GREAT WALKING MATCH IN ENGLAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 2427, 12 July 1876, Page 3

GREAT WALKING MATCH IN ENGLAND.

120 MILES IN 24 HOURS.

Weston's claim to be ranked first of living pedestrians has been challenged in a manner very creditable to British power and pluck. (Jut of a Aast number of walking men whose ambition impelled them to enter into a contest against tho American's time. 14 competitors of proved capacity were chosen by the promoters of a genuine English match ; and at niuo o'clock on Monday night, Bth May, these men started to walk for 24 hours on a newly-laid cinder path, seven laps of which, round the inner area of the Agricultural Hall, make exactly a mile. Weston's performance, it will be remembered, was 109 miles in 21 hours, he having started for the purpose of doing 115. Out of the 14 English pedestrians who attempted to beat this grand effort of strength, speed, and eudurance, three have tucceeded, and one of these three has surpassed the American athlete's great feat by so immense a distance that he will undoubtedly be looked upon for the moment as a wonder and a paragon. This disciple of " Walking Stewart" is named Vaughan ; he is in his 20th year; he comes from Chester, and he is said to be au amateur. By a qnarter to 9 o'clock lass night he had covered, eince 9 on the previous evening, 120 miles. Not only has this never been done before, but, as the crowd of sporting men who looked ou and cheered at the finish were generally agreed in declaring, it had never been dreamt of. Weston had been invited to coutend, and it had been made a contingent of his assenting to the proposal that the prizes should be doubled. But he did not respond favorably; and was not present, we are told, at any time of the match. At a few minutes before four o'clock on the evening of the 7th May, or, to speak exactly, 18h. 51min. 35 sees., he had performed the distance which is authentically said to have been done by G'Leary, in America, in ISh. 53mio. 40sea, the fastest walk of a hundred miles that had ever been chronicled. Vaughan's completion of this distance was hailed with immense cheering from all parts of the crowded hall. Just after G* o'clock Vaughau surpassed Weston's twenty -four hours distance (109 miles 3 furlongs 172 yards), having nearly three hours in hand. On the fact being made known such a burst of applause tilled the great space of heated and dusty atmosphere that the music of a band stationed ou the centre platform was rendered quite inaudible. Capital perforin- | ances were those also of Howse and Crosslnud, the former of whom finished his 100 miles in nineteen hours forty-three minutes one second, and the latter in twenty hours forty-two minutes. At three minutes before 7 — that is, with two good hours befor him — Howse had beaten Weston's distance; and at fivo minutes to S Crosslami hud accomplished the same great feat. By 8 o'clock the throng inside the hall was very great, and many hundreds were loitering outside the doors. Vaughan, Howse, nnd Cropland were repeatedly cheered to the echo. Newman, an old pedestrian. wa3 walking steadily and well. He tcok long rests ; nnd wheu on tho track kept a great pace, always unattended, and never once ceasing to smile in a very cheery and satisfied manner. Though all doubt as to the result bad long been over, the excitement among the spectators increased every minute. At eight minutes past 8 Ynughan, having put on a great spurt, came striding firmly along, and was passing the table whera the judges sat, when he staggered, and was caught by two of them, aud prevented from sinking to the ground. He had then done 110 miles and five hips, and the sudden failure of his powers showed to plainly that he had overtaxed them to a cruel extent. He was borne o£E on the back of an attendant, and when, after an interval of twelve minutes, he came on the track agaiu, his lithe, sinewy form was enveloped in a loose coat. He had determined, it appeared, to walk the two-sevenths of n mile in order to complete the score over a hundred. At a painfully slow pace, and with laboured steps, he crawled rather than walked one lap and twenty-five yards, and then again stopped from sheer prostration. This time he was carried to his room by four men; but he emerged once more in a dreadfully feeble state from his retirement, and literally hobbled and staggered round the hall, finishing the seventh lap, aud with it the 120 th mile, amid a deafening roar. It wanted now fifteen minutes of 9 o'clock, and there was still a quarter of an hour to be used by the other competitors before pistolshot. HowFe was in a state more deplorable even than that of Vaughan, though the smaller man showed his distress in a less fitful manner. The two or three attendants who walked with Howse fanned him continually, or his failing steps would have yielded altogether. As it was, they were ready to catch him if he fainted; but he kept up, deaf, as it seemed, to the thunders of applause, and wholly insensible to everything but the bull-dog determination not to give in. When the pistol was fired, at 9 o'clock, Howse had covered the distance of 11 G miles five and three-quarter laps and 200 yards, or very nearly 117 miles, in the 24 hours. Crossland, who had walked magnificently, no sooner heard the pistol-shot than he seized a hat and began to hand it round. He had done 113 miles and six laps less fifty yards. Thus Vaughan, Howse. and Crossland all did far better than Weston for the space of a night and a day. Newman walked 101 miles and fivo laps less, fifty yards, and will certainly not be allowed to go unrewarded. The first prize is the sum in money of £100, the second £10, and f he third £7* 10s. In addition £10 was promised to head a subscription for tho man or men beating Weston's distance in the time, and a further prize was to have been given to any man completing the task in 25 hours. As there wns no chance of Newman's doing this, of comae the match was over at 9 o'clock.