New-York tribune., 1911-02-21
DANIELS SETS NEW MARK
Adds One More Worlds Record
to His Swimming List.
LACKS HIS 0LDTIME DASH
Otto Wahle Takes Exception to
Criticism of the American
Crawl Stroke.


200 metres (21S yards) which he swan in
? minutes 2S 2-5 seconds The fact that
Daniels contemplates retiring from the
game in the near future was
not overlooked by those who enjoy this
branch Of sport
The previous record for 200 metres was
made last August by Frank Beaurepare in
Exeter. England While competing in a
3OO-yard race the Australian covered the
distance in minutes 80 seconds. In pri-
vate practice trials Daniels had on more
than one occasion gone the route at least
two seconds faster. consequently the New
York Athletic Club officials decided 10 ar
range for a special attack on Father Time.
Otto Wahle. the official swimming handi-
Capper. was there as the Amateur Athletic
Unions representative. while others TO hold
watches were Robert Stoll, Arthur McAlee-
nan and J. A. Ruddy.
In order to spur the champion TO greater
efforts it had been arranged for that rapid
~ improving swimmer. James Reilly, to-
accompany Daniels for part of the distance
AZ the gun both men took the water to-
sether They used the crawl stroke, and
so evenly did the pair churn their way
thorugh the water that there was prac
tically nothing 70 choose between them as
they touched the far end OF the tank.
II was the same or the return trip, so
that the time FOR the fifty yards of 27 sec
onds applied 10 both. Shortly after the
second turn Daniels began 10 force the pace
q triHe. with the result that he led his
man by scart yard al the third kickoff
Coming hack for the next twenty-five yards
the champion increased his advantage to
about six feet. his time being 100 2-5.
At that point Reilly decided that he had
had enough. and Daniels had to work out
his own salvation from there 20 the fin
ish Almost Immediately the title holder
shifted from the crawl to the trudgeon,
and il was apparent to all that his speed
had slackened considerably. He kept go
ing with this stroke for nearly one hun
dred yards more before again resorting 10
the crawl. which he used in the final stages.
Daniels covered the 900 yards in 2l5 l-5. or
Is seconds behind the record. He went
fast for the last eighteen yards.
There could be little question as 10 the
correctness OF the time. as three Of the
four watches agreed. Stoll caught Daniels
A, a:2S s-5. while the others stopped a ifth
OF a second less.
After II was all over. Daniels, who did
not appear any too well pleased with his
work. said that he would not try for any
more records, for a while. at least. conse-
quently the programme that had been
mapped out for this afternoon has been
postponed.
Oldtimers shook their heads when Daniels
changed his stroke at half the distance,
for he has been known to use the crawl
continuously for 200 Yards Although in
good physical condition. Daniels did not
appear to have his usual snap, otherwise
he might have gone as fast as 2:26, which
lie has done in practice.
Otto Wahle. amateur coach OIL the Ne"
York Athletic Club swimmers, was asked
his opinion yesterday Of the criticism MADE
bv Richard Cavill. former champion Oh
Australia and now instructor at the Illinois
Athletic Clue. on American strokes ana
methods lie said:
I'm very much surprised az some Of the
statements made by CavilL and should be
inclined 70 doubt them did they not come
tbrouqh good authority. Beginning with
bfs. assertion that Daniels is not really
good swimmer because he has only
r,ediocre speed In the distances, l would
like N point out that Daniels has one
mile American record Of % minutes 40 30
seconds 10 his credit This time has been
ooualled by only few Of the worlds best
r,ilers. and Daniels made the record with
little preparation, showing that properly
trained he could have gone quite little
faster. Evidently Cavill has not taken the
trouble TO read up his subject before speak
ing.
AS 70 his announcement that the Ameri-
can crawl Is inferior 10 the Australian,
facts do not bear out the contention. In
The sprints and up 10 800 yards Daniels has
beaten not only the marks Of the leading
.,stralians but the men themselves, when
ever they met which does away with any
possibility OF dispute. In the distances
most OF the records were established with
the trudCeon stroke, and certainly cannot
be quoted to prove our crawl defective.
"Cavill is posing as an authority on scien-
tifc swimming. but although l take of my
hat to him as a splendid competitor I have
never heard OF his being the means of de-
veloping any sensational performers since
he took to coaching.
In my opinion the arm action which he
advocates-and I'm baslng the opinion on
the published interviews with him-is not
nearly 50 effective as the one being taught
here. lie is quoted as saying that the
hands should catch the water in front of
the head (the arms being held bent at the
elbow and carried down along the centre
Of the body and very close TO it. 1t needs
only a glance 10 show that such a stroke
does not allow the full power to be used,
for the drive is never straight or the lever
age the best obtainable.
He attributes TO US a perfectly straight
arm stroke, but few If any OF our cham
pions use il. Daniels. Reilly, Nerch and the
other good Easterners with whose swim
ming | am familiar lift their elbow al the
catch and pull through the arm slightly
bent. but not under the centre OF the body
The sweep downward is effective TO the end
and the loss of power and sinking tendency
mentioned by Cavill after the arm has
| PASSED the perpendicular do not occur
some of our coaches may preach a straight
/ arm dive but IL never obtains in practice
| because II is almost impossible for one to
| lift the elbow and hook the wrist as is now
| universally taught and not carry the arm
| through a bit bent.
Il nave not seen Cavill's stroke demon
| strated and can only judge of IL by de-
| scriptiOns but If IL Is so much better thar
| ours he should turn out men 10 clean ~
| the feld in short order Until this happens
We must be forgiven our skeptlcism'
| M'LEAN HERE FOR SKATING
Western Champion to Meet Stars