Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22

ting Of targets at distances OF several
miles require the drilling OF teams or
many men until they work as might
clock.
this semi-work Every battlcship has its
base ball team and between these there
is great rivalry for fleet honors. The oc-
caSions when il is possible To go ashore
and put on a game are very frequent. ana
there is no port obscure these times
that "a good diamond Is not .to he had for
the game Every man aboard ships ~ a
fan. and one of the events that are waited
for most iInpatiently the moving pic
ture play advances each night is the score
of the days games, which has been picked
off of those messages of the air by the
ships wireless operator.
Another sport aboard ship in which the
rivalry il Very great as between the dif-
ferFnt dreadnoughts il boxing. Every
ship has its score of men who are clever
with the gloves. and these work the yea
around under the direction of coach
from among the officers, whose business
it * 10 develop large number of clever
men, and from them to eventually select
the very best fighter for the matched
bouts When the elimination contests for
the individual ship are being neared
there are usually score of men, the Dest
of the $40, who are to he tried out and
from whom the final champion of the
ship is to be selected. Every man aboard
is intensely interested in the development
of the best possible individual for the
final intership championship bouts, and
attention
x :.
1t is probably true, however, that boat
racing is the most important sporting
event among the men of the navy. Upon
the deck of every ship there is rigging
for working out the men of the differ
ent rowing crews. Here. under coach.
they may be seen every day pulling
away at fifty-pound weights for hours
at a time The Battenberg challenge cup
is the big boating event of the year. This
cup was presented by the enlisted men
of the British second cruiser squadron 10
the enlisted men of the United states
Atlantic fleet after the visit of the Brit
ish squadron to American waters In 1903
The first contest for this cup was In
1906. when it was won and held Tor TWO
years by the Illinois.
The Louisiana held it for three years.
the Minnesota for one, the Georgia Tor
two and last year it was won and it is at
present held by the Missouri. There are
many other boat races of lesser impor-
lance. but in which the competition Is no
less vigorous There are many other
cups which are competed for by different
divisions of the service. as. for instance.
the engineer. the marines. There are
still other events that are open only to
the officers of the ships, and these. officers
likewise have their base ball teams and
coupete with their fellows Of the other
ships.
Another great athletic day in the fleet
is the track athletic meet. Upon these
occasions all the events from long dis
lance running to pole vaulting are put on
and where the contestants are the httest
of some .O0OO carefully selected young
huskies there is no absence of good ma
terial in every event Track athieucs IS
the fayorite contest of all American
brawIies and the men aboard ship excel
here Whenever American tars meet with
those of other nations in such contests
there is never chance for the boys from
any Of the mother countries. This was
proven with especial strength at the IN
ternational meet hald at Portsmouth,
England, in 1911 at the time of the coro-
nation. celebration.
Copyright. 1912. by W. A. Du PuyD