Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-07-06
MANY NATIONS COMPETE
FLAGS OF NUMEROUS COUNTRIES
ARE DISPLAYED IN OPEN
ING PARADE
KING OF SWEDEN IS PRESENT
eusTAvE v DECLARES GAMES
FORMALLY BEGUN THIS
MORNING

Stockholm, July 6.-American ath
letes got off well in the lead in the
opening track events of the Olympic
games here today. Thirty thousand
spectators, among them the Swedish
royal family, cheered their respective
favorites to victory while United
States entries annexed many of the
firsts in the initial heats OF the 100
and 500 meter events, Eight Ameri-
cans, four Englishmen and two Cana
dians won places in the finals of the
500 meter race.
Donald F. Lippincott, of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, lowered the
Olympic record by 1-5 of second
when he won the sixteenth heat, 100
meter, in 10 3-5. other Americans
who won firsts in these heats were
Ira Courtney of the Seattle A. G.;
Ralph c. Craig of the Detroit Y. NC.
A.. Howard Drew, Springfield, Mass.
high school; P. @. Ger1ardt, Olympic
club. san Francisco. Clarence s. Ed
mundson. Seattle A. A. was among
the 6rsts in the 800 meter events
An early upset in the meet came
in the seventh heat 500 meters when
]. @ Soutter. England, won from Mel
vim Wv. Sheppard, the Irish-American
sta, who crossed the tape in second
Mace six yards behind the English
man. Sheppard appeared winded at
the end of the first 200.
Another surprise of the days games
was the winning of the jaYelin throw
by e. Lemming, Sweden, who hurled
the spear so metres, GA centimeters,
breaking the Olympic record by near
ly 10 feet.
Duke Kahanomoku, Hawaii, estab-
lished a worlds record of one minute
2, 2-5 seconds in his trial heat in tlf
the 100 meters swim.
The Inauguration of the Olympic
games today proved spectacle which
probably never has been equalled
since the ancient Gays of Greece. The
day was perfect. There was clear.
blue sky overhead. The great stad-
ium was filled with 10000 people OF
all nationalities.
When the members of the Swedish
royal family entered their gaily dec
GRATED box at II o'clock, all present
stood with barred heads and gave
loud cheer while call blown by a
corps of trumpeters sounded far and
wide and announced the opening of
the games.
After the delegations of Sweden,
Norway and Denmark, the team rep
resenting the United States showed
the largest and finest body of men in
the procession and the Stars and
Stripes called forth by far the heart
lest welcome OF all the flags carried
DIV the VlSlC0Lb. uC nttAC Liz " e4A " |
athletes following the flag of Japan,
however, got warm applause.
At the head of each delegation
marched two stalwart athletes who
carried the national flag and stand
ard, bearing the nuames of their re
spective countries surmounted by a
wreath.
The whole body marched around
the track and then massed on the
green oval facing the royal box with
the standard bearers holding the col
ors of the various nations directly
opposite the king.
For the inaugural ceremonial the
international committee, which in
cludes representatives of all nations,
under the leadership of Crown Prince
Gustave Adolph of Sweden, assem-
bled on the field in front of the
massed competitors. A big male choir
was formed while several bands
played. The court pastor. the Rev