The morning journal-courier., 1908-07-15
ANGLO-SAXONS LEAD America and Great Britain Cap ture Most of Yesterdays
 Olympic Games. EACH TAKES GOLD MEDALS Great Performance of John J. Flan- agan With the Hammer an
 Eye-Opener.

London, July 14-America and Great Britain captured most of the laurels today in the first real business day of the Olympic sports. Twice the Stars and Stripes Huttered to the top of the staff in the center of the arena and the American enthusiasts who monop- olized a section of the stadium waved their flags and broke out in cheers which, fin smaller neId, would have been deafening. The honors were near ly even, for of the four events finished the United States and the United King dom each won two gold medals. Great Britain, however, took three silver medals, while America got only one, Canada, Australia, Great Britain and Belgium each obtained a bronze medal
 The Yankees had the hammer throw to themselves. as had been expected and the performance of John J. Flana- gan. of the Irish h-American Athletic club, In breaking the olympic record with the hammer and the almost equal ly good record made by M. J, Me- Grath of the New York Athletic clubr
 
 were eye-openers to the foreigners. M. w. Sheppard. of the Irish American Athletic club. however. did more spec tacular work and aroused greater de- gree of enthusiasm by crossing the tape ahead of his English rivals in a dashing finish to the 1,500 metres run. This the Englishman had counted on for Wilson or Hallows. conceding America no better than third place. To add to the satisfaction of the Ameri- cans the judges announced that George w. Gaidzik, of the Chicago Athletic association had done the best work in the fancy diving,
 The British pedestrians had their own way In the $500 metres walk; there were no American competitors in this event. The twenty kilometer cycle race was the most cosmopolitan event of the day. l.. J. Weintz of the New York l Athletic club. made desperate effort, | but he was unable to secure a place in ! the final sprint The eight riders were well punched in the last lap and 1t was only in the final hundred yards that the fight was decided
 The first three heats of the three mile team race were interesting, the United Kingdom was pitted against Italy, Holland and Germany in the ! first and in the second the Americans met teams representing Sweden and France. Great Britain had walk-over in the first heat, four members of her team keeping together throughout, running their opponents off their legs and coming under the wire elbow to elbow In slow time. The American com petitors set faster pace in their heat, but on nearing the finish the French man, Bouin, shot ahead of the field and the best the Americans could get was second and third places. The Can adians who were expected to make q good showing in this heat failed to appear. The final will be contested to- morrow by the three first men of each team.
 The other interesting number on the program to-day was the 66O- yards cycle race of which there were sixteen heats. Of this number the United Kingdam won six. France three and America, her only entry be- | ing Cameron, and Holland, Canada, Africa, Germany and Belgium one each, while one heat was void be- cause the time limit was exceeded.
 The games were as bewildering to watch as three-ring circus. At one time a dozen bicyclIsts were wheeling along the outer edge of the oval while twenty runners were racing on the cinder path just inside of it. Swim mers with their coored caps were splashng through the long tank while on the green sward within members of the Danish and German gymnastic clubs arrayed in glarlng white uniforms were performing spectacular feats on the horizontal and parallel bars and giving exhibi- tions of calesthenic drills Judges, scorers, trainers,l timers and rubbers of the many nationalities represented swarmed everywhere. The only dis appointing feature of the exhibition was the crowd in attendance. The enormous stadium which was built fod the accommodation of 10000 persons at no time to-day held more than 10000. There were great blocks of empty benches and during the morning session there were only a few hundred people gathered through the great expanse of chairs. Consider ing the English devotion to sports and the generosity with which the pub lie responded to the appeal for $50,- GOO by subscription the small attend ance Is surprising. The weather to- day was discouraging to sport It con tinually threatened to rain and a few light showers did fall. Unless the at tendance greatly increases the Fran CO., British exposition, which built the stadium and receives 70 per cent. of the receipts, will be heavy loser
 The Irish athletes have expressed dissatisfaction because the Olympic committee has refused to permit them to enter separate team on the ground that Ireland Is not a nation, thereby compelling them to compete as a part of the British team. Finland has her own delegation which attracts much attention. The Fins were anx- ious to parade with the Finnish flag, but as the request to be allowed to carry 1t was vetoed by the Russian of- ficials the Finnish contingent was the only one that appeared yesterday in the procession without a flag as they would not display the Russian colors.
 ) The committee will consider the