That the knight and the hero were given their chance.
Nor think for a moment that history's page
Will be blank when it tells of our own passing age.
The deed waits the doer, the hour the man,
And he is the hero who does what he can.
Jim Langan was up there at Pittston the week
When the mine walls gave way. Then with fast-blanching cheek
To that black-yawning grave's mouth rushed women and men.
Their dearest were buried there. Sheep in a pen
Not so helpless, if any yet breathing were kept
To face death in the dark, as on surely it crept.
Men stood there, wives sobbed there, naught was there to do,
Till Langan stepped boldly the huddling crowd through.
"If the boys are alive, we must reach them. I'll see!
If I find a path, you can then follow me."
Over rough rocks and ruins, o'er falling débris,
He crawled and he pushed, with the blood dripping free
From torn hands and knees. In the dark, in the dole,
Jim Langan fought on to the desperate goal.
Above him the dusky roof shuddered and shook,
A menace each inch of the black way he took;
The foul air was stifling, the night wrapped him round
As he wormed his slow progress deep under the ground.
The great pillars sagging, his thick gasping breath--
A strife of the heart against threatening death--
Jim Langan fought on--there were men pent up there
In that tomb of the mine shaft, a prey to despair--
Fought on, and fought back, for the help that must save
Those poor prisoned men from a horrible grave.
The red line of valor is still on the earth;
The true and the fearless we prize at their worth.
And, lads, never dream that the heroes are gone,
That they only loomed up in the world's early dawn,
For Homer to sing, lest the world should forget.
The valiant man leads us, is king of us yet,
Redeeming our time from its strife after pelf
With the sacrifice laid on God's altar--himself.
[Illustration: INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORT]
[Illustration: 1.--FORWARD BREAST STROKE.]
[Illustration: 2.--FLOATING.]
[Illustration: 3.--SCULLING BACKWARDS.]
[Illustration: 4.--SCULLING FORWARDS.]
[Illustration: 5.--OVERHAND STROKE--THE REACH.]
[Illustration: 6.--OVERHAND STROKE--THE START.]
From instantaneous Photographs of Professor Gus Sundstrom, Champion
All-round Swimmer of the United States.
Although it is preferable to have some one to teach you how to swim, it
is not absolutely necessary, and any one who has failed to learn as a
youngster may, by following out the instructions here given, learn how
to swim and float and dive by practising in the water all by himself.
One of the most important things for the beginner to have, of course, is
confidence. He must not fear the water any more than a rider should fear
his horse; on the other hand, he should not be overbold or reckless and
attempt too many risks. The beginner should not go to a stream where
there is a current, or in sea-water where there might be an undertow. He
should choose a lake or a pond or, if at the sea-side, a bay; and he
should stick at first pretty closely to shallow water. Salt water being
so much more buoyant than fresh water, it is much easier to learn how to
swim in the sea; in fact, if a man who has absolutely no knowledge of
swimming will only keep control of his head, and retain his hands
_under_ water, he need never fear of drowning should he fall overboard
into salt water. It is advisable, however, when first attempting to
swim, to have some one on the bank near by who could come to your
assistance should anything happen.
And now for the preliminary steps. First drive a stake into the bottom
of the pond where the water is from three to four feet deep. Then take
hold of the stake with both hands and stretch the body straight out on
the surface of the water, with the back upward, of course. I might just
as well say here as anywhere that the first thing to do when going into
the water is to submerge the entire body, head included. In fact, it is
a very good thing for timid people to go into shallow water and put
their heads under the water and open their eyes, for this very soon
gives them confidence in themselves. The head should always be wet, too,
because otherwise, with all the body under water and only the head in
the sunlight, the blood is apt to rush upwards and eventually cause a
head-ache.
[Illustration: FIG. 7.--DETAIL OF BREAST STROKE.]
To return to the stake. The first motions to be learned are those of the
legs, and they may be divided into three parts. The first motion of the
legs is to draw them up, with the knees bending outward, and the feet
kept as closely together as possible. The second motion is to extend the
feet outward and move the legs backward, and the third motion is to draw
the feet quickly together, extended as far out from the body as
possible. These motions are clearly shown in Fig. 7, and they are also
displayed in illustration No. 1. This photograph was taken while the
arms were going back and the legs were starting to come up.
It will take the novice some time before he can master these motions
absolutely, and unless he is careful he will never master them at all;
and although he will learn to know how to swim, he will not swim
correctly, nor will he be able to get the greatest advantage out of the
labor expended. To acquire this leg motion correctly a beginner should
go through this kicking action twenty or thirty times, counting one,
two, three, as he does so, and keeping his mind all the time on the
theory of the thing. Then he should come out of the water and rest a few
minutes, and then go back again to the stake and go through the
exercises again.
After the leg motion has been thoroughly mastered, the proper use of the
arms must be learned. It is a common fallacy that the beginning of the
stroke in swimming consists of holding the hands in front of the face
palm to palm. This is the wrong way. The hands should be held flat out,
thumb knuckle to thumb knuckle and forefinger to forefinger, under the
chin and almost touching the breast (see Fig. 7.). As soon as the stroke
is begun the palms should be turned a little outward so as to assist in
moving the body forward. The hands should not be separated to any great
extent until they have been pushed out almost to arm's length, and when
they are brought backwards in the stroke they should not be allowed to
pass much behind the line of the shoulders.
A good way to learn the arm stroke is to kneel in shallow water, or to
lie across a plank in the water, and practise it. The most difficult
part of the early stages of swimming is to learn how to combine the
stroke of the arms with the stroke of the legs. It is absolutely
necessary that the arms and legs should work in harmony, and therefore
the following rules should be strictly observed:
1. When the hands are being thrust out forward, the legs should be
coming together, as in the third part of the leg motion described above.
2. When the arms are straight out in front the legs should be straight
out behind.
3. When the arms are passing back in the act of performing the stroke,
the legs are being drawn up.
The beginner should not try to swim any long distance at first. As soon
as he finds that he can keep his body floating easily on the water by
means of the strokes he has learned, he should aim to perfect his form
rather than aim to cover long distances. The stroke which has just been
described is technically called the forward breast stroke, and although
there are a great many other kinds of strokes in swimming, this is the
easiest of all strokes to learn, and the one that is most generally
used, except, perhaps, for racing.
One of the most common of the fancy strokes is the overhand stroke. This
is performed by placing the body on the right side, with the legs held
out behind perfectly straight. One leg is then brought up in front and
the other is lifted up behind, and the next motion is to bring them
together with a swift, scissorlike motion, exerting as much force as
possible. In the mean time the right hand is moved out in front and
brought down through the water as far as the left thigh, while the left
hand passes out of the water from the rear forward, and is drawn back
similarly through the water, thus pulling the body ahead, just as one
might pull one's self along by means of a rope. The start and finish of
the arm-work in this stroke are well shown in illustrations Nos. 5 and
6. It is a stroke which requires considerable practice.
But perhaps before trying to learn fancy strokes, it might be well for
the beginner to learn how to float. It is, of course, much easier to
float in salt water than in fresh water, and it is therefore advisable
when possible to learn in sea-water. The method is simple, and any one
who has perfect confidence in himself ought to be able to float the
first time he tries. The first thing to do is to fill the lungs well,
and then cut off the air at the curve of the larynx instead of up in the
nostrils. This is done by holding the muscles of the throat as they are
when performing the act of swallowing. This keeps the bulk of the air in
the lungs, and consequently under water; any air held in the mouth does
not give buoyancy to the body.
Fat people, of course, float much more easily than thin people, just the
same as a piece of fat will float on the water, whereas a piece of lean
meat will in all probability sink. In the same way men with greater
lung-power will float more easily than others with a lesser lung
capacity. To float, a beginner should not thrust himself backward
violently. He should take a long breath, and then fall backwards in the
water gently, making a sort of sculling movement with his hands, at the
same time raising his arms upwards until they are stretched as far out
from the shoulders as he can and slightly above the lines of the
shoulder-blades. The arms (which, of course, must never be lifted out of
the water) should be raised no higher than this above the head,
otherwise they diminish the capacity of the lungs by pressing them in.
The feet should be worked up slowly from the bottom, and the legs should
be spread out. (The correct position is shown in illustration No. 2.)
The first attempts will naturally result in the beginner's head going
under water for a moment at a time, every now and then; but this should
not alarm or discourage him, for if he holds the air in his lungs and
follows the instructions just given, the head will soon come above the
surface again. Then, after the body has settled into the proper
position, the floater may breathe naturally, but he should take long
breaths, and when driving the air out of the lungs he should do it
rapidly, and likewise inhale rapidly, holding the air in the body as
long as possible.
After one has learned to float, a pleasant diversion is to learn the
forward sculling stroke. This is a fancy stroke, and is of no particular
service, except perhaps that it is restful. The hands should be held in
the same position as in floating, but the feet should be brought
together. (Illustration No. 4.) Then both hands should be worked at the
wrists in a sort of semicircle--this is called the sculling motion.
After a few turns of the wrist the body will take a slow forward
movement, which gradually increases, and this aids materially in keeping
the swimmer afloat. Nevertheless he should keep his lungs full of air,
as he does when floating.
There is also a backward sculling stroke, but this is performed by lying
face downward on the water. (Illustration No. 3.) The body is held
rigid, the feet are pointed forward, and kept moving up and down at the
ankle to keep the legs from sinking, the legs are held stiff, and the
hands spread out as before, and moved in the same manner.
[Illustration: FIG. 8.--SWIMMING ON THE BACK.]
The stroke which should perhaps first be learned after one has mastered
the art of floating is that which enables one to swim on the back. The
fastest and easiest way of swimming on the back is called the double
over-arm, and the method is well illustrated in Fig. 8. In order to
practise this the swimmer must, of course, first come to the floating
position, and then he should bring his feet together and keep them
moving up and down, so as to hold them near the surface of the water.
The movement of the arms is a sort of windmill motion, and as they pass
through the water the palms and forearms propel the body onward. This is
an easy stroke to learn when one knows how to float.
These are perhaps the most important points about swimming that can be
given in so brief a paper. It will take the beginner some time to master
these, and after he has learned them and has become familiar with the
water, he should practise diving. At an early date this Department will
be devoted, in text and illustration, to the interesting subject of
diving.
The Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, M.P., made a speech on the subject of
athletics recently when he delivered prizes to the boys of the King's
School at Warwick, England, and the London _Sporting Life_ quotes a few
of his remarks, which, I believe, are just as true concerning American
sport as they are of English sport, and must consequently be of interest
to our American school-boys. Mr. Lyttelton said that nobody could accuse
him of saying anything against athletic games, for he is a great lover
of sports; but he added that he feared there was a tendency to overdo
matters, and to allow athletics to occupy a more important place in the
world than they should--to make a business of them, in fact, instead of
keeping them as a recreation which should make us more fitted to do our
work in this world.
The speech created a good deal of comment among sportsmen abroad; and
_Sporting Life_, a week later, devoted considerable space to editorial
remarks on what Mr. Lyttelton had said. I quote a few sentences: "Few
will deny the 'growing professional spirit in most of our games' decried
by that famous sportsman [Mr. Lyttelton], or venture to contradict his
statement that the majority of them are being reduced to a mere matter
of _£ s. d._ by exponents galore nowadays.... But above and beyond this
lamentable endeavor to reduce all things to pounds, shillings, and pence
there is an excess of enthusiasm in sport equally to be decried by
all.... The fact is that many devotees of sport make far too much of it
by having allowed themselves to be taught that ordinary success in any
branch thereof is not worth having. They do so in the spirit of the old
saying that whatever you do you should do well, which, like many other
old sayings, is very untrue, and very dangerous in its lack of truth.
And nowhere is this more untrue than in reference to our amusements."
The editorial then goes on to give some examples, saying that to play
billiards, for instance, is the amusement of a gentleman, but to play
billiards pre-eminently well is hardly that. The writer argues that a
man who makes it his life's work to become a successful billiard-player
can hardly, in the mean time, have continued to be a gentleman in the
best use of the word. As another example, the writer states that chess
is perhaps, of all recreations, the one most adapted to intellectual
persons, but to be pre-eminent at chess, he argues, is generally to be
that and nothing else.
There is a good deal of truth in this, and it may well be said that the
athletes who go in purely for record-breaking, even if they stick
strictly to the amateur spirit so far as the letter of the law is
concerned, devote themselves so fully to their endeavors that they have
little time to cultivate the gentler arts and amenities of social life.
They consort so constantly with trainers and rubbers and professional
sports that they grow more or less to be like these; they talk like
them, they act like them, and they begin to shun more elegant society;
and while still remaining amateurs, they are unquestionably amateurs of
a lower social caste. This degradation is due solely to their own
conduct. There is a wide difference between a healthy and keen
indulgence in sport and a passion for breaking records, putting aside
any mention of the money-making feature of the question.
It would seem that Mr. Lyttelton is not the only man in England whose
attention has been called to this weakness among their amateurs; for the
Hon. A. J. Balfour, M.P., who was present at Stamford Bridge on the
occasion of the athletic meeting of the Association of Conservative
Clubs, made remarks in a similar vein when he distributed the prizes to
the winners. He said that there were critics of athletics who watched
the rapid growth of interest in sport with something like suspicion, not
to say dislike. He asserted, however, that he did not share their views,
for he had always held that the healthy interest in athletic sports was
one of the most distinguishing and characteristic marks of our age, and
he considered it an admirable sign of the times. Nevertheless he warned
the young men who were listening to him to beware of the danger of
carrying their sports too far, and he said that that point was reached
when training or indulgence in sports ceased to be a pastime and became
an occupation. There is fruit for considerable thought in the remarks of
these two prominent English gentlemen.
The Interscholastic Tennis Tournament at Newport has been postponed
until August 19, and will therefore not be treated in this Department
until the issue of August 25.
R. W. NEAL, Salem, Mass.--1. The price of _Track Athletics in
Detail_ has been printed conspicuously at the bottom of the second
page of this Department for the past six weeks. 2. I do not know
the book you mention. 3. _Track Athletics in Detail_ is the only
volume so far published in the HARPER'S ROUND TABLE Library. 4.
Other good books on athletics are Walter Camp's _Book of College
Sports_ (Century Company), and Blaikie's _How to Get Strong_.
F. F. SMITH, Cumberland, Md.--The articles on canoe-building
appeared in the ROUND TABLE, August 13 and 20, 1895.
F. E. D., New York.--You will find the advice you seek in Blaikie's
_How to Get Strong_ (Harper and Brothers, $1); and _Sound Bodies
for Boys and Girls_ (Harper and Brothers, 40c.).
V. W. HALL, Portland, Me.--See answer to F. E. D.
C. W. GILLESPIE, Terre Haute, Ind.--It was assumed, in writing the
article on "Hammer-throwing," that the athlete was more or less
familiar with the various track-athletic events now practised, and
consequently it was thought unnecessary to go into various specific
details concerning the "turn" which puzzles you. In throwing the
hammer you only turn once. The act is merely that of jumping about
and facing the other direction. If you are confused at the start,
practise this turn without a hammer. The shoes should have spikes
both in the toes and the heels.
"TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL."--ILLUSTRATED.--8VO, CLOTH, ORNAMENTAL,
$1.25.
THE GRADUATE.
* * * * *
RECALLED STORMY TIMES.
"Well, that looks natural," said the old soldier, looking at a can of
condensed milk on the breakfast-table in place of ordinary milk that
failed on account of the storm. "It's the Gail Borden Eagle Brand we
used during the war."--[_Adv._]
ADVERTISEMENTS.
[Illustration: ROYAL BAKING POWDER]
A cream-of-tartar baking powder. Highest of all in leavening
strength.--_Latest United States Government Food Report._
ROYAL BAKING POWDER CO., NEW YORK.
[Illustration: THOMPSON'S EYE WATER]
BICYCLING.
This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the
Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our
maps and tours contain many valuable data kindly supplied from the
official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen.
Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L.A.W., the
Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with membership
blanks and information as far as possible.
[Illustration: Copyright, 1896, by Harper & Brothers.]
Continuing the trip from Chicago to Waukesha, we give this week the
second stage of the journey, which is divided into three parts. As was
stated last week, it is probably well for the rider to stop at Wheeling
for dinner, rather than stay there for the night. The ride is a short
one, and can be done by any one who had ridden for a season with
comparative ease in the early morning hours before it grows too warm. If
this is done, the rider may stop at Wheeling for dinner and for three or
four hours' rest, and then in the cool of the early evening continue on
as far as Lippencott's on Fox Lake, about 23 or 24 miles from Wheeling.
Here is a good place to stop for the night, and the run from
Lippencott's to Waukesha will not be too great for the second day. For
convenience in making maps, however, we have divided this journey into
three.
Leaving Wheeling, still on the Old Milwaukee Toll Road, run a little
west of north four and a half miles to Halfday. At Halfday turn
westward, taking the left fork, cross the railroad about two miles out
of the town, and run on to Diamond Lake, four and a half miles from
Halfday. Keeping straight on the main road, continue to Dean's Corners,
three and a half miles from Diamond Lake. Again keep straight ahead,
running into Fremont Center, keeping to the left about a mile before
entering the town, and then by turning sharp to the right half a mile
further on, run into the village itself. On running out of Fremont
Center keep to the left at the fork across the stream, and then bear to
the right up towards Fort Hill. Instead of running to Fort Hill,
however, you should keep to the left about half a mile before reaching
the town, and keep to the main road running up to Lippencott's between
Fish Pond on the left and Wooster Lake on the right. The road is easily
found, with the exception of one or two turns just before reaching
Lippencott's, and these can be more easily found by making inquiries
than by attempting to describe them here. Lippencott's is a pleasant
place with a good hotel on Fox Lake, where it is moderately certain that
you will pass a cool night and feel refreshed for your ride to Waukesha
the next day.
NOTE.--Map of New York city asphalted streets in No. 809. Map of
route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810. New York to Stamford,
Connecticut, in No. 811. New York to Staten Island in No. 812. New
Jersey from Hoboken to Pine Brook in No. 813. Brooklyn in No. 814.
Brooklyn to Babylon in No. 815. Brooklyn to Northport in No. 816.
Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie in No. 817. Poughkeepsie to Hudson in No.
818. Hudson to Albany in No. 819, Tottenville to Trenton in No.
820. Trenton to Philadelphia in No. 821. Philadelphia in No. 822.
Philadelphia-Wissahickon Route in No. 823. Philadelphia to West
Chester in No. 824. Philadelphia to Atlantic City--First Stage in
No. 825; Second Stage in No. 826. Philadelphia to Vineland--First
Stage in No. 827; Second Stage in No. 828. New York to
Boston--Second Stage in No. 829; Third Stage in No. 830; Fourth
Stage in No. 831; Fifth Stage in No. 832; Sixth Stage in No. 833.
Boston to Concord in No. 834. Boston in No. 835. Boston to
Gloucester in No. 836. Boston to Newburyport in No. 837. Boston to
New Bedford in No. 838. Boston to South Framingham in No. 839.
Boston to Nahant in No. 840. Boston to Lowell in No. 841. Boston to
Nantasket Beach in No. 842. Boston Circuit Ride in No. 843.
Philadelphia to Washington--First Stage in No. 844; Second Stage in
No. 845; Third Stage in No. 846; Fourth Stage in No. 847; Fifth
Stage in No. 848. City of Washington in No. 849. City of Albany in
No, 854; Albany to Fonda in No. 855; Fonda in Utica in No. 856;
Utica to Syracuse in No. 857; Syracuse to Lyons in No. 858; Lyons
to Rochester in No. 859; Rochester to Batavia in No. 860; Batavia
to Buffalo in No. 861; Poughkeepsie to Newtown in No. 864; Newtown
to Hartford in No. 865; New Haven to Hartford in No. 866; Hartford
to Springfield in No. 867; Hartford to Canaan in No. 868; Canaan to
Pittsfield in No. 869; Hudson to Pittsfield in No. 870. City of
Chicago in No. 874. Waukesha to Oconomowoc in 875. Chicago to
Wheeling in 876.
* * * * *
If one is a collector of antiquities, he has doubtless in his possession
one of those beautifully chased and ornamented timepieces that at one
period at the court of France were so much in vogue, it being the
fashion to wear several of them at one time. Invariably set with jewels,
they were very costly, but for usefulness in keeping time they were
practically worthless. A good story is told of a nobleman who was
showing two or three of his beautiful watches to a friend. Being jostled
by a passer-by the friend accidentally dropped two of them on the floor.
He was very profuse with his apologies for his awkwardness, to which the
nobleman replied,
"Oh, pray don't mention it, my dear friend. It's the first time I ever
saw them go together."
[Illustration: STAMPS]
This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin
collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question
on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address
Editor Stamp Department.
The new Spanish Congressional stamp has been received on letters. It is
a very handsome stamp, printed in carmine, bearing the Spanish coat of
arms, with the words "Congreso de los Diputados." The cancellation is a
crown with ornament attached bearing the words "Congreso de los
Diputados." The cancellation is the same as that hitherto used on the
ordinary Spanish envelopes bearing the regular issues of stamps when
mailed by a member of the Spanish legislature.
This is the time for the annual conventions of all kinds, even of
stamp-collectors. The Southern Philatelic Association has already
adjourned. The Sons of Philately met August 5, at Gettysburg, Pa. The
American Philatelic Association will meet at Minnetonka.
The two new Japanese stamps are to be issued September 12, 1896, the
second anniversary of the Emperor's leaving Tokyo to go to Hiroshima, so
as to be near the seat of war between Japan and China.