The Worcester spy., 1899-08-13
TOM BURKE RETURNS.
He Visits Worcester on
His Return From
England.


ran under the Harvard colors in the
Yale-Harvard and Oxford Cambridge
games at West Kensington, England,
Saturday July %, visited Worcester
friends last night, stopping on his way
from New York to his home in Rox-
bury. He sailed from Liverpool on the
st. Paul, Saturday, Aug. 5, in company
with Copeland of Yale, and Harrington
and Brown Of Harvard.
OF his treatment on the other side of
the water, Burke has nothing but words
of praise. The Americans were enter
tanned in royal fashion, and he has no
excuse to offer for the defeat of the
American athletes, admitting the supe-
riority of the Oxford and Cambridge
men. 1t is a well-known fact, though,
that in his own race, the Englishmen
won in time that is not at all consist
| the American champions, selected to
| represent the two great American uni
Vers1ties in the contest
Burke says that the Queens grounds
on which the races were conducted, are
the finest on which he has ever set
foot, and the track he Believes to be
the finest and fastest into which he ever
| set a spike. The grounds are imme-
diately behind Buckingham palace, and
are the property of the royal house
mold The track is three laps to the
| mile and is far and away ahead of the
American cinder tracks, presenting SUI
perb footing. In hardness, it very
much resembles the quarter-mile track
| at Holmes field Cambridge
Ihe price of admission was 10 Shill-
lngs, practically $3.50, and even at that
| price, the grounds were crowded with
1900 spectators. The grandstands of
the Queens grounds proved entirely in
| adequate to seat the attendance, and
chairs were placed about the track in
a circle, many tiers deep. In the royal
box sat the Prince OF Wales, surround
| ed by many of the royal family, and the
| choice seats were gay with fair WON
/ en- and scions of the nobility of Eng
land. In Mr. Burke's opinion, there
were at least 1000 Americans at the
/ games, and the Yale and Harvard ath-
letes did not lack for supporters and
| applause when they appeared in the
several races and field events. Among
the most enthusiastic and consistent
| rooters for the American athletes were
De Wolfe Hopper Nat c. Goodwin and
| Maxine Elliot.
/ Before the races Burke declared thai
ne never felt better to run the race OF
his life. TheMonday before the games
| he put in some fast work on the
strange track, and round it remarkably
to his liking. He rested for three days
| before the crucial test came, and OF
| the morning of the contest was full ot
confidence in his ability to run credit.
able race. He had become thoroughly
acclimated and accustomed to the Eng
lish style of running the track with the
pole on the right which at first proved
| a material handicap to the American
athletes.
When Burke came to the mark, he
says, he was not at all nervous, and
| never felt better. At the crack of the
pistol he jumped well into the lead and
for 200 yards experienced no difficulty
Then of a sudden, and without warn
ing, his stomach went back on him.
He continued gamely, and at a hun
/ dred yards further on he was on the
point of collapse. He finished in fourth
| position, an6 during the last so yards
staggered and reeled off the track on
| the grass. The time was 1857 1-5
Burke's record is 1:55 3-5, and he had
confidence in his ability to run the
/ Queens grounds track well under that
time, but for his unfortunate accident
After the races, the champion quar-
| W1I1
severe stomach trouble the cause of
1 which he is unable to locate. Tt is some
| thing new in his experience, and he
says cannot be laid to the effects of the
ocean voyage, for the Atlantic was like
mill pond on the trip to England, and
none Of the Harvard or Yale men ex-
perienced the slightest touch of sea-
sickness.
Burke's illness prevented him from
| ch iOpr In hn oh 70. of,,,, ~
which was provided for the visitors
The remainder Of the team on the eve
ming of the day of the races, saw Sir
| Henry Irving in Robespierre, and after
the play were entertained in the great
actors dressing room, after which a
reception was given in their honor. The
team were escorted about Cambridge
and Oxford, and entertained during
their entire stay, with frankest hos
pitality Although the greater part of
the team did not sail for home shores
until yesterday, Burke decided to re-
turn, sailing a week ago.
Burke says that the entire English
nation is enthusiastic over the pros
poets that widen before the sharp prov
of the Shamrock in the international
yacht race. The yacht sailed from Liv-
erpooi on her long journey across the
ocean. Thursday, Aug. 3. amid popu-
lar confidence that when she again
returns, she will carry triumphaptly
back the coveted cup. The yacht was
steered somewhat out of the path OF
the ordinary ocean travel and the St
Paul never sighted the challenger, al.
though sharp lookout was kept by
passengers and crew for the famous
yacht with unknown sailing powers
that just now is worrying American
yachtsmen.
Sir Thomas Upton, Burke says is th'
idol of Englishmen and the enthusiasm
that swept over old England on thu
departure of the Shamrock was due il
measure to the personality of tn,
man that has again challenged agains
long odds in an attempt to carr,
the trophy across the water. English
men believe the Shamrock is the fast
est creation in racing craft that wa
ever launched, and although a knowl
edge of the ability of the Columbia il
entirely lacking on the other side,
is believed she must be considerabl,
faster than the Defender ever was t
hold her own against the Fife boat.
In the opinion of the athletic. tn
Shamrock is bound to encounter tn
roughest of rough weather before sh
reaches New York. On the last day o
his passage, which ended yesterda-
morning. huge waves swept the mas
: sive and stately st. Paul fore and aft
with a fury that augered no good 70
the small boat. In the opinion Of Off
GERS of the st. Paul, IL the storm
! strikes the Shamrock in its full force
the boat will have difficulty in weather