SWIMMING.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9603, 18 December 1896, Page 6

SWIMMING.

"Weekly Press and Referee." ; [Bγ Lbandbr.] The East .■• Christchurch sporteywere, os usual, a great success. Some good exhibitions of swimming were given by the Club members. . Truscott's time for the 50yds,'35seo, is nothing startling, however. We have several swimmers capable of reducing it. ' Truscott is a swimmer, though, who' will improve with consistent practice. The weather being delightful, a very pleasant afternoon was spent. The opening of the new bath at Yaldhurst is the principal event so far of this year. It is a beautiful bath, and the water is delightful, the supply being -from a boiler off the roadside. About twenty members of the Christchurch Club journeyed to the country township, and carried out a splendid afternoon's sport. After winding up a successful meeting, the visitors were cordially entertained at a set-out cold luncheon in the Library, and a number, of the visitors remained to the dance held in the schoolroom in honour of the occasion. The Broadfields bath was duly opened on Thursday afternoon in the presence of some 200 to 300 spectators. Some members of the Christchurch Ciub ware present, and gave exhibitions in the water. This bath is also fed by a boiler from the roadside.

L. Leo, the captain of the Eastern Suburbs Swimming Club, who was so successful at the last New Zealand Championship meeting, has left Sydney for Seuth Africa. Before his departure he was entertained at a social at which he was presented with a handsome album containing the photographs of his fellow club men, and a valuable dressing case, both suitably inscribed.

At a receat meeting of the New South Wales Swimming Association it was decided to adopt the report of the sub-commitee appointed to investigate existing records put in the Natatorium basin, which stated that the 78yd performance wa3 regular, the full distance having been swum. Mr Gormly's Imin 5 2-ssec for 100, the 120 yd record, Mr Gormly's 2min 22see for 200 yd, and the 220 yd record were each stated to be correct; the 300 yd, 500 yd, 1000 yd, and 1 mile were short. The plunging and immersion records were correct. It was pointed out in connection with this report that each lap of the basin was, in the past, accepted as being 35yd 1 ft long, thus necessitating three laps to the 100 yd, and as the course -was found by a surveyor to be sin short- of the distance accepted, on one side of the basin, and lOin short on the other, it was suggested that the records marked " short" should be allowed to remain with a footnote added embodying particulars as to exact length.

Mr Sims Reeves and his youthful bride have been very cordially received in South Africa, (says a London paper of October 31st) and the success of their tour has induced them to extend it to Australia and NewZealand. It is also possible that the veteran tenor will return home by way of America, and give_ concerts in some of the leading cities. Not a bad record for a vocalist of seventy-four summers and the parent of a three month's old b«by.