Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-12

II the blocks with the springs start
ing device are permitted the boys will
not stop there. The Ringing Brothers
Circus, at its opening here, had much
brighter idea for a quick getaway for
Sprinters. One of the acts was the
shooting of the human cannonball"
into a net. The acrobat who starred in
this performance got away mrcS- more
quickly than Simpson coulC Ddve done
with his blocks. -
OF course this sort of start would
add thrills to the sprints and the
possibility OF any false starts would
be eliminated. AS it goes today the
starter signals by firing pistol. The
Sprinters start with the defamation
of the pistol. but there have been oc-
caSions where some Of them have
beaten the gun by small fraction
of a second, which counts in 100
yards.
With all of the sprinters starting by
being shot out of cannons the false
start would be eliminated The starter
would hold all of the lanyards attached
to the cannons in his hand. When all
were ready for the start he would jerk
them all with one motion.
OF course it would be necessary for
the referees to watch the loading OF
the sprinters into their cannonS. Be-
hind each Splinter should be placed
a set amount Of powder. This would
be necessary to prevent runners
overcharging their cannons and get
ting the stronger start, which would
give them the greater momentum.
If this were not regulated to the grain
of powder .here are sprinters who would
use so much powder that they would
shoot themselves through the air Tor
the entire distance. The trajectory OF
a human being converting himself into
a cannonball would be flatter than it
could be made by any other means.
Perhaps they will come around TO
the starting OF sprints by artillery
methods in the very near future.
Various other improvements have
contributed no little to the lettering
of records in the Sprints. For in
stance. the cinder path itself aided
the first sprinters who used it to clip
some fractions of seconds from the
former records.
Then the spikes helped no little, too
and the spikes are now thoroughly legal
if not absolutely compulsory for sprint
efs. The crouching start, invented by
Gen. Charles Sheriff., helped the sprint
erS. too though this could not be
claSsed as an artificial aid.
| Science soon will aid in the breaking
of all records. The chemists will dis
| cover some fabric for soles that will
turn the Sprinters' shoes into modern
seven-league boots.
Driven Out.
NOV that Martha NoreliuS, known as
the greatest of the woman swim
mers. has turned professional. The A. A.
U. officials who suspended her from am
ateur competition without rhyme or
reason will say. "ah, you see, she want
ed to turn PROFESSIONAL all along IT
will be used as an excuse for the petty
tyranny shown by the A. A. u. toward
this particular athlete and toward the
Womens Swimming Association, which
she has represented
The A. A. U. officials will be relieved
at this action Of the swimmer. They
would like to let the matter drop as
they would like to find way to smooth
over the matter of Raymond A. Barbuti
who has furnished the name of an A.
A. U. official. who, he claims, has been
prof1teering on amateur athletics. For
making this charge Barbuti, an Olympic
champion, is under suspension. APP
parently the suspension of Barbuti was
less embarrassing to the A. A. u. than
making a sincere investigation of the
charges.
From what hear. the reason for
Martha Norelius feeling the heavy