The herald., 1897-05-10
WREATHS Conferred
ON THE vICToRs IN ATHLETIC
CONTESTS
Rain Interferes Somewhat With the
Program, But Most of the Events
Are Completed
Associated Press Special Wire.

oIs LOolo, 4Io., 4hdy iiC lWCuly
seventh national festival of the North
American Gymnastic union closed a
most successful meeting Of four days
and prizes were awarded to the vic
tors. Like those given by King George
Of Greece to the successful competitors
in the Olympian games at Athens last
year, they consisted of laurel wreaths.
Each wreath was tied with a white satin
ribbon inscribed with the words "Twen-
ty-seventh Bud Turnfest, st. Louis, Mo-,
May 8, 1897" A diploma accompanied
each wreath.
The awards were made tonight at Lie
derkranz hall in the presence of an i'm
mense crowd of the disciples of jain.
Jupiter Pluvius reigned supreme at the
fair grounds today but in spite of the
showers that he poured down there were
$4,000 men, women and children out to
see the sights. 1t had been expected to
make this the banner day of the festi-
val, but the wet weather caused cur
tailment of the program. The mass ex-
e1cises had to be abandoned, but the
competitors in field sports, groups one
and two, were able to finish. The only
event not completed was the hundred
yard races. In these races fifty-two
classes out of several hundred were una
tle to run their men because of the wet
grounds. In every other respect the fes-
tival has been a success.
George Brossius, principal of the nor
mal school of the Turnbund of Milwau-
| ! far CHI ,,a
1857, either as an active turner or in the
capacity of an official, is very profuse in
praise of everything connected with the
arrangements, which he said could not
have been better.
To Hugo Munich and William A. Sire
her, president and secretary respective
ly, as we'll as the other members of the
central committee, and Henry Braun,
president of the national band, is due the
praise for their able management of the
81 eat quadrennal festival which has
Just closed its most successful meeting.
Many of the turner's will return to their
homes tomorrow, but others will remain
over Monday and Tuesday and visit
points of interest about st. Louis.
The great work of computing the re-
suits of the many contests was done un-
der the management of Mr.. Guenther
of Allegheny, Pa, with corps of ter
men. These were kept busy night and
day from the beginning of the contests
until late this evening.
The results in the different contests
follow:
| Group 1, in class competition, lis classes
competing-Division A, Philadelphia
1urnverein, won first prize; division 3,
Denver Turnverein, first; division C.,
Holyoke, Mass, Turnverein, first; di-
vision D, Plattsmouth, Neb., Turnverein,
first
Group 2, in class competition, ten
classes ompeting-Central Turnverein,
Pittsburg.
Group 8, society competing, ten classes
contesting-South st. Louis Turnverein,
first
Individual contests, sharpshooting,
nineteen men competing-W. F. Roess
Ter, st. Louis Turnverein, first.
Club swinging, fifteen competing-Fred
Melz, Newark, N. j., first.
Wrestling, catch -ascatch-can, heavy.
weight, fourteen competitors-F G. Els
rer, Aurora Turnverein, Chicago, first;
n:iddleweight, fourteen competitors-H.
w. Abecken, Concordia Turnverein, st,
Louis, first; lightweight, twelve compet-
itors-Theodore Koppein, South st.
Louis, first.
Individual work on apparatus and
field sports 100 ontestants-George Ver-
valin, Denver Turnverein, first.
Fencing with foils, thirty-three COM
petitors-A. Zeger, Chicago Turnverein
Germania, first
Fencing with broadswords, ten COM
petitors-F .Turnt, Chicago Turnverein
Germania, first.
Swimming, distance 1900 feet, fourteen
competitors-John T. Taylor, Central
Turnverein, Pittsburg, first; time, 9:OS1s.
Individual contests in high jumping,
putting up the fifty-pound weight and
hop. step and jump-Chris Wedel, Buff
falo, first