The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-24
The 81. John Boat Race-EGects of Over
training.

The 81. John Boat Race-EGects of Over
training.
The brat race between the Tyne crew and the
st. John crew resulted, as we told our readers
yesterday it was possible it would result, In q
victory for the latter. If the race had been
rowed to the end it Is not a settled question
which would have won but the st. John men
took the lead from the start and even the
powerful spurts of the Tyne crew could not
wrest their advantage from them Unfortu-
nately the melancholy death of Renforth
makes the victory barren one and throws
around the contest an interest that Is in GER
tain sense repulsive. The Canadians quietly
rowing over the course while tho leading man
among their rivals was dying gives to their
conduct and to the occasion a touch of inhu-
| mainly that makes one shudder, even though
he be prepared to admit that their action was
right and proper. There is nothing in the his
| tory of outdoor sports like this tragic
| event, and we must 60 to Godfrey
Delamayne's foot race in Wilkie Collins
remarkable novel of ''Man and Wife" to
find parallel There was novel
written by the most expert story teller Of the
day to illustrate the evil effects of overtrain-
ing In the matter of outdoor sports which
would find few believers among the lovers Of
athletic exercises, and yet we print to-day the
exemplifcati0n of the truth Of all the novel
lists theories. We are slow to believe that
the death Of Renforth, coming, as it did, in the
excitement of great aquatic contest Is to be
attributed to apoplexy as apoplexy is popu-
larly understood. On the other hand we are
convinced that this strong man died when his
strength was apparently the greatest from
the sudden breaking up of an organization
| trained and tested beyond endurance. Just
as proud edifice which has withstood the
shocks of the earthquake and the violence of
the hurricane sometimes crumbles to pieces in
the calmness of summer morning, or a strong
| ship which has resisted the buffetngs Of the
winds and the waves founders in smooth
waters, he yielded to the summons which,
| sooner or later, comes to all, dying when even
| he believed himself in the plenitude of his
| powers.
If we could now take up Wilkie Collins
novel for the first time and follow the fortunes
of his athletic but wicked hero from the hour
when the skilful old doctor gave Godfrey De-
lamayne the warning which was received so
brutally, noting the careful hedging of his
! trainer when he saw the evidences of a break
in the young mans wind, and tracing his
career up to the tragic death-scene, the story
would have a new meaning for most of us.
We would find the history of yesterday de-
picted in truthful colors, and even the victory
of the st. John men would have its parallel in
the success of Delamayne's competitor. 1t is
glowing chapter, and yet one that is eminently
distasteful, in which the novelist depicts the
breaking down of the nobleman's son, who
was not too proud to run foot race; but the
scene at st. John yesterday morning shows
how far it is from being an exaggeration.
entertaining, in fact as we'll as in fiction,
works out the work of death, and the hardened
frame breaks when even the weakly constitu-
ton would not give way.
We would not discourage physical training,
but we would not have it carried to the lengths
to which many of our boating men would
carry it. We prefer to see the oarsman ac-
complishing by skill what strength cannot
accomplish. There is point beyond which
endurance cannot 60, and the next step after
perfection is decay. Few prize fighters live
to be hale and hearty old men, and if our
oarsmen strain instead Of strengthening their
powers that which they believe will prolong
existence will only serve to shorten it. Rem
forth's death is clear demonstration of this,
and the lesson it teaches is we'll worth heed
ing. 1t will not do to say that apoplexy
hurried him away he died of dumb bells and
the strengthening appliances of physical
culture. AS the cracked boiler of the West
field gave way one Sunday afternoon because
a little more steam had been generated that
day than on the day before, so his constitution,
broken by long exertion, fell to pieces yester-
day because little more excitement was too
much for him to bear. His death is both O
warning and protest, but it ought to be an
encouragement rather than encouragement
of proper physical force.
The French National Guard-The Motion
to Disband 1.-THE Regular Army.