New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-06
Rare Test of Stamina and
Speed in The Tribune
Marathon Swim.
MATTY STILL KING
OF ALL PITCHERS
Winner of the EPSON Derby
Called Second Class by One
Rabid Critic in England.
(By Herbert,)

All signs point to the most remark,
sbIe swimming test in the history Oh
natation when the starters dive OF lhe
sea wall for the long, gruelling strugsIe
IN Tho Tribune Marathon SWIM lrot'
,he Rsttery TO Sandy Hook on July ~;
Vixen the subject was first broacneu
Last winter il had little appeal, Dut
when il was pointed out that ,hS
SANDY Hook swim was the partlcuiaI
coal OF all long distance waterln 81
and that while two had succeeue.
where many had failed one az iehss
wa. not generally credited WIN VI.
honor. The Tribune decided 10 coiiuu ~
,ocs With the cooperation OF the
United States Lifesaving corps u" ~ .
the most careful supervision. 10 inc
"a that a much mooted question could
he settled. II was thought II SIX or
e;-ht swimmers toed the mark 1t would
nc we'll worth the effort, but three times
thst number, and possibly more, VIII
nit their strength and skill against tne
tides and currents in an enorV W Nnl
Lasting glory and one Of the three cups
offered by The Tribune.
Tho widespread interest aroused ana
,hc response Of those who are "illine
70 accent the test has been natter =
40 say the least. Apparently there Is
NO limit to the marvels that nave oSen
accomplished in the water. IN NJ 80
snort. perhaps. has so much progress
hpen made over space OF ten OF
t,relve wears, and this particular SWIM
over a course that is fast becoming
classic is sure to lend an added stifhu-
lus. Not so long ago the America u
raoord for 100 wards was l minute
soconds. and vet last winter four men,
oil NJ the Illinois Athletic Club, aver
aged IS seconds each in 4OO-yard re-
Law race, establishing a world r,e w.
Several men have covered the olSlaioe
in IS seconds or better Inc sari;o
General Improvement has been mann
fested over all distances, and now
comes tho supreme test which VII! Wy
80 snee6. stamina and courage OF inc
contestsnts to the thirty-thlrd degree
The swimmer who can stay IN the wa
t Gov Cor twelve hours or more and reach
H. Hook will we'll deserve the honor
end the title of long distance cham
pion.
Rovine in this country must nave
r.acbed a high estate when two AMER
can eight crews can go 10 tne
Henley regatta in England and sWeepInI
aside all opposition, meet IN tne huai
heat for the Grand Challenge Cup; the
most coveted of all rowing troph ;.
Amends have been quickly mace LOT
the loss of the polo cup ana lor inc
disappointment OF the goil in'@S'''''
Counarisons are hard to make when
conditions are so different. but Tor mar
vard's second crew TO work such Won
ders against the leading oarsmen OF the
..,orId i striking evidence OF tne au
rances made in rowing on this slde OF
~ Atlantic. Cornell and Yale peat
Horvard's first crew, Cornell beat ale'
lille Columbia and Pennsylvania peat
CoTnelI. which puts the sport IN TINS
country on high pedestal.
All cred;t belongs TO both American
-. n.b;cb did so much 70 establish
tho ouality Of the sport mere agdihs'
the natural handicaps Of strange waters
nev conditions and long journey
There ia reason to show little prlue
and do a little cheering, and particu-
larly so b. Harvard men.
Walter Johnson was hailed lar ana ana
vide a. the greatest pitcher OF an
tirnse last winter. and | was sauIy
abused By score or more OF raoiG Ians
because in this column | would NOV
subscribe TO the fact that he was greaI
or than Christopher Mathewson' ne o.
tho Giants. Walter Johnson IS gredl
nitcher. but on the recoros TINS !e"'
Matty. even with the handicap OF ssr
is still his master, stlll King %
all" Just for the sake OF coIhpa.i sO,,'
Walter Johnson has pitched twenty one
r.res This wear. winning thirteen and
losing eight. Matty, on the other mana
has pitched seventeen games, winning
fourteen and losing only three. ble
Sly. now in his fourteenth year cl
major league baseball, has been pltch,
inc the same kind Of winning baseball
This season that made him famous IN
his Younger DAYS. There are those VINO
will .av that because he has won more
Games than Johnson he has not pitehed
better ball, but after all IT is the WIN
ming percentage which counts.
The Philadelphia Athletics and the
New York Giants have been under
some pressure in the last few days
10 hold their places at the front OF
sheir respective pennant races. Not IN
several years have the two leagues
been 50 we'll balanced, and the leaders
cannot afford TO let up for a single
minute.
The "grandoldope" has been crossed
so many times this year that it is not
even surprising 70 see the despised
and shot-to-pieces Cubs fighting along
at the heels Of the Giants without
Tinker, without Evers and without
Chance.
The team batting record in the
American League is almost identical
with the standing Of the clubs. On
Friday il read as follows: Philadel-
phia Detroit, Washington, St. Louis,
Cleveland. Boston, Chicago and New
York. Batting makes runs, runs make
victories and victories make the posi-
tions in the race.
This sounds like fairly good reason
ing until one looks at the club batting
in the National League. The Phillies,
who have been struggling along in the
second division, are at the top, and
The Superbas, also trailers and IN last
place for a time within ten days, are
lied with the Giants for second place.
THE TURF.