Athletics

THROWING THE HAMMER. S3 of what fad any one wishes to bring in, ought to be under A.A.A. laws. It would be well if the favourite American attitude was adopted here : " Stand withthe heelsto a line, and throw from a stand." With thisform the maximum of strength and the minimum of knack is produced, at the same time it wants a lot of practice to let go at the right moment, andget up sufficient energy without the hammer pulling the thrower over,and makinga foul throw. The elementof danger which adds zest to the sport of a Briton is here in strong force, but, strange to say, it adds neither zestnor attraction to missile wielding. In fact, it is the most dangerous practice in the modern penathlon. The author has good cause to remember his first experience of hammer-throwing; it was at some military sports at Kingston, Canada, in 1864-65. As he arrived onthe scene a man was being led away with a mangled head, the hammer having hit him on the ear (there was not much ear left). A few minutes laterit fell close tohim, among the people; the handle swung round, knockingthree childrenover. He shifted hisquarters to another part of the ground,and then moved afoot or so to make room for a soldier; along came the hammer, and took the soldier full on the chest, just where the writer's facehad been a minutebefore. A living lane was ploughed through that crowd as the soldier went over; he was borne off to Fort Frederick. We delate on these dangers in ordernot to discourage, but warn— The Novice. —Thereis but one accomplishment (?) which fits in with apprenticeship to hammer-throwing, but one which inflicts so many " wars, excursions, and alarums," pains and penalties, on the novitiate's friends and neigh­ bours—the preliminarystages oflearning toplay the cornet. Everybody wantsto get as faras possible from an embryo performer oneither. If the two beginners would only join