Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-24
IOLYMP|C GAMES TRIP.
How American Athletes Spent
Their Time on Board Ship.
EXERCISES FOR EVERY DAY.

Voyage Across Atlantic FaIed With
Training Stunts That Kept the Men
From Going staIe-Fun Was Also
lnterspersed.
Martin Sheridan, the athlete and spe-
cial representative Of the New York
Evening World at the Olympic games
In London, writing Of the trip Of the
American athletes across the ocean.
says:
The voyage from New York city to
southampton with the American Olym-
pic team was one of the most pleasant
trips l have ever made. The weather
was ideal with the exception of one
day, when the sea was little rough.
The staterooms on board the ship for
the first three days were very warm,
making it uncomfortable for the boys
to sleep.
The training on board of the ship
started on a Tuesday morning. with
the sprinters doing some limbering up
on wrestling mat spread at one end
of the ship. The long distance men did
their stunts in running around the up
per deck, occasionally knocking over
some passenger who crossed in their
way. The passengers on board all be-
came very much interested in the work
of the boys, especially when the wres-
Ting bouts We're on, and several of the
la6inS nSfl Of "a,
ing Flanagan, Rose, McGrath and Coe.
the weight throwers, who played foot
ball and tossed the medicine ball for
exercise.
All the athletes with the exception
of the weight men dined at two long
tables in the center Of the dining room
and ate from special bill of fare made
out by Mike Murphy, the trainer
There was a special table for the
weight throwers. If
1t was here Ralph Rose, John Flana-
gan and Matt McGrath caused panic
in the pantry at the first meal. Rose
when he sat down to the table spied
dish of nuts and Immediately made a
grab for them, eating them dozen at
a time, shells and all. Flanagan grab.
bed the fruit dish, and in two bites the
largest orange in the dish. skin and
all, had disappeared
McGrath for his first meal ate Ave
plates of soup, four orders of fish. three
broiled chickens, two steaks, six Eng
lish plover. seven cups of austard.
three pieces Of apple pie, four cups Of
coffee ard two pounds Of cheese. His
record for eating still stands Rose
has the next highest mark, two bites
behind him. with Coe Of Boston close
third. Ss
At night Rose, Dan Kelly and Grif-
fifth had a slight attack Of seasickness
and failed to report for meals next day.
On the day that the sea was little
rough, when the ship was rolling hard,
all hands went down to dinner. "a few
minutes after the boys sat down to
eat some OF them began to feel q bit
dizzy and began to leave the table
without tasting their food. The first
man to leave was Rector, and the 9th
er boys gave him the laugh as he went
out the door to 60 on deck. He was
followed by Huff and CartWeil. and
the procession continued until there
We're about ten left at the table. The
last man to leave was John Flanagan,
and when the mighty lawn stood M,
after having about half Of his dinner
disposed OF, all hands, including the
captain and every guest at the tables,
stood up and joined in the ovation as
he left the dining room.
A funny joke was played on Dan
Kelly one night as he was sitting at
the dinner table. Motif Of PennsyI-
vania came in and told Kelly he was
wanted at the telephone. Dan quite
innocently got up and went out to an
swer the call. AS he went out the
door he asked one of the stewards
where the phone was. The steward an
swered that q shark by the ship had it
In his mouth. Dan failed to return for
the remainder Of his dinner.
Matt Halpin called meeting OF the
boys for o'clock one afternoon, and
after Halpin had told them about the
time laid out for their exercise every
day Mike Murphy gave the boys one
OF the best heart to heart talks ever
heard. 4,
During his remarks Murphy said he
had the best team under him now that
he ever had. and he knew he could de-
feat the whole world with them. He
said he would not attempt to train any
boy; that every boy was his own
trainer and IL any was in the habit Of
having drink or smoke he could 90
ahead and haveit. He would not stop
him. But he must know about 1t, he
told them. They were not ordinary
men, he said, but they were Americas
best men. and 1t was up to them to see
they were In good condition to do JUS
tfce to- their country and themselves
when the time came at Shepherds
Bush to do 1t. He said they had the
pure red blood In their veins OF men
that were men and he would rather
have man that was a man than a
gentleman, for gentleman, he said,
would steal another mans wife and g.
man that was man would respect all
chat was good and virtuous In his and
others homes and from his experience
Y n ~ : ~