The Portland daily press., 1892-01-21
Yesterdays Meeting Decided on the
Cape Site.
SENTIMENT THAT 1T SHOULD BE
REGULATION FORM.

the Fastest Track on Earth-List of
officers Elected-C. H. Nelson Makes a
Convincing Speech Against the Kite
Form.
The annual meeting Of the Maine Mile
Track Association yesterday was har-
monious and enthusiastic gathering. 1t
was determined finally that Portland is
to have the track, and that it will be one
of the fastest, if not the very fastest mile
track in the world.
First in importance comes the list of
the men who are to have the enterprise
in charge, the officers elected:
Presdent-George BuFnham. Jr.
Vice Presidents-C. II. NIiliken, H. N Jose,
r. O. Bailey.
Treasnrer-L P. Hawkins, Deering.
Clerk. r. Barrett, Portland.
DireGtors--Gcorge Burnham, Portland; r. o.
Beal, Bangor; c. II. Nelson. Wateryille.; Ga
len G. Moses. Bath; L. II. Briggs, eubnrn;
ton; Warren Kimball, Kennebunk; George II.
Bailey. Portland; Edward Fletcher. Cape Eliza
beth; NJ. T. Pooler SkOwhegan; Isaac q. At
kinson, Portland; A. L. Dennison. Portland.
After the election of officers, the main
business of the meeting was listening to
the opinion of Mr.. Seth Griffin, the not
ed track builder. Mr.. Griffin has built
some of the most famous tracks in the
country, and has the confidence of all
the leading horsemen. For many years
he had charge of Narragansett Park, at
Providence, and is trusted by such horse
men as Robert Bonner. Last fall, Mr..
Griffin completed the new mile track at
Nashville, over which Direct paced the
three fastest heats ever made in a race,
gansett Park, which would be very fast
were it not for its location so near the
sea. 1t is in aposition much like Old
Orchard, and often gets a cold wind that
kills speed. One time Robert Bonner
carried Maud S.. to Narragansett for a
record and she made the three-quarters
distance at a, 2.05 gait; but on the home
stretch she got a high wind, and did not
finish in less than 2.10. Mr.. Griffin is
convinced that the Old Orchard site,
which he visited yesterday, would be
open to fatal climatic conditions, besides
not giving the best soil conditions. Mr..
Griffin built the Ha Ha track at Minneap-
oils, over which Axtell made mile in
2.15d one day in early June. He also
built for William Rockefeller the half
mile track at Greenwich, Conn, over
which Rockefeller drove his double team
three times in 21S.
Yesterday, Mr.. Griffin examined care
fully, in company with Mr.. H. F. Farm
ham of this city, the sites at Old Orchard
and at Cape Elizabeth. Mr.. John F.
Haines accompanied them at Old Orchard.
Mr.. Grifin's opinion was not at all ia
vorable to Old Orchard; but he thinks
that at Cape Elizabeth can be built, in
either kite or regulation form, the
Fastest Mile Track In the World.
The peculiar adaptations of the Cape
Elizabeth site may be understood best
after understanding Mr.. Grifin's system
of track building. This system he has
patented. and it is now in use in the
greatest American tracks. After MAX
ing an excavation for the bed of the
track, Mr.. Griffin takes tough turf,
which is cut in pieces about foot square
and these squares of turf are laid edge
wise and closely packed throughout the
entire length and breadth of the track.
The effect of this is to give foundation
of closely packed turf a foot thick under
IL Il T.
gives that springy quality so essential to
The Fastest Track.
On top of the turf foundation is put
four inches of loan, of kind that will
pack in a tenacious spongy mat, Upon
track so constituted, fast horses can do
their best, and to such tracks men like
Bonner, Stanford and Forbes delight to
send their horses.
For making such track three things
are important a tough, fibrous turf, loan
of the proper quality and water so locat-
ed that it can be used in keeping the
foundation of the track moist and
springy. The turf on the Jose land at
Cape Elizabeth Mr.. Griffin thinks the
best he has ever seen, also the loan. 1t
will take about eleven acres of land to
furnish the needed turf. The loan at the
Cape Elizabeth site is from two and
half to three feet deep, hard sand IN
DERIVING it. This is about the proper
depth of loan. At Old Orchard the
depth is from seven to twelve feet rath-
er too much for durable track The
water on the Jose site can be controlled
readily, being easily drained off when it
shall be necessary to build the track, and
then damned when the work is DONE
By keeping the ground moist under a
track the springy quality is perpetuated.
Mr.. Griffin favors the
Regulation Oval Track.
but thinks the kite-shaped form might
be faster. He has plan of modified
kite track, which he thinks would be
most suitable, if kite-track is really
wanted here
The start would be made ON the
4 II. l.