MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 276, 22 November 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club'e spoi'ta this afternoon are sure to override all other sports for the day. Little elso has been talked of for at least a fortnight past There can bo no doubt that She Club has obtained a firm hold on the young athletes of Auckland, and, to judge by the attendance at the carnivals, on the public as well. The Club provides good, honest sport; the. runners are all well-known young follows, at any rate to a large number of acquaintances ; the sports are carried out punctually, thanks to th(3 officers ; the Domain is a lovely spot to hold them on—in fact, every requisite is there for a good time, even afternoon tea. On very good authority I hear thab the Otahuhu Football Club is likely next season to have a try for the Auckland Rugby Senior Cup. There is a strong team at Otahuhu, and the men have had the advantage of a season's practice against weaker brethren. This haa given them combination and confidence, so that they should make a good tight with some of our seniors. From the " Weekly Tress " : —" I notice that the Auckland Club, with the exception of the Maiden Race, have nob placed any scratch events on their programme. This is, I think, a mistake, and tends to discourage the good men, and in my opinion is likely to lead to men running dark so as to get a show later on. If they only had one or two scratch events it would tend to encourage their best men."

Lawn tennis got a fair start last Saturday; but very few downright games were played, the opening day being chiefly devoted to lighter cares. The various lawns were well patronised and looked quite gay. The new club in Ponsonby promises to have a auecessful career.

At a cycling meeting held at Peoria, Illinois, on September 12th, Windle rode half a mile on a bicycle in Imin thus lowering: the world' 3 record for that distance. A fortnight later W. C. Jones, hero of tho mile record, at the Paddington Ground, lowered the time to Imin 8 1-oth sec.

li. Parsons, of tho Polytechnic Harriers, surpassed all previous records ab bicycling from six miles upwards until the termination of an hour's ride, ab Paddington, on September 17th. He covered 22 miles 620 yards in the hour. The previous best on record for an hour's ride was A. R. Lloyd's 21 milos 1,150 yards. The six miles (ab which point record breaking began) occupied 15min 54 o-sth sec, and the 22 miles were covered in 53min 6 l-sth sec. At the same place, on Septomber 25th, Parsons beat R. J. ISlecredy's 50 miles record of 2hr 29min 55-Jsec by 4min 28 4-sth sec, covering the distanoo in 2hr 25min 26 2-sth sec. From 23 miles upwards he made world's records, but kopt going until he had compassed 60 miles 1,255 yards in three hours, when he retired. His time for 20 miles was 56min 5 3-sth sec ; for 40 miles, lhr 54min 53 3-sth sec ; and for 60 miles,, 2hr 57min 53 1-s'jh see.

There seems little use in recording cycling records just now, as no sooner has one- published them than some new man gets up and breaks them. At the beginning of tho English season Parsons was almost an unknown rider.

At a meeting of the English Rugby Union on October 1, the following changes were made in tho laws of the game, in accordance %vith the ruling of the arbitrators on the international dispute :—To add to Lav/ 19 the words, "In the event of any player talcing part in tho maul after such maul has begun, the touch shall belong to the opposite side from the player so~ takinopart in such maul." To add to Law 23? after the words " but if any player, when off side," the words "comes within five yards of a player waiting to receive the ball." Thab in Law 30, after the words "as in Law 28, Section 3," to eliminate the rest of the law.

The alteration in Law 30 abolishes the free kick for the " knock on." Some other local changes were made.

A great feature of, the Canadian ChampionahipAthleticAleeting was the electrical timing. It was handled by men well versed on the subject, and the results were very interesting, but, alas, rather suggestive. The arrangement described in a few

words is as follows:—Electrical apparatus designating the tune, and by which fractions can bo computed, is at tho finish of all races under a small cover built purposely for it. Wires run to the various starts, and the starter attaches his pietol to these wires as tho occasion requires. The flash acts against a diaphragm and starts a circuit. The strain on the tape as tho winner passes the post stops the circuit, and the titao is easily computed on a revolving disc which has been marked plainly in ink while the race wa3 in progress. Tho electrically taken times were in all cases slower that tho ordinary times. Ab these sports Coupland won his heat in the 120 hurdles in 16 l-sth Eec, ran a dead, heat in 16aee after being pub back a yard, and after being again pub back a yard wa3 beaten by Williams by 2ffe in 16sec. A. A. Jordan wen tho Long Jump with 21ft 3 3-Bth inch ; Owen the 220 yds in 22 2-oth. sec ; M. Remington the 440 yds in 50 3-sth sec; W. C. Downs the half-mile in ltnin 59 3-4 th sec; and A. ]J. George the mile in 4min 29 4-sth see. Mitchell threw the 561b weight 30fb 6|in, making a world's record. John Owen, jnnr., of the Detroit Athletic Club, the IGO and 200 yards champion o£ America, at the club's ground ran 150 yards twice in 14 4-sth seconds, which equals the best amateur record made by C. G. Wood, of England, and C. IT. Sherrill, of America. There was a breeze en Owen's back, but ib was hardly strong enousrh to help him materially. H. L. Williams, ab tho Manhattan A.C. games, ran the 100 yards hurdle 3in 13Aseo, which now becomes the record. Ab the same trames G. E. Gray put the 161b shot a distance of 46ft 2|in —a world's record, and supplanting the previous record, his own of 46ft. J. B. Connolly, of Boston, on September 25th broke the American record for running hop, step and jump, clearing 44fb lOfin. Connolly is 21 years old, Sit Shin hi"h, and weighs 14Slbs in jumping costume. He has competed in 55 different events, all of which were scratch, and he has finished first 22 times, second 18 times, third 12 times, and several times unplaced. G. E.. Gray has demolished another record. At tho New York A.C games he put the 121b shot a distance of 53ft llin. Sports Protection Associations are being formed in tho various centres of the colony. All kinds of sporting clubs are included, and send delegates to tho Protection Association. The object is to shub out all defaulters, and the rule bearing on this is to the effect that any person whoij declared a defaulter by any one Club will be considered as &uch by every other Club affiliated to the Association, and will be suspended accordingly. Ciuba joining the Association will therefore ba able bo weed out those persons who prefer trading on their amateur status to paying their sub.scripbions.