Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-25
NOVEL CONTESTS
Drew . big Crowd to the Free Swim.
ming Beach.


The first day of the swimming tourna-
ment at the free bathing beach yesterday
afternoon was a glorious success and 2.5ot
people lined the banks and were interested
spectators OF one Of the most novel enter
tainments ever given In Washington. Sew.
eral weeks ago Superintendent Stevens of
the beach conceived the idea OF giving tho
people an opportunity OF witnessing an ex-
hibition Of what the patrons Of the beach
could do. Several prominent business firms
came to the rescue with donations OF hand.
| some gold and silver medals and a swim
ming tournament was arranged. The tour.
ney is to last two days, finishing this after
| noon with a tub race
| Yesterdays events consisted of contests
In plain diving and races at SO and l&
yards.
The exhibition opened with a competition
between II. X. Gibson. B. b. Adams NJ
Weeks. F. D. Simonds. T. r. Hanna, 4. 4
| Marschalk. r. L. Tegeier Lee Counsel
man. Arthur A; Riemer. r. lie Mat {. L.
I. Dorsey. The boys ranged themseivet
| along the wharf and dived in turn Some
or the contestants were mere boys. but they
demonstrated to their older brothers their
| ability: The prize was captured by f. ID
Simonds, who scored % points out Of q
possible 80 He was closely pressed by
Lee Counselman, however, a lad not over
thirteen years OF age, who cut through the
| water like a knife and only lost first honors
by slightly ., turning in his second dive. His
The medals for this event were donated
by the Bon Marche and were very prettily
| designed.
The 5O-yard swimming race open to al,
boys under twenty for the NJ. Dyrenforth
medals brought out eight contestants, and
than few inches separating the FIRST and
second boys: The following entered: Geo
Chase. aged eleven; Mitchell MontriIIe
aged fifteen; William Rider. aged fourteen;
| i, Hamilton nd
brother. John S. Hamilton, Ii. H. Gordon
Edwin Green, aged fifteen, and NJ John.
Manager Cotter Of the beach with a pistol
shot. and the little fellows. cheered by their
friends. fought bravely. Conspicuous by
their commanding position were the Ham.
ilton twins. They swan with ease and
worked like beavers. Before the So-yard
line was reached the leaders were tackled
royal was fought. Gradually l.. {. HamiI.
ton and NJ. johnson drew away from the
bunch. closely pressed by William Rider
who came strong at the finish The battle
between the leaders was exciting Youns
| Hamilton urged BY his friends contested
every inch of the distance with johnson
and won by scant head, William Rider
finishing third. 1t was great race and the
crowd cheered itself hoarse
The third and last event was the 100
yard swimming race. open to all, for tn,
gold and silver medals presented by x
Harris & Co. Ten boys faced the starter
namely r. E. Waddell, Jr., w. V. Reed, NJ
Weeks. Mike Candioto. Lee Cunnin yham
Granville Lewis Fred. Happier, K 10
| buchanan, H. X. Gibson and Lee Counsel
man. The race was never in doubt ate,
the first Is yards had been passed and Nj
Weeks won handily. II. X Gibson wa,
second. Time, ! minute and IS seconds
AFTER the contests were over Superin
tendent Stevens. who has been dubbed
The Patron Saint of Free Bathing.
mounted barrel and in neat speeches pre
scented the medals As the badges of meri
were pinned on the shirts OF the lucky one,
their friends lifted them on their Shout
ders and paraded up and down the beach
| The Judges were Messrs. Whitman Os
good Of the News, ]. w. Mitchell OF tn,
Post. DR.. Greenfell and ]. E. Jones of TIL,
Evening Star. The latter also acted a,
announcer.
This afternoon the program is attractive
There will be fancy diving and the aero
pats or the beach will Go their best Their
will be several races and a Iud,crous tut
race will end the tournament