Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-24
SWIMMING HAS \
SPEEDY GROWTH
NLAST Is YEARS
performance of Experts
Shows Aquatics Have
Risen to High Estate
NOW A MAJOR spopr
WITT

tltteen years ago swimming was =,
rant IN swaddling clothes: todn,, =. 'n ~.
vigorous lad past the period of adots ~ y
and far advanced on the ROSY bihssoence
maturity e""ay OF
To trace the progress os ,,,,
would be TO outline the march ~ a,a.s
In the life of one our our most vents
sports, one that had its inception ~ "a I.
ola mn pond or the quarry hole nnS .ne
Winch touay stands pre-eminent In ~ ~
clubs and colleges. Its growth has vw
marvellous. '"s peen
wlmming-competitiv svin,ro,u.
the last Ii years has made suoh -n
tional strides that IL can be Iikeras'ssa sa' a.
the midget in the Seven-lenpte D. 70
The records made i'm 1901 bv exnorts p'
called are today overshadowed ava ~ sv-f
den in shame by the novice. tbe co,,nu-
OF swimmer that Is years ago wns loots.s
upon as meritorious. 'SONeu
The meteoric progress made nv tbo -.
is shown best by the American svvin,,ppsa.s Spv..
IN coihPetltlon. Our first big triumpb ~
worldwide interest was scorod hapll 1l
1905, at the Athens Olympic games WIN ~
Daniels captured the 100-metre even, ~
tact, this was the only success registasaa
by the standard-bearers of the Trni,ss
States at these international par,os, ~
other representatives of this country ,ooi'
water. 'VVA
This first international triumnb ho..
ever, four years after showed itself 10 \.
the stepping stone to a larger success ~
i9OS the American Olympic team comns,sd
in London, and, although orr Rri,,ss
hosts planned and plotted to fleece ,,a o,,.
OF the team prize-as shown by their Inc
Cling of the point score and the DoranSo
eplsode-they were unable TO chacL
among other victories, the recurrent sno'
cess of Daniels in the sprints, Rich a,
Boston, and Gaidzik, of Chicago won
places in the finals
But the best evidence of the s,ooa.
growth of swimming in this country vras
manifested In the Olympic games AZ
Stockholm, Sweden, in 1912. At thls
international affair Charlie Daniels t,vjca
victor in the Olympics. did not compete
but the interest and application of the
sport in this country was not TO ne
denied. The American watermen were
crowned Victors In many races Hebner
Chtcagoan, came in first in the back.
stroke race. and the American relay
team landed second place in competition
with the best amateur quartets in the
world. In the 100-metre event this country
came in for another big victory. Duke
Kahanamoku, our Hawaiian representa-.
tive, and Huszagh, another Chicagoan
captured first and third respectively
To the wonderful skill of Kahanamoku
is accredited many records both In the
tank and in open water He Is not a
Duke as many suppose, but simply car
ries this name because his parents did
not choose to call him David or Donald,
He is, in reality, son of the surf,
spending most of his time in the big
green combers that wash the shores Of
the Island of Ohau. His cousin, Akana,
played first base several years ago on
the University of Hawaii baseball team
that tours the United States every sum
mer. tfta
OF course. this holder of many SWIM
ming records is not a product OF our
swimming clubs. but nevertheless is con-
sidered an American. His advent in 1872
was the signal for many records to 60
to smash. His worlds record of 50 is
seconds for the 100 yards straightaway,
made last June in Honolulu: / minute
and 3-5 seconds for 100 metres at Ham.
burg, and minute 80 seconds for the la
yards, are destined to stand as monu-
ments for a long time.
Swimming, of course, is far out In
front as one of the best forms of exercise
when taken In moderation. II develops
virtually every muscle in the system, is
producer of strength combined with grace.
and fits one fo the workdays of life. In
many of the schools and colleges-Prlnce-
ton, for eXample-it is as much part OF
the curriculum as algebra and English.
Should a person know how to care for
himself or herself there would be fewer
drownings.
But an angle of the sport that is little
considered is this: Swimming is UNIQUE,
inasmuch that athletes have won cham
pionships in the water at time when,
had they been track stars, baseball play.
ers or footballers, they would be classed
among the old-timers and placed on tha
list of the retired.