The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-07-14
OLYMPIC GAMES
OPEN IN LONDON
RAIN INTERFERED TO SOME Ex-
TIE IT, KEEPING MANY
FROM ATTENDING.
ONE RECORD SMASHED
American Runs 500 Metres in Two.
tifths OF Second Faster Time
Than Former Mark-Cood
Showing BY Enaishman

| London, July 13--Rain interfere
badly with the opening of the intoe.
national Olympic games today by thu
; Ring at the stadium at Shepherd
Push, and although it cleared on ne
fore The hour set for the formal car
nltny, the attendance fell short II
Expectations.
In the 1900 metre race, In which
1.-THE greatest interest conferred the res
lord for the distance was SMASHED
Melvin w. Sheppard of the IRISH
American Athletic club, New rk
wac the first to accomplish the lex.
when, in the second heat. pressed
hard by his team mate, J. p Hal
lstead he ran tie distance In 405.
just 20 Ct 4 second faster than that
made by j. Lightbody of the Uti
volsity of Chicago. at the Olympic
games at St Louis in 1904
]. p. Sullivan, OF the Irish-Ameri.
Gao Athletic club, and Lightbody, who
were first and second respectively n
the first heat of this event, took
Ion ger to cover the distance but thev
We're not pressed and doubtless ctult
have done better IL necessary.
The best performance of the dav,
however, was that of NJ. f. Hal'ows.
an oxford Blue, who cut two secoads
off the record. much to the surprise
lof everybody. as tie 1900 ms tres
wete considered too short for him.
H. l., Coe, OF the University q
Michigan, made strong bid for vic,
tory in the fourth heat but was unable
to keep up with T.. " Loney, of Eng.
Lara, although the time was not par.
, IticIIarly brilliant. Coe finished sec
ond
Today was the first time that the
great majority of those In attendance
had had an opportunity to view the
stadirm. Explanations of surprise
land admiration were to be heard on
levery hand. The giant amphitheatre,
completed at a cost OF 100000 has a
seating capacity OF 10000. Bes,d s
The spacious field the great arena con
tains a ll0yard swimming tank and
two one-third mile running tracks.
Erected at regular intervals around
the edge of the arena we're Venetian
masts and from these there tiuttered
today the colors of all nations. The
climax of the opening ceremonies
came when the two thousand and
more athlets entered for the games
paraded about the arena, receiving
the cheers of tens OF thousands Of on.
lockers
The games will continue until July
25th. During this time the pick and
flower of the athletic world will strivi
with every effort TO win glory and
fame and the plaudits of the multi
tude Never before In the history OF
the world has an athletic event OF
greater Importance Deen held or one
in which a keener pitch OF en-.
thhsasm has been aroused The
Olympic contests OF ancient Greece
pale into insignificance In comparison
with the present meet. In the variety
of the competitions and in the mum.
ber and representative character Ct
the entrants the meet has never been
equaled. Hundreds of visitors have
arrived in London from America, Aus
Europe to watch their countryme1
contend for the trophies aud to cheer
them on to victory
The scope Of the program is elor-
nous. Prizes. mostly gold. silver and
brcnzc medals, are ffered fer tie ftl-
lowing events:
Athletics, archery. cycling. fencing
-epee, sabre. and roils-assoclaticn
football rugby football, golf. gym
nasatics. hockey, lacrosse. lawn ten
mis- (grass and covered courts m tor
boats polo, racquets, rowing shooting
title, miniature rife. revolver AMI
pistol-clay bird shooting, skating.
swimming. wrestling and yacht
racing.
The games are held only for ana
teurs. and for each sport a separate
definition has been designed b
sides the Olympic Prize Medal a ce,,
tair number of challenge cups are
offered, and speeiaf certificates vii
be given for specially fine feats.
The team from the United Stat 9.
comprising more than three sore 81
famous athletes. VIII undoubtedly
capture its fun share Of honors II
the running events and In many CO
the field events the wearers of the
Stars and Stripes are already prime
fatcrites. And in the weight-throw
ing events, with Martin Sheridan aud
Ralph Rose, the American team is
to be unbeatable
The 25-mile Marathon race Is, IN
fact, the most popular event OF the
entire Olympic program. II VIII
start from the grounds of King 81
wards palace at windsor and On
with a 660-yard ina, dasn around the
stadium track. The entry Est mum,