Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-07-15
THE AMERICAN ATHLETES
PROMISE TO CARRY OFF THE MA
JOR PORTION OF THE
HONORS
AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION.
They Gave an Excellent Account OF
Themselves i'm the Contests Yes
terday, Generally Defeating the
the Europeans and the English
The Results in Detail.

| PARIS, July 1.-THE American
athletes, fresh from their victories in
London, won the only two events de-
cided to-day and secured leading
places in all the trials which took place
on the opening day of the worlds
| amateur championships, held under
the auspices of the exposition. The
contests were inaugurated. with mag
nifiicent weather, at the Paris sracing
club, in Pre- Catalan, a charmingly sit
uated glade in the Bots de Boulogne.
Its pretty surroundings, however,
were hardly adequate compensation for
the poor accommodation provided for
the visitors, which will be seriously
felt on the days of big crowds. But
no inconvenience was experienced to-
day, the meagre attendance being per-
fectly astounding to the American and
| English visitors accustomed to sec
tens Of thousands at athletic contests
OF such international importance as
| of to-day.
Not more than thousand spectators
were present and the majority OF these
came from America. In fact. the meet
ing resembled more American college
sports than international champion
ships held abroad. Only two small
stands were provided for the spectators
and only one of these was fairly filled,
chiefly with bright, young, American
girls, who wore the colors of the vari-
GUS American colleges competing and
gave unstinted applause as their coun-
trymen secured victories. portion
of the leading stand was reserved for
Americans, and it was gaily bedecked
with the stars and stripes.
The Americans started by winning
the first heat in the Ito metres hur-
dies and places in the other two heats,
which they converted into a complete
victory in the final heat. they winning
first. second and third places.
This they followed UP by winning
first and second places in the 100
metres fiat race and they would have
been first, second and third, but for an
accident to Duffy, who won his heat
quite handily, as well as the semi-final,
only to have a tendon of ..is left leg
give way while leading in the final
heat, when half OF the distance from
the tape.
The Americans then won two heats
out of the three in the S00metres fiat
race, all three heats in the Az metres
fiat race and both heats in the 400
| metres hurdle race.
They also have three out of the five
men who have qualified for -Ae tina.
in the broad jump, and three in leading
places out of the five qualifying for
the final in the shot putting contest,
while Sheldon will represent the Unit
ed States in the remaining event, the
discus throwing which, judging from
to-day's performance is likely to be
the only event which the Americans
will fail to carry of, out of the eight
events in which they started to-day.
The introduction Of American col
lege cheers into to-day's proceedings
was a complete revelation TO the
Frenchmen and other foreigners. AT
the first yell they apparently imagined
some invasion Of wild Indians had oc-
CURED, but after hearing the many
cries about hundred times during the
| day they appreciated the fact that 1t
was simply an outburst of Ameri-
can enthusiasm or encouragement OF
the college men, a great number of
whom were present The Frenchmen,
however, could not become reconciled
to this form of cheering, and they were
heard to frequently exclaim: What a
band OF savages.'
The feature of the days meeting was
not only the number of events the
| Americans won, but the perfect ease
with which they outstripped their COM
| peititors, aften finishing first and sec
ond in the trial heats, laughing side by
side, and in eanter.
The American methods of staring
jumping and shot putting were also mat
tiers of great interest to the Europeans
who watched curiously the crouching
posture of the spDinters as they waited
for the firing Of the pistol and the elabo-
rate preparations Of each American ath-
lete in finding the length 20 run for a
jump, and to them, the peculiar form of
shot putting.
The physique of the Americans com
pared extremely fayorably with that of
the Europeans and Sheldons figure at
traeted such attention that he was anus
ingly ehristened by the Frenchmen, "the
little baby.
The natty college costumes Of the Amer
leans were decided contrast to the
homemade attire OF some of the best
European athletes. who. instead of DOM
ing a sweater or a bath robe after the
trials, walked about in straw hats and
| light overcoats.