Evening star., 1920-05-29
MANNED VETERANS
COMPETE IN SWIM
LegIess Soldier Rouses Wal.
ter Reed Audience by
Fancy Diving.

Fancy Diving.
That it takes more than the loss Of
limb or other disabilities resultant
from war to dampen the enthusiasm
for sports inherent in American youth
was clearly demonstrated yesterday
afternoon in the swimming contests
held at the Walter Reed Hospital by
the soldier boys recuperating at that
institution.
T. Especially was this evident in the
case of Robert s. Fletcher of Plain
View, Tex. who. with both legs ampu-
tated at the trunk, gave an exhibition
of diving and fancy swimming that
reused the audience to q high pitch
Of enthusiasm.
That this young soldier is alive to-
day is nothing more than a miracle.
Alone one night in the front line
trenches. shell exploded. and it was
not until the following morning that
his comrades found him. terribly man
gled. Quick medical attendance saved
his life. but he lost both Of his legs.
Patient q Born Optimist.
Fletcher is born optimist. however.
aquatic feats. he said that as soon as
he felt little stronger he would re-
turn to his native state and devote all
of his time to ranching.
Unmindful of the splashes that fire.
quently sprayed them. a large crowd
surrounded the pool to witness the
twelve events carded. included among
which were two numbers for women,
members of the Hospital Corps.
Cook Wins First Honors.
P. B. Webb. company cook, a superb
swimmer. easily carried off first hon
ors in the opening event. a high dive
Tor two-legged men. with % points.
Corp. Fred F. Deming. 326th Field
Signal Corps. was second with 81
points. and Samuel Kaufman. N. c..
third with 20 points. r. J. Le Blanc.
NJ. c.: H: J. Hodgen. NJ. c.. and Pri-
vate David Schleifer also dived.
Webb came right back in the sec
ond event. board dive for men. and
won first prize with 20 points. Gapt.
with 2s points: LIE Blanc. third. 25
points. Hodgen. Deming, C. W. Nc
Donough, NJ. c.: Kaufman, Henry
Turnquist. NJ. c., and H. Swanger,
NJ. c.. also dived.
TT The ensi,adasS third event, a 5o-yard swim
r. Cannon. 102d Infantry. Wallace
Gurnavig (patient) was second (two
starters). Time. IS seconds.
Army Nurses Compete.
Three young hospital nurses. Misses
Jean Ewart. Helen Stevens and Cor
nelia Clayton, competed for the fourth
event, board dive for ladies, and the
first named. with % points. carried of
first prize, a f1ve-pound box of candy:
Miss Stevens finished second. 26
points. and Miss Clayton third. 25
points.
The high dive for one-legged men.
nfth event. also went to Cannon, who
scored 25 points. Gurnavig again fin
.ished second. % points. Only two
LIE Blanc won the sixth event, 100
yard swim for men, in 1 minute and
IS 3-5 seconds. Kaufman finished
second and Hodgsen third. Only three
starters.
The seventh event, underwater dive,
and Lieut.. N. S. Stevenson third. LIE
Blanc. H: K. Duryea, NJ. c.: Kauff-
mann and Turnauist also dfved.
Miss Ewart added another fve-pound
box of candy to her collection by
swimming swimming away with the eighth
She made the good time Of Is seconds.
Miss L. e. Howell was second, and
Miss Clayton third.
Miss Ewart and Miss Clayton re-
ceived extra prizes offered by Victor
Kaufman to the two women scor-
A"e e.'o AiVoe pVAAIS III cNcHtS IOuT
and eight.
Wins Underwater Swim.
F. S. Cromelin won the ninth event,
underwater swim from dive. Steven
son was second and Kaufman third.
Hodgen and Webb also SWAN.
Event No. 10. q 50-yard swim for pa
tients only. also went to Cromelin,
with LIE Blanc second (two starters).
Time, "a seconds.
The four-men relay race was won
by q team composed Of Cromelin. Dur
yea, Turnquist and Hodgen. This was
the most exciting race Of the after
noon. and while Webb. Kaufman,
Le Blanc and Jones were beaten they
were by no means disgraced.
The closing event. form in water and
diving Gree for ally. for gold watch
offered by Mr.. Kaufman, was stub
bornly contested. and 1t was only
after careful consideration that the
judges finally awarded the prize to
r. B. Webb over Miss Ewart. who
finished q close second. Cromelin was
third.
While swimming and diving Miss
Ewart displays the grace and ease OF
motion of "Kellermann." lie Blanc,
Hodgen. Deming, Jones and Miss
Stevens also swan In this event.
The prizes were all appropriate and
serviceable.
Lieut.. M. M. Potter of Texas. Capt
H. E. King of Illinois and James g
McGibney of Vermont acted as Judges