Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-13
KING EDWARD OPENS
THE OLYMPIC GAMES
DisagreeabIe Weather Attends
the Inauguration.
THRONG DEFIES THE RAIN
Parade of Athletes Before the Royal
Box.
AMERICANS ALREADY WINNING
Our Representatives Capture Two
Heats in the 1900
Meter Run.
THRONG DEFIES THE RAIN
Parade of Athletes Before the Royal
Box.
AMERICANS ALREADY WINNING

| LONDON. July 13.-When the city os
London awoke this morning it seemed as
though the English climate. which was so
kind to the sports held earlier in the year.
was trying to show the 1000 athletes as
| sembled here for the Olympic games how
| disa greea a BILE 1t could be. The past fort
night of unsettled weather. which has
| been a terror to the visitors who have
been trying to get in the best form for the
great physical efforts they are to make
during the next two weeks, was followed
this morning by downpour of rain which
threatened for a time to make necessary
the postponement of the opening of the
stadium at Shepherds Bush. Temporary
shelters, however. were gu ckly erected
to minimize the effect of the storm, and
at the time previously fixed the Inaugural
tion of the Olympic games was carried out
according to program.
Arrival of Royalty.
Shortly after 3 O'Clock in the afternoon
the royal box. which had been fitted up
for the accommodation of forty persons.
began to fill up, the early arrivals includ-
ing the Crown Prince and Princess of
Sweden and their children. the Crown
and Duchess of Connaught and the Duke
and Duchess of Argyll A short time after
ward the playing of the national anthem
by band of the Grenader Guards an
nounced the arrival of King Edward.
Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria.
with their suites. who had been driven In
state from Buckingham Palace.
| Lord Desborough, chairman OF the coun-
ell of the British Olympic Association.
welcomed their majesties at the entrance
20, hn Cto df,rvyr and tor m M
bers of the international Olympic council.
AS the king entered the royal box a.
bugaer gave a signal the gates leading
to the competitors quarters flew open and
the athletes marched out under the BAN
ners OF their respective nations. The
procession was formed in alphabetical
order. Austria leading, with the exception
that the English-speaking races came
last. The latter section was led by the
/ American team, with Garrels Of the Chi
cago Athletic Association at Its head
carrying the Stars and Stripes. The Brit
ish colonies were directly behind the
| Americans and at the end came the
! United Kingdom. as hosts. AS the pro-
cession came into the stadium each coun-
try received cheers. those for America
and the colonies being particularly en-
thusiastic., as the spectators who braved
the elements to witness the opening OF the
great games included large contingents
from across the seas.
| AS the day advanced the downpour
4 gave way to drizzle, which. however.
soon passed over. and as the time ap-
preached for the. opening the sun came
out occasionally and, with the assistance
of light breeze, frightened up the deco
rations.
Crowds gathered both inside and out
side of the stadium, and long before the
arrival of the king and queen the cheap
er sections of the stands were. filled with
spectators prepared to stay out the after
noon. no matter what the weather con-
ditions might be.
i Change in Program.
At the last moment change was
made in the order of the events which
were to follow the formal opening. The
first and second heats of the 1,50o
meters run we're placed first. and both ].
\ D. Lightbody, Chicago Athletic Associa-
ton, and ]. P. Sullivan. Irish-American
Athletic Club. were drawn in the first.
and Melvin w. Sheppard. Irish-American
Athletic Club and ]. P. Halstead, New
York Athletic Club. in the second heats.
respectively. and. in fact, there will be
two Americans in most of the eight heats
Of this event to be run.
In the 400 meters swimming event. Sec
ond on the program, L. Budd Goodwin,
New York Athletic Club. was drawn in
the first: Harry J. Hebner. Illinois Ath-
letic Club, second; c. NJ. Daniels. New
York Athletic Club. in the third heat.
loser are to compete in the second round
Hill and Van Den Dries were drawn
in the first heat Of the 2.O00-meters tam
dem bicycle event.
athletes paraded around the ground. The
representatives of the United Kingdom
looked formidable with their array Of
5l3 men. The nearest approach to this
Sweden came next with 169 and then
Hungary. with 154 men. The American
team would have had the next largest
army. with 14s. but Trainer Murphy re-
fused to allow the men to come up for
the ceremony. insisting that they remain
at their quarters at Brighton until called
on for more serious work. In all twenty
one countries were represented, and
| amoOng that gathering Turkey was rep
resented with one competitor.
| The Games Opened.
The athletes. having taken up posi-
tions facing the royal box. the Ameri-
cans in the center. fianked by the Cana
dians and the Englishmen. Lord Des-
brough marched up with the members
of the executive committee and said:
will your majesty graciously declare
the Olympic games opened?"
In reply the king said: Il declare the
Olympic games of London" At the
completion Of this ceremony cheering
broke out from all parts of the stadium
After the demonstration had died down
the athletes gave three cheers for his
majesty and then marched past the
royal box.
The men made splendid appearance,
though, unfortunately the weather pre-
vented all of the competitors from COM
ing out in athletic costumes The Amer
leans were among those who wore
street clothes. but even thus attired the
physique of the men caused much fa-
vorable comment. Ralph Rose of the
Olympic Club, San Francisco. and Lee
]. Talbot of Cornell University and
the other giants of the team towering
over a majority Of those whom they are
to meet Only fifty members of the
American team were in the parade and
this contingent appeared small beside
those teams representing the United
Kingdom and some of the continental
countries. but, nevertheless. their re.