The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-02

From the Washington Post.
 Physical exercise for the passengers on big transatlantic steamships is being developed more and more every day, and it will not be many years before every one of the steamships of the more impor- tant lines will be equipped with a gym nasium in which will be found the same exercising machines that are 10 be found on shore. It has been found by the off cers of ships on which athletic games are encouraged during the voyage that the general health of the passengers is much better than on ships where people loll about all day, and that a gerous amount of such exercise is one of the best preventives of seasickness. As an experi- ment one line some time ago installed a gymnasium on an express steamship where both men and women may exercise and it has been found, since it's installa- ton, that the services of the ships doctor have decreased to a remarkable degree.
 The beginning of the regular exercising on board the big liners was the result of the study and observation of ship doctor. He had noticed that the major ity of travellers who became seasick on the steamship on which he was employed were the people who sat about the most. He also noticed that those who, when they felt seasickness coming on, moved about or were at all active were the least affected. Now the ship to which he is attached never comes to port without a tale of spirited athletic events at sea, and with ruddy looking lot of passen- gers.
 On the ships that do not carry passen- gers the officers have for a long time used different methods of keeping in trim. The officers on sailing vessels that are at sea for months at time and the officers on steamships that ply courses to Australia the far east and other dis tant points have exercising down to a science. In almost every mans room can be found a pair of Indian clubs, while others have a full outfit or dumboells and weights. Some time during the day they find time to use these, experimenting them by run several times about the deck. Friendly wrestling matches are also engaged in among the officers, not with the idea of gaining superamcy over any man, but to keep from going stale.
 Director of Athletics.
 On the transatlantic passenger ships there Is always some one officer whose duty seems in part to be to excite inter- est among the passengers in athletic sport. That officer, circulating among the passengers, starts one game and then another without arousing suspicion as to his motives, until sometimes, before the ship Is well to sea, most of the people aboard are engaged in carrying out the prearranged plan.
 On some of the German liners the first night at sea Is usuany devoted to a dance. On the English, American and French liners shuffeboard Is the chief amuse- ment for the first day and then, when the passengers are better acquainted, races of all kinds are arranged.
 A race is usually run the length of the deck and back again. but sometimes there is a handicap which takes the run ners from almost the bottom of the ship to the top deck or the same distance in the other direction.
 For race from the topside down, can vas chutes are placed over the compan- onways, and a racer on reaching one of the chutes jumps into 1t and lands second later on the deck below. Interest Is added to the race at this point be- cause some men land in sitting posture while others strike the deck on all fours.
 
 race.
 The egg and spoon race is usually very exciting. Eggs are arranged at certain intervals along the deck. and each con .estant Is provided with a spoon with which he must pick up one egg from each collection. When the ship is steady the ob is not so hard. but whenever the hip rolls, though even slightly, the egg oils too, and sometimes contestant .fII al.r fa, r,,f to lave it finally rolled over the side of he ship and into the sea. Any one los ng an egg is disqualified.
 A Cigarette Race.
 A cigarette race is not the least excit- ng or amusing. In this men and women Ire paired off Either can do the run ling but the men usually usurp that lonor. The runners start from one end if the deck. while the partners wait at he other end. Each man is provided with a cigarette and each woman with ome matches. The partners must meet, ight the cigarette and then the runner must return to the starting point, his cigarette still lighted, the one to get ,ack first winning the race. The women Ire compelled to strike the matches to fight the cigarette. They are not allowed o strike them on any part of the ship, 'll ti boAs Ol Ol llit SpitS Ol thNh hoes which leaves "manfashion' prac- ically the only way in which they can gnite the matches. The efforts of some if the women to be mannish is often eX- humorous. and the inability of many women to ignite matches in that way often loses the race to a swift man. Tug-'o-war Is popular with every class If travelr. On each vessel that arrives he complement of passengers includes several nationalities, and it is the GUS om to match representatives of each na- ion against the others. The Germans Ire more enthu siastc about this game, md usually come out victors, though on one of the recently arrived ships num- per of English parliamentarians outpulled the teams representing America, Ger many, and France.
 Frequently the crew of a steamship is called upon to help out in a series of games. Jack Tar is never backward in offering his services and delights in noth- Ing better than a boxing match for a purse made up by the passengers. On such occasions ring is squared off in the forecastle head, and the men go at each other like professional prize fight CTS. Occasionally the bout goes to finish but on most occasions some of the faint hearted women aboard collapse at the sight of the first blood and the officers step in, calling the bout draw