Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-29
Navy to Honor Four on First Eleven That Defeated Army
Special GHdMon Thrills of 24toO Victory
In Push and Pull Encounter Fifty Years Ago This Week

Fifty years ago this week end
Navy and Army battled each other
on the football field for the first
time. Navy won, "a to 0.
When the two service schools
meet again ut Philadelphia's Frank
lin Field tomorrow four members
Of the Navy team Of 1890 will be
honor guests Of the Annapolis mid
shipmen. They are Brig. Gen. r. H.
Lane, U. s. M. c., retired, Of Falls
Church, Va, and Rear Admiral j..
D. Beuret, U. s. NJ, retired; Capt.
G. r. Macklin, U. 8. N, retired, and
Capt. Adelbert Althouse, U. s. NJ,
retired. all Of Washington. A vet
eran of the Army team Of that year
who will be present is Col. E. j.
Timberlake.
The Navy veterans had other
names when they were learning a
ships rigging and wrestling with
smooth-bore cannons. Ruff" Lane
was ITO pounds of stone wall at left
guard, and Sandy" Beuret was q
slashing left end. "Stuffy" Macklin
didn't weigh more than ITO pounds,
but he was a stalwart at right
tackle, and Bert" Althouse carried
the mail at fullback.
Old Game Was Bruising.
1t was push and pull football in
1890, with the flying wedge keeping
the stretcher bearers busy. Navy
scored five touchdowns and Con-
verted twice to win over Army on
November 20 of that year. Touch
downs fifty years ago scored four
points, with the conversions count
ing two points each.
The New York Herald Of the fol-
lowing day explained the victory
this way:
1.-THE military cadets were strong
and quick, but the Annapolis team
understood the rules"
A subhead announced:
Sweet girls there. too"
According to Capt. Macklin. the
Navy team not only understood the
rules but cunningly spread con-
fusion in the Army's ranks by their
system Of signal calling.
For instance" he explained,
SAY we wanted to drive on tackle.
The quarterback would below:
Rise tacks and sheets. Let go and
overhaul the weather lifts Then
one Of the boys would get the ball
and OF we'd go.
1t Was All Pretty Confusing.
"The next time maybe 1t would
be: Ready about. Station for stays
or Haul well taut. Let 60 and
haul
TT was pretty complicated" ad-
mitted Capt. Macklin.
Complicated it may well have
been. and Capt. Macklin doesn't
say who was most befuddled.
The Navy team knew their rig
eing. however, he hastens to add.
I'VE trained at the academy in
sailing ships" he explains, and we
were In first-class physical shape
from running up and down the rig
ging. The only practice the team
got was in the morning between S
and 6 o'c1ock.
I'VE didn't have any helmets or
any padded clothes. Every one wore
3 knit cap, Q full head Of hair and
Q jacket laced up the front"
A trainer apparently was only
somebody who readied q horse for
racing In those days. Athletes mas
saged their own Jumps, and when
one of the boys was knocked out
his mates revived him, propped him
up and kept on going.
Playing Was Rough.
OF this phase Of the game, the
Herald says:
Young Walker, the West Point
end, had the wind knocked out of
him early in the game. He recov-
cred and q few moments later was
walked upon by three Annapolis
men and hurt again. Still he played
on. The second half begun and a
hard tackle of Althouse stretched
him out limp as a rag on the hard
ground. When he recovered after a
pail Of water had been poured over
his head, he refused to heed the
cries Of the cadets that he should