Evening Star Newspaper, March 30, 1930, Page 94

8 THE SUNDAY STAR, :WASHINGTON,- D. C, MARCH 30, 19:” Columbia Boat Club Had Brilliant Crew Eiglu-oar_od st.II crew of the Columbia Boat Club, winner of the National Association championship and the Sharpless cup, July 10, 1884, and other notable events. Left to right, sitting: James Young, Arthur Snyder, C. J. Kintner and William Arnold. Standing: F. A.Nute, W. H. Gibson, R. H. Wade, J. C. Kondrup and Quinton Macall, BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. HATEVER bad weather there may be ahead of us in the next month or two—of which we have no sure way of knowing— one thing is certain, and that is, that thus far we have had an early and a glorious Spring. True, the little tender flowers and buds are likely still to be bitten by frost, and perchance great damage may yet be done by a severe and sudden flareback, but surely no one ought to lie abed at night worrying about & condition that might never happen. Of course, once in a while we have a severe blizzard in late March or even in early April, just as we had a record warm day in Feb- ruary just past, but, though it would not be safe to plant your geraniums out just yet, it would be good policy to begin overhauling and painting your canoe or launch, or any other water craft for that matter, for there is every indication of continued pleasant weather ahead, and that Spring has really come to stay, and that even the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin may be blooming before this story goes to press. Indeed, if we do not already realize how far advanced the season is, a few dates on the blossoming of these beautiful Oriental trees may convince us that, although we are likely still to have a few chilly or cold days, yet at least skating cannot be looked for around Washington again until next December at the earliest. During the past nine years there has been at times more than a month’s difference in the blooming of the white, single-variety trees around the basin. March 20, 1921, according to the writer's notes, is the earliest date they were in full bloom, and April 23, 1924, the latest. Other dates he recorded—when they appeared in all their splendor—were April 8, 3923; April 11, 1926; April 19, 1927; April 6, 3928, and March 29, 1929. And yet, with all #his difference, the seasons are just about the same, averaged up, as when the Weather Bu- peau first began operation. k“IHA'I‘ a beautiful, invigorating time of the year it is for the young people to go Potanizing over the nearby hills and vales, or peeking entomological or other specimens to Belp broaden their minds on natural-history subjects. Of course, a little bit of this stren- wous exercise would suffice for most of us older folks who feel we have had quite enough of #his sort of work and would prefer to potter around the garden when we feel like it and gest up with our head in a worth-while book or & newspaper, or perhaps dream, through the rings of smoke from a good cigar, of the @istant past, when about this time of the year we would be discussing what four-oared or eight-oared crew would win the local cham- pionship at the ensuing Summer or Autumn yegatta on the Potomac River. For years the Analostans, the Potomacs and the Columbias were the principal competitors for this coveted honor, and each in turn was yewarded. Each club had its admirers and each one its enthusiastic rooters, and occasion< @lly, when things were quiet around Washing- #on, the crews would go to other cities to try their skill and brawn with other boat crews, @lways being accompanied by a local delega- tion which went along to encourage the boys. B was a very rare occasion when a District crew was badly or ignominiously defeated. Of the three boat clubs the Analostan was the oldest, then came the Potomac and the latter furnished a majority of the members for the Columbia, which had its ‘beginning back In Old Organization Achieved Victories at Home and in Other Cities—Helped to Establish Spectacular Racing on the Potomac. Details of More Important Contests Are Interesting as Records of Historic Events—Hozw Jumbo Appeared in News. 1880, since the evidence in The Star of Mon- day, April 12, of that year, is fully convincing as to its birth: “A New Boat Club—A meeting for the pur- pose of organizing a 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 forty members, com- prising 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 existence of a new club will add an impetus to boating during the coming Summer never before known in our waters.” S you have been told on one or more ocea- sions before, the Riggs House occupied the site of the present Keith's Theater, at the southeast corner of G and Fifteenth streets, which figured largely in local history, and in later days seems to have been especially pop- ular with sporting people of the better class. The Columbias had two particularly good racing teams in their four-oared and eight- oared crews, and almost from the very begin- ning were to be reckoned with as formidable antagonists in any contest on the river. Even outside of Washington, among the best crews of the country, they not only held their own but frequently came home with the highest honors and the best prizes. Just a little over two years after they were formed into a boat club the Columbias ac- quitted themselves gloriously at Philadelphia in the regatta of October 26-27, 1880, winning the four-oared and the eight-oared races. Always interesting in its sports columns today, The Star covered this event in its usual inter- esting way. Here is a part of the report of the race: “THE WASHINGTONIANS IN PHILADELPHIA. “THE: REGATTA YESTERDAY—COLUM- BIA’'S TWO VICTORIES. “The first race in the regatta yesterday,after- noon was between the fiar-oared crews of the Columbias of Washin and the Crescents and Fairmounts of Philé® elphia. “COLUMBIA'S FIRST VICTORY. “At the first quarter the Crescents led by half a length, Columbia’y second and Fair- mounts third. The three crews were soon to- gether, and a 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 Colum- bias and Fairmounts, but the Washington boys got warmed to their work and crossed the line winners by four lengths in 9:29%;, Fairmounts second and the Crescents far behind. The crowd of Washington people present greeted this victory with cheer after cheer. “COLUMBIAS WIN THE EIGHT-OARED RACE. “The last race of the day was the ome for eight-oared shells, in which the Columbias had for their antagonists the famous crew of the Metropolitans of New York. The crews were made up as follows: Columbias—Lake 1, Wood- ward 2, Wade 3, Wallack 4, Nesmith 5, Davis 6, Kinter 7, Nute 8, Gibson, coxswain; Metro- politans—Cody 1, Schile 2, Schulka 3, Thomp- son 4, Nagle 5, Wilson 6, Wade 7, Pilkinson 8, McIntyre coxswain. “The race was very hotly contested and ex- cited the greatest interest among the specta- tors. The two crews got an even start and at the first quarter they were still pulling side by side. Nute commenced to pull on the pres- sure and the Columbia boat began to forge ahead. The lead they maintained, and crossed the line winner in 8:10, the best record made by an amateur club since 1879. “Among the members of the Columbia Club here, besides the crew, are Messrs. Coon, Wil- liams, Coffin, Buckingham, Harry, Lem and Len Towers, Bertlmwong, Johns, Rothrock, Mc- Falls, Ward, Kennedy, Ryan, Livingstone, Zeigler, Ballantyne, Reed, Babcock, Dorsey, Brown, F. L. Williams, W. B. T. Keyser and H. B. Noble, jr.” 'HE next big outside race in wnich Columbia eight came off victorious was when they won the Schuylkill Navy race at Philadelphia on July 10, 1884, the members of the crew being shown in the accompanying picture, which also shows, through the many medals worn by the oarsmen, the excellent work they had done in the four years of their existence. My friend Johan Kondrup of the Post Office Department and a member of the Oldest In- habitants and with his good wife leader in the Society of Natives is the center figure in the four-oared gig group, and the fourth from the right, standing, in the eight-oared group. It is to Johan that the writer is indebted for the use of the pictures accompanying this article. He admits that he could have, but he did not know Mr. Kondrup in his younger days, but he surely appears fine today after the lapse of 45 and more years, and even looks as though he might now pull a “wicked” oar if called upon to do so. On the Potomac River one of Columbia’s most notable victories took place October 10, 1883. It was indeed a thrilling race and one can almost picture, in his mind, the desperate struggle of the crews and the intense excite- ment of the crowd of interested spectators. Here is The Star's account of the race and what happened: “The boat race this afternoon between the Potomacs and Columbias has called forth the greatest interest among boating men. ¥t will undoubtedly prove a very close race, and the finish, which can be seen from the boat houses, the Aqueduct bridge and Analostan Island, will be a fine sight. The judges are: Colonel! Jones for the Potomacs, W. A. Smith for the Colum- bias, and Richard Pairo of the Analostans, the last mentioned to drop the flag. Charles Galt and Robert Leding will be timekeepers. The :feree, President McKenney of the Analos- ns."” The following day The Star says: “* * The contest yesterday between the Columbias and Potomacs was a glorious victory for the former, yet until the race was nearly over the majority of the spectators thought the Po- tomacs would win. The defeat which the Eurekas and Crescents met at their hands at the late regatta, raised the expectations of the Potomacs and their friends to a high pitch, An immense amount of money changed hands upon the result of yestéerday's race * * =, At the word the Potomacs took the lead, but did not hold it an eighth of a mile. The Co- lumbias soon began to creep up on them, and, aided by a little wild steering on the part of the Potomacs at about the quarter, they were soon even with them. Then a desperate struge gle for the lead. When the Potomac men in the referee’s tug saw that the Columbias were holding their corhpetitors and even passing them, rowing forty strokes to the minute, while the Potomacs were rowing forty-seven, their hopes fell. The Columbias gained the lead, but the Potomacs held on doggedly, fighting for every inch. At the Aqueduct bridge the Columbias were leading by rnearly a length. Here the Potomacs made a desperate spurt, but s0 ‘did the Columbias, and the struggle was magnificent. As the two boats swept past the Columbia boat house, with scarcely open water between them, cheer upon cheer rent the air from the large crowd assembled at the boat house and on the neighboring wharves. The Columbias spurted again and had increased their lead to a length and a half when the line was crossed. Time: Columbias, 9:22%;; Po- tomacs, 9:27. Although the Potomacs were bite terly disappointed at the result, they took their defeat as gracefully as possible, acknowledging that their men were fairly outrowed, but con- soling themselves with hopes for next season.” TWO years after this race, on September 10, 1885, the Columbias won the Potomac River championship for senior four-oared shells, rowing against the Washingtons, a crew which, the writer is told, had but a brief existence. In this race the Columbias won by five seconds. The Potomacs did not participate. As usual, The Star representative was on hand to eover