The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-22
THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
WILL BE HELD AT ATHENS FOR TEN
DAYS, BEGINNING APRIL 26.


Jumping. Throwing Weights end ouois
|. Throwing-There VIII BE Swimming
Races and Fencing-Other Sports.
Barring the outbreak of a general war
In Europe, which would doubtless put an
end TO the whole project there will be a
high athletic time at Athens next April,
when the long talked Of Olympian games
revival Is TO take place.
The games are expected to begin on
April 20 and TO DO continued for ten days,
closing May B, dates corresponding to
April to rs In the old style, the former
date being the anniversary Of Greek inde-
pendence.
The field sport contests will include foot
races, jumping, throwing of weights and
pitching of quoits. One of the long dis.
tance foot races will he from Marathon TO
Athens. In gymnastics there are to be
both individual and collective fencing and
wrestling contests and assaults with the
saber and broadsword after the modern
fashion There arc to be yachting and
rowing contests In the Pireus. swimming
and water polo contests in the same his
toric waters, and the modern sports OF
which the ancient Greeks knew nothing
bicycling, lawn tennis, cricket and golf
are all TO be included somewhere In the
ten days programme
Football and pony polo are excluded and
as yet there has been no place reserved for
the great American game OF baseball
which seems to me decided mistake TX
the interest and support of Americans are
TO be won for the new Olympics. Tho
United States promises to furnish largo
contingent OF athletes, and 1t Is probable
that fair share of tho honors and trophies
of victory will be brought back from Ath-
ems TO this country. An honorary COM
mittee, OF which President Cleveland Ia
chairman, Is promoting American interest
and arranging for American participation
In the affair, and among its members arc
the presidents of Harvard, Yalo and Co.
lumbia colleges, Mr.. Joseph II. Choate,
Mr.. William l.. Sloane and many other
eminent citizens identified with college
and athletic interests. 1t is expected thai
this committee viii at an early date issue
a more detailed announcement Of the April
events at Athens giving full information
Of tho prizes TO be contended for and tho
conditions upon which our ambitious ath-
letes may enter the lists.
The original Olympian games occupied
five days only, and the order of them was
Es
boxing and wrestling. 1t Is of course out
of the question TO revive them In any real
sense, because they had a religious signifi
canoe which cannot be even mimicked.
Masons and carpenters are now busily
at work rebuilding the famous Stadium,
In Athens, az restoring at great cost tho
main scenic surroundings of the ancient
festival but Jupiter no longer has any
worshipers, and the mystic rites Of his
great temple in the Altis, with its hugo
statue OF Zeus, cannot be recalled at next
April's fete. Yet those solemn ceremonies
wero the heart and soul of the original
Olympic games.
The rebuilding of the Stadium, how
ever, will give tho world stately souvenir
of the world that was before the Christian
era began. Excavations made by the
present king OF Greece in 1873 laid bare
the old amphithelter and arena. They
also disclosed the ruin OF two high sup
porting walls at the entrance near tho
Illissus river, and vaulted subterranean
passageway leading from the closed end OF
the arena out beneath tho hill. This tun-
mel is presumed TO have served as an en-
trance and exit for tho athletes and judges
of Pindar's day. Ii is intended to use it
for the same purpose in the reconstructed
Stadium.
The immense open air amphitheater oc-
cupies the sito Of natural ravine and Is
artifcially closed at ono end. Its shape Is
that of an elongated horseshoe Spectators
to the number OF 40, 600 can be seated on
tho sloplng sides OF tho raviue, looking
down into the arena below, which is q lit
tie over 5000 feet long and at the widest
part 100 feet wide. Tho foundations Of
this ancient structure were laid by Lycur.
gus, 300 B. G. The seats of tho ancicut
amphitheater were made of Pantollic mar.
BILE, but those used noxt April will be OF
wood. About 500, coo is being spent on its
temporary restoration, and ultimately 10
Is intended to restore IL permanently In oil
its ancient marble glory.
Tho fart that prizo fighting has boon
eliminated from the modern revival Is an
other evidence Of the impossibiilty OF
bringing back the ancient contests with
anything approaching ldclty. The ancient
Crooks w9go tho great original pugilists
and their boxing contests were Of very
deadly order.
The Greek costus was the most torriblo
boxing glovo that ever was worn. 1t was
composed Of rawhidc thongs padded with
metal Practically II was boxing glove
with brass knucklcs in It. Holes were cut
through for tho fingers, aud tho thumb
ovorlappcd tho side. When Pollux obtain
ed the boxing victory at tho Pythian
games, he wore such gloves as these, filled
with lead and iron.
Tho highest achiayemnnt- of m athlate-
OF old Olympia was to win the victory In
the final pancratium, which was n combi-
nation Of boxing and wrestling. The com
potltors stroye together in perfectly nude
state, having had their bodies previously
woll salvcd with oil-and IL was great
strife