PEDESTRIANISM EXTRAORDINARY.

Kumara Times, Issue 1393, 19 March 1881, Page 2

PEDESTRIANISM EXTRAORDINARY.

The dreary walk of Willian Gald* extending over a period of six weeks* terminated on Saturday the 20th Janu-’ ary, and not altogether successfully for 1 the pedestrian. The task which he set himself was the walking of 2500 mites in 1000 hours; or, to be more explicit, the tramping of 2000 distances! of a mile and a quarter each in 2000 consecutive half-hours, starting at the beginning of each half-hour. The walß took place at Lillie Bridge grounds, near London. For upwards of five weeks he kept gamely to his task, and, though worn and weary from want of rest and sleep, it was generally thought that he would pull through. On Tues* day morning, December 28, however, he failed in the half-hour, commencing half-past 4, up to which time he had faithfully complied with the conditions* and walked the extraordinary distance of 2232 miles—an average throughout of 60 miles a day. The interruption jU believed to have been due to anj attack of diarrhoea. But, whatever may have been the cause, he rested for sfc hours, and afterwards, on resuming the course, walked in an irregular mane*' up to the call of time on Saturday evening, at which period he had finished miles 40 yards. Although fail* ing to accomplish the task he had set himself, he compassed a distance totally unprecedented in the annals of long-* distance pedestriattism and endurance. But the public showed very little interest in the Undertaking, which lacked nearly all the elements of popular ex-» citement. After the conclusion of the walk, Gale was -subjected to a minute medical examination by iVir Gant* F.R.C.S., who, all through,- has frequently visited him.