THE GREAT WALKING MATCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 266, 7 June 1878, Page 7

THE GREAT WALKING MATCH.

The London correspondent of the Corh Examiner, writing on March 24, says :—: — The great pedestrian match for the championship of the world concluded last night, as was apparent for many hours previously, in a victory for the Irish representative. Taking up the story at the turning point on Friday afternoon, I may say that the decisive change ■was hardly a surprise. Already on Friday morning Vaughan's friends had begun to despair. At six o'clock in the evening they had more cause to yield hope. O'Leary had been going ten hours end on, and though ]ust'- giving" a little in his left leg, appeared otherwise with a, magnificent stride, and never falling lower than four miles an hour. A aughan and Brown made the most desperate efforts to beat clown his lead. They ran, skipped, galloped, as well as walked, adopting every hint of the multitude of counsellors who urged them on " for the honour of England," as the cry was. It must have been rather humiliating, by the way, to sec the Englishmen running as often as they gathered breath, while the Clonakilty- Chicago man calmly marched round, never altering his pace, and most suiely wiping out the little space by which his opponents, in their frantic spurts, managed to shorten his lead. They got beyond him on their sling trot now and then, but they could not shake him off. He followed like a Fate, and in truth moved more like a machine with nerves of iron and sinew of steel, than a man liable to the pressure of wearied nature. At six o clock, after the tmnendous and manful endeavours of Vau<*han and Brown, they -were just as far behind as ever. O'Leary was 43G : Vaughan, 434 ; Brown, 109. A vast assemblage, half of whom were of the better classes, cheered on the competitors and showed quite as much excitement as the more vulgar crowd. As the men went round a sustained uproar made iip' of two cries urged them on their way Jbe shout of '• Vd.ugb.an for England" was outvoiced by yells of "O Leary a-boo," « Dan for the Ould Sod," and the like, and at times the international spirit which the event stirred up was shown in «resturcs and words of defiance which went very near fighting The crueiest cut of all seemed to be that the antagonist was a Celt You hear! men say, '• O'Leary is not an Irishman— he was only born in Ireland. At eleven o'clock Ihe hall was cleared, and before the gates were opened to the public on Saturday morning a throng had gathered, lhe conclusion of the champion match was sensational Ynughan appeared from three hours' rest at three in the mornin" • O Leary a fevr minutes after, and then began the final struggle. The Chester man evidently braced himself to break the American's lead and, probably, no other pedestrian living could try more He ran lap after lap, only to find the fatal, steady tramp of his opponent effacing his vantage ground. At six o'clock O'Leary was 24 miles ahead ; at ten, 23 ; at one 21, and now he began to suffer the penalty ot imprudence in neglecting the advice of his trainer, by which ho caugbt cold in the right leg. He had, also, contrary to advice, taken stimulants at intervals. The consequence was he showed distress and limped painfully. Vaughan plucked up fresh spirits, but indomitable Dan, though painfully suffering torture, was with him, and never ceded one foot of the track. At six o'clock both men were extremely exhausted, tottering as they pursued their monotonous journey amidst thunders of applause from fully 20,000 spectators, among them a considerable section of the House of Peers and half the Commons At six o clock it was clear that the fight was won, but Vaughan plodded 01, and at five minutes past eight making a feeble spurt, completed 500 miles, aud staggering into the arms of his friends, was removed O Leary continued 20 minutes later, when ho finished 520 miles two laps, and was then assisted from the track. The interest ceased here though the small fry continued on the track. O'Leary did 500 miles in 50 minutes less than the distauce was ever walked before. This display is freely acknowledged as an unequalled exhibition of human pluck, power and endurance unlikely to bo rivalled. Brown the third man, walked 477 miles. The rest were nowhere, and Snivthe failed badly. J Mr. O'Leary obtained £500 and the champion belt valued at £100 It is said that he has boon challenged to another match by William Howcp,