The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-28
TOURNAMENT OF
ARMY ATHLETES
Four Great Field Days at
the Preside in April
Next.
The Department Contests Viii
Take Place on the Mounted
Drill Grounds.
A Grand Stand Will Be Constructed
to Seat Spectators-List of
the Events.

The board of United States army officers
recently appointed to devise programme
of athletic events for military tourna-
ment of the Department of California has
prepared an elaborate report. The tour
nament will begin on the third Monday OF
April and continue four days. 1t will be
held ON the mounted-drill grounds of tue
Presidio.
In order to accommodate spectators a
grand stand with a seating capacity for
1000 people will be erected on the field. 1t
has been decided to charge fee of 10
cents for each ticket to the grand stand.
The prizes to be given will consist of
gold ana silver medals. An individual
winning three times cannot compete again
except in his own class. A contestant
Winning any department contest twice
shall be given suitable gold medal and
be known as distinguished athlete.
The board appointed Lieutenants Ham
and Croxton committee 10 manage The
souvenir programme
A committee was appointed to inter-
view the managers OF the streetcar lines
connecting the Presidio with the City.
Funds to procure prizes will be obtained
from various sources. Sums received
from the railroad com panies, from adver
tisements in the souvenir programme,
from the post exchange and other chan
nels will be applied to the purchase OF
medals.
In fixing the month of April as the
time for holding the tournament the COM
mittee desired to give teams an opportu-
nifty to organize and train. The weather
conditions of that month are supposed to
be favorable to outdoor exhibitions. Pro-
gressiye merchants and other public
oH n nj
join in the contributions to procure prizes
worthy of the highest competition.
The events at the Preside promise to
enlist the attention of multitude of peo-
pie outside of army circles. To provide a
programme in which all the branches of
the service could be represented was
task involving some study. The board, of
which Captain James S. Petit is chair
man and Lieutenant w. G. Ham Is re-
corder, has submitted the following pro-
gramme:
100-yard run.
Running broad Jump.
440-yard ruu.
Running high jump.
SS0-yard run.
Pole Vaulting for distance
9oO-yard go-as-you please, in heavy march
ing order.
Throwing 16-pound hammer
12O-yard hurdle race, 10 hurdles 80 inches
high.
Tug-of- war-Not more than one team from
eacn post can be entered; teams to be of
eleven men each, nine men on rope, one an
chor and one captain; all the men in each
team must belong to the same company troop
or battery to be pulled on the level ground ;
contestants to wear United States regulation
shoes; distance to be pulled, three feet, or time
limit OF i've minutes.
sklrmsh race, 200 yards-Eight 25-yard
lines; each contes tant to be equipped in light
marching order, with forty rounds of blank
ammunition and to fire tive shots, lying down,
at each line, using rifle, either as single loader
or magazine arm; not more than Cne man to
be entered from each company; non-commis-
stoned officer TO follow each contestant to see
that conditions have been complied with.
Equipment race, S5 yards-Contestants to be
equipped with rifle, blanket roll, belt and 10
rounds of ammunition, campaign hat, leg
gings and white gloves; TO leave rifle at 10
yards, gloves at 20, shelter halves at 80.
blanket at 40, legginrs at so, ammunition at
90, belt ut 20, hat al 80, turn stake at IS, and
returning to scratch replace all equipments so
as to pass inspection.
Tent-pitching contest-Common tent, three
men 10 each; pegs to be we'll driven; walls
rolled or inspection; and all men stand one
pace in front.
Relay race-Teams of 10 men from same
company in two lines so yards apart; 5 men
on each side; message to be carried 5 complete
rounds or so yards by each man.
Bicycle race, 440 yards-Three men may en-
ter from the Presidio and one from each OF the
other posts in the department.; L. A. w. racing
rules to govern.
Bayonet receive bayonets stuck in the
ground 10 yards apart, to be gathered one at
a time, and placed on rife at starting point;
only one rifle to be used each bayonet to be
left on until next is brought in; last one to be
left on rifle
Scaling wall-Wooden wall, close-jointed.
with cap-piece incnes wide; to be 10 feet
high, braced from the rear. Teams of 10 men
each; to be in light marching order; entire
team TO get over with arms and equipments,
Time contest.)
Has.y trenching-Contestants to use bayo-