A 1.5-Mile Course Staked Across Lake Washington
Seattle’s 1894 rowing regatta drew crews from Portland, Vancouver and Victoria—and a leaky new shell that needed white lead before race day.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The course to be used in the coming rowing regatta on Lake Washington, August 11 and 18, was staked yesterday by E. H. Warner. It runs in a straight line from the foot of Madison street to Madrona park, one and a half miles in length.
The new four-oared shell that will be used by the A. C. crew was taken apart yesterday on account of leakage at the joints and refitted with rubbers and a coating of white lead. The boat is giving good satisfaction in other respects, and it is thought the leakage is now overcome. The crew practices daily from 4 to 6 o'clock in the afternoon under the direction of Capt. Hadley, who is an old Yale oarsman.
It is expected that Mr. E. B. Goodwin and Richard M. Hird, each of whom had a recognized standing in Yale aquatic matters, will be in the city in a day or so and commence active training for the regatta.
It is certain that there will be some hot races, as Portland will be represented by two crews, Vancouver, B. C., by one, and Victoria by one. There is no question but that the Canadian oarsmen are rowing in fine form.
“It runs in a straight line from the foot of Madison street to Madrona park, one and a half miles in length.”
In 1894, Seattle’s summer sports pages were all about oarsmen on Lake Washington, with the course running from Madison Street to Madrona Park. That same stretch of shoreline is now a recreational corridor for swimmers, kayakers and paddleboarders, and the city still sells itself through big athletic events.
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