CARNIVAL AT TE ARO BATHS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1630, 23 December 1912, Page 6

CARNIVAL AT TE ARO BATHS.

RECORD CUT BOWN. BY SYDNEY SWIMMER SOLOMONS. : i ;; v OTHER-TIMES AND NOTES. ■Since their'Jast appearance in public in, Wellington the Sydney crack swimmers have visited Napier and Blenheim; whero they.appeared in carnivals. The most important question which local swimmers have been discussing lately is whether Solomons would break the minute in the hundred yards'event. • Well, Saturday afternoon at tie centre a carnival'at tho Tβ Aro Baths decided cverything-Solomons did the 10(1 yards distance iu-58 2-sseo. He swam exceedingly well, but the raco appeared to settle him, as in the other-events in-which ho competed he'made rather.an. indifferent showing; '■"■•■ •'-■■: •■ " . Saturday's proceedings formed the second carnival held under the- auspices nf the- Wellington Swimming Centre on the occasion of the visit-of the Sydney swimmers. The weather was fine and warm, and the events wero all fairly well contested. About .1000 spectators weTe present, and on the whole the carnival had a little more "go" in it this'time. The Mission Band—apparently unabashed and undismayed by what befell them at the previous carnival—were present jn force, and enlivened the proceedings with selections. More;was promised, of tho Sydney "cracks" than' Teally was shown. Lxcept for the one performance of Solomons, they did not quite come up to expectations. Last week Stranger was looked upon as a likely man to do something realty firstclass, but his performance on Saturday was not up to that which he had been credited with onWednesda- evening last. The handicapping of .the boys in the 50 yards boys' race showed some errors of Judgment'.' Before the race started a number of the spectators easily picked (:]» winner, and they were heard complaining of tho handicapping. It -was certainly a good deal out. . ' E. Nelson, of the Thorndon Club, won the-diving competition, and the Sydney "crack/' Riddington, was- second. Kiddington's diving "was r.ot nearly so good as on his previous performance, and he quite deserved second pluce, but it, appeared to many onlookers to.be a|"tosa-up between Hanna. and Nelson for first place: Hanna's exhibition was certainly very goad. ' .-■..-•. . ■ : :The event in which Solomons broke the New Zealand record was. the-second heat of the 100 yds. handicap. The limit man, Francis, started lfeec. ahead of Solomons, who was scratch. : Solomons left the mark with a beautiful shallow dive, and rushed through the water like a-"ploughing machine." At the seventy-five yards mark he began to his opponents, and a few yards' off the finishing mark he overtook M'Carlie (second man), and a second later he: touched tho finishing 1 linn, a winner,. lu vine done-the distance in 5S 2-ssec. The New Zealand record which was recognised by the N.Z.A.S.A., was held by C. S. Brico, of the Thorndon Club, -who towards the.end of.the 1910-11 season did tho. 100 yds. in 831-ssec. This performance was put-up-at the-New. Zealand championship meeting. Soloinons's best Australian time for the distance is 57sec. dead. This .time was recorded at the North Sydney championship meeting held in 1911. Saturday's race was certainly a good one, but aa indicated above, il had the effect of making. Solomons tired for the other events.in which he competed. Hay and Solomons' represented the Manly Club in the 200 yds. relay race, but achieved nothing more brilliant than "also ■started."'-,-It■ could easily be "seen,'that Solomons was ■worn out. Hay swam well and if:it had not been for Solomons they would have won the event. Solomons's timo for this event wfc* recorded as G3 4-. r )sec, and Stranger's, time -was GGsec. dead. The event was won by the Lvall Bay Club team, who had a start of 23sec. on the Manly -team. '

RESULTS. , ■ 50 Yards School Handicap. D. J.Mu-rroll (ssec.),"l;' H. Hall (7sec), 2; M. Hicks (ssec), 3. Six others started. Time, -12sec. . ■ . . ; , 50 Yards Handicap. ■ First heat: A. Sc-inerville (llsec), 1; W. Gr. Morpeth (lOseo.), 2; E. Donovan (17 sec), .3. Also started: L. H. Butler (12 sec). Time, 37 3-!>see. The race resulted in- a very close finish between the two placed men. ' Second heat: W. Francis (Ssec), 1; K. Forth (Bsec), 2; J. Gosling .("sec), 3. Also started: J. Forsyth (9scc), K. Robinson imd'E. C. B. Wilkinson (Ssec.), and K. Russell (7sec). Time. 32 l-ssec. Third heat: R. Nelson (4sec), 1; L. Bridge (ssec), 2;. C. T. .Arthur "pse'c), 3. Also started: AV. F. Dudfen (3sec.) and I. Bridge (ssec). Time, 28. Msec: Dudeon .lost the race entirely through his own fault-rhe. started before his time, and iVas consequently.disqualified.. The finish was very: close and exciting. Fourth heat: A. R. M'Lean (6sec), 1; A. Croivther (6sec), 2; H. Hay (2sec), 3. Also started: C. L:Nieholls (7sec), J. M. Billiard (ssec),' and A. M'Nab (3sec). "Dime,- 31 2-s;ec. ■ Final heat: Francis, 1; Forth, 2; Croivtlier, 3. Time, 32 3-ssec. furnished a very closely-contested'finish. • 100 Yards Handicap. First heat: H. Hay (scr.), 1; A. E. M'Lean (12sec), 2. J. Robinson (Hsec), 3. Also started: L. H. Butler (28sec), H. K. Johnston. (23sec), L. .W. Green (23sec), IC. D: Russell (17sec.),. and C. T. Arthur (12sec). Time, 61 3-ssec. Hay, starting from-the scratch mark, overtook all his opponents soon after starting on the second fifty. Second heat: L. Solomons (scr.), lj A. M'Carlie (9sec), 2; A. Crowther (llsec), 3. ilso started: R. C. Watson (lOsec* S. Murrell (9sec), H. Capper (7sec), and W Francis (Msec). Time, 58 2-ssec. This provided a capital race, and the minute was broken by Solomons for the. first time in Wellington. Final heat: M'Lean, 1; Solomons, 2; Robinson, 3. Time, 695ec... This heat proved an exciting one, and, strangely enough, the winner turned up in a competitor who has not seen salt water for some considerable time. His performance was really a surprise. Solomons s time for. the.distance was recorded as 62 3-ssec.

/ 100 Yards Medley. Handicap. i'First heat: H. L. ievestem (6seo.), 1; J. Martien (lflsec), 2;, C. G. Hedge (7sec), 3. Also started": J. Forsyth (sseo.). Second heat: E. C. Watson (4sec.), 1; T. Woodcock (scr.), 2; E. Vango (2sec.), 3. Also started: W. Somars (ssec), H. Freeth (feec.i, J. Parry (4sec), and ii. A very (4sec). . _ , „ Final heat: Watson, 1; Levestram, 2; Vango, 3. The winner got home easily first, followed at some distance by Leyestram and Vango, who were both very close together. ■ '■' . ' .... Diving Competition, E. Nelson, 'lj"S. Riddington (N.S.WJ,' 2: Q. P. Hanna, 3/ Also competed: H. Hav (N S.W.), J. A. Green, F. Cop, J. Parry, F.Eevnokls, K. D. Rnssell, W. fficks N Johnson. Oh the whole, the exhibitions could not be called excellent although there were one or Uo really (,ood dives. Hanna. showed nnd =ome thought he deserved a better nositionin the result. The Manly cracks ■S?d not -do as well u was expected of thm - Novelty Event. Springboard wrestling (last man to strike the water to be the winner), J. Gosling, 1. 200 Yards Relay Race. Lvall Bay Club (K. Forth and. S. MurB K 1; Swifts Club (H. Little and A JI Smith) Msec., 2; We hngton Club ■ji'Carlie «n<(W. Stranger), 13sec, 3 Also ■started- Worssr Bay Clnb (H. bmer ami TSilver) 'isec; Victoria College Club fr H BuUard and A. M'Nab), 20sec ;and Jlanly Club (H. Hay and L. Solomons), scr. Time, 2min. 2C 2-ssee. Life-saving. • ■Exhibitions of life-saving were givonby members of tho Royal Life-saving Society OVellington branch). Five llaranui swimmers and one Lyall Bay representative took part. The exhibitions given by W. Chapman and L. Avery were easily the best. ■ . ■ ' ~ , There appears to be some doubt as to whether Solomons did really break the minute in tlio 100 yards event. At least one , reliable watch recorded his time as GOsec dead. ■ Olhor watches nlso indicated the samo thing. Tho time of 58 2-ssec. was the official time given out after the ■•"Tod" Solomons and party left for the south by the Mararoa on Saturday oveaing.