Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-21

London, July 20.-The second week
OF the Olympic contest at Sheppard's
Bush began with the first day devoted
principally to field sports such as
Americans are accustomed to witness.
The track athletes were the stars and
the program contained many fast and
exciting events. The American and
British runners and jumpers gathered
in the lions share of the laurels as
usual, but the Americans exceeded
even the expectations of their support
erS. Several hundred Americans, most
~ tourists with many ladies, who
We're massed togethcrI in the seats next
to the royal box, gave an exhibition of
cheering which suggested an Amerl-
can college crowd and Immensely
amused the foreigners.
The attendance at the games was
fair. but the weather in the afternoon
was gloomy and threatened to rain.
The competitors from the United
States are dcploring the continual alb
sence of sunshine, under which they
can do their best work. The spectacu-
lar feats today were the II trial heats
of the 100 metres sprint and the eight
trial heots of the S00-metres. These
furnished several close and SURFING
finishes. In the sprints America cap
tured eight heats and Great britain
four. ]. A. Rector of the University OF
Virginia WAS the particular star Tor
he beat quite handily X. G. Macleod
of Cambridge. the holder OF three VAR
sity blues. who never before WAS de-
feated and in doing 50 he edualled the
Olympic record for the distance, or
10 Is seconds.
The names of Sheppard, Halstead
and Beard, Americans. went up on the
blackboard as the winners of ther
heats in the 500 metres race. IhlS
event proved a disappointment to Eng
land which was counting upon more
than the two heats which it took
The German. Braun, much to the sur
prise of the Englishmen, outran Hold
ing, who was one of their mainstays.
Lrlngli of Italy beat H. l.. Coe Of the
University of Michigan, in the excel
lent time of Isl 1-5 and he and Just,
the Cambridge haf-mile champion,
who captured the sixth heat in 1.57 4-5,
will give the Americans hard tussle
in the firals.
C. J. Bacon, Irish American A. c.,
captured his heat of the 40O-metres
hurdle race in 81 seconds, winning by
% yards, while Coe distinguished him
self by defeating Denshaw. the former
British champion, although he had
lust contested hard SOO-metreS
against Lungh The British won six
and the Americans three of the nine
heats in the hurdles. but the majority
of these wcrc unexciting, because they
were Il walkcver.
The American colors were raised to
the flag pole three times, signlfylng
victory in the finals in the 100metres
swimming, the standing broad jump
and the bantam catCh-as-catch-ca can
wrestling but these triumphS did not
inspire such thrills as the track per-
Torrance, because few spectators i'll
the vast Stadium could see them,
Daniels. New York Athletic Club. the
American champion, AS was expected,
won the swimming event in the fast
time of LOS 3-5. which equals the
Olympic record. He was closely fol-
lowed to the tape by DcHalmay of
Hungary. with Julin of Sweden, third.
f.. c. Rich, Brooklinc Swimming Club,
who was second to Daniels in the
semi finals, finished fourth in the fl
nalS.
The standing broad jump contest
was practically an American event.
although no notable records were
made, Ray Ewry. the American cham
pion. being considerably behind his
own record. made at st. Louis. His
greatest distance today was 10 feet,
II inches. Tsioltiris the Greek jump
er, won second in this event. with 10
feet, IA inches, one quarter of an inch
better than Martin J. Sheridan, Irish
American A. c. j. A. Biller. Brooklyn
Central Y NJ. c. A.. Plat Adams, N
Y. A. G. and F. l.. Holmes of Chicago
and the English champion Bleader