The sun., 1889-12-22
ABOUT INDOOR ATHLETICS.
HOW rHE PERFORMANCES DIFFER
IRON THOSE MADE OUT OF DOORS.
Arrnory Games BeeominG Very Popular
No GoodRssson why Athletes Shouia
Tsidteuls Thsra-Some F1ain Paeta.

Ary,ory Games BeeorninG Very Popular
No GoodResson why Athletes tJhonla
HIdieuls Thsra-sone F1aia Facts.
The great development Of amateur ath-
letics In this cpuntry and the comparatively
short period in which athletic games can be
held out OF doors with satisfaction have caused
within several yearv many competitions to be
given in armories. where. no matter what the
state OF the weather Is, athletes can do battle
cinder track or green tleld. 1t must not be In
with each other just as we'll as II on
ferred that athletic performances will attain go
high n standard on n board floor rs those made
out OF doors on good footing, but as all COM
petitors are at the same DISADVANTAGE, the
competition itself is Just az brisk and satisrnc-
tory a. though held under circumstances
which would cause greater records with the
same amount OF effort to be made.
Armory games In this vicinity have grown to
be quite famous and when the many points
In their favor arc taken into consideration
1t cannot be wondered at that they are so
popular. Very often some disgrunted athlete
will ridicule these games, and say that only q
certain class OF scrub" athletes arc success
full In them, but in the long run merit has come
to the front In board floor performances, Just
as It has been proved to do on q cinder path.
Many athletes say that race on an armory
floor is but O scramble, and the athletes slip on
the turna OF the track. foul each other fall and
injure themselves. and In various other minor
why's show that good athlete has no business
in such q contest. 1t is very true that back
start man. one who is at scratch or very near
It. is ut more OF disadvantage on the average
armory track than on the average outdoor
track. for the former is smaller. has sharper
corners. which are not graded, and altogether
one cannot 90 at full speed, as is always done
xvhera n firm footing can bo found
It is only during the last several years that
high-class athletes have competed with sue
cess at armory games @ Tor during this time % the
that good athletes feel as though as much iair
play could be found ne when out OF doors. The
several new armories which have been recently
built and those now being constructed are con-
ducive to the holding OF armory games for the
that tracks OF fair size. with also plenty OF
space for spectators, can De had: Ihe e eEreat
6f street seG Park admits o
track ten laps to the mile. and also room for
many thousand spectators m on al sides OF IL
Armory at Slxty-first street ani Ninth avenue
IN which there Is t%etiUeslaP Pt track; E;r With
third RH' Regiment OF BreoEiyn. has q arm
room about the size s. Of that ,, Of the Twelfth
SuanR hg the os sase IT, Which VIII 5aHc
Tremendous drill room. 1t is said that 100
yard straightaway eourse can be had In the
cred straight by a long way IN this vicinity:
The Seventh Regiments armory will admit OF
the runners to finish. but, the distance most
used for the. sprint race ut the Seventies games
Il S Ihe s Taps bn at yards s
further could be used ona pinch. The dilani-
dated STRUCTURE OF the Twenty-second kegi-
OF many athletic contests. but so yards Is the
limit OF the straiRhtaway and the track is gem
u1 ries are Elm in process Of construction which will
have drill rooms much larger than the major
ity now used and It is sale to say taat hin when
games In armories will compare favorably in
point Of numbers with outdoor summer games.
that they can be held in the evening, when
business with the majority OF mankind Is
spectators eau attend and feel that they are
not giving valuable time to the recreation;
There Is no question that the reason a good
set OF armory games attract 80 many entries in
spite OF the many who decry them is that they
do not interfere in the slightest way with the
patroniSe ] then them. T It can "a easiiy Be- imaEined how
popular athletic gam games would be 4 they could
making Of great records OF outdoor games.
with the above mentioned good points OF the
The best place .t6at athletes in this vicinity
have ever had for indoor games was Madison
Square Garden. which has been demolished.
which will be built there will have better faclli-
ties for athletic contests than the old one. The
with sometimes tan bark. and was eight laps
TO the MILE and about nine feet wide although.
II necessary. flooring could be removed and
new track will be considerably wider than nine
feet, but its length will be nearer ten laps to the
pillars will give the arena much more invit-
Ing appearance than that generally associated
a track such as Will grace the new structure
will be almost rs tine. from high record stand
pSint a. Sr contests They & gan prop
board floor games such as those held in armo-
ries. 1t makes no difference whether a dirt or
Computations on It are held in the evening or
day time. i lhe course Is Of far s!ze Snd In
ence between record made on It and those
performed on outdoor paths would be slight.
The distinctive feature OF armofy ga gangs sso is
can make record on boards which looks so
reason HE n the term ON paper" is used is that
from an ATHLETIC standpoint a board. floor per-
d1or one. but Butt il w viii not t. appear SO In print
Take the running high jump, for instance. The
9os% sSS ia ss, made Sa %%9h % E
The highest this athlete has ever cleared on
boards Is six feet which he did on two differ;
his board floor record with his out door one,
Page said that he considered his G feet on
and 6 feet inches on well-prepared out-of-
door place. On relied grass. which the major
M Of Is fS best dp dpsbs tSa Dss6 @
record OF feet 81 inches. and the grass was a
trife sogRy from rain. Page says that he has
often tried to 20 above feet on boards in prac-
tice. but could clear s feet / inch out OF doors
easier than he could negotiate feet IL inches
on gymnasium floor.
People unacquainted with this difference
would not be apt TO give jumper credit
should he fail TO come within several inches in
q running high jump Of his outdoor record ON
q board floor. A case that might be misleading
on this point Is that OF Charles Stokum OF the
Yaruna Boat Club; who last winter on two dif-
ferent occasions cleared feet l0li inches in q |
running high lump on q board floor, and yet |
when he com peted In games out OF doors during |
the following spring HIS highest jump in several |
contests was 3 feet 3 inches ON paths which
ance. The reason of his poor showing out Of
doors when nearly all were expecting him to |
clear in the neighborhood OF six feet, Is that he
commenced rowing when the outdoor season
opened, and did not practise the game at which |
he gave Indications OF doing so well.
Several American amateur sprint records |
sign. though. that they cannot be beaten out OF |
doors on q good path. The distances under |
the head Of indoor records are the very short |
ones, such as fifty Yards; and as out; @ @;of-do9r
In length 1t is quite natural that the shorter |
It.a- N1a ahn In