The daily Alaskan., 1909-01-15
DO PEOPLE DIE OF BROKEN
 HEARTS?

mere was news ulSpalCu III 1he Alaskan yesterday relating that. Dwight Griswold. stroke of last years Yale crew. had died at san Francisco. Of heart failure. caused by over exer- ton at the annual rowing race last. June between Yale and Harvard, coupled with regret over the defeat Of his crew
 Seven short months ago young Gris wold was a youth of splendid strength. He was picked of all his college to set the pace for his fellow oarsmeu which would carry them to. victory in their great contest with their rivals. For months Griswold. with the other oarsmeu. had been. undergoing a course of training that consisted of ten mile runs before. breakfast and long rows in the after. noon. He had been carefully dieted and was supposed to be in perfect condition.
 The day of the race came. Thou sands upon thousands of spectators lined the banks of the Thames. Att the starting line the two graceful shells. each bearing eight bronzed and half.uaked oarsmen. seemed like greyhouuds held in leash. The pistol sounded and before the smoke had dritted away the college youths caught the water with their oars and were speeding down the course for the finish four miles away.
 A rowing race is a killing contest. Many times the men take as high as forty.two strokes a minute. Harvard had the better and stronger crew. As their long powerful stroke grad uany opened water between the shells GriswOld. at stroke, quickened his pace and the men behind him re. sponded gamely For a while Yale held he- own. Again Harvard edged away and again Yale caught her by a burst of speed Thousands on the shores cheered their crews and the gritty college youths. exhausted after the first two miles. rowed lon their nerve" like machines, needless of ach ing muscles or gasping lungs.
 At the three-mile mark Harvard was again ahead. Griswold called for a spurt His crew responded. Their shell forged ahead. Then Griswold fell faiutiug over his oar. The boat lost headway. The coxswain dashed water in Griswold's face. He revived took few more feeble strokes and tainted again. This time he could not be revived. The seven remain ing men in the boat padded over the line far behind Harvard
 The hopes of a whole college were centered on the race. GriswOld, though he had proved himself a hero and worked beyond the limit of hu- man endurance, felt he was responsi- ble for Yale's defeat. He broOded over the race and his ruined constitu- ton was unable to rally His family took him to Europe but still he could only think of the race. He came back to California and now he is dead.
 Physicians will say his death was caused by cardial rupture, perhaps. True. he had taxed his system too greatly. But shall We not take into account the constant attrition of wor- ry acting on a broken constitution? The desire for life had passed away and it is probably not too much to say that young Griswold died of broken heart
 Reading of the death of Griswold and knowing that many other young men in the prime of their life are ruined by athletic exertiOn some peo- pie wonder if the game is worth the candle. We think 1t is and in fu- ture article will give reasons for our belief