The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-25


 the runners to follow. It was evident | also to everyone that the man was prac- | tcally delirious A squad of officials ran out and expostulated with him, but ] apparently he was afraid that they were ! trying to deceive him and fought to go l on to the left. At length lie turned about and started on the right path along the track Then followed an exhibition never 1 to be forgotten by anyone who witnessed ; it.
 Staggering Along.
 The colors and the number told the spectators that 1t was Dorando and his i name was .on every lip. He staggered l along the cinder path like a man in a ! dream, and his gait was neither a walk ! nor a run but simply a founder, with { arms shaking and legs tottering By de- vious ways he went on. People had lost thought of his nationality and partisan ship was forgotten. They rose in their { seats and saw only this small man clad ; in red pants, tottering onward with his ] head so bent forward that his chin rested on his chest. They knew nothing of him. as he had not been mentioned among the | probable winners but they realized that i his struggle must have been a terrific one to bring him thus right to the thresh- 1 old of victory.
 | Dorando staggered on toward the turn i and dropped to the ground. Immediately a crowd of track officials and followers swarmed about him. It was evident that the man, with undaunted courage had run himself to the very limit of endur- ance None expected to see him rise. for 1 haggard and down, he had fallen like a l good soldier when the last degree of vii ! tality was exhausted.
 Fell Four Times.
 According to the rules of the race phy- sicians should have taken him away, but the track officials, lost in their sympathy I for such a man. and for such an effort i lifted him to his feet, and with their ] hands at his back, gave him support. i Four times Dorando fell in the 300 yards l that separated him from the finish and three times after the doctors had poured stimulants down his throat he was dragged to his feet and finally was pushed across the line with one man at his back and another holding him by the arm.
 His part in the race ended when he entered the Stadium, for unless he received assistance he could not have finished. While this pathetic scene was being enacted the American, Hayes, entered the Stadium comparative ly fresh and trotted around He came in less than minute behind Dorando, but in the excitement of the moment failed to get even from his countrymen the recep- tion he deserved. It is a question whether public opinion will ever support another Marathon race here. Dorandos condi- tion when he finished and the condition of many of the contestants in today's events lead people to think it is worse than | prize fighting or bull fighting.
 The American athletes are sending to Italy their congratulations on Dorando . magnificent fight for victory.
 Happy Again.
 Happiness returned to the American camp tonight and the officials, athletes and everybody in anyway connected with the team are celebrating the great vic tory won by Hayes in the Marathon race. They have forgotten all the troubles of the past two weeks In this moment of tri- umph.
 Wasn't it great" said Manager Hal pin, who continued: "We not only won the big race of the Olympic games, but also got third, fourth and ninth places, and what is more our Indian beat the much-lauded Canadian Indian, Longboat. Well, we can forget what has gone be- fore, although we will always feel that we have been unfairly treated'
 Hayes, the man who carried off the race for America, naturally was very tired tonight, but he gave no signs of any i'll effects from his long run Hayes ran a careful race He was satisfied tc go along slowly until he had covered 1s miles, and then passed into third place keeping behind Hefferon until his oppor- tunity came on the long level at Worm wood scrubs, after a hard climb uphill ! When Dorando, Hefferon and Hayes reached the scrubs Dorando was three and half minutes ahead of Hefferon, who, in turn, was two and a half min- i utes ahead of Hayes. Both the Italian and the South African were limping badly, while Hayes was comparatively fresh and still strong. When the. Ameri- ! can reached the level of the scrubs through which the runners made thelr way along COW paths, he could see the two leaders only short distance ahead of him, and he felt certain from theil gait that they were about run out. He : therefore increased his speed and before he was through the scrubs he had over taken the South African and had made ! considerable gain on Dcrando. The times taken at the finish showed how well Hayes succeeded in making up the i distance, for, despite the assistance given the Italian, the American, in the mile and half distance from the scrubs to ! the stadium, decreased the Italians lead from about six minutes to less than a minute and he was strong while his op- ponent was completely undone.
 Forshaw's Statement
 Forshaw, the second American to finish and who was but four seconds and q fraction behind Hefferon, was walking about as fresh as ever and suffering nc i'll effects from the race He, of all the men who finished probably has clearer idea of what happened than any one else. He said to the Associated Press last night:
 'I was the last man to leave Windsor My instructions were to keep Tawanina with me, and if I weakened to send the Indian along to win the race if he could do so.
 q held back until about Il miles from the finish nursing Tewanina along, who was suffering from bad knees. We passed men time after time. Duncan, the Eng lishman who was expected to win the race, being left behind at the bridge.
 Hatch only passed me, but overlook him again. Hayes all the time was well to the front hanging to the heels of Dorando. I never caught up with either him or Hefferon. After we had run 21 miles Tewanina showed signs of weak ening, then I pulled out and passed Simp- son, the Canadian Indian. Tewanina do- ing likewise We ran fast, too fast. ir | fact with view to taking the heart ou