Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-31
SLAUGHTER ALL RECORDS
American Swimmers Make Some Re-
markable Records During Year.
USE THE TRUDGEoN CRAWL
Record Breakers of Distance Per-
fOrmanceu Take to the New sys-
TEN and Make Much Greater
speed with IL,


NEW YORK, May S0.-Americsn swim
mers took a great step forward during
the indoor season of lslS-n. A regular
slaughter of records was witnessed at the
important meets. and all hands Joined In
the iconoclastio work. from the elemen-
tary school lads to the national cham
pions.
So many events OF the moment featured
the years competition that II is hard 10
pick those most worthy OF note. Doubt
less the smashing of national and worlds
standards was most gratifying, yet the
widespread and sensational development
of the younger element the general I'm b
provement OF methods, and tho increRsed
facilities throughout the country In the
way of new pools mean far more 20 the
future OF water sports than brilliant In
dvidual performances.
The remarkable progress in the middle
distance, however cannot but cause deep
satisfaction, for this was In the past the
branch OF natation in which Americans
lacked ability, and the weakness proved
costly at every Olympic meet We can
hardly claim to have gained supremacy.
even now, but the times credited to our
leaders warrant the belief that at the
rate they have been advancing II viii not
be long before we outstrip all foreign na-
tions in the quarter. half and mile, Rs
we have already at the century, and
furlong.
Use TrudgeOn Crawl.
A rather significant feature OF the sea
son was the use Of the trudgeon-crawl by
na ANknatlau
three only record breakers at distances
beyond the furlong. IL would appear from
their success that the scissor kick intro
duced into the even, continuous leg
thrash OF thetrue crawl, TO form the
newer stroke make for greater speed, at
least over the longer courses. Some still
doubt II and It will be we'll TO await fur
ther evidence before drawing conclu-
sions, but recent occurrences should be
tabulated for reference.
An astonishing result OF the national
championships was the victory OF tho
Illinois Athletic club watermon in every
single event on the program. Hebner cap
tured the 100. go and 500-yard free style,
titles as well as the l5O-yArd back stroke
one; Raithel took the fifty-yard dash,
McDermott the breast stroke event,
Wohlfeld the fancy diving contest, Heb
ner, McGillivray, Raithei and Nosbufgh
the relay race, and Hebner McGinivray,
the two McDer1notts, Mott, Roth, Nc
Grath and Nosbuad the championship IN
socket water polo. Not first escaped
the wonderful aggregation and they
scored many seconds and thirds into the
bargain.
IIIinOIEans Break Records.
The Illinois boys also accounted for
most OF the records broken, as shown by
the following list:
Harry Hebner equalled the lOO-yard
mark OF 544S seconds for swimming 100
yards In a siNty-foot bath: lowered the
worlds 22O-yard standard from 2:25h to
2:2lIk; the lJO-yard free style one from
S27s to l:3lh, and the back stroke one
at the same distance from l;jo,s TO 1:l99s.
Perry McGlllivray reduced the 25O-yard
mark from 2:5S9t to 253%; the S3O-ynrd
one from $3.50 to S:2oh, and the SsO-yard
one from il;449t to 1925.
Joseph Wheatley. New York Athletic
club. established a 50O-metre record OF
7:0l2s which Is only five seconds slower
than the worlds record
Duke KahAnamoku of Hawaii bettered
his own worlds time for 100 yards
straightsway from 55t seconds 10 5ik
seconds, and r. r. Small Olympic club
san Francisco. defeated the speedy duke
at fifty yards strsightaway edualHng
the latters international marx Of 22gs
seconds.
Create New Standards.
In relay racing at 400 yards (four men.
each swimming 100 yards) two new stand
ards were created. over a stralghtaway
open water course the quartet Of the
Hui Nalu Athletic club. Honolulu-Hus-
tace. Kaupiko, Holstein and Hahanamoku
covered the go yards I'm 4;O57s; in a
regulation tenty-five-yard pool the nH-
nois Athletic club team-H bner, McGiu-
vray Raithel and Vosburgh-brought
down the worlds figures from S:55% to
S:525s. In comparing these marks the
Americans performances is found to be
the better by only small margin, II
one calculates the advantage gained in
turning at the usual one second per turn.
II should be added. however. that the
Illinois men were handicapped by very
rough water and lack OF space, four teams
being started In the narrow twenty-four-
foot pool IN which the record was made
Hence they did not exhibit anything like
their best form.
The appearance OF the names OF Wheat
ley and Small on the foregoing list ls
particularly pleasing, for both are new
roroera vary .younr