The morning times., 1896-08-07

lhotHer UIu nOt Keep nlIn nome iOT IedI
that he would go near the water, or who
was not sick with the measles or mumps,
went to the thing beach yesterday
afternoon to witness the annual races.
This is the greatest event OF the year in
local boydom, and the wearer OF a medal
is greater object Of envy to his fellows
than the occupant of the Presidential
chair. On bicycles, in carriages, in
wagons, in sailboats, rowboats. yachts,
bydrocycles, and on foot they poured in.
Piers and every point projecting into the
water were alive with freckled faced,
tow and wool-headed youths, while fully
forty deep along the shore were ranged
boys Of all sizes, shapes, shades, ana con-
ditions, who howled and shouted for their
favcritcs till they were as hoarse as the
bull frogs in the neighboring swamp.
The water was a scene of the greatest
activity. Every type Of light water craft,
from paper shell canoe to u mudscow was
on hand, and a hydrocyclc, containing two
bathiDg-suited boys, pedaling hther and
thither, was one OF the novelties.
BUBBLED OVER WITH FUN.
The enthusiasm OF the crowd was bound
less, and no man ever received from de-
lighted youth greater homage except per
haps, the riDgmaster in the circus, than
did Supt. F. x. Stevens. Papa Stevens,
was the cry Of the bathing beach youngsters
at every stage OF the proceedings and it
was easy to see that il Washington Were
to elect mayor and the right Of suffrage
confined to the youth of the town, Supt.
Stevens would be chosen in the face Of any
other candidate. Considerable fun was
caused by the falling into the water of a
fat boy, whose excess of enthusiasm at
the fact of his friend being Temporarily
ahead in one OF the races caused him to
forget that he was perched on the eEd Of
an unstable board extending out into the
water. He was rished out by a boy whose
ingenuity led him to see the advan;ag ge OF
carrying his stilts for the occasion.
The events were all closely contested and
1t required fine d discrimination on the
part of the judges to pick the winners
Every one remained to witness the last
event, in which the prize was a medal
given by The Times. To win this event
the contestant had to show his superiority
in allaround work. including diving and
swimming under the water and ON the
surface.
W. b. Hudson was accounted the best
allarouDd waterman and received The
T ines n edal.
The judges were S. W. SteinmetZ. OF the
Columbia Athletic Club; Ballard N. Morris,
an examiner in the Patent Office; George
z. Carter of the Columbia Athletic Club,
and G. B. Shane. These gentlemen were
impartial in their decisions. but the boys
were inclined to play favorites and made
the lot OF the judges as unhappy as that OF
a baseball umpire.
PLAIN DIVING CONTEST.
The first event was a contest in plain
diving. This Is u feature in which the fire.
quenters ofthe be each are neutrality-suspicious.
and some graceful work was witnessed.
Every once In a while some uniucky fellow
would miss his footing or miscalcuilte
the distance and come a cropper on the
water that would make his flesh tingie
and set the spectators in a state OF uprnar-
ious jolhty. The contest was close, bat
finally W. Joseph Mangan was adjudGed
the best plain diver and Albert Chism was
given second place. The first prize was
gold medal and the second a silver medal.
The entries included Gustave Harrison,
Soldiers Home: Arthur Macnamee, eos
q street north west: Lee Counselmann, sac
Twenty-sixth street northwest, Clifton
Hasselbach, 927 T street north west: A Inert
Chism 1906 street northwest; Charles
l.. Smell, Anacostia: W. Joseph Maugan
of Carroll Institute, 1927 Fifth street
streets northwest.
wasa beautiful exhibition OF graceful work
and the performers were heartily applauded
by the spectators. George Chase. little
fellow scarcely in his teens, astonished
every one by his good work, and the
judges accounted him winner, which was
the unanimous decision Of the crowd.
]. L. Cassin was given second place,
a nd W. Joseph Mangan, honorable mention.
Prizes: Gold medal, presented by Superin-
tendcnt Stevens and a silver medal, pre-
sented by the Boston Variety Store. The
entries were: d. O'Connor, 512 Twelfth
street north west; Lee COunselman, Bethesda;
Md George Chase, 936 Twenty sixth street
northwest; F. Sanders, 629 street north
west; W. Joseph Mangan, 1927 Fifth street
west, and ]. L. Cassin, Seventh and II
streets northwest
UNDER WATER SWIM.
The long distance swim under water was
a race in the dark, and several fellows, after
kicking and squirming for length of time
and With a degree of exertion that they
thought shouldh have landed them down near
the Navy Yard, found that they had been
swimming around in a circle, and came
up only few feet from W here they started.
E. W. Eddis, the winner, got into shallow
water, and for several seconds during his
swim exhibited pronounced parts of his
body above the surfaceas he madiy y churled
the water to forge ahead while breath
asted.
j. 8. Hamilton took the second. place.
Prizes: gold medal, given by R.
Harris & Co.; silver medal, given by the
Bon Marche. Entries: D. O'Connor, 512
Twelfth street northwest; Edward sizer,
1862 street southwest; Gustave Har-
rison, Soldiers Home; Kingston R. Wilson,
Al B street southeast; E. W. Eddis, s07
Sixth street northwest; John O. Boss, $40
l street northeast; ]. s. Hamilton, Walk
away Athletic Club, 701 1 street north
west; Paul F. Hughes, IL 8 Third street