1000 MILES IN 1000 HOURS.

Evening Post, Volume XIV, Issue 48, 25 August 1876, Page 2

1000 MILES IN 1000 HOURS.

As our readers will doubtless be interested in the great pedestrian feat about to be attempted by Air. Wiltshire, one of our staff yesterday paid a visit to the quarters of that gentleman at the Waterloo Hotel, and had an interview with him. The feat is one requiring enormous powers of endurance. To walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours means to keep on walking night and day for 5 weeks 6 days and 16 hours, with no interval for obtaining food and rest of more than an hour and a-half at a time. The course is a space boarded in at the back of the Waterloo Hotel. It is 92 yards and 2 ieet rouud, so that 19 circuits require to be made to complete each mile. It is not quite level in all parts, there being a slight slope at the starting point for a few feet. Within the enclosure is a small room, in which the pedestrian will take rest and food at the intervals afforded. He starts at 3.45 to-morrow afternoon, and walks two miles. Then there will be an interval of rest, and a fresh start will be made at 5.45. when two more miles will be accomplished. He proposes to start a quarter of an hour before each of the even hours throughout the 24, during the whole time, and so to tr* c his speed as to do one mile in each hour throughout. Mr. Wiltshire

('is very confident of successfully occomplishing the feat, though he admits that the strain upou the'system, tlmnigh lack of continuous sleep, will be very great. It appears that the prolonged exertion and the short intervals of rest sometimes induce a state of the noryous system which makes perfect sleep impossible. Tho pedestrian in such cases "doses " rather than sleeps, waking by fits and starts. Sometimes also, when tho exertion has been very long continued, a strong desire for sleep suddenly sets in, which it is hard to resist. The eyes also are apt to be much affected with the continued wakefuJness. The food taken during the execution of this walking feat will be nourishing add easily digestible. Eggs, mutton chops done on the gridiron, rump steak, bread, tea, coffee, and corn flour made into a sort of jelly, are the chief articles used to fortify the inner man. No alcoholic spirits or wines are taken, but a fair amount of sound ale, chiefly English, is fouud advantageous to use. Mr. Wiltshire is a wellbuilt man, with a chest very remarkable for its breadth and depth. In fact, the upper part of his framo is very well developed, and " hard as nails." Curiously enough, there is not any exceptional appearance of streagth about Ins lower limbs. He walks erect, with a somewhat military action, and the swing and stride arc all from the hip. The walking costume is remarkably neat, consisting oi white singlet, with a star on left breast, black velvet breeches, and light canvas shoes, low-heeled, and tipped with leather. Mr. Wiltshire is a native of Berkshire, and is about 34 years of age. Tho walking feat will be preceded by several handicaps amongst amateur peds for an electroplate silver cup, given by Mr. Edwaras.