Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-05
FIRE CRACKERS AND FUN.
HOW THE NATION ENJOYED ITS
ANNUAL OUTING.


sion trains brought great crowds of visi-
tors to the city. All business was sus-
pended throughout the city in order that
the people might attend the grand holi-
| day entertainment at the park for the
benefit Of the Public Library. Nearly
ten thousand people congregated on the
sward to witness the long programme of
various sports. The weather was fine
until 4:30 O'Clock this afternoon,
/ when rain commenced to fall, but the fun
continued and every one remained until
| the end. The walking match. a six hours
/ gO-as-yOu-please, commenced at 10 O'Clock,
| twenty-eight pedestrians embracing the
/ entries.
The pedestrians came from various
! parts of Georgia. Mooncrief, of Bibb
| county, regular eountryman, won the
| first prize Of 800, making 351S miles.
/ Harris, of Macon, won the second prize,
| $50, covering "a miles. Ford, of Macon,
| took the third prize, a gold medal, having
| covered 331% miles. Ford won the first
| prize in the first match between Macon
and Atlanta recently, and walked in the
second match at Atlanta, when his arrest
was threatened by a woman claiming to
be his second wife. Bosset, of Macon,
was good fourth, being only a few yards
| behind Ford.
The remaining walkers made under
thirty miles, running all among the twen-
| ties.
A BRIDGE GIVES WAY.
During the last hour of the walking
match bridge built over the track to
| allow spectators to cross became packed
| with people, no one being able to move.
| Suddenly the platform of the bridge gave
way with terrible crash, precipitating
| the large crowd of men, women and chill
| dren to the ground, falling nearly twenty
| feet. All fell huddled together in one
| struggling mass of humanity. Women
| shrieked, children cried, and great COM
motion followed. No one was killed,
| but several received severe bruises
| and hurts. A little boy was seriously in
| jured in the ride. Had the fall been
| further some one would have been killed.
| Fortunately no walker was passing under
the bridge when it fell.
THE BICYCLE RACE.
The five mile bicycle race was very fine
and exciting. The entries rode around
| the half mile track. The contestants
were numerous and all were attired in
| pretty costumes. Il. l.. Ingram, of Colum-
| bus, won the first prize Of $50 His time
was q minutes 26 seconds. Abbott
Thomas, of Savannah, took the second
| prize, a gold medal, and John PolhilI, of
Macon, captured the third prize, a silver
| cup.
A serious accident also happened dur
ing this race. Madison Jones, well
| known citizen, attempted to cross the
| track while the bicyclists were riding.
He had just got his head under the rope
when Polhill rode rapidly by, and Polhill
not seeing Jones the wheel of his bicycle
| struck Jones fearful blow in the neck,
| knocking him down and hurting HIM
badly. Polhill was thrown fifteen feet
and considerably bruised, but remounted
his bicycle and won the third prize.
John Little, of Macon, won the first
prize, silver fitting pitcher, in the single
mile dash bicycle race. His time was 4
minutes 81 seconds.
OTHER SPORTS.
A beautiful foot race of two hundred
| yards, between Two selected runners. each
of Macon fire companies. Dinkler, of No. 3,
won the first prize, gold medal, in 21L
| seconds; Julian and Miller, of No. 5, We're
| second and third.
The firemen's reel race, 100 yards, lay
| 100 feet of hose, make connections and
throw water, between No. and No. 2,
was won by No. in 35K seconds. No.
| 2s time was 3715 seconds. A slow pressure
of water caused poor time.
The mems hurdle race, a quarter of
mile dash, jump ten hurdles and two
| ropes p feet high, was won by Willie
| Boiler. The prize was silver pitcher and
water cup. Charlie Julian won the Sec
ond prize, silver goblet. The race was
| exciting, and there were numerous en-
tries. Several runners fell over the hur-
| dies.
There were various other sports, viz:
| Mule, steer, sack and wheelbarrow races.
| all of which were highly enjoyed. Despite
| the fact that the Ocmulgee river was very
| high the tub race occurred amid much
| m
Lamberton won the first prize, a fine rock
| ing chair. Hickman took the second prize,
a gold medal. The library's receipts to-
! day above all expenses, which were large,
will be very heavy, so great was the
| crowd in attendance.
ATLANTA SPENDS THE DAY AFoOT.
| ATLANTA, July 4.-The annual Fourth
| of July celebration was observed here to-
| day by a series of foot races and other
| athletic sports. At the walking rink a
programme of unusual interest was pre-
sented to please. A large number of
| strangers were in the city, who came
here from neighboring towns and cities
| in search of days amusement. The
| programme consisted of newsboys' race,
lasting one hour, reporters heel-and-toe
| contest for ten miles, a six hours go-as-
| you-please race, a sack race, and similar
| sports. In the newsboys' race Charlie
Boyle was the winner, making 8 ola
| miles in an hours run. There were
| twelve starters, and the contest was an
| exciting one from string to string.
The ten miles heel-andL-toe race for re-
| pOrters brought out Joe Carter, r. M.
Cheshire, Sam Small and Smith Clayton.
The race was won by Garter in 1 hour
and 40 minutes, with Cheshire second.
Small third and Clayton fourth. The
men kept well together during the entire
contest, and the race was quite interest
| ing.
The fat mans race, for an
hour, no entry to weight less
than 226 pounds, was won by Patton,
Fulton county farmer
The most exciting contest of the day,
and the one that ended the programme,
was the six hours gO-as-you-please race,
in which the entries were Alfred Prater,
Charley Church, Dan'l l.. Mauck, Doug
las Coleman, John l.. OZbOrne, u. Ma
hotter, John Robinson and j. H. Poston.
The record will show that nearly the en-
tire distance was made ia a run. Prater
covered Sc miles and 4 laps, Church 80
miles and laps, Mauk "a miles and
laps, Coleman "a miles and FLAPS, OZborne
26 miles and laps, Mahoffer 26 miles and
! lap, Robinson IA miles and laps, Pos
ton is mil8 and laps.
Robinson and Poston got sick when the
contest was half through and retired. In
NAuuluB up OHuICH put Ou q SpuTL anu
tried to cut down Prates' record, but
failed. The prizes in these contests ranged
from 5000 to $25. The attendance was
good and the gate receipts consequently
satisfactory. A noticeable feature of the
last foot race was the appearance of Mrs.
Coleman in the walking tent paying her
husband every attention, and urging him
on to victory or defeat
THE QUALIFICATION AT wAYCRoss.
WAYCROss, GA, July 4.-The glorious
Fourth was celebrated here to-day by
general suspension of business. The fea-
lures of the day were a foot race in the
morning fromEW aycross to Waltertown,
distance of seven miles, in which there
were fifteen cOntesting negroes entered
by the young white men. The race was
won by John Hamilton in 81 minutes. The
prize was $50. In the afternoon a grand
tournament was held with three tilts for
each rider for five rings. The prize was
$25. j. l.. Smith won, taking fourteen
rings out of possible fifteen. A grand
tournament ball is now in progress.
THE DAY AT JACKSONVILLE.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, July 4.-The
Fourth was observed quietly here. Young
America burnt the usual quantity Of
powder. Many citizens are absent on ex-
cursions.
VETERANS OF 1912 PARADE AND FEAST.
NEW YORK. July 4.-The veterans of
the war Of 1872 celebrated independence
day by parade and dinner, which was
rendered them by the proprietors Of the
Sturtevant House.
KILLED BY A CARTRIDGE.
PHIIADFT pUIA T1Iv A A-Thos RoooY