Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-08
MANY ATHLETES
| ARE CRIPPLED.
0ne-HaIf the Champions
Handicapped by Some Sort
of Physical Disability.

NEW YORK, December About one
half of the athletic champions of the
present day compete in their respective
events handicapped by some sort of physi-
cal disability. John Eisele, the great
Princeton runner. ran over mile while
almost totally blind in the college cross
country championships last fall. He had
been troubled with an affection Of the ia
cial muscles. and the strain of the seven
mile run aggravated the affection to such
an extent that the optic nerve was par
tally paralyzed. Eisele knew the course
like book and ran on in his blindness.
until Trainer Copeland. saw his plight and
dragged him out of the race.
Another great running feat under ter
rible handicap was the winning OF Inc
SSO-yard metropolitan championship by
Charles Bacon, in 1904. day or SO be-
fore the race Bacon plunged his arm
through window. and ripped the nesn
from wrist to elbow After losing quart
of blood and having thirty-two stitches
lean Athletic Club runner went TO the
mark and trimmed the best of the local
half-milers in 2.Ol %.
F. L. Lukeman. the crack Montreal
Splinter. won the 150-yard American
championship in October with a recently
dislocated shoulder and water on the knee
to boot. Coupled with these handicaps
was the fact that Lukeman had never
run on board floor before, and 1t Is only
fair to put his feat down as one OF the
local track this year. To watch the peer
less Hillman glide along on the fiat or
over hurdles one would scarcely belieVe
that he is partial cripple, but he has
such bad shoulder that he- can scarcely
throw a ball across the diamond on a
line. Water polo playing started his trou-
BILE, and the least undue strain on the In
jured joint now puts Hillman down and
out. Hillman, like many other hurolers,
suffers with chronic water on the knee.
He is also near-sighted and wears spec
tacles in all his hurdle races.
Jack Eller, who wears gold medals won
in the timber-topping championships. IS
a sufferer with weak ankles. and Is even
on the knee. Harvey Cohn and Bill Keat-
ing, two of Celtic Parks best performers,
are sufferers from broken arches" Cohn
picked up his injury while racing "a
quarter mile in the 18th Regiment Armory
in 1908, and has had to favor his feet
ever since.
Heath, the great Michigan broad jumper,
completes with only one arm. having lost
the best part of the other. Yet he Is
consistent at % feet 6 inches.
Every time Joe Crockett Of the New
York Athletic Club goes to the mark he
ties his knee up in a stiff bandage. Once
in while he tries to run without 1t,
only to land in a heap and call his
friends to pull his knee back into joint
again.
Nathan Cartmell. the famous University
Of Pennsylvania Splinter. completes with
disabled hand that prevents his press
ing his knuckles against the cinders. and
thus making him yard slower getting
off, than he would be otherwise. Cart
nell is a VIGOROUSLY slow starter for a
man who is dead sure even timer. and
this is the reason. Forest Smithson Of
Oregon and Yale has a muscle that
cramps in every race It is the result
of poor circulation brought on by an old
injury, and causes the great hurdler the
most execruciating pain after all his
races.
Andrew Giarner, second only to Shop
pard as Americas leading middistancer,
has defective eyesight. Though the
handicap is a slight one in a distance
race, it counts to a certain extent.
Martin Sheridan. the worlds greatest
athlete has many a weak spot-the
results of numerous gruelling contests.
Sheridan once took a ten-foot tumble
while vaulting and struck on his side.
Another time he was hit by a big wave
aboard ship and badly used up. He also
hurt his knee while throwing the stone
against Georgantos at Athens. These are
only a few Of the battle scars the great
discus thrower carries. and the least I'M
due strain on any part Of his anatomy is
sure to bring one Of the ailments back
to the surface and cause Sheridan many
an hour Of pain and discomfort.
Such are the handicaps under which
some of the present-day athletics win
their titles.