Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1903-02-26
OLYMPIC GAMES AT ST LOUIS.
Chicago Agrees to the transfer and the

Worlds Fair, st Louis, Feb 26.--The
greatest event in the athletic world on
this side of the Atlantic during the
present decade will be the Olympic
games at the worlds fair in this city
in 1904. The holding of these games
for the first time on American soil had
been conceded to Chicago by the man
agement but the necessary postpone
ment Of the worlds fair led to recon
sideration of the matter, Chicago taking
the initiative and courteously agreeing
to their transfer to st Louis. These
games are held once in four years and
are revival of the famous Olympic
games of Greece. The Olympic games
of Grecian history were contests for
men and boys and consisted of Ieap1ng,
wrestling, boxing. throwing the spear
and disc, racing in armor, chariot rae
ing, horse racing. etc. The games
were the chief feature Of the quadren-
NAL festival Of the Olympic Zeus, held
on the plain OF Olympia, In the province
of Ills. near the coast southwest or
Athens The festival was celebrated
in sacred enclosure called the Altis,
$40 by T50 feet, full of temples and al
tiers; the games In a stadium or hippo
drome on the east side Of the Altis ana
connected with it by numerous pass
ages. On the west side of the Alt1s
was an extensive gymnasium for the
use of athletes in training.
The games were held every four
wears in midsummer and covered 8
period Of four days. The exact time
OF holding was regulated by the phases
Of the moon. The date was announced
In advance OF each festival by heraids
sent through all the provinces OF Greece
proclaiming cessation of hostlHt1es
and declaring the territory of Ellis IN
volable during the festival season.
Pilgrims with sacred offerings and
great professions Of the people crowd
ed the Olympic plain by the time OF
the opening.
On the first day after religious cere-
mony of presenting offerings, the ath-
letic competitors were properly classed
and arranged by the judges, who then
led them in procession around the
stadium and opened the games with
elaborate ceremony. The contest Of the
trumpeters was held on the first day.
On the second day there were con-
tests of boys, foot races, wrestling, box
ing, the pentath1ow or five-game con-
tests of leaping, running, throwing the
spear, the discus and wrestling; the
pankration or combination Of boxing
and wrestling and horse races with
boy jockeys.
The third day was devoted to con-
tets for men, foot races, wrestling, box
ing, racing in heavy armor; pankration
(boxing and wrestling) contests.
On the fourth day there were more
pentathiow contests, chariot races and
horse races.
On the fifth day the awards of live
crowns were bestowed, with process
sions and banquets to the victors. The
ceremonies ended with the victors APP
pearing at the altar wearing their
crowns and with a final grand banquet
at the public house reserved for the
nations guests.
In 1896 (April to 11). largely
through the fundamentally Of Baron
Pierre de Coubertin OF Paris. and at
his suggestion, the Olympic games were
revived at Athens, Greece, with great
success, athletes from all parts Of the
world swelling the attendance. A
stadium was built after the outlines of
the ancient arena and the program and
proceedings OF the games, generally,
were made to adhere as nearly as posi-
BILE to what was interpreted to be the
ancient regulations and customs. d
At these contests American athletes
were phenomenally successful Ameri-
cans leading In almost all of the events
and an American being the first victor
of the games. The Marathon race,
however. cross country from Marathon
to Athens, the popular event Of the
series, was won by a Greek, to the
poetic satisfaction and loud acclaim Of
the world.
In 1900 the games were again held,
at Paris, also with great success, where
they constituted one Of the important
adjuncts of the Paris exposition.
The International committee (comite
international Olympique) was organ
lied in 1894 in Paris, by Baron Pierre
de Coulertin, for the purpose of ssre-
establishing the Olympic games upon
| the basis conformable to the spirit OF
the present age Its membership CON
sists of twentyfour representatives of
different nations and remains as orig
| inally selected
The worlds fair will have an ideal
place for the games, consisting of a
| superb athletic field, already graded.
and seats for $4,000 people. Near at
hand are the training quarters for ath-
letes, soon to be completed