The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-31
EVERYBODY SWIMS
Water Sport Is Enjoying Great
Prosperity These Days.
Many "Human Fish" Stars in
Every City in the Country.
BY JACK VEIOCK.

New York, Jan. 31.-Followers of
the water dogs" or human fish"
turnout the country are preparing 20
enjoy the best season that swimming
mas ever seen.
Year by year the large cities of the
country have been increasing facilities
to accommodate those who find heir
best form of recreation in the water,
until today up 10 date accommoda-
tons in the way of both indoor and
outdoor natatoriums providing room
for millions of swimmers are in use.
Many of the inland cities have to
depend entirely upon artificial pools
to uphold the sport, but there are
dozens of hustling cities, both large
and small, that are located in the vi
cinity of fresh and salt water, and the
growth of swimming is surprising.
Big Growth of Sport.
Only a few years ago New York,
Brooklyn. Chicago and st. Louis and
few of the cities on the Pacific coast
alone had facilities for conducting
swimming meets. Now almost every
large city in the country can house an
aquatic meet and intercity meets are
becoming a common thing.
The year 1916 was a brilliant one
in the swimming world, but 1917
holds forth even brighter prospects,
with the rise of women swimmers GER
tain to place many sensational mer-
IN IIle
Perhaps the most sensational per-
former in the country is the young
Ster, Teddy Cam, Of New York. cam
proved his worth iii contests held in
the east last season, but his achieve
ment of downing the wonderful Perry
McGillivray, of the 1. a. c., in the 220-
yard event, and winning from Herbert
Vollmer in the century, has earned for
him the title of American champion
Vollmer has a number of worlds rec
ords to his credit and up to the time
Teddy Cam broke into the spotlight
he was generally hailed as Americas
best all-around swimmer.
Vollmer and Cam work differently
in the water, for Vollmer uses
stronger kick, while the youngster.
Cam, has more powerful stroke of
the arms. Cam is a giant in size,
and is powerfully built.
Many Stars in West.
But New York cannot claim all of
the stars by any means, for out on
the far coast they have many stars.
among whom is a lad who ranks with
the best He is Ludy LANCER, the
spectacular distance fish from Los
Angeles His marks over various dis
tances from the quarter to the two
mile swim prove him a star of the
first water. without a doubt, Lam
ger is the most brilliant long-distance
outdoor performer ever developed in
| this country.~
During the coming season LANCER
will devote more of his time to pool
swimming, and with his powerful
build and the smoothness he shows
/ in the water, swimming experts de-
clare that he has a bright chance to
star in some of the shorter events.
Cam, McGillivray, LANCER and Voll-
mer will be watched with interest by
followers of the human fish this
summer, and efforts are to be made
by those who will be in charge OF
some of the more important aquatic
meets to bring these stars ngether
| Some of the fastest swim ever
seen in America at distances all the
way from the century dash to the
two-mile swim are being predicted.