American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-01-02

iese athletes not only in football Int in wrestling
rowing, boxing or any other sport.
% 10 iurtner this speciality there is in the
A"'' d regularly organized feet athletic commit
zee composed of five officers. Lieut.. S. c.. Hooper
OF the flagship Connecticut is at the head of it.
ms committee exercises a general OVERSIGHT
over all sports and arranges dates for resattas
ana sporting events. Outside the daily participa.
ncn In sports, there are four distinct seasons
"heh JACK Is put on his mettle so far as athletics
go. they are when the games are pulled off 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 it is because
they haven't seen a navy contest. 1t takes q
bunch of jackies, effervescing with the excite.
ment of an ~intership 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
slde lines, lowing encouragement in their own
peculiar fashion.
AS a rule competition in the events is eIimina.
i've, the ships first contesting by divisions in
championships playing each other for fleet cham.
%pionship.
For the last two years the Connecticut team has
won the football trophy-a wooden football.
gilded.
1t is when the fleet is in southern waters for
aerial target practice that baseball is particularly
enjoyed.
Z says LleuIcIdHl hooper,, DaS6D1u par
ties are landed each day and the games are as
holly contested as those of the major leagues.
The men are as rabid fans as those ashore and
keep as sharp tabs on the official scores as any
landsman. Each evening about s O'Clock the
scores of the various games in the National and
American leagues are sent from the flagship by
radio
When it comes to the boat races" says the
chief athletic officer, "the sailor is naturally in
his element end the races are highly spectacular.
The course is usually between the line Of ships
and as the boats skim over the waters all the
men man the rails and cheer their favorite team
to the echo"
For this competition the regular tIelve-oared
service cutter Of the navy is used, that is, unless,
as sometimes happens, the men of a special ship
get together and buy one Of their own. Such a
craft is generally termed a "tailor-made" boat
because of its superior style and finish. The
Battenberg cup, presented by Prince Louis for
the crew races, is most desired and all efforts
are bent at winning 1t. A large number of other
cups have at various times been put up for COM
among them one by August Belmont.
Money prizes are sometimes offered, too. and a
snip viii sometimes win as much as Sc. 900 in
purses. One year the Indiana won that sum. and
the Maine $4,000 in a special event, a three-mile
race, which was pulled of in 26 minutes. On
the same occasion the marines on the Indiana
won a purse OF SO, 900 besides the Dutch challenge
In Guantanamo also occurs the final bouts To
the fleet championships in boxing.
For this the men train as industriously as though
hey were really the white hopes" OF the pro
essional class. and in spite of the fact that their