East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-04-23


fore an Audience of 8O,OOO-Con-
tests Begin April 81 and End May
2-The Olympic Games Were Re-
vived In 1896 After Lapse of Fif-
teen Centuries-The United States
Is Represented by 80 Athletes.
Athena, April 23.-Thousands of
visitors from all parts of the globe
have invaded the city, the ancient seat
of Hellenic culture and prowess, and
all of them are looking forward with
eagerness to the opening of the great
Olympic games, which will take place
tomorrow at the Panathenian sta
dium, reconstructed in white pendelic
marble and with strict adherence to
the classic style, on the site of the
stadium of Herodus Atticus.
Everything is in readiness for the
great athletic contest, which will be-
gin tomorrow and will extend over a
period of IL days, ending May 2. The
magnificent stadium, which has a
seating capacity of more than $4,000,
is completed and awaiting the enorm-
Gus crowds of spectators, which will
be present at the opening ceremonies.
to be presided over by the king of
Greece in person.
Probably never in the history of the
world has there been an athletic tour
nament of similar magnitude, at least
not since the days of Attica's gran
deur. Every civilized country has
sent its best athletes to this gigantic
tournament, carefully trained for this
| supreme test of strength, skill and en-
| durance.
1t was a great idea of the Greek
government to revive the Olympic
| games after a lapse of 10 centuries.
| During the period Of Hellenic great
| ness the Olympic games were held
once every four years for nearly 20
centuries. In the fourth century af-
| ter Christ they were discontinued.
Greece had fallen a prey to internal
dissention and barbaric invasion and
was disorganized and weak. During
the classical period, the golden age
of Hellas, every Greek was an attn
lete and the Olympic games were the
great national event, which quadren-
nially assembled thousands of the
most famous of the Greek athletes
to Athens, to measure their strength
and nimbleness against that of thous-
ands of other athletes from all parts
of Greece. Great was the fame of the
victors in the Olympic games in those
days and some of the names of the
most famous and victorious athletes
have been immortalized by the rec
ords Of Greek history.
About 10 years ago the plan wa:
suggested to revive the Olympic
games on the same site where 200(
years ago the great athletic contest.
were held. The idea met with gen
eral acclamation and the first meet
which was held in Athens In 1896
was a tremendous success. Their,
were more than 100000 spectator
present on that occasion. Th
American team carried off the great
: est number of points. Since that tim
the interest in the Olympic games ha
wonderfully increased throughout tn
world. The completion of the mag
nificent stadium, which was made pos
sible through the munificence of tn
! late George Averoff, a wealthy Epi
: rote, cost fully three million franc
! and furnishes an appropriate settin
' for this greatest of all athletic tour
e naments.
Every European nation is repre-
p sented at this years games. TIL
United States has sent 32 Of its bes
e athletes, prize winners in many ma
8 tional and international contests, an
!. the Stars and Stripes will be carrie
by the American athletes in all tn
flat and hurdle races, including tn
=; great Marathon race, 26A mil
C run from Marathon to Athens. Amer
p lea will also be represented in nearl
f all the other track and field event
n including the Pentathlon.
4 No other country has sent as man
Il contestants as the United States an
l, ii is expected that they will again, 6
= on former occasions. carry off a lars
percentage of the honors. Owing
injuries received during the ocea
II voyage five of the American athlet
y were to some extent disabled, b,
|. there are enough of them left to mai
BOOu III every Dllt VI u
events. The list includes: Hah
Schick, Robertson, Eaton, Moulto
Queyrouve, Hillman, Prinstein, Pa
sons, Pilgrim, Cohn, Bacon, Bonha
Sullivan, Valentine, Lightbody, lie
witt, Friand, Frank, Forshaw, Sprin
Fowler, Kerrigan, Ewry, Glove
Mitchell, Edgren, Sheldon, Bornema
Daniels, Spencer, Schwartz and Mi
lot.
England which Is probably Il
most dangerous rival of the Unit
States in some of the athletic even
has only sent a team of eight me
but among them Is the flower of En-
lish athletes. They are particular
strong in the flat races. Ireland W
figure in the jumps, Australia al
Hungary in the swimming even
Germany, France, Denmark, Norw
and Sweden are all well represent
by a small number of exceptional
! good men, and particularly strong
field events.