Evening star., 1941-08-10
Bp John CIaeett Proctor.

By John CIaeeH Proctor.
Boat racing in the District of Co.
lumbia has always been popular sport,
and the record shows that boat race
took place here more than a century
ago, when, according to a newspaper
clipping, AN interesting aquatic enter
tainment took place on the 22d of May,
1888, A boat race of l mile, in which
five boats were entered started near the
Navy Yard and was witnessed by sew
eral thousand persons, who had prev
iously repaired to the yard and arsenal
for that purpose" Here, however, the
item ends and no information is given
regarding the participants or how the
race resulted.
However, where this is the first race
recorded, so far as the writer knows,
the first boat club in the District Is re-
hably recorded as being the Falcon,
which was organized September 2, 1874
with Joseph B. Tate as president.
Matthew Henry Stevens was its first
treasurer and John F. Coyle, who was
for a decade or more one OF the pro-
prietors of the National Intellgencer,
the secretary. The other original men,
bers included w. H, Topping, George
Med. Burke, Curtis B. Graham, George
Patten. Charles King John waters
James Charles. Charles T. Smith, Will
liam E. Marcoe, A. S. Newton James
r. Halladay, Josiah R. Bayley, Thad-
deus A. Provost, Whitman c. Bestor'
Rufus Elliott William Kendall, walter
Ienox and William M. Laughlin. NAL
rom Seaton, Orson Bestor and Hudson
Tavlor were younger members OF the
club.
Source of Boat.
The Falcons boat was purchased from
4 club in Philadelphia and, accorohg
n an early account, was an eight-oareo
Iap-streak barge and was CONSIDERED
a model craft. 1t would pear very
favorable comparison, even a1ter lne
Ianse of years, with many OF the ooaIs
of TODAY, although it was entirely ana
,nnecessarilv too heavy. However, us
ouners-like a child with new toy
handled it very delicately and got III
and out of it with the utmost care al
wavs wearing slippers or pumps
According to the recollections hanoeo
down by an early member: "Ihe cluo
located its boat house on the east paiih
of the canal at the corner OF Slxtn
and p streets NV, where the Baltl-
more and Potomac Depot now stanos'
Soon after the formation OF thls cluo
enother club was organized called Inc
cazel1e 1t was composed OF Samuel
lewis the well-known jeWeler; Joinl
Reese William Sloan, Charles Husleman'
william Birch, John Williams, Wllilam
r1odv and Robert Ball" And the re-
mort said: I'VE purchased whae we
then considerd a beautiful slx-oareo
,oce hoat built at Kensington, Pa. Our
Loo+ house stood on the south panK oi
the canal lust east Of Twelftn street.
rhere vas a friendly rivalry between
the clubs, but we never SUCCEEDED III
getting up q race between tne 'wo'
though we sought to do so. Both ol I'll.
c,ubs practiced daily on the river anu
Arlington Spring was their 1a'ori'e
resort. - COW
"About 1843." Mr. Bell goes on TO say
y. cvclone appeared to form over Cn'
Virginia channel Of the Potomac f'ise-
from which column OF water Oh vas
,,rooortions was drawn up TO grea
hs,oht where it mingled with the ciouus
The whirlwind took northeasVeii :
Iireo+ion over to the entrance 10 III
80, Of seventeenth street, thence oo"i
the canal to Twelfth street, "iieio
r;cked up the boats of Mr.. klinail ai'
scattered them indiscrimlnateiS. ~ '''.'
.tr,,ct the lumber yard owned
ITlvsses Ward, on the north oallk VI ~
..na, at Twelfth street, ana caliio
,ara. Quantities of lumber wnlrhii
90 crushed to splinters through the al
y next struck the market mouse a' W.
.tr.et from which it stripped the enVil
roof extending to Seventh street, clusl
,rr II into small pieces ana scaVtei AZ
them literally, to the winds. At I'd
sIooe its fury seemed to be spent ai'
Il retired to the higher aVnio'p''o-
Carried Cabinet.
,7non one occasion the Falcons took
Arlington President Fillmore ana iiie q
tire cabinet. They embarked at what
now seventeenth street and ConsutuIis s
.venue and when they arrived at u
picnic grounds, Mr.. Gusts surprised VI
partv with wonderful spread serV'
IN the Custis and Washington silV
plate and, contrary to the general pra
tice of the host, a flowing bowl OF puii'
occupied the center of the table, thous
n was stated that the President and N
Gusts did not indulge.
Upon another occasion, Danlel we
ster was the clubs guest at Arnilgt'
and, no doubt, there were many otr
distinguished persons taken there ire
time to time, whose names history Ia
to record.
Next came the Undine Boat CT
established here in 1857 with "a me
bers-younger men, we are told, tn
those forming the Falcon Club, nea
all very athletic and heavyweights. All
ander R. Shepherd. who later oeca
~ N< HnlyYYrk