The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-07-14
OLYMPIC GAMES
OPEN IN LONDON
RAIN iNTeRFERED TO SOME Ex-
TE..T, KEEPING MANY
FROM ATTENDING.
ONE RECORD SMASHED
American Runs 500 Metres in Two
fifths Of Second Faster Time
Than Former Mark-Good
Showing BY EngIishman

London, July 13-Rain interfere
badly with the opening OF the inter.
national Olympic games today by the
! Ring at the stadium at Shepherd
Push, and although it cleared on pe
fore The hour set for the formal Ger
ntny the attendance fell short II
Expectations
In the 1900 metre race. In which
the greatest interest eentered. the rec.
lorl for the distance was smasheL l.
Melvin w. Sheppard of the irish
American Athletic club, New Y rk
waa the first to accomplish the lex.
when, in the second heat, pressed
hard by his team mate, ]. p Hal
lstead, he ran tie distance In 405.
just 20 Ct a second faster than that
made BY J. Lightbody of the Uri.
velsity of Chicago. at the Olympic
games at St Louis in 1904.
J, p. Sullivan, Of the Irish.Ameri
eal Athletic club, and Lightbody. who
were first and second respectively in
the first heat of this event, took
loI ger to cover the distance but they
We're not pressed and doubtless ctull
lhave done better II necessary
The best performance of the da".
however, was that OF NJ. F. Hal'ows,
IAN Oxford Blue, who cut two seconds
off the record, much to the surprise
of everybody. as tie 1900 ms tres
lwete considered too short for him.
H. L. Coe, of the University q
Michigan, made a strong bid for vic,
tory In the fourth heat but was unable
to keep up with e. " Loney, Of Eng
llard, although the time was not par
, tlcufarly brilliant. Coe finished sec.
ond
Today was the first time that the
Igreat majority OF those in attendance
hal had an opportunity to view the
stadirm. Exclamations of surprise
and admiration were TO be heard on
Ievery hand. The giant amphitheatre,
lcompleted at cost or 100000 has
seating capacity of 10000. Bes'd
lthe spacious field the great arena con
tains a 1l0-yard swimming tank and
1.-TWO one-third mile running tracks.
Erected at regular intervals around
| the edge OF the arena were Venetian
masts and from these there fiuttered
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 striyl
with every effort TO win glory and
fame and the plaudits of the multi
tude Never before I'm the history OF
the world has an athletic event OF
greater Importance been held or one
In which a keener pitch of en-.
thbsiasm 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 num-
bey and representative character e
the entrants the meet has never been
equaled Hundreds of visitors have
arrived In London from America. Aus.
tralia, South Africa and continental
Europe to watch their countryme1
contend for the trophies and to cher
them on to victory.
The scope of the program is e1or-
nous Prizes. mostly gold. silver and
bronze medals. are fYered fer tie fCl
lowing events:
Athletics, archery. cycling fencing
-epee. sabre. and foils-assoclatiCn
football. rugby football, golf gym
nasatics. hockey, lacrosse, lawn ten
mis- (grass and covered courts.) m tor
boats polo racquets, rowing shcodns
-i life miniature rifle, revolver anl
pistol-elay bird shooting, skating
swimming, wrestling and yacht
raCing.
The games are held only for ana.
teurs. and for each sport a separata
definition has been designed b.
sides the Olympic Prize MeIal a ce>
tain number of challenge cups are
offered and speciaf certificates vii
be given for specially fine feats
The team from the United Stat.
comprising more than three SER. cf
famous athletes, viii undoubtedly
capture its full share Of honors. n
the running events and in MANY e
the field events the wearers of the
Stars and Stripes are already primo
ta,Crites And in the weight-throw
ing events. with Martin Sheridan anI
Ralph Rose the American team is
conceded 10 be unbeatable
The 25mile Marathon race Is, IN
fact the most popular event of the
entire Olympic program. 1t VII
start from the grounds of King Ei-
wards palace al Windsor and en-
with se0-yard fna. dash around the
Sfa.lfuua fraat The autrV fte4 tasfsa