river front at Georgetown, and the
flag of the new aspirants thrown to
the breeze. AS the Potomac Is broad
enough and the material plentiful for
another boating association in our
midst, it is to be hoped that the ex-
istence of a new club will add an
impetus to boating during the COM
ing summer never before known in
our waters"
The Columbias had two particu-
larly good racing teams in their four
cared and eight-oared crews and al
most from the very beginning were to
be reckoned with as formidable an
| tagonists in any contest on the river.
Even outside of Washington, among
| the best crews of the country, they
| not only held their own but frequent
| ly came home with the highest hon.
ors and the best prizes.
JUST a little over two years after
they were formed into a boat
club the Columbias acquitted them
selves gloriously at Philadelphia in
the regatta of October 26-27, 1880,
winning the four-oared and the eight
cared races. Always interesting in it's
sports columns, The Star covered this
event in IT'S usual way. saying:
The first race in the regatta yes
terday afternoon was between the
four-oared crews of the Columbias of
Washington and the Crescents and
Fairmounts of Philadelphia.
"At the first quarter the Crescents
led by half length, Columbias sec
ond and Fairmounts third, and foul
crews were soon together, and foul
was imminent, but the Columbias
pulled out, and at the end Of the
mile the Fairmounts had gone to
second place. A pretty contest followed
between the Columbias and Fair
mounts. but the Washington boys got
warmed to their work and crossed the
line winners by four lengths in $685.,
Fairmounts second and the Crescents
far behind. The crowd of Washing
ton people present greeted this victory
with cheer after cheer.
THE last race of the day was the
one for eight-oared shells, in which
the Columbsas had for their antagon-
lists the famous crew of the Metro
politans Of New York. The crews were
made up as follows: Columbias, Lake,
l.; Woodward. 2; Wade, 8; Wallack,
4; Nesmith, S; Davis, 6; Kinter, Z;
Mute, 8, and Gibson, coxswain. Metro
politans, Cody, l; Schile, g. Schulka,
3; Thompson, 4; Nagle, S; Wilson, 6;
Wade, 7; Pilkinson, 8, and Mcintyre,
coxswain.
THE race was very hotly contested
and excited the greatest interest among
the spectators. The two clews got an
even start and at the first quarter they
were still pulling side by side. Mute
commenced to pull on the pressure and
the Columbia boat began to forge
ahead. The lead they maintained, and
crossed the line winner in $40, the
best record made by an amateur club
since 1879"
HERE at home, one Of columbia's
most notable victories took place
October 10, 1888. 1t was indeed a
thrilling race and one can almost pic
ture, in his mind, the desperate strus-
gle Of the crews and the intense ex-
citement Of the crowd OF interested
spectators. Again the writer gives the
facts as printed in The Star at the
time:
"The boat race this afternoon BE-
tween the Potomacs and Columbus
has called forth the greatest interest
among boating men. 1t will undoubted-
ly prove a very close race, and the fin-
ish, which can be seen from the boat
houses, the Aqueduct bridge and Ana
lostan Island, will be a fine sight. The
judges are Col Jones Of the Potomacs,
w. A. Smith for the Columbias, and
Richard Pairo Of the Analostans, the
last mentioned to drop the flag Charles
Gait and Robert Leding will be time
keepers. The referee, President Nc :
Kenney of the Analostans."
The following day the Columbus de-
feated the Potomacs in a glorious vic
tory, for until the race was nearly
over the majority Of the spectators
thought tho Potomaos would win.