THRILLING ESCAPES IN SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 377, 30 April 1910, Page 9

THRILLING ESCAPES IN SPORT.

An interesting story is told about Tom Sullivan, the ex-New Zealander and famous all-round athlete, who is training Ernest Harry for his race against Anist for the rowing championship of the world. .Sullivan, who, amongst other things, has won the Australian and English sculling championships, was training some years ago on the Thames for his race with Bubear. A spectator on the bank suddenly produced a revolver and fired two "shots at him, the second just missing Wag Harding, who was in the -boat with hint. The man "was arrested, and, 'when questioned by Sullivan, replied, "'Well, as I have never sen you row t'a-st enough to win. .1 wanted to find out how fast you could go." Sullivan says that, as a matter of hio-t. he never rowed faster than he did on that occasion!

The episode recalls an exciting- incident which the late William 13. Curtis, "father of American Athletes," used to relate. Curtis was in the hey-day of his fame as an oarsman, and one fine, but rough, day he took an outrig.ged gig out an Lake Michigan for a long pull. Suddenly a huge swell buried oarsman, gig and oars, and Curtis found himself struggling for his life and unable to free his feet from the straps of the boat. Try as he would, he could not kick his legs loose, and was weakening fast when he suddenly felt the boat go bang 'against something hard. The shock shook him clear of the boat,, and when he reached the surface he found himself a couple of hundred yards from shore. Being a powerful swimmer he easily made dry land, and the gig was soon afterwards washed ashore near the same spot. But it was a rare touch and go. DARING OF LORD DESBOROUGH. In his early days Lord Desborough showed a very venturesome spirit, and was almost drowned in an ell'ort to scull across the English Channel in an outrigger. Not content with this, he risked his life by swimming across the Niagara river above the Falls. A few days after the event his lordship met in -\ew York some English friends who doubted any man's ability to perform the feat which the newspapers reported he had accomplished. Lord Desborough thereupon promptly returned to the Falls, plunged in, and swam across again. Perhaps his lordship's closest shave, however, was in the Rockies when on a Ibig-game shooting expedition. He became separated from his friends, and wandered about for three days without food and without ammunition. He was almost at his last gasp when discovered by a party of searchers. A NIGHT ON A PRECIPICE. This reminds one of the adventure which befell Sir Henry Seton-Karr, while indulging in his favorite sport of hunting grizzlies in the Rockies. He was stalking a big old she-bear, which he eventually killed, when a mountain mist came on, and by the time he had done skinning the whole place was enveloped in a mist of such density that he dared not move for fear of falling over a precipice. The consequence was that he had to- remain out all night without any food. Probably no big-game huuter, however, has risked his life on more occasions than Mr. F. C. Selous, the famous lion hunter. It was not a wild animal, however, but a native servant who was responsible for his narrowest shave. Everyone who meets Mr. Selous cannot fail to remark, on first looking at him, ' the deep scar which he bears on the J right cheek. That scar has a history of L-its own, connected with smooth-bore J'guns- and elephant hunting. His native I servant, in a moment of excitement, loaded up one of his great four-bore guns with a double charge. The effects of the next discharge nearly finished the hunter's career altogether. He was hurled back/wards, the stock was shattered to pieces, and Mr. Selous, on recovering consciousness, found himself, among other injuries, possessed of a wound the scar of which he will bear to the end of his life. A CHARMED LIFE.

One might very well compare Lord Desborough with Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny, an all-round athlete and sportsman, who, amongst other things, has had two legs broken while ballooning; three arm-bones smashed while hunting; three ribs cracked while steeplechasing; one finger broken by a horse, and two 'by himself —on a man. In 'boxing, swimming, shooting, running, riding and rowing Sir Claude excels; and he has a son, Captain de Cresipigny, who is trying to equal his father's reputation. Captain de Crespigny showed great heroism when out with the 2nd Life Guards in the Boer War. Under heavy fire and in the open he went to the rescue of a trooper whose horse was shot. On another occasion he was nearly killed while hunting; but the fact that concussion of the brain followed a 20ft fall in no way seems to have affected his nerve. A short time ago Judge Bryn Roberts had a curious hunting accident which might easily have cost him his life. He touched the ear of his horse with the lighted end: of a cigar, with the result that the animal plunged into a pond and unseated its rider. Danny Maher, the famous jockey, has had some narrow squeaks. He has broken an arm and his collar-bone and on one occasion had a nasty fall in front of a field of twenty runners. 'A tumble of this kind," to quote his own words, "is, believe me, not a good sensal tion at all."