Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19
ATHLETES WERE ACTIVE
ON BOARD THE SHIP
How Trainer Mike Murphy
Handled the 0Iym-
plans.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

By Edward r. Bushnell.
Special Representative With American Olympic
Team.
LONDON. England. July 1s.-When the
steamship Philadelphia unloaded its hui
man cargo last Sunday at Southampton
the bulk Of which consisted of seventy
five members of the American Olympic
team, the grizzled Capt. Mills, veteran
of many years of transatlantic ocean
travel, heaved sigh of genuine relief as
he remarked:
BLAST me If I'm not glad to see the
last Of that bunch. l don't wish them
any hard luck. but If the American line
had to carry team of athletes every
trip it would either have to double its
rates or go into bankruptcy. I expected
them to have good appetites. but the
way some Of those big fellows ate made
the kitchen look as though band Of pi-
rates had struck it. If those chaps do as
well in the Olympic games as they did
in the ship dining room, America will
make clean sweep in the stadium. We
hadn't been out more than couple Of
days when word was sent up that the
rate. If we had had just few days of
real rough weather 1t would have sent a
lot of the fellows below with some real
sea sickness. but I couldn't find storm
on the chart. or 1 think I would have
steered into it. On the whole the boys
behaved well. and wish them good luck
in their games"
Trainer NJ. c. Murphy was delighted
with the condition in which he was able
to land the athletes. The sea was SO
co., xI,o - - kl.~,A
there were few cases even OF mild sick
ness, and the men were able to train reg
ularly every day. An athlete had to be
real SIC. before he would let 1t be known
on this ,r,p. But even then the Spartan
spirits of some Of the men had to give
in. The athletes occupied the two long
tables In the center of the room, while
the remainder of the first saloon passen-
gers were ranged at side tables.
The first cases of sea sickness did not
manifest themselves until the second day
out. Then at dinner time the sea began
of the water was more disagreeable than
the worst kind Of pitching of the vessel,
AMI more than one athlete succumbed
after a struggle. Every man who left
natured raillery.
How They Trained.
AS soon as things were organized on the
boat Trainer Murphy, to whom the Amer
lean committee gave sole charge Of the
athletes, called a meeting for Sunday
afternoon, in order to lay down some
simple training rules and plan the train
ing for the week. This was really the
frs. acquaintance of most Of the men
with the famous trainer. but the impress
sion he made on them in this initial
meeting was a great tribute to his per-
sonality. Mikes speech was much after
the order Of those so familiar to the ath-
letes of Yale and Pennsylvania. He gave
the men to understa and at the outset that
they were not off on a pleasure jaunt.
but that they had to obey training rules
or he would have nothing to do with
them. Then he appealed to their pa
triot1sm and urged every man to do his
level best, not only for himself, but for
his university or clue and for the Star
and Stripes. Murphy spoke for about
ten minutes. and not a man uttered a
wori from start to finish, so impressive
was the address. Then when the speech
was ended there was q sharp round OF
applause for the great trainer, who had
earned the respect and confidence Of every
man on the team.
Actual training began bright and early
Monday morning. The Marathon runners,
who have to run twenty-five miles, were
first on deck. There were four of these
*.
Hatch OF Chicago and Forshaw of ST.
Louis. A track nine and one-half laps
to the mile was measured off on the main
deck. and around this the Marathon rum
ners started an hour before breakfast.
Round and round they went until the
other passengers were almost dizzy
watching them. After running about ten
miles they would get bath and rundown
and follow 1t up with breakfast But this
was not all Of their training. for later
To- thn Ia yaynt, CT OFT m, 10y,
walk that resembled q six-day grind.
Frequently they would be joined by the
five-mile runners.
At about IL o'clock In the morning the
qua rter- mile. half-mile and mile runners
would come out together and sail around
the course for about ten minutes, ending
their work with a few minutes dancing
on the mat. With the exception of few
of the men who had to work out twice a
day the sprinters did no training until
the afternoon. Their work consisted in
the main Of dancing up and down on the
mat. followed by few starts on the deck.
An entirely different regime had to be
worked out or the training OF the "elgnt
brought along, and every morning these
men divided up into two squads and toss
ed It back and forth In the bow OF the
boat. On the second day out some reck-
things into the ocean. and this handl-
capped the work Of the squad.
The Weight Men.
The weight men also had a padded shot
on board. but the training quarters were
always so crowded that it was dangerous
to use it, and whenever possible a sub
stitute was used. Toward the end OF the
voyage some inventive geniuses evolved a
game Of foot ball. and this the weigh.
men used to good advantage. There were
several flrst-class foot ball players on
hoard. and they were preased into aerYice.