THE GREAT TUG-OF-WAR AT THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 17, 12 February 1892, Page 31

THE GREAT TUG-OF-WAR AT THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

HOW IRELAND BEAT AMEBIOA.

(Evening Standard, January 25.) No one who was fortunate enoagh to witness the tug-of-war between Ireland and America at tbe Exhibition on Saturday will ever forget it. It was one of those sights that people see only once in a lifetime, and die the happier for having Been it. The only men, perhaps, who would not die the happier for haviDg seen it would be tbe Americans, and even they must admit they never etood amidst a spectacle more thrilling.

When Inland meets America then comes the tug-of-war. This, in future will be the local rendering of an old proverb, for the Greeks are out of it now. It waa nothing that England was going to pall Norway, or that Scotland was going to try conclusions at tbe rope with the bone and sinew of New Zealand. No one seemed to care much either whether Germany got the better of Sweden ; and eten Australia, with all its local sympathy and pardonable prejudice, did not excite more than passing interest in its pull with the Danes. They were all beaten teams ; all more or less out of it ; and so it did not matter much which way the coin fell. The 8000 people who flocked into the building from all parts at double prices were there to see the Americans lick the Irish, or the Irish walk over the Americans, or else to see tbe beat team win regardless of nationality. At the dose, when the pistol fired, the Americans must have thought that every soul present had come to see them beaten. The balance of sympathy from start to fioish on Saturday evening was decidedly with the Celts, though the odds were freely given on their opponents. America backed itself at 3's to 4's to l, and Ireland was only too happy to take all it could get at the money.

The crowd, hanging over the galleries, perched on the chairs, sticking on to the walls, and elbowing each other for breathing room on the floor, waited eagerly for the big struggle to begin. Had it come on first, they would have forgiven the management the balance of tbe programme. Norway had a tough pull with England, and beat them in 22min. 30sec., every inch of the 7ft. being stubbornly fought. The vanquished team lodged a protest on tbe ground that the Norwegian anchor man held on to the cleats, but it was disallowed. When the New Zealanders met the Scotch they began to «• run away with it " on the American principle, but they spent their rigour in the first few pulls, and had to submit to defeat at the end of 20 minutes. The finest pull of the night was that between the Germans and Swedes, the latter starting with a good lead. At the end of 32min. the Germans had regained their lost ground, and in 4min. more they had won. Australia walked over Denmark in a little under 2 mm.

When Mr Phil, Stuart shouted along to the band for " The Wearing of the Green," tbe fun started. The Irishmen, attired in green sashes (and trousers), came on the platform first. The crowd rose at them with a cheer that grew wilder and wilder, and those who were not Irish saw for a moment what " Irish " really meant. The cheering never absolutely ceased, but like a hurricane, kept on all the time, changing only as it grew louder and louder, till at last, when the fight was won, the deafening roar enveloped everything', and hats and chairs, and sticks and handkerchiefs, moved about in the air as thick as motes in a dust storm. No one could sit unmoved at such a spectacle.

The Americana were not without their friends. They came out • Marching through Georgia," and cheer after cheer went up in their honour. But it was a cool, deliberate American cheer, with no fire in it. " They " looked " a neater team than their opponents, with a much more gainly style, and as they sat dowa to the rope, " 2 to 1 on America " came from several places at once. They were both unbeaten teams, and their style of pulling was almost the same. The difference between them was that the Americans were more practised and more scientific, while the Irishmen were heavier, and went in with mtra fire. Hitherto America had " walked upstairs " with all previous teams, going in from the start before their opponents had time to concentrate their strength. Ireland had won by almost similar tactics, going off with a rush that appeared to be irresistible. Aa soon as the rope was freed both sides bent to with all their might. They were so equally matched that neither could gain the shadow of an advantage : and for several seconds toe rope etood as steady as a bar of iron. Every man was at his best, every limb was Btrained, every muscle set. The cheering hushed a little as doubt replaced conviction, for it was felt whichever side shifted it first would win. Nearly a minute passed, and the suspense was agonising. The disc quivered slightly, showing first blood to Erin. A bit more, and still arfbther bit. Once more America heaved, but in vain. Their force Vas spent to no purpose. The result was no longer in doubt, and as the excitement grew the tempest threatened every moment to rend the roof asunder. The common sympathy witb the Irish was best indicated by the presence of a couple of Chinese in the front row of the reserve! They cheered all a Chinamen knows how. Staid Melbourne citizens, with Hibernian tendencies, leaped to their feet

and throwing their hats on high, yelled and yelled. Two Oatnolio priests, who bad made their way to the front, were as demonstrative in their joy as the moat delirious barraoker in the back benches.

Once Ireland set the rope agoing it did not stop much. After the first foot or two bad been contested, the boys went off at the double, and with a rush that nothing could stop brought their opponents panting and scrambling oat of their own territory. It was all over in lmin. and lOseo.

It looked as if every Irishman in the room — and many, too, who were not Irish— wanted to shake the hands of the victors. There was a wild scramble for the honour. Those who could not get a hand seised a foot or a leg, and were satisfied. Every man of the 10, and the captain, too, was hoisted on the shoulders of his countrymen and a life and death struggle for the dressing-rooms followed. These were below in the cellars, and down the stain the crowd rushed headlong, stifling each other as they went. With great difficulty the doors wars f oro«d against the people, and for half-an-hour after men continued to cheer and shout and shake each other by the hand as if the end of the world had come and the gates of heaven had been opened to them.