CARNIVAL AT TE ARO BATHS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1618, 9 December 1912, Page 4

CARNIVAL AT TE ARO BATHS.

SYDNEY MEN IN ACTION. UNUSUAL ACCIDENT HAPPENSi BAND STAGE COLLAPSES. : MEN PRECIPITATED IN WATER, ; Upwards of 2000 people lined tho seats 'and stages and other coigns of vantage ' round the Te Aro baths on Saturday. \ Nominally, tho big event was billed as tho Wellington Centre's carnival, which was, perhaps, putting things, rather modestly, for the gathering also gave Wellington people, a capital opportunity of seeing the. famous Sydney cracks in action. Incidentally, too, it provided—among, its "unrehearsed effects"—an accident/to tho Central Mission Band which gave them all a. dip in -the briny. Some thought this "humorous," though, to be sure, it is extremely doubtful if the band saw. the occurrence quite in, that light,

Among the. spectators present were Bishop Grimes, of Christchurch, : Bishop Gleary, of Auckland, and Dr. Kennedy, Rector of St. Patrick's College. The mishap to the band was both sudden and surprising, and' it happened just when.the.most exciting event of. the day —the teams' relay in full swing; A wooden staging had been erected across.the children's baths for the purpose' of accommodating the bandsmen. Unfortunately, the,.members.of the band w-cre not alone, on. the board, as a good number of spectators had made, the stagr irig, their stand for viewing tho. sports. Asstated.beforei the.teams'.race was just being decided, when suddenly the attention of the whole of the large spectatorate was directed to the staging, by a loud crash. The structure, had given, way, and nearly all; the. bandsmen and a good number of spectators were precipitated into the water. Some of the bandsmen's instruments were' broken or otherwise damaged, and a v number of them fell into, the water'. Wliile the excitement was at its.-height one person with a small boy under his. arm, who was endeavouring to get out of-the water, slipped, fell, and sank beneath the surface. Fortunately, however, a constable, who was near, was able to pull man and boy to safety. Whatever sort of "joke" all this may. have former for a section, of the spectators, it was. certainly.; no joke for the. band.

Some of the, swimmers present, who i.were stripped.. for the fray, were requisitioned, to. dive for instruments, ! mouthpieces, music, and. "the lost choid," ; whilst the. drummer, faithful; in the hour, iof; trial, endeavoured to keep the "sounds ing parchment" clear of the obtrusive wave by holding" the big drum over his 'head as he stood in the water. Then as ;if to make things worse a wag seized the megaphone, and announced to the crowd that a selection would be pkyed by, the ' "Submarine Band!" No doubt the accident, will'induce, many of' the musicians to take up swimming, as-a recreation, in ordier that they, may thoroughly grasp .the, true, inwardness, 1 of such pieces' as "A' Hundred. Fathoms Deep" and "The !Mermaid J s Dwelling!" It would take: a Sousa to describd in' music the manner jih which, "the.band came back."-

. 'Naturally, the real enthusiasm of the. (afternoon was roused, when the, Sydney. ; visitors, gave their exhibitions of■■ high ,and fancy diving. From a, height of 'about 40ft. "Sid"' Riddington, ruimer-up in'the New. South Wales, diving ©ompetiitibns, gave a beautiful. swallow dive, for. ,which, he,was loudly applauded. He then favo a somersault dive from the- same eight. Both dives.were remarkably neat, ■ and certainly gave one', the opinion that ho was a champion diver. Hay, one of the visitors, a clever diver and a coming -crack swimmer, also did justice to the. .Manly Club. Be is'very neat and clever ;in his'work; arid received a due measure of'applause. G. P. Ea,nim,'a'looal'ma.h, ialso competed, in the diving competitions', and did well. Riddington was. adjudged 'the winner/in this class-of event.' ' In tho. fifty yards'handicap race, W. Cookson, of Christchurch; proved 1 an easy winner. «, -.'.i .i : The.teams' relay race of 200 yards, which was predicted as being the most exciting event of the day, was certainly of a good deal of interest. Nine 'teams competed, and the Manly Club team won the event easily. RESULTS. 50 Yards Handicap. First heat: W. Peterson (ISseo.), 1; A. Somerville (Usee), 2; E. Donavon(lCsec), 3. Five others also competed. Time, 31 2-ssec. ' . Second heat: W. Francis (Bsec), 1; L. Bluudell (Ssec), 2; IC. D. Russell (9sec), 3. Time, 36 l-ssec. Third heat:. S. 'A. Murrell (Gsec), 1; J. Stratford (6sec), 2; J. Hopkirk (6sec.), 3. Two other also started.'. Time, 31 l-ssec. Fourth heat: W. Cookson, Christchurch, (4sec), 1; R. Nelson (4sec.), 2;T. Solomons' (scr.), 3. Four others also competed. Time, 27 l-ssec. Solomon's, timefor the distance was 25sec. dead. Final heat: Cookson, 1; Murrell, 2; Francis, 3. Time, 27sec. Cookson, who was 'scratch in the final, won easily. •. 50 Yards St. Patrick's. College Championship. P. F. M'CaTthy, 1; W. J. Redmond, 2; G. Clarke, 3; Also started: C. F. Campion, J. Connolly, G. Garth, C. Dealey, C. Hodgins, J. M'Mahon, W. Nugent, F. Reynolds, P. J. Bourke, M. Brownliey P. J. Cullen, G. Cullirian, B. L. Dignan, S. Henrys. Time, 31sec. 100 Yards Handicap. First heat": 6.' M'Grath" (15sec), 1; A. Crowther (3sec), 2; K. D. Russell (18sec), 3'. Time, train.-15 2-ssec. Second heat: "Tod" Solomons (scr.), 1; C. Brice (ssec.), 2; H. Hay (lsec), 3. Time, 60 l-ssec. Final heat: Brice, 1; Crowther, 2; and Solomons, 3. Time, 65 2-ssec.. Diving Competition. . S. Riddington (Sydney Club), 1; H. M. Hay (Sydney Club), 2; P. Banna, 3. Also competed: K. D. Russell, K. Wiggins, E. Nelson, andW. Hicks. Teams' Relay Race. Of 200 yards. Nine teams of four men each competed. Result:— „ „ , tt Manly Club (Messrß. T. Solomons, H. Hay, S. S. Riddington, and A. M. Tartakover) scr., 1. ' Wellington' Club (Messrs. A. Crowther, S. Murrell, A. M'Carlie, and B. O Neall), Usee, 2. ■ _ ~ , Worser Bay Club (Messrs. L. Carmichael, P. Wiltom, H. Silver, and H. C. W. Blick), 19, sec, 3. Time, Imm'. 55 3-sscc. . / '