The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-30 00:00:00

PEDESTRIANISM.

JAMES MILES'S GREAT MATCH AGAINST
TIME AT WANDSWORTH.
It will be recollected Miles attempted for the first time to
accomplish the extraordinary feat of walking, fair heel and
and too, 21 miles in three consecutive hours, for a bet of £5O
a• side, on Monday, August 11, when he failed. Miles on
that occasion became so used up that while walking the first
lap of the 18th mile he fell trom sheer exhaustion. His
backer thinking the failure arose solely from his not being
in proper trim, determined to let him have another cahrtanc.e,
•
The present 1-.2atch was therefore made, the requisite
in...!
the
being entered into on Friday, Aug, 29, W. rrio_l:33p7ish...
odds of £5O to £25 that Miles did not succeed e'
ing the above specified distarace within the
al
84 times
inlaotted three
hours. Miles had to make the circuit of the courseitieas
state
ef
(less 70 yards). Notwithstanding the
unPraPdition, and at
the weather, the ground was in splendid
.tete, made his ap-
-3 o'clock, Miles, attended by young STmle, but the backers
pearance. The betting was 6to 2 on E.l- whip it on at the
of Miles did not feel much disposed at:to
all intents and
odds offered, as they said the day ty
The start had to be
purposes so much against their relana;ad
on the signal being
made by the report of a PiToent style, The first mile
given Miles dashed off in
matgan4s seconds, the second mile
was accomplished in 7 minutes Oboes were completed in 23
in 15 minutes 50 seconds ; 0
minutes 59 seconds ; ton clipper in 40 minutes 18
4 miles,
.32 minutes 8 seconds ; 5 miles
log gra
were told off by the Yeti „Bed in 48 minutes 38 seconds ;
seconds ; 6 miles acconiereeno
completed, and that with the most
57 minutes. The first 8 miles and the first 7 miles.toh 7:l'l,l:mil:antes 33 seconds ; 9 miles were
perfect ease
were done in 1 hell •
done in 1 hour 14 minutes 9 seconds ; 10 miles were done
0.) urinates
44 seconds ; 10i miles (half the dic ,-
lished in 1 hour 27 minutes • 11 miles
in 1 hour .-.-
tance) were accomplished
,„ooleted in 1 hour 31 minutes 16 seconds; 12 miles
were -- in 1 hour 39 minutes 45 seconds ; 13 miles in
done in
1 hour 48 minutes 25 seconds; and the first 14 miles
were
gallantly walked in 1 hour 57 minutes 11
seconds.
The first 15 miles were accomplished in 2 hours 6 minutes
57 seconds ; 16 miles were completed in 2 holm 15 minutes
y seconds ; 17 were splendidly walked in 2 hours 24 minutes
33 seconds ; 18 utiles, 2 hours 33 minutes 40 seconds; 19
miles were done in 2 hours 42 minutes 33 seconds. The ex-
citement which prevailed was of the most intense descrip-
tion, and Miles,as he rattled along, was hailed from all parts
of the ground with the most deafening applause. There
could be no doubt, and well it might, that the pace and the
long continuance of his exertions were beginning to tell on
him, and that he was becoming more and more terribly dis-
tressed. Still, the pluck he exhibited at this trying and most
critical time was deserving of the highest praise. Through-
out the last mile and a half Miles struggled on with the
same undaunted pluck, the time when he had entered upon
the 84th and last lap being called out by the referee, so that
there should be no mistake. On came Miles in the midst of
the most deafening applause, but notwithstanding the tern-
'
fic exertions he had made, he had failed to reach the goal
when the referee had to announce to his friends those fatal
words, " Time's up,'' but still, so close was he " there" that
. he succeeded in walking the 21 miles in 3 hours and 10
seconds, thus only losing the match by 10 seconds. Such a
performance as this has not been witnessed for years, and
that, toe, in the midst of a pitiless rein,