Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1918-06-22
SPORT NOW FOLLOWS
FLAG WITH FORCES
FIGHTING ABROAD
PRESENCE or EXPERT PLAYERS
OF AMERICANS GAMES IN
FRANCE NO NOVELTY.
ENGLISH RECALL SOME PRoHl.
etTIoNs IN ORDER TO IN
DuLGE AMERICANS.
EVEN SEE THROWING OF BASE
BALLS IN LONDON STREET
DURING NOON HOURS.


that trade follows the flag has been
changed to include sport so far as
Americans in England are concern
ed. With the influx of thousands of
United States soldiers and sailors to
the British isles the Euglishman is
rapidly gaining an insight regarding
the manner in which the average
American plays his games.
The performances OF highly spec
ialized experts such as big league
baseball players and members of the
American Olympic Games teams are
not exactly novelties TO the close fol.
lowers of sport in England. They
have also seen our best tennis play
ers in Maurice Mclaughlin and May
Sutton but 1t remained for the world
war with it's hosts OF invading Amer
leans TO bring about clearer con-
ception of how the ordinary man
from the States plays and acts in his
normal recreative sports.
SO keen has been the desire on the
part of the American service forces
abroad to spend their spare time in
playing at various games that many
strict English regulations have been
temporarily cancelled in favor OF the
soldiers from acrosn the seas. One
of the latest is the granting of a per-
NIT for the playing of baseball in
Hyde Park, London. This is a dis
tinct departure from previous Gus
toms, for while Hyde Park was al
ways q rest and recreation center the
playing of organized games there has
heretofore been prohibited.
iAnother result OF the presence Of
large bodies of Americans in Londcn
is the throwing and catching of base
balls in the streets during the noon
hour. .Ihis is familiar sight in the
streets sof all American cities but
1ondoners were mortified when the
practice was first attempted. Near
the junction of Kingsway and the
Strand there Is a large Y. NJ G. A.
hut and on an adjoining vacant plot
soldiers and sailors can be seen at
ali hours OF the. day playing "fungos"
or tossing baseballs back and forth
while crowds of staid Englishmen
watch the performance with amaze
ment r
IN NEW HIGH DIVE RECORD.
"A new worlds record for high div
ing was made at Sydney, Australia,
late in March during a water carni-
val for the purpose OF raising war re.
lief funds. A Solomon Islander nam
ed Aiick- WTckiam dove 205 feet,
which surpasses any existing figures
for such a feat.
Wiekham a swimmer and diver OF
note, who is employed by the Sidney
trolley service, was persuaded to at
tempt the dive as part OF lengthy
program OF aquatic events held at
the Deep Rock swimming pool. A
high platform was erected near the
top Of the cllff-like side of the pool
and at the announced hour for the
dive there were thousands OF specta-
tors present to witness the perilous
feat.
The Solomon islander admitted
that when he reached the top OF the
tower and looked down at the pool
more than 200 feet below he was
badly ratified and desired TO quit but
the fear of being accused of -cowar-
dice forced him to go through with
the performance. Tie leaped off and
was able to retain both equilibrium
and consciousness for the first $50
feet, after which all became blank.
Wickham struck the water in semi
prone position with such force that
he was completely knocked out for
more than ten minutes. When taken