Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-27
THREE HOURS OF THRILLS
Gymnastio Feats That Brine Forth
Rounds of Applause From the
Manv Who Witness Events.
FIVE HUNDRED PERFORMERS
Program of the Day Started Off with
Number of Speeches.
GOVERNOR MoREHEAD PRESENT
Prizes Awarded, After which Most
of the visitors start for Their
Homes, some Remaining
to Meet King Ak.

Over 5000 people witnessed at Rourke
park Sunday afternoon what was said to
have been one or the finest and most re-
markable exhibitions of gymnastics and
athletics ever presented in the city OF
Omaha. 1t was the grand finale OF the
national tournament and assembly OF Tel
Jed Sokol, the Bohemian Turner organi-
cation. The crowds of Omahans and Wis
itors from ali over the country, who
packed the big grandstands at the park,
sat in raptures for over three hours to
watch the athletic and gymnastic feats
and demonstrations OF all-round physical
development, which the hundreds OF local
and visiting experts of the Sokol societies
of many cities presented In their farewell
appearance here.
with the completion of the exhibition
and the awarding OF medals and diplomas.
the tournament and its attending activi-
ties came to a close yesterday. About half
of the many Sokols from other cities left
for their homes last evening, and the re-
mainder will go today and tomorrow
Quite a number are remaining for the
special Turner night at the Ak-Sar-Ben
Den this evening. one party left over the
Burlington last evening in a special car
!
vacation trip. before returning home.
Five Hundred Performers.
Fully 200 Turner men. 40 young women
and about 100 junior Turner's, both boys
and girls, took part in Sundays big ex-
hibition, making a total of nearly 500
performers of whom $50 or 200 we're fire.
quently on the field at one time.
Only four slight heat prostrations
among the young women occurred dur
! ing the day. the victims being just tenn
! porarily affected with a faintng spell.
or momentary illness. They were:
| Miss Mayme Kment leader of the girls
club of the Omaha Sokol. whose strenu-
Gus efforts during the last week almost
exhausted her; Miss Anna Kleptko and
/ Miss Lillian fIaveiKa of the local Turner
girls who suffered from heat nervous
ness for a short time. and Miss Anna
Frish of Detroit. daughter of the director
OF the Detroit girls teams, who was
| forced to stay out OF the exhibition be-
cause of illness during the afternoon.
Get Into the Movies.
Ample preparations to care for extern
sive heat prostrations had been taken,
! but they proved unnecessary. Drs. F. j.
and Louis Swoboda, Dr. Olga Stastny
and DR.. Kalal were on the field. with
two nurses, two ambulances and a full
/ equipment of hospital appliances and
! first aid treatment. But aside from the
{ four young women who were only slightly
affected, the whole exhibition passed off
without any serious prostrations or SINH
| lar trouble.
! So interesting and spectacular were
many Of the events on the program that
two movie operators we're busy all after
noon, making films of the best features
| Prior to the beginning of the program
! proper the star athletes and gymnast'
gave special exhibitions, to accommodate
the camera men and entertain the ad'
vance guard of the audience, which ar.
! rived early.