PUTTING THE SIXTEEN-POUND SHOT.
From instantaneous Photographs taken of W. O. Hickok, Inter-collegiate Champion.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Although putting the shot and throwing the hammer are events usually performed by the same man in an athletic competition, it is a fact, nevertheless, that the two things do not go well together. The hammer develops the pulling muscles in the back and arms, while the shot, on the other hand, develops the pushing muscles.
At one time Hickok, the present inter-collegiate champion, devoted himself exclusively to the shot, and soon got himself into such form that he could put 45 feet at any trial. Then he started in to practise with the hammer, and found his best throw measured only 110 feet—his best former record being one hundred and forty odd. He kept on systematically working then at both weights, but he soon noticed that the shot went down as the hammer went up, so that in a month he could scarcely do 40 feet. At the next inter-collegiate contest he put the shot 44 feet, which he considered a lucky performance—and it was—although before training for the hammer event for the same contest he had put over 45 feet.
To become successful in this event requires long and persistent work, just as in hammer-throwing. Shot-putting is a great science to develop, and it usually takes several years before an athlete can really become proficient in the event. The beginner must first strengthen his arms, giving particular attention to the development of the triceps and deltoids. This is best accomplished by work on the parallel bars, and by pounding a bag, as in boxing. The latter exercise cultivates swiftness. Sprinting is also an important exercise for a shot-putter, for it teaches him to be quick and light on his feet—a most important feature of the general preparation.
In addition to these things he should, of course, constantly work at putting the shot—in the gymnasium in winter, and on the field in the open-weather months. Let me say right here to the beginner, always use a 16-lb. shot. Shun a 12-lb. shot as you would a shuttle-cock. If you feel you are not strong enough to use the regulation weight, do not under any consideration go into training for the event. Wait until you are strong enough. There is plenty of time. The shot is an event that only strong and well-developed young men should indulge in—and if you feel you are not strong enough to handle sixteen pounds, you had better devote your energies to some other branch of athletics. The man who works with a 12-lb. shot is like the boy who prepared for entering the cavalry by riding assiduously on merry-go-rounds. In other words, practice with a lighter weight is a waste of time; you will have to learn all over again when you take up the regulation 16-lb. shot.
The shot is put from a seven-foot circle, along four feet of the circumference of which is placed a board four inches high. This is the so-called front of the circle, and the put is measured from this board to the nearest mark made in the ground by the shot. A fair put is one that has been made without any part of the competitor's body having touched in front of the circle or on the board before the measurement is made. A put is counted a foul if the competitor steps over the front half of the circle or on the board before the measurement of his put has been made—and the foul counts as a trial. Therefore be sure to remain in the circle until the field judge has measured and registered your put.
The careful athlete will always spare his right arm as much as he can. For instance, when he picks up the shot he will hold it in his left hand, and he will do the same while he steps into the circle and gets his footing. After this has been secured he will roll the shot over into his right palm—as shown in illustration No. 3 on the opposite page—and then he is ready to start.
Assuming as easy a position as possible, let the shot be well balanced in the right hand. Do not grip it tightly. In starting off, as shown in the fourth illustration, place the whole weight of the body upon the right leg, holding your left arm forward as a balance. Then take a quick hop with the right leg, all the time keeping the shot as near the shoulder as possible. Upon alighting after the hop, touch your left foot to the ground—and it ought to fall very close to the board rim. This is the position shown in the sixth illustration. The seventh shows the next movement, which is the transposition of the feet.
The correct attitude for getting across the circle on this hop is crouching. Then, as soon as your left foot touches ground, you bring it swiftly backward, throwing the entire right side of the body forward; and you turn half around, so that the right shoulder will be in the exact direction in which the shot is to be put. After the impetus upward has been given by the legs and body, shoot the arm outward with all the force at your command, the motion being just such a one as you would make with the clinched fist against the sparring-bag. This motion—the change of feet, the lift, the turn, the thrust—is a very rapid one, but the photographs illustrate it very well in the last two pictures of the series. Furthermore, this movement must be perfectly uniform from beginning to end, with no jerks and hitches; but it takes long practice to acquire a perfect smoothness.
The shot must be allowed to leave the hand easily, and the forward effort of the put must be so regulated that the equilibrium of the performer will be maintained. The perfect performer allows his body to bend forward just to that point where, should he go half an inch further, he would be forced to step out of the ring.
The beginner should practise with the shot for a good period every-day. He should work until he begins to feel tired, but after he has become master of the event—say in a year or so—he need practise but two or three times a week, and he will find that his form and powers are thus best retained.
In England the university athletes put the shot from a ten-foot square instead of a seven-foot circle. This gives them a certain advantage over American athletes, for they get a longer run, and thus more speed, and hence a greater momentum at the end. Hickok can put the shot from two to three feet farther from a ten-foot square than he can from a seven-foot circle, and with practice he believes that he could do even better. If an unlimited run, or series of hops, were allowed, the record for putting the shot would certainly be much greater than it is at present; but there is no doubt that the average form of athletes who take part in this event would be very much lower than it is now with the present scientific restrictions.
The first important indoor games of the season were held on Saturday, February 8th, in the Eighth Battalion Armory by the Barnard School. There were ten events on the programme, all of which were open, and a cup was offered to the visiting school winning the greatest number of points. This trophy went to Berkeley, who took two firsts and one second, and still, no doubt, retained something up her sleeve.
The Barnard team captured six firsts and two seconds, and showed that there is plenty of strong material in the school from which to develop a promising team for out-door work in the spring. All the events were interesting to watch, there being no handicaps, and the junior races were especially good, being rather more "for blood," perhaps, than the others, and being always a better field for surprises, as new material of an unknown quantity is continually appearing there.
Four records were broken, and the little fellows did most of the figure-smashing. W. S. Hipple, who made such a good showing against Kilpatrick last fall, defeated Irwin-Martin in the quarter-mile run, and then lowered the half-mile in-door record, made by Martin two years ago, from 2 m. 14-2/5 sec. to 2 m. 5 sec.! The time of the man who finished second to Hipple was 2 m. 19-4/5 sec. Beldford lowered the record for the mile. He took the lead from the start, but had a sharp tussle with Manuel of Pingry's toward the end, beating him in by only a few yards in 4 m. 54-2/5 sec.
Moore ran the first heat of the 60-yard dash in 7 seconds, and repeated his performance when he won in the finals. He took another first in the 220, which was the only sprint run without heats. His time in this was 26-1/5 seconds, with Goetting of Brooklyn High second. The in-door scholastic record for the Junior 60-yard dash was made by Moeller, Columbia Grammar, in 1893, 7-2/5 seconds. At this Barnard meeting, Wilson, Leech, Hewitt, Armstead, and Tebyrica each won his heat in 7-1/5 seconds, but Armstead came home first in the finals in 7-2/5 seconds. The record for the Junior 220-yard dash went down likewise. The old mark was 28 seconds, made by Wilson last year. Wilson ran his first heat this year in 27-2/5 seconds, Millard got the next in 27-3/5 seconds, and Wilson took the final in 26-4/5 seconds.
The high-jump mark only got up to 5 feet 6 inches, where Pell and Brown tied. The hurdles looked like an easy thing for Beers, but in the final heat he had a hot tussle with Herrick and Harris, winning on a close margin. On account of a claimed foul the two latter had to race over again, and Herrick won in 8-1/5 seconds. Beers had cleared the distance in 8 seconds.
The summary of points made follows:
| Name. | Firsts. | Seconds. | Thirds. | Total. |
| Barnard | 6 | 2 | .. | 36 |
| Berkeley | 2 | 1 | .. | 13 |
| Brooklyn High | .. | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Stevens Prep | 1 | .. | .. | 5 |
| De La Salle | 1 | .. | .. | 5 |
| Cutler | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Colombia Grammar | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Pingry | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Adelphi | .. | 1 | .. | 3 |
| Trinity | .. | 1 | .. | 3 |
| Oxford | .. | .. | 2 | 2 |
| Alling's Art | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Drisler | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Dwight | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
At the meeting of the Long Island I.S.A.A. last week the protest entered by Brooklyn High against Adelphi as a result of the League game of handball, played between them the previous week, was decided. The protest grew out of one of those inexplicable misunderstandings about rules which seem to crop up every now and then in all kinds of sport. In this case the High-school claimed the game on points, while Adelphi wanted the game on actual wins, which were 5 out of 7, the points being 133 to 131 in favor of High-school. According to the Y.M.C.A. rules, which were adopted by the League, Adelphi won; but both captains were ignorant of the rules, and agreed on playing for points. Before the game was well advanced Captain Forney of Adelphi found out his mistake, and declared he was playing for games won.
The decision reached was the most natural and logical one. It was found that both teams had violated the rules equally by agreeing to play for points, and the game was awarded to Adelphi, because that team had won in accordance with the Y.M.C.A., and consequently the L.I.I.S.A.A., rules. This case is somewhat similar to the one which cropped up on the football field last fall in this same Brooklyn League. It looks as though the captains did not keep very well posted on the rules. And yet one of the first things a captain should do is to know these by heart. Talk with the captain of a Yale or a Harvard university team, and there is not a question of the most intricate nature covered by the rules of his game that you can corner him on. It ought to be the same way with school captains. Slipshod knowledge is worth nothing; absolute familiarity with the law is vital.
The Long Island League has decided to hold annual in-door games henceforth, and the first ones will be given in the new Fourteenth Regiment Armory, Brooklyn, on Saturday, the 29th. The following events will be open to members from any school that is a member of the National Interscholastic Association: 75-yard dash, 75-yard dash (boys under sixteen), 220-yard dash, 440-yard dash, 880-yard dash, 1-mile run, putting 12-pound shot, running high jump, pole vault, and 75-yard hurdle. The rules governing entries and competition will be those of the Long Island Association and of the A.A.A. Entries close February 22d with H. O. Pratt, 232 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn.
The convention of New Jersey schools, held in Plainfield last week, resulted in the formation of a New Jersey Interscholastic A. A. Its members are Plainfield High-school; Newark Academy; Pingry's School, of Elizabeth; Stevens Preparatory School, of Hoboken: Rutgers Preparatory School, of New Brunswick; and the Montclair High-school. It was decided that each school shall hold an athletic meeting every year. The State athletic meet will be held on the first Saturday in June, and the annual meeting of the association will take place on the same day. The association will control track athletics, baseball, football, and cricket.
It is encouraging to see so many associations starting up in various parts of the country, and I cannot but feel that the formation of the National Association has had much to do with it. The schools have realized what a great advantage it will be to have an established and recognized standard, and a central and controlling body; and knowing that the only way for them to become members of such a central or parent body is to first form an association, the result has been the organization of interscholastic leagues in many sections where hitherto there had been only a desultory sort of interest and activity in track athletics.
Another new association recently established is the Hudson River Interscholastic League. It is composed of the Mohegan Lake School, of Peekskill; Riverview Academy, of Poughkeepsie; and Holbrook's, of Sing Sing. Doubtless before long the many other institutions in the towns along the Hudson will see the advantage of belonging to an association, and will apply for admission. It looks now as if by the time the officers of the National Association get ready to make their announcement of the spring games there will be more than double the number of associations to answer the call than there was a year ago at this same period.
The ice-polo season has been a most successful one in Boston this year, and many of the games have proved exciting and close. Lack of space has prevented our giving any detailed account of the matches in this Department, but I hope to be able to publish the result of the winter's work and the scores of the League games, for the sake of the record, as soon as the finals have been settled.
The suggestion made by Professor Atewell, of the Columbia Grammar School, to hold an interscholastic gymnasium contest is an excellent one, and one that this Department heartily endorses. Such a contest has many advantages over an in-door track-athletic meeting, and now that most of the schools in the city are provided with gymnasiums, it would seem an easy matter to arrange one. Trinity School, at present, seems to take the greatest interest in gymnasium work of any school in the city. By gymnasium work I do not mean exercise in the gymnasium preparatory for track athletics. I mean work on the rings, bars, etc., and calisthenics.
The Graduate.
Any questions in regard to photograph matters will be willingly answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions.
PREPARATION OF TINTED SENSITIVE PAPERS.
NO. 2.—HOW TO MAKE VIOLET TONES.
To make violet tones the paper is first sensitized in the same way described for making red prints. Make a solution of 96 grs. of nitrate of uranium and 4 oz. of water. Put this solution in a shallow tray, such as is used for toning, and float the prepared photographic paper on this for twenty seconds; drain carefully, and pin up to dry in a dark room. If dried by artificial heat the paper is made more sensitive and prints more quickly.
As soon as the paper is dry wrap it in post-office paper, and then in black needle-paper—such as sensitive papers are wrapped in—and lay it away in a drawer or covered box till wanted. This paper may be prepared several days before using, but should not be kept too long.
To print, place in the printing-frame and expose to light. If the negative is thin, three minutes in bright sunlight or one hour in the shade or a very dull day will be necessary for printing, and if a strong negative, ten minutes in bright sunlight or two hours in the shade will be necessary.
Have ready prepared a solution of 8 grs. of chloride of gold and 4 oz. of water. As soon as the print is taken from the frame wash it for twenty-five or thirty seconds in hot water (120° Fahr.), and place face up in a toning-tray, and flood the print with the chloride-of-gold solution. The print does not show when it is taken from the frame, but is developed with the chloride-of-gold solution. When the detail is well out, and the color a rich violet, take from the tray and wash in running water or in several changes of water, till none of the coloring matter shows in the water. Pin by the corners on a flat board, and set the board in an upright position till the prints are dry.
These violet prints are very attractive for certain kinds of work. Flower studies, especially those of single flowers, make novel prints. A set of four different colored prints might be made and used as decorations for a calendar. Mount the prints on square sheets of heavy drawing or Bristol board, and on each sheet place a three months' calendar. These calendars may be obtained at any stationery-store. The cards may be further decorated by tracing fine gilt lines round the picture and calendar leaves. An appropriate motto may also be added to each sheet.
Of course the first of the year has already passed, and it may seem out of season for suggestions as to making calendars, but one of the prettiest birthday gifts to a friend is a calendar beginning with the day of the month which marks his or her birthday. Such a calendar is very convenient, for it laps over into the coming year, which is sometimes a great advantage. Instead of mounting the prints directly on the card, an opening may be cut in the card and the picture placed behind it, as described in "Tinted Papers," No. 1. If this is done, a thinner piece of card-board should be pasted on the back, not only as a finish, but as a protection to the picture.
Blue prints may be toned to a dark violet by first printing, washing them in clear water, and then flowing them with a solution of 1 part potassium hydrate in 300 parts of water, and again with a solution of 4½ oz. of alcohol (90 per cent.), 7½ oz. distilled water, 1 oz. gallic acid. This gives the prints a dark purple or violet color, not so pleasing as that made by the process just given, but, if not printed a too deep blue in the first place, look very well.
Tinted papers—with the exception of carbon papers and blue prints—are not found in the market, but must be prepared by the amateur.
Mr. Emil Dæche, Patron, of Jersey City, New Jersey, gives the formula which he uses for toning aristo paper whereby he obtains fine chocolate tones, and asks if prints made by this process will be permanent. The prints, if well washed, ought to be permanent, and not turn yellow. The reason why prints turn yellow after having been made some time is not so much the toning process as the fault of the paper. Aristo prints are not as permanent as albumen, bromide, or platinotype prints, or even those made on plain salted paper. Improvements are being made in aristo papers, and they are now of much better keeping quality than those first put on the market. If Mr. Dæche will kindly send a more detailed account of the process which he uses, we should be glad to publish it for the benefit of the members of the Camera Club.