Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-09-21


There is perhaps no physical exercise
which more thoroughly calls into play
every muscle of the body than rowing a
boat.race. The hands alone touch the oar,
but all the power Of the frame must be
given to each stroke; and if every cord,
tendon and muscle, from the tips of the
toes to the top of the head, does not lend
its aid, the oarsman does not do all he is
expected to, and Is likely to suffer defeat
when matched against one whose whole
body and soul is IN the work. So great is
the task imposs upon the system by the
prolonged exertion of boat race, and the
severe training to be undergone in prepar-
ing for it, that many men are unable to
stand it, although gifted with more than
average muscular strength. Not few
athletes, however, in defiance of the warn
ings of their medical advisers, and In spite
of repeated protests from their abused
bodies, persist in straining their vital for
ces to the utmost, until at last all power
of resistance is overcome, and the power
full man becomes cripple for life, or ls
hurried into an untimely grave. Thus 1t
was with James Renforth, the champion
sculler of England, who fell lifeless in his
boat during the race for the championship
of the world, between a crew from 81.
Johns, New Brunswick, and one from the
TYNE, England. This was not the first
time that Renforth had felt the evil effects
of over exertion. Several previous races
had been folio wed by epileptic fits brought
on by over.exertion, but he needed not the
admonition; he strained his powers once
too often; his over taxed energies failed
him in the supreme moment; he fell inert
in the boat Of which he was the strength,
and was lifted from it only to expire a
short time afterwards.
Whatever may be thought OF Renforth's
death as bearing on the ill effects OF train
ing there is nothing in 1t damaging to
rowing as healthful pastime, or in fact
to athletic exercises in general. Over
exertion is as often fatal in the pulpit. the
counting room, or at the editors desk, as
it Is On the rower's thwart; and he who
persists in taxing himself beyond his pow
ers is Is likely to be suddenly called away
from one position as the other. 1t must
be remembered, too, there were seven
other men engaged in the race who had
undergone severe training quite as often as
Renforth, without having received any
apparent injury so that, If we are to base
an Opinion on this race alone, we would
only he able to decide that man who Is
thrown into fits by over-exertion Is not
likely to succeed as well at boat racing as
eight men who are not thus affected.
While, therefore, young persons VINO
are severely taxing their powers should
take warning from the fate OF Renforth,
the average American is likely to suffer
from taking too little rather than too
much physical exercise. To most OF us
there is health rather than death in the
boat, if we row for amusement and
strength without undergoing any extraor-
dinary course of training or preparation.
There is something healtnful and refresh
inc to most people about being On the
water. which, added to the long-expand-
inc. muscle developing influence Of hand
ling a pair of oars, makes rowing just the
exercise fSf persons engaged in sedentary
OCCUPATIONS It is less expensive to hire
or keep boat than horse, and rowing
is quite as healthful as horseback riding;
Az an offset for the death Of q professional
ike Renforth, we could tell OF many anna
teur oarsmen who have impaired vieor 70
heir frames and regafued their health
While gliding over the water propelled Dy