GREAT WALKING MATCH.

Evening Star, Issue 4171, 10 July 1876, Page 3

GREAT WALKING MATCH.

Weston’s claim to be ranked first of living pedestrians has been challenged in a manner very creditable to British power aud pluck. Out of a vast number of walking men, whose ambition impelled them to enter a contest against the American’s time, fourteen competitors of proved capacity were chosen by the promoters of a genuine English match; aud at nine o’clock on Monday night, Bth May, these men started to walk for twenty-four 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 100 miles in twenty-four hours, he having started with the purpose of doing 115. Out of the fourteen English pedestrians who attempted to beat this grand effort of strength, speed, and endurance, three have succeeded; and one of these three has surpassd the American athlete’s great feat by so immense a distance that he will undoubtedly be looked upon for the moment as a wonder aud a paragon. This disciple of ‘ Walking Stewart” is named Vaughan ; he is in his 29th year, he comes from Chester, and he is said to be an amateur. By aquarter to nine o’clock last night he had covered, since nine on the previous eveniug, 120 miles. Not only has this never been done before, but as the crowd of sporting men who looked on and cheered at the finish were generally agreed in declaring it had never been dreamt of. Weston bad been invited to contend, and it had been made a contingent of hia 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. 35sec., he had performed the distance which is authentically said to have been done by O’Leary, in America, in ISh, 53min. 40sec., 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 six o’clock Vaughan 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 filled the great space of heated and dusty atmosphere that the music of a band stationed on the centre platform was rendered quite inaudible. Capital performances were those also of Howse and Crossland, the former of whom finished his 100 miles in 19h, 43min. Isec., and the latter in 20h. 42min. At three minutes before seven - that is, with two good hours before him—Howse had beaten Weston’s distance; and at five minutes to eight Crossland had accomplished the same great feat. By eight o’clock the throng inside the hall was very great, and many hundreds were loitering outside the doors. Vaughan, Howse, and Crossland were repeatedly cheered to the echo. Newman, an old pedestrian, was walking steadily and well. He took long rests; and when on tho track kept a great pace, always unattended, and never once ceasing to smile in a very cheery aud satisfied manner. Though all doubt as to the result had long been over, the excitement among the spectators increased every minute. At eight minutes past eight \ aughan, having put on a grand snurt, came striding firmly along aud was passing the table where the judges sat, when he staggered, and was caught by two of them, and prevented from sinking to the ground. He had then done 119 miles and five laps, and the sudden failure of his powers showed too plainly that he had overtaxed them to a cruel extent. He was borne off on the back of an attendant, and when, after an interval of twelve minutes, he came on the track again, his lithe, sinewy form was enveloped in a loose coat. He had determined, it appeared, to walk twosevenths of a mile in order to complete the score over a hundred. At a painfully slow pace, and with labored 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 hia retirement, and literally hobbled and staggered round the hall, finishing the seventlT lap, and with it the 120 th mile, amid a deafening roar. It wanted now fifteen minutes of nine o’clock, and there was still a quarter of an hour to be used by the other competitors before pistol shot. Howse 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 nine o’clock, Howse had covered the distance of 116 miles five and three quarter laps and 200 yards, or very nearly 117 miles, in the twenty-four hours. Grassland, 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 Grassland all. did far better than Weston for the space of a ni<dit and a day, Newman walked 110 miles and five laps leas fifty yards, aud will certainly not be allowed to go unrewarded. The first prize is the gum in money of LIOO, the second LlO, and tho third L 7 10s. In addition LlO was promised to head a subscription for the 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 twenty-five hours, .As there was no chance of Newman’s doi ig this, of course the match was over at niue o'clock.