The Raymer enterprise., 1912-12-05
5Z71Z11 Up AiIRZZdEJ


lege athletes not only In football but In wrestling,
rowing boxing or any other sport.
SO to further this specially there is In the
navy regularly organized feet athletic commit
tee composed OF five officers. Lieut. S. c. Hooper
OF the flagship Connecticut Is at the head OF 1t.
This committee exercises general oversight
over all sports and arranges dates for regattas
and sporting events Outside the daily partcipa.
tion In sports, there are four distinct seasons
when Jack is put on his mettle SO far athletics
60. They are when the games are pulled OF at
Guantanamo. Newport, Bar Harbor and Boston.
when the fleet Is together. At such times interest
ashore is quite as great as aboard ship.
II rooters for college games think themselves
the acme Of infectious enthusiasm II is because
they haven't seen navy contest. It takes
bunch Of tackies, eferyescing with the excite
ment Of an intershp contest. to give the former
cards and spades In emotional pyrotechnics. for
the games are always vigorously contested. the
various ships crews being represented on the
side lines. bowling encouragement in their own
peculiar fashion.
As rule competition in the events is elimina.
tive, the ships first contestng by divisions In
championships playing each other for feet cham.
pionship.
For the last two years the Connecticut team has
won the football trophy-a wooden football
gilded.
1t is when the feet is In southern waters for
aerial target practice that baseball is particularly
enjoyed.
Then" says Lieutenant Hooper. baseball par.
ties are landed each day and the games are as
hotly contested as those OF the major leagues.
The men are as rabid fans as those ashore and
keep az sharp tabs on the Official scores as any
landsman. Each evening about o'clock the
scores OF the various games In the National and
Amorfran laaRuaa frOm the flagship by
radio ff'
when II comes to the boat races" says the
chief athletic on1cer. 'the sailor 10 naturally in
his element and the races are highly spectacular.
The course Ia usually between the line Of ships
and as tho boats skim over the waters all the
men man the rail7 and cheer their fayorite team
to the echo"
For this competition the regular twelveoared
service cutter OF the navy Is used that is unless.
as sometimes happens. the men Of special ship
get together and buy one Of their own. Such a
craft Ia generally termed "talormade" boat
because Of It's superior style and finish. The
Battenberg cup presented by Prince Louis for
the crew races. Ia most desired and all efforts
are bent at winning Il. A large number OF other
cups have at various times been put up for COM
petition. among them one by August Belmont.
Money prizes are sometimes offered. too, and
ship will sometimes win as much as $1,000 In
purses. One year the Indiana won that sum. and
the Maine $500 In a special event. three-mle
race, which was pulled OF In 20 minutes. On
the same occasion the marines on the Indiana
won purse Of $4,000 besides the Dutch challenge
cup.
In Guantanamo also occurs the final bouts to
determine the feet championships In boxing
For this the men train as industriously AZ though
they were really the white hopes" Of the pro.
fessonal class and IN spite Of the fact that their