Article Describes Crew Race Between Volant and Huron on Charles in 1857--Sport Is Witnessed With Much Interest

In a Boston newspaper, dated June 20, 1857, there appeared the story of one of the first crew races on the Charles. Above the story there was a cut, "by our artist . . . . who made the drawing especially for us", which is rather fully described in the article from which extracts follow:

"The exciting scene depicted on this page . . . is the conclusion of the race between the club boats Huron and Volant which took place on the 16th ult in the presence of a large concourse of spectators. The locality is faithfully represented. The houses in the background of the picture are the fine ones recently built on Western avenue; in front and to the left are Braman's baths and boat houses. From the baths a line was drawn to the judge's boat to form a starting point for the race. The Volant is represented as having crossed it, the Huron is coming up.

In the foreground is the judges' boat; beyond the Volant is one of the boats of the Union Boat Club. And the gentleman pullnig the extremely narrow one is Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, the poet who is very partial to this manly exercise for which so city in the world has such facilities as Boston, the fine expanse of the Charles River being unimpeded by navigation and daugors incident to the passage of steamers.

The article finally ends with this sentence: This sport was witnessed with much interest by the spectators."