Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-11-27
100000 SEE FOOTBALL
! GAME At POLO GROUNDS
Throng of Spectators Brave
Wind to Watch Army.
Navy Battle.
OVAL BECOMES CAKE OF MUD
Referee Calls Time on Several De-
cnsionS to Mnssngc PiG-Skin With
Towci-Fnshions Wiitcr In Wnin
Storm.
OVAL BECOMES CAKE OF MUD
icy Associated Press.l

Gle OF twenty-five mud -Smcarcd hus-
kics battling over a great lump Of
mud that was n football, held n
crowd OF nearly 10000 persons spell
bound through three hours OF biting.
driving rain. When Army met Navy
AZ the Polo Grounds today.
II was-as the Navy cheering sec
ton inSistcd-Savy weather. And
with their indicators set at full
Speed ahead" the midshipmcn from
Annapolis plowed through the sticky
sea TO n 7-to-O victory.
Brush stadium sheltered scarcely
half the thronG that followed the for
tunes Of the skidding gladiators up
and down the field. The others among
them, Vice president and Mrs Cool
idGe, and scores OF notables repre-
senting America. Great Britain.
France. and Japan and ltaly.-sat or
stood out in the rain.
The Vice prcsident and Mrs. Cool
fdge We're among the earliest arrivals,
Taking their seats, for the first half.
III box on the Army side OF the
field ana scorninS proftcrcd umbrellas.
The Vice President wore Il battered
SLOUGH hat and Il heavy ovctcoat. Mrs.
Coolidge was bundled II heavy fur
coat In a box on their right were
Secretary of War Weeks and Mrs.
Weeks.
Conference Delegates Attend.
While on their, LETT sat high milf
tary attaches OF the foreign dele
cations to the armament conference
tSf .t,...
witnessing their first football game,
included General Lord Cayan, OF the
British army: Niscount Marshall Hi.-
gins. of the British royal air force:
Genera, 9. Naccari and Colonel V de
Eernezzo. Of the Italian general STAFF
Major Generals Tanaka and Tiara
suchi. OF Japan. and Colonel l.. Re-
quin. of France.
They were guests OF General Perish
ins but as pcrshinS Was unable 20
he present. because OF illness, Major
General Hartford. deputy chief OF
staff, acted for him as host.
on the Navy side. 10 which Vice
president and Mrs. Coolidge We're es-
corted bctwees halves, sat Admiral
koon,z. chief of naval operations
AdmiraiS Jones and Eberle COM
manders respectively OF the Atlantic
and Pacific Fleets. and Rear-Admirals
Glennon and Benson.
Secretary of the Navy DENLY was
not present to see his middies win.
Vice admiral de Bon and Captain
Frochot. Of the French navy, were
tie only representatives ot the for
cign delegations on the Navy side OF
the field.
Stands Arc Filled Early.
The stands were packed long before
the midsh!pmen. in their long. blue
cvercoats. marched in behind 4 crash
Ing band and crclcd the gridiron
before taking their seats in the rainy
side cheering section.
They were led by the Navy goat.
gaiiy caparisoned. and prancing along
as ii he sensed the victory that was
about to perch on the banners of his
team.
The mud was so heavy that the
midshIpnen abandoned their dr!ll,
but they marchcd'Hroundithe gridiron
before climbing INFO their seats and
taking up their gildcd 'Incgaphoncs
Scarcely were they settled when
the Army players, heavily blankctcd,
trotted out on the gr!diron. shed their
blankets and began warming up.
They We're greeted with a great roar
from the audience.
\ moment later the crash OF Armys
band was heard and the long line Of
gray clad West Pointers marched in
behind their bravcly-dccked black
mule.
Then the Navy team scampercd
forth. and with the opposing glad
iators In sight, the rival cheering
sections got in action. The crowd,
made UP in the main of present and
past Army and Navy men and their
fathers, mothers and swcc,hcarts.
took "a lively hand in the cheering.
although its efforts We're almost
drowned out by the great volume of
niasscd roofing mat rolled through
the opposing mcgaphones.
Crowd Enthusiastic One.
1t was an enthusiastic crowd, q
fnotbaIl-mad crowd. that surgcd TO
it's feet when play started and re-
manned tenscly standing until the
last whistle had blown.
And. despite the weather. 1t was a
fashionable crowd. That is. IL was
fashionable until the rain had got
ten in its work. Then, rich for coats
hogan to wilt. Gauty millinery hung
limp. Pumps and SILK stockings were
bedragg!cd. ynuG-smcared. Only thc
.hrysanthcmurns worn by the fair
ruoters seemed TO thrive on rain.
Bu; what did the crowd care? Moth
ing. 4 few OF its members hoislec
umbrellas and got themselves round
IS called down by their neighbors ~
the rear. others improvised heaC
coverings OF newspapers. But tn,
greater pari-male and female, young
AND oid-stood unsheitered In tut
rain and forgot it,
The crowd was intent on the slip
ping. sliding players. and the gro
tesaue football over which the!
waged combat--a football that haC
TO be massaged with towel by th'
referee at every call OF time out.
SO that the players could handle II.
The crowd went wild. along WITH
the Navy cheering section, whci
Navy smashed over its lone touch
down near the end of the seconr
quarter. 1t seemed TO go even man
der with the Army rooters when tn
mud caked Cadets rallied late in ~,
last quarter and rushed down int
the shadow of Nays goal.
And, when Navy had broken tn
march by intervening forwar
pass. the whistle blew and the crow.
began pouring down on the field {
see the Midshipmens snake dane
of triumph. The Cadets alone sa
quietly in their places until the snak
dance was over.
Then they swept from their place
IL