THE ATHLETIC MEETING

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3272, 8 August 1871, Page 2

THE ATHLETIC MEETING

The most numerous assemblage of tho public that has taken place in Wellington since tho last Caledonian- gathering was on the occasion of the athletic sport 3 in the Mount Cook Barrack Ground yesterday. Although the programme was not gone through with quite as much spirit as at the New Year's fete, thero were circumstances connected with tho meeting which fully explained any such want. The whole thing may bo said to be an impromptu affair, for though a week's notico had been given that is not a lapse of time sufficient to enable our amateurs to make themselves fit for such encounters, nor is it sufficient time in which to create an appetite in the general public for a matter in which they are accustomed' to receive months of warning and to lay themselves out accordingly. That the people of Wellington should turn out to the number of two thousand, was an event we ourselves were unprepared for, so that it was a case of unprepared ness all round, and the result most agreeable — a wholly successful one. But the end only justified the means, for every kind of preparation had been carefully made; tho ground had been carefully measured off, and legibly ruurked, under the superintendence of a committee formed from citizens of Wellington ; the course had been neatly decorated with flags ; tho proceedings of the day were enlivened by the performances of a good band ; a provision noticeable for its absence at our Caledonian sports had been carefully looked to — the erection of a grand stand 5 and a proper dressing room for competitors provided. Under these circumstances it would have been strange, indeed, if the result had been other than it was. Added to the attractions named, and to the fact that the occasion was to witness the performances of a man chosen from all England to go to Australia, thero wus the addition of the day itself being one of tho finest we have had this season. Although it had rained the whole of the night before, the warmth of tho day was just strong enough to cause sufficient evaporation to dry up any surface water caused by the inequalities of the surface, although it was still soft enough in places to cause several spills. By one o'clock the crowd was already a numerous and also a motley one. the marines, gunners, and blue jackets from the Basilisk giving a thorough holiday appearance to the scene, and also making it a very jovial one. The shilling end of the ground was densely packed, but it was not till about half-past two that the halfcrown reserve presented anything like a crowded appearavco. About that time tho elite began to pour in fast. The grand stand became closely packed with ladies, for which its space was exclusively reserved, and in its neighborhood were the whole of our leading citizens, and many officers of the Basilisk. Exactly at three o'clock the arrival of his Excellency and Lady Bowen was announced. They were escorted to tho portion of the grand stand reserved for them, and the band striking up the Anthem was the signal for the assemblage to uncover. Of the running of Bird, there was a little disappointment in one part of tho programme, and a rich treat to an athlete in another that svib well worth any money to see. In professional running, as in all other things, there are always many kinds of people to consider. There are those who would have the champion win everything, and there are those who would have him win nothing — the old fable of the miller and the donkey. Those who saw the mile race could hardly t tell what to say of it. Bird seemed to run well ; indeed, many thought and said ho ran his best ; while others said that it and the two mile race were disgraceful " sells." The expression is a harsh one, and not altoI gether justifiable. Bird's magnificient running in the five mile race convinced everybody who saw it that he could give a lot more odds than he did to anything on the ground, and at any distance — there is no gainsaying that fact ; but there is another view of the case to be considered. How discouraging it would have been to our amateurs, some of whom had travelled great distances to see Bird and run with him — if they had gone away emptyhanded. Tho view taken then would have been, " Oh, what's the good of a man offering prizes and winning them himself." The public have seen all they could have wanted to see — the description given below of thefivemile race, and the time it was done in are sufficient to show what Bird's pedestrian powers are, and that is all he undertook to do. The races for tho blue jackets produced the greatest amusemont of the day. The day was a thorough gala day for them, the officers of the ship making themselves active in contributing to the enjoyment of the men, in getting up races for their especial benefit, and doing everything possible to promote the pleasure of " Jack ashore." Every time the tars went round a salvo of encouraging words from twenty or thirty lusty throats greeted the champion of a particular mess, but a representative of <( No. 4i mess" seemed to have tho call in nearly all the events down for sailors. Kelly and Pyke ran well, the former in the two«mile race, and tho latter in the mile race. Tho running of the two on a gook ground would be very equal, and no doubt many opportunities will be given to the Wellington people of seeing these two peds together, Pjke being a settled resident of the province, Kelly boing an attache of his Excellency's aide-de-camp, Captain Matchell, so that the proceedings of our next Caledonian games will have an additional feature. Many novelties were introduced, which are described below. The first event in the programme was the 150 YARDS HANDICAP. For this race there wore eight entries, and in consequence of tho ground not being wide enough to give all the runners an equal chance, \l was decided to split them into divisions. In the first division wero placed — Kelly, nt scratch ; Avery, ten yards; and Lewis, ten yards. Lewis nnd Avery wont away . very strongly, and seemed very equally matched until reaching tho top of the course, where A very fell, and interfered greatly with Lewis' chance, the latter nearly falling over him. This made tho race a very good one, because it enabled Kelly to come with the leaders. A good race home was the result, Kelly winning by about two yards after a hard struggle with Lewis, who seemed very like winning up till tho time ho stumbled over Avery. In the second division Pros?er, 10 yards ; Walden, 15 yards; Ritson, 10 yards ; 0r.F.M.,3 yards ; and Corbott, 6 yards, started. Tho places wero not changed till the top of tho courso was reached, where Prosser fell. At tho second I urn G-.F.M. also fell, Walden still leading. This order was not changed, until Corbott came away with a rush, but could not over haul Walden, who had been handicaped too favorably, and won easily by three yards. For the final head Kelly, at scratch ; Lewis, 10 yards ; and Walden, 15 yards, started, but the unfairness of Llio handicap was fully proved, for neither of tho other two ever caught Walden, who won by about ten yards. 500 YARDS HURDLE RACK. Ritson and Kelly stavtod for this race, tho former with forty yards in front. Ritson, who seemed cut out lor anything but a runner, fell back at tho second hurdle, in tho second lap, and after scrambling over pulled up altogether nt the next hurdle. Kolly then took it how he liked tho remainder of the distance, and went through without any miephap. The time was not worth taking. THE MILE BACE. Tho course being calculated at 150 yards round, Bird had to do 12 laps ; Pyko, 11 laps j and Walden, 10 laps to cover the distance. In the first lap Bird fell, in consequence of tho greasy nature of tho ground, losing ft considerable distance. Walden ran only about two laps, when ho coved in. Pyke continued to

I run well, keeping up the pace all through the distance. In the sixth lap Bird's left shoo came off, and although he continued running it was evident he couldn't keep up the pace, and iv the ninth lap, finding it would be impossible to catch Pyko, who had made the pace pretty hot all through, he gave up and retired to the dressing room. The time was not taken, but the impression seemed to be that it was pretty good. MEN OF WAR RACE. There were two races for men-of-warsmen, and in the first the distance was 150 yards, for which there were eleven entries. A scrambling start was made, the flag poßts and some of the competitors coming to grief. At the top of the course a number of those in the race went to grass, and Head, being quickest on his legs, came away an easy winner. A 200 yards racb was thea improvised. Much amusement was caused over this race, a squat little follow of cubic proportions, named Sparkes, rushing 1 away with a considerable lead, which he maintained to the finish. 200 YARDS* RACE FOB YOUTHS. Fire started for this race, which was a yery good one, a lad named Moran, who showed most bottom at the finish, winning easily, after a struggle about twenty yards from home. CATCHING THE BELLMAN. This was a very amusing event. The competitors were blindfolded, and armed with a padded " wand." A number of sailors were entered, and some wild all-round hittiug wa« the result. After the competitors had pumraellod each other to their satisfaction, always thinking they had the bellman, one of them, a sailor named Jarvis, was declared the winner, having given the bellman a well-directed hit across the back. SMOKING RACE. The distance was 150 yards, each competitor being armed with a lighted pipe, with which he had to return to the winning post unbroken. About a dozen sailors entered, and after a good race Head was first on the tape. The race was won easily, and the 'pipe being still alight and unbroken, ho was declared the winner. THE TWO MILE BACE. Only two out of the six entered came to the post. To cover the distance Bird had to go 24 laps, and Kelly, with 230 yards start, 22 laps. In tho third lap Bird passed Kelly for the first time, and at the end of the sixth lap was leading by fifty yards. At the eleventh lap Bird had increased to 100 yards ahead in the laps, and in the fifteenth lap they were both on the same side of the course, Bird still overhauling Kelly. Several offers to back Kelly at level money were now made. In tho nineteenth lap Bird passed Kelly, and in tho next two laps positions were changed several times, Kolly reaching the tape afc the winning-post about a foot in front of Bird, the two miles being done in good time, 10 mm. 30 see. Bird was ultimately declared the winner, in consequence of tho stewards having placed Kelly twenty yards in front of his proper position at the start. After some discussion between the judge and the stewards, it was decided to have the race run over again on a day to be appointed by the runners, or else to be declared a draw. BURNING IN SACKS was won by a sailor named Holmes. THE PIYE MILE RACE. Three appeared at the start for this race. To cover tho five miles, Bird had to go fiftynine laps, and Pyke and Wilkinson, a sailor, fifty-two. In Pyke's eighth lap he was passed by Bird, whose starting position was about half a lap below him. In the twelfth, Pyke re-passed Bird at the top of the course, but by the time they reached the post at the home end Bird was again leading. Wilkinson having dropped out, the two ran together until in Pyke's sixteenth lap, when putting on a spurt at the top of the course, his left leg, which was bandaged when he stripped, gave way and he had to pull up. Bird then ran the remainder of the distance himself. For the first f ime during the day he gave the spectators evidence of what he renlly could do. About the end of the third mile he put on several spurts. In these spurts, his strides seemed more like the bounds of a dser than those of a man, and again at the end of the fourth mile he seemed really in better trim and in better wind than at the commencement. Some idea of the speed may be given, when tho state of the ground is taken into consideration. Then, again, there wore three distinct stoppnge3— once to fasten fail shoe, which was again coming off; once to ).'«• verse the rupning, upon which he had to consult the judge, and once to ask whether it would be necessary to continue the running, as he had no one to contend with him. To this the judge replied that the distance would have to be completed to enable him to claim the money; Aftor some more magnificent spurting, the five miles including the stoppages were completed in 32 mm., amidat loud cheering. There were some other events undecided, but as it was now nearly dark, the proceeding* wore brought to a termination.