ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 37, 13 February 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

ATHLETICS.

« The Now Zealand Amateur Abhlebic c Championship Meeting was commenced on 0 Thursday and continued this afternoon. •My notes regarding the meebing, being too ? late for this week's Supplemenb, aro held 0 over till nexb week. a The Championship Meebing haa been held o onco before in Auckland, viz., in 1891. 0 Tha meeting hold in that year is probably c bho most memorable of the seven annual 1 gatherings held under bhe auspices of tho •- New Zealand Amateur Athletic As.ociuI tion. Ib was ab bhat meeting bhab W. T. if MacPhersou, of New South Wales, mado '. his great run over 250 yards, hia bima of 24 3 ..-sth sec constituting a world's record, SJ which has not since been brokon. Ib waa p ab thab meeting also thabMacPherson equalr led bho world's record of 9 4 ssec for tho o 100 yds, and pub up aNowZoaland record of o 50 2 siec lor tho 440 yds. Also, D. Wood y made his record run of 2min in the half- >, mile, which also remains the Now Zealand t record till this day. In the ono mile D. Wood mado the beat timo (4min 31 2 oacc) yet recorded for thab distance at a Now Zealand championship meeting. Ami • lastly, T. B. O'Connor mado hia excellent 0 throw of 37fb Sin in tho putting the weight b championship. Thia ia the best yeb ro--0 corded at any meeting held under the c j M.Z.A.A.A. Ac far as fast times and a excellent performances wore concerned, the c 1890-91 meeting waa moab prolific, while its success financially has nob been oxj ceoded by any Now Zealand championship j; meebing before or since. c Those who Haw tho 1891 meeting at the b Domain will long remombor tho great go ~ between MacPhorson and Hutchinson in q tho 440 yds, Corner and D. Wood in bho ono r , mile aud three miles, and D. Wood and J. b F. Grieraon in bho half-mile. Ib will 1 probably bo a long time before four such " 0 exciting contests aro decided aba single „ championship mooting. Tho public became 6 so excited ab the finish of tho three milea il run th_it they swartned on to the ground in , bheir eagerness to gob a view of the finish. I AV\ anganni paper states thab a threea diabanca match for a substantial sum ia t likely to be arranged between Reynolds n and Hunt. b At tha last meobin<| of tho New Zealand A.A.A. O'Cormack'a hammer throw of ,' 110 ft 6in waa coin.idorod, but ondoreoraenb ' waa deferred, pending receipt of measurement of tho distance. George Stevens oilers a puree of £3,000 for a contest between Corbett and Fitzsimmona ab bhe Boliugbroko Club, London. CRICKET. y W. Ford, wickob-keepar, labe of Licensed f Victuallers Crickeb Club, playing for Pan- ■] mure againsb Onehunga Crickeb Club on , Saturday, cleaned bowled 7 for 14 runa, a Onehunga all oub for 40. Pan mure,- 105. y Ford playing well for 42. a M. A. Noble followed up his scores of 71 s nnd 155 (nob out) against Victoria with lfco* 8 for Paddington v. the Globe, thus in t'reo c successive innings makingSOO runs for twice r oub. In Association matches this year he r has made 730 runs, ab an average of 05 por ~ innings. 11 ia scores aro :—For Paddington, 3 34, 46°, 83, 53, 27, and-166 ; for New Souch , Wales, 5, 69, S, 33, 71,.and 153 nob oub ; ] and for tho Eleven againob Fifteen, 22. 1 New South Wales haa achieved a bosb on 9 record at c.idiot by winning each of the j four Sheffield Shield mutches without 8 making a single chunks in the eleven. 3 ' AQUATICS.. r There aro indications of a desire amongsb , prominenb rowing mon in Auckland bo 3 revive the defunct Auckland Rowing Asao--3 elation. It ia to bo hoped thab thia will 1 bo done, for sineo tho Association was i allowed to die from inanition rowing has . come to a somewhat low ebb, aa far aa - regattas aro cohcornod, compared to what i waa the case a few years ago, whon bho 3 Association hold some very fluccesaful - rowing regattas ab Pino Island. Thero ia 1 every need for the revival of tho Aasoeiar bion in tho intoreata of scientific rowing and 1 advancement of. thia branch of aquatics in 3 Auckland. The arbitrary pronouncements i of the Now Zealand Rowing Association, i especially in connection with the Anniversary Regatta, have called forth frequent expressions of protest from Auckland rowing men, and the New Zealand Rowing Association has displayed a tendency to centralise control in Wellington of details which should bo lofb to tho judgment of tho Auckland rowing community ' that has proved annoying to local oarsmen , and bho__ interested in tho sport. The , Auckland Rowing Aosociation ia an institution which should be sbrong enough, 1 with bhe clubs it would include, to bo quite 1 independent of Southern rowing interests, 1 and which, if its members displayed sufficient independence, would nob bo bound |by the obiter dictum of tho New Zealand : Association in every petty detail of rowing, while ab the same time the genoral rules of bhe Now Zealand Association could be re3pected. Given a sufficiently precise and clear definition of amateur v. professional oarsmen, tho local Association mighb very well be lofb to conduct the Auckland regattas on tho lines found moab suitable to the exigencies of rowing on bhe Waitomata, Tho Auckland Rowing Association mighb then tako into its hands and run all the rowing regattas held in Auckland, and ibis suggested thab tho gig race, and sculling . events usually set down lor Anniversary Regatta Day mighb with advantage be ; relegated to the Association to hold fib Pine ; Island or some other suitable locality on a ; different date from the Anniversary : Regatta. The heavy rowing races, such as the events for whaleboats, ships' boats, naval'cutters and so on, which do nob come i under tho direct cognisance of the Rowing i Association, might bo held on Anni- ; versary Day, however rough the weather, bub events have proved that the main roach ! of the Auckland Harbour, near the city, is not to be relied on for gig races, which must be relegated to Pine Island, Drunken I Bay, or some other .sheltered locality, to ; eneure good water. In former years the ' Auckland Rowing Association hold some . very successful regattas, and I brust that ] beforo bhis season is over tho various < rowing clubs on the Waitomata will take < some steps in tho direction of reviving the i Association. j Last Sunday afternoon the yachts Thebis, 1 Zinita, Huta, Daisy, Mabel, Lady Wilma, . Miharo, and others, came up Mobuihi I Channel from Waiheke and Motubapu, and i had an interesting trial of speed as bhey beat up againsb the southwest breeze. Tho i Thetis appeared to be sailing somewhat I bebter bhan uaual. 3 Ot the £300 estimated as necessary to i Rend the Wesb Australian crow bo Victoria 1 for the intercolonial race in May nexb, the c members of bho crow are to contribute £60, I r or £7 10s a-pieco. 11

The structure wibh which the Union Rowing Club. Christchurch (says the Christchurch 'Press'), has replaced the boatbous'a burned down in June lasb is, beyond a doubt, nob only the best building of the kind in New Zealand, bub also one of the besb in Australasia. The archibesb Mr R. W. England, jun., has designed a substantial building which _ bobh for convenience and appearance is, as Has been said, unsurpassed in bho colony. It occupies tho site of the former boathouso and has a total length of aboub 131 ft, wibh a frontage of 32ft and a heighb of 35ft. lbs fronb principal feature is the recessed balcony, surmounted by a coned gable, ana enclosed with a railing of peculiar bub Bbrikingly effective design. On the lefb hand side of the fronb -a tower of open timber - work rises to a height of forty - ono feet and is surmounted by a flag - staff. iho building, which ia of wood, on a concrete foundation, and haa a roof of corrugated iron, ia painted in a decidoly artistic scheme of colour, the shades used being a warm atone tint, relieved by dark red and chocolate. Tho total cost of the building to tho club ia a little over £800. The boablioubo itself ib 90fb long, 32/6 in width, and I2tb 9in in heighb. A row of posts BupDorbing the floor of bhe social room runs down bho centre, the internal fittings aro of the most complete character. Tho new floeb of the club conaiabs ab present of 16 boabs, mosb of them of local make, having been builb by Mr B. D. Roes, whose work has given ontire satisfaction bo the members. Ho has builb for bhe clab, amongsb obher craft, nine stump outrigger pleasure boats, of the Oxford stylo, conebrucbed of kauri, with gunwales and seats of mahogany, and ribs of Australian blackwood and rata. Each of bhese boats is 22f b 6in long and of 3ft 4in beam, and \s fitted with ingenious aivivol rowlocks designed by Mr Roes, and constructed go as to lock bhe oars and prevent them from slipping oub. Aba recenb meeting of the committee of the Wanganui Regatta Association, Mr C. V. Powoll mentioned bhat in the course of a recenb conversation with Mr Pubtorspn, labe capbain of bhe Wollington Rowing Club, thab genbleman had promised to do all ho could to supporb Wanganui for the next championship rearabta, and had expressed the opinion bhab the Wanganui course was tho besb in tho colony. Admiral Bridge mado a speech ab Melbourno recently (whicu has appeared aea cablegram in the London 'Times') in which he said that yachting in Australia was the most manly and practical form Of sport to be seen in the world. The boa.B were sailed by their owners, nob by hired crewr, and woro handled more than creditably. Speaking from forty years' oxparience of tho sea, ho was certain that a greab nuval class would arise in tho colonies. SWIMMING. • J. H. Tyers, bho world's champion amateur swimmer, has writton bo Mr IL T. T-vorotb, of tho Palaco Emporium Club, Sydney, offering to come out to tho colonies provided the expenses of himself and aa attendant are refunded. He also offers to .bring a team of tbe best swimmers in Eng land to play a serioa of polo matches wibh Australia, nnd alao swim them a squadron race. If the Australian cluba agree to his tormß he will arrive in Australia ia October next. Rogarding tho ofior, the ' Sydney Referee ' says :—' This ia a matter thab the Association mighb very well tako in hand, as the amennb needed is nob lurgo, and could be very easily raiaad if Australian und Now Zealand swimmers combined. The presence of Tyors bore would give a greab fillip to the sport, and would also afford an opportunity of testing the relative skill of tha Old Couutry's swimmers and ours. A fow days in the Sutherland Dock with such a poworful draw-card aa the world's amateur champion would certainly yield a considerable sum 'of money—at any rate, enough to recoup tho outlay. Every colony, and probably ovary club, would have a turn with tho visitors Irom 'down under.' The idea is worth thinking over, and if all put their shoulders to tho wheel ib can be carried oub aba comparatively trilling cost to any single organisation.' In their ' Note Book ' tho same paper says : — 'Every swimmer and swimming club throughout this quarter of bho globe owes ib to their sport to leave no stone unturned in tho direction of securing the English champion's presence in our premiership coinpotibions next season, because, if nob noiised now, tho opportunity, may never bo within reach again.' CYCLING. The ' Canterbury Times ' sbabes bhab tho firsb public appearance in this colony of a cycle to carry four riders, and known as a quadruplet, was mado at Lancaster Park January 3051). The machine was manufactured by MrN. Oatea, of the Zealandia Cycle Works. Manned by Messrs Shorland. Archer, Benson and Dumerque, ib successfully negotiated the corners of the brack at a pace of under two minutes bo bho milo, and ran with perfect smoobhness from bhe start. There was also a triplet, or cycle for three riders, manufactured by the Gladiator Company of France, and imported for pacing purposes by bho Dunlop Tyre Company. Both machines have Dunlop pneumatic tyros. With pacing machines like these, it is expected that souio fast times will bo put up by local raging mon. Tom Clarkson, who holds tho mile record for New Zealand, on January 27bb, ab Palmerston North, rode a milo (unpaced) in- 2min SMJsec, thus reducing Reynolds' record on the same track by ;}-sec. The re.ulb of bho Cycling Club's sports held lasb Saturday did not come up bo theji expectations of tho promoters. Tho actual expenses came to something liko £250, but, I am told by on official of tho Club, bhere was a sum of £60 received in tho way of nominations and acceptances. Thab, of course, would reduce tho amount to about £190. The cycling was of a good quality, and most of the race., woro interesting, though by no means as interesting as tho excellent liata.of entries and acceptances had led me to expect. The faili.ro of so many of tho acceptors to pub in an appearance, especially of tho Southern cyclists, must havo beon a disappointment both to bhe Club and tho spectators.

F. Hunt benefits by bhe meeting to the extent of £24. Ho won the big handicap and the five mila scratch race pretty easily, both from scratch, and probably could have annexed some other racoa if he had been greedy. He ia by far the boab cash cyclist in the colony for any distaneo between one milo and five miles (both inclusive), and probably for some longer distances. T. Clarkson, of Invercargill, proved himself bo be the nexb besb man (after Hunb) competing ab the meeting. Ho is a very fair rider, possessed of a good amounb of pace, but is much behind Hun tat spurting. In his various races he was mounted on a Rambler.

Of bho pedostrians, H. W. Briorly was the mosb successful. He annexed the 75 yards (from 6 yards start), 100 yards (from 7 yarns start) and the 440 yards (from scratch). In tho 100 yarda handicap Brierly wae timed to do the 93 yards covered by him in 9 4-sth sec, which ia equal to 10 2-sth sec for tho 100 yards, and in tho 440 yards ha did 52 3-sth sec, which is good enough for a championship performance. Ho has the righb build of an athlete, and should bo able to do oven bettor times than bhese with proper train-

ing. W. F. Ramsay rode with excellent judg

montin tha Auckland Wheel Race,in which ho beat Lyon for first place by about 5 yards. Riding well from the start he managed to geb awny with a substantial lead, and albheugh Lyon pub in a strong challenge in tho last lap Ramsay waa never hoiidod. Ramsay waa auothor of those who were riding Ramblers.

The latest foolhardy feat comes from America. An idiot undertook to ride on a plank from the top of a high building into a deep pool of water. Singularly enough he performed tha feat safely, neither he : nor hia bicycle being any bhe worse for the ducking, bub when ho wanted bo repeat the performance the police interfered. I suppose he belongs to the aame class as bridge divers —another species of lunatic. A feeling is gaining ground (aays C. H. Larretbe in the ' Cycling News '), in favour of unpaced records. I have advocated the system strongly for years as being tho beat poaaible means of showing bhe true merits of the performer and hia machine and tyres. Ib is a aad state of things which prevails when a man haa to ride machine or tyres which he knows bo be inferior to those ho haa been accustomed to merely to got proper pacing. I could name fully half a dozen instances in which thia was done. last season. I don't fancy there would have been quite such a difference of opinion ,-ebho merits of bhe Simpson chain Had we had a series of unpaced" records.. Now that the chain holds all tho chief profe ß aional records what do wo hear? 'Why, its only the pacing.' A system which makosa record breaker or a race winner entirely dppondenb on the assistance of others is rotten, and ehould be wiped out. According to the Sydney ' Referee' wnab promises bo mark a now era in cycling is bhe invention of Mr Tom White, now in Sydney. Ha has (says that paper) been long engaged upon ib, but nexb week a machine will have been produced which will enable a practical test to be applied. The invention, which ia patented all over the world, ia a cbainless idea, and if ib works oub all righb in practice will revolutionise cycle propulsion. Tho chief principle ia bhe reduction of friction to a minimum; the power is provided by a wheel surrounded with discs working on ball bearings into segments of a circle instead of cogs. The power is applied direct, the apparatus being on the back wheel, instead of as ab present, and the action of tbe feet, ib is claimed, ie thus more natural. Tho wheel baeo is also groatly reduced, which in itself is a big advantage. A model for a child is said to have worked oub splendidly. If the idea approaches in practice anything near expectations, a chaiti will soon be a thing of the past. In theory ib is seconds bo tho mile ahead of the cog aad chain principle. A new tyre for cycles haa beon invented by an American company. Ib is of the single tube type, and composed of the best; grades of Para rubber and Sea Island cotton ; the fabric is made puncture proof by a secreb chemical process, and by thickening the tyro along ita tread. _ Tho chemical breabmenb referred tn ia said to rust the fabric to such an extent ac to defy bhe sharpe.b point under any ordinary pressure; a eection eubmitted to an Amorican contemporary for inspection proved boo tough tor the points of the editorial shears—an extreme tesb ! Tho oyrcs are made in I^, I|, If, and 2-inch sizes, the latter for tandem?, and are guaranteed for twelve month?. They Dosseos tho samo degree of resilience and durability as the boab ho.c pipe byres, and aro warranted proof against tacks, glass, thorns, etc. Though 'bub recently put oub in open market, the tyros arc said to have been subjected to rigid tests for two years past. The. disqualification of Martin for two years by the Victorian League of Wheelmen for alleged unfair running ia a severe blow to professional cycling in Australia. The running of several of these prominent professional riders hae caused a good deal of uneasiness to more than ono of the Australian cycling bodies, but for 'reasons which musb be patent to everyone, each club in turn haa retrained from bringing bho offenders to book. Ono can well understand that a club will think twico of disqualifying a competitor who is a big source of attraction to its sports. It ia nob unlikely that bho competitor himself ia sensible of the club's roluctanca to deal with him. Under bhoeo circumsbances ib is gratifying to see ab loaat oue cycling body with sufficient backbone to deal with an offender whether auch offender be a prominent rider or no_ C. 11. Larretbo, of the ' Athletic News,' etatoa that whab he considers the besb brake system for cycles—thab used by Linley and Biggs, which acts on the rim— ; haa been adopted by the Dunlop Company for their cycles. ' I cannot understand,' I ho aays, ' why more makers havo nob used \ it. The only drawback thab can be alleged againsb ib is that it will nob act when the wheel gets oub of truth, bnb ib is sbronger than bhe tire brake, does nob injuro the tire and is nob rendered inoperative by the sudden deflation of a tire.' Tho following ' rules of the road ' have been sent to all members of tho New Zealand Cyclists' Touring Club, and should be carefully studiod by bicycle riders generally :- 1. Members should keep as much as poaaible to the left or near side of the road. 2. It is illegal to ride on any path set aside for foot passengers, and this practico should be entirely avoided. 3. Tho rules of the ro&d should be moat strictly followed out. Thus— In mooting keep to the loft. In overtaking pass on the right. Led horaea must always be meb and passed on the side on which tho man in charge ia. . 4. Before passing a vehicle or foot passenior, notice should bo givon ab sufficient distance by whistle, bell, or otherwise. 5. Nover pass between two vehicles or riders when overtaking bhem. . 6. If any rider or vehicle wishes to pass you, keep well over to the left. 7. Special care should bo taken in turning comors, especially where a full viow of the road is nob obtainable. 8. Riders are advised to rotain perfecb control of their machines when riding down unknown and dangerous hills, and to dismount on approaching any descent which cannot be seen to bo clear to the bottom. In purchasing Dunlop tyros (which ara the mosb comfortable and reliable tyres on earth), see that they bear bhe Dunlop brado mark, and refuse any nob so branded. DunlopPnoumabioTyreCo., Lbd. (N.Z. Branch), 128, Lichfield-atroeD, Christchurch, -.(Ad.),