Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-07
THE FIELD EXERCISES OPENED.
FIFTY-FOUR CLUBS CONTESTED 600
YARD RELAY RACE.
Fest Formally Dedicated at ENposi-
tfop Hall Last Night - 10000
Strangers In ST. LOuis-4,OOO
Contestants on the
Programme.

opened here to-day. All OF yesterday anu
during this forenoon, trainloads OF acllNe
and passive Turner's from all parts oil the
country. as well as thousands OF people
who are taking advantage OF the low ram
road rates, have been coming INTO the Guy,
and it is estimated that there are at least
EDoO strangers here. At the last national
festival of the bund in 1888. more thah
1900 active turner's strove for the laurel
Leaf the only reward offered in the con-
tests. This year the programme Is mucn
more extensive and interesting, II possipie,
and the contestants number 1900 at least.
The active Turner's are being taken care
of in the different Turn halls, where they
will eat and sleep, while the passiNes anu
other visitors find accommodations at the
hotels or at the homes of friends.
All of the principal business buildings IN
the downtown district are beautiIuily uec-
GRATED. German and American na2s ny
from numerous fiagstaffs and the irohts
of all the blocks along the route OF paraoe
are hung with red, white and blue bunt-
ing and thousands of streamers and ban
ners of the Turnerbund. At several places
along the route handsome arches have
been erected. The Exposition building
where the fest will receive its dedication,
and the six Turner halls show fine displays
of the decorations.
The most elaborate decoration in the city
is probably that at the entrance of the fair
grounds, which Is the scene of the field
exercises. In this spacious ground every
thing has been done for the comfort OF
the many thousands of people who Will
visit there daily. Machinery hall has been
transformed into handsome dining room;
There all the active Turner's, Judges and
committeeman will take their dinners, II
is expected that 5000 people will be fed
daily Numerous lunch booths about the
grounds have been provided for the others.
Among the prominent people present VINO no
have come to participate in one way or
another are: Miss Ellen LIE Garde, physical
director of the Providence, X. l., schools,
who is the only woman member of the OBJ
servation committee; DIR. Dudley A. Sar-
gent, instructor in physical culture at
Harvard university; DR.. Arnold, of New
son gymnastic school: DIR. E. Eberhard, of
the Boston Athletic Club; DIR. Edward
Mussey Hartwell, director of physical cult
ure in the Boston public schools; DIR. Zieg-
Ter. of the Cincinnati public schools. and
the physical instructor at the Chautauqua
National assembly, in New York; Professor
Ridd Pertuch, of Philadelphia, and Profess
or Herr, leader of the New Orleans Tur-
ners.
Last evening 1000 Turner's arrived, in
Guiding actives from different parts of
Colorado, Birmingham. Ala; Philadelphia
Brooklyn, Holyoke. Mass; Dayton. o.; In
dtanapolts and New Jersey. This forenoon
large delegations arrived from Cincinnati,
Milwaukee, Chicago, Fort Smith, Ark. ::
Little Rock, Ark; Washington. Mo-; Day.
enport, la; Memphis and Kansas points
Three Thousand visitors from Cincinnati
helped TO swell the immense crowd to-day
Most OF the time this forenoon was taken
Up with the reception of the visitors at
different quarters. The festival proper
opened at noon, when an immense process
sion of Turner's, among whom were 1000
local men, passed through the business
section of the city.
August II. Muegge acted as grand mar
shai of the parade, which was escorted by
platoon 1fK-;S Nh
j was composed of the New York. Indiana
and Wisconsin districts. The Illinois Turn
Heretns came next. headed by the Chicago
district, in the following order: Lincoln,
West Side, Forward. Grand Crossing, Free
dom, Almira, South Side, Germania, Har-
lem, Elgin,. Advance. Garfield, SWISS, Oak,
aurora and social turnvereins, Of Chicago.
These constituted the second section.
dtiphia' New jersey. g1 Pittsb9rg 'hS Missnuri ni
valley, Minnesota, Upper Mississippi and
Rocky, Mountain districts. in the order
In the second grand division. the judges.
in carriages rode first, followed by the
following districts;
New Orleans. Central Illinois, Pacific
Coast, Northwestern, Connecticut, Lake
Erie. Long Island. Ohio, South Central,
Kansas and Nebraska.
The second subdivision was composed of
st. Louis districts.
The third division was filed entirely by
passive turner's in blue uniforms. The ac-
tive Turner'S wore the regulation gray uni
form and made fine appearance.
DaTtlCl-
pants rode to the fair grounds, where, the
held exercises began.
AT the fair grounds at least 10000 people
assembled to see the field exercises which
began an hour later than the schedule time.
One of the most interesting events was the
mass exercises by the boys of the gymna-
SUM schools of the city. consisting of calls
themes and movements with flags. One
thousand of the lads marched into the field,
In six columns of six boys each, alternate
ranks. carrying flags of red, white and blue.
All the movements were done in open order
gave his orders with a flag from the top
of an elevated platform. ..--.r
The exercises were executed with precis-
ion and elected applause. Exercises upon
bucks followed
The boys marched of and their places
were taken by an equal number of girls
from the gymnasium schools of the city.
They ranged in age from 10 to Is years, and
werc dressed in blue bloomer suits and
cises with rings Were executed with the
precision of veterans When the girls
marched off the grounds they were given
an ovation.
The last event of the days programme
was the GOO yard relay race. in which 32i
men were contestants. Fifty-four clubs
each entered team of six men. Provision
was made for the running OF six teams in
each heat, and nine heats were run.
The following teams contested:
First -NfcKeesport. Pittsburg; North
Side, Milwaukee,: Covington, Ky; Social,
Ellzabeth. y. J. The Socials, of St Louis,
finished first in - seconds but as a foul
was; claimed the heat will be run over
again.
Second heat-Harlem Chicago; Columbia.
Philadelphia; Louisville; KY Turnge-
meinde: Concordia, st. Louis: Southwest
ern. Philadelphia: South Side, indianapolis.
LouisytilG won in 90 seconds.
Third heat-South Side Turngemeinde,
Chicago: Lawrenceville. Pittsburg: South
Wis. Germania, Memphis. South St. Louis sIhi
won in 10is seconds.
Fourth heat-Holyoke. Mass: Leaven-
worth, kas,; West ST. Louis, Swiss Ma
Greenville. n. ]. West St. Louis won in
Il seconds
Fifth heat-Gcrmania. Baltimore: Con-
Cordia, Germania, Moline, ILL.,: St. Louis
Turnverein Wet Side St Paul. Ger
mania, Philadelphia: Columbia. Elizabeth,
\. ]. Germania, of Philadelphia, won in
Sixth heat--Vorwaerts. Louisville; Stern.
Cleveland: Chicago Turngemeinde: Rock
Birmingham, PittsburE. Chicago Turn
gemeinde won in "A seconds.
Seventh heat-Aurora, Chicago; North st.
Louis, Central. Chicago; Social, Chicago;
St Louis won in 20 1-5 seconds
Eighth hcat-Detroit Social. Philadelphia
Turngeminde. New York, Germania, Los
Angeles; Social Indianapolis; Vorwaerts,
Chicago. New York won in 20 seconds.
Ninth heat-Davenport Turngemeinde;
West. Minneapolis: Southwest, ST. Louis:
New Orleans; Norwaerts, Chicago: Brook
lyn. Eastern district. Davenport Turn
gemeinde won in 69 IS seconds.
The winners Of each heat will run off the
finals at future date.
The fest was formally dedicated at Ex-
position hall tonight by Hugo MUNICH
chairman OF the central committee Henry
Ziegenhein. mayor of ST. Louis. welcomed
the Turner's and extended to them the FREE
dom of the city. Henry Braun chairman
of the national executive committee. also