England Versus America

In view of the interest excited this spring in track sports by the annouuce ment of the meet with California, the following article by the sportiug editor of the Chicago Tribune, relatiye to Eng lish and American championships, wil be of general interest. He says : There are just twelve events that are in general practice on both sides of the water, and in this number Englanc leads in seven- namely : The 100-yard run, 220-yard run, 440-yard run, 880yard run, 1-mile run, 5-mile run, anc polevault. The American athletes excel in the ruunint, high jump, putting the 16-pound shot, 120 yards high hurdles, and running long jump. C. A. Bradley of Huddersfield, England, is considered by judges to be the fleetest amateur sprinter living. America's best pair are Tommy Lee of the N. Y. A. C, and Eamsdell of the University of Pennsylvania. The former is good for : 10 1-5 at any time for 100 yards, and, on recent form, is nearly good enough to make a new world's figure for 200 yards. Ramsdell has done ten seconds for the "century," and is also 220 yards champion for the Intercollegiate association of America. C. E. Bredin of the London A. C. is out questioii the master of all tniddle listance runners and one of the fastest who ever wore a spiked shoe. He must )e classed witli such'celebrated celebrities as Tiudall of English f ame and Lon Myers, W. C. Downs, and W. A. Dohm, lie American wonders. He has covered 880 yards in the fast time of 1 :55 1-4, and, with a rest of only one hour, encircled a quarter mile track in :48 1-5. America can boast of a trio of splendid quarter-mile flyers- viz. : S. M. Merrill he Harvard crack ; T. Burke and Toni Ceene, both of the B. A. A. Merrill in orm is equal to about :49 3-5 for 440 ■ards, and Burke should do :50, while Keene under good conditious, ought to un the quarter mile in :50 2-5. Kilpatrick of N. Y. A. C. is Columbia's greatest half-miler, and a "go" between him and Bredin under favorable eonditions miglit créate a record to supplant Cross' 1 :54 1-5, made by the Miglishman years ago. English disanee runners easily lead the world. F. E. Bacon is a wonderful performer, nd no amateur in America is capable f excelling him. He is the one and our mile champion of England. Amerca's fastest miler is George Orton of the Si. Y. A. C. He is a Canadian, and may be able when in good trim to go a lile in 4:20. Through the retirement f Tommy Conneff the path has lost the reatest distance runner who ever repesented an American club in compeition. Charles H. Bean, of the Suffolk A. C. f Boston, has clearly demonstrated ïat he is invincible among long dis.ance American runners. In hurdling tephen Chase of Dartmouth College nd N. Y. A. C. can beat any "timber opper" in creation for 120 yards over feet 6 iuches hurdles. Fred Puffer f the New Jersey A. C. seems to be ie world's best for 220 yards over 2 eet 6 inches sticks ; but Geoffrey Shaw f England is also an accomplished urdler, and both would be very close at the end of a race. L. D. Bulger, the Dublin, Ireland, atlilete, can negotiate the high hurdles in 15 4-5 seconds, or one-fifth second slower than Chase's best figures. In walking Sam Liebgold, of the Pastime A. C. N. Y., and Ilarry Curtis, the English champion, would make a great contest for "one," but the clever Britou is without a rival for any distance over a mile. F. M. Sweeney, of the Xavier A. C. New York, bas cleared 6 feet 4 1-4 inches in a running high juinp, and while he can be called the world's ehatnpion, still he would íind in M. Ryan, of Cashel, Ireland, a worthy opponent. Ryan has cleared 6 feet 2}{ inches in an En;lish championship when attired in a regular tourist's costume and without proper jumping shoes. C. S. Reberof tbe Pastime A. C, of St. Louis, is the leader among running long jumpers. The world's mark, 23 feet 6)4 inches, was made by hiin. Fry, the great all-rouud athlete of Oxford üniversity, England, when in form, ought to be placed in second position. The great jump of 23 feet 8 inches reputed to have been made by Mooney, of the Xavier A. C, New York, recently iu Ireland, cannot be credited until accepted by Irish athletic authorities. In pole vaulting England takes the place of honor, with R. D. Dickinson, who has a mark of 11 feet 9 inches for "high flying." Bucholtz of the University of Pennsylvania, is America's champion, with a vault of 11 feet, and B. Loomis of the Suffolk A. C. has also cleared the same distance. In weight throwing the Irish giant, J. S. Mitchell of the New York A. C, outclasses the world with 16-pound hammer and 50-pound weight. Kiely, the Irish all-round champion, can claim second place to the New Yorker with the hammer. George R. Gray of the New York A. C. is the king of shotputters, but D. Horgan of Banteer, Ireland, is also a grand performer. He has recently made an English record of 45 feet 3 inches. Gray's record is 47 feet.