The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-17
A NEW ATHLETIC CLUB
TO TIKE THE HANHATTAN arm.
LETIC CLUB's FORMER PALACE.

wsHs so-e 81 the ola Members or ths
Chsrry Dis-osd OrEssisstie, Arc I.-
tsrestss IN the sehe-e. ~ II ssis 60 n.
- No Sesse = Revival OF the Ola Athletic
tIub-The New Orsssizstio- 90 Take
Pos-essios Before jas. i-Ex-Psst-ss,er
vas Cote NestIones 49, the Pre-iaest
For months past there has been more or less
talk about town ~ some new social or athletic
club being formed 10 take tho Manhattan Ath-
lctic Clubs former magnificent home, corner Of
FOrty-1fth street and Madison avenue, but
owing 10 business depression or some other good
and sufficient reasons tho plans were slow in
taking shape. As long ago a. last March q
number Of promoters and sporting men
talked Of organizing proprietary sport-
ing club on the lines ~ the National
Sporting Club or Pelican club NJ London
or the olympic Athletic club Of New Orleans
Their idea. n IL said. Mas To- get ! 500 members
to subscribe $50 apiecs and raise a fund Of
$4,000. They then intended N incorporate the
club and lease the Manhattan Athletic Clubs
former palace from the Isslins. the present
owners Of the building. Aft.rwArd they In.
tended 20 hold all sorts Of athletic, fencing.
swimming. boxing and billiard compositions.
Boxing. however. IL was said. IN he the
chief form OF entertainment furnished IN the
members.a and whence the club e1pect ted 10 derive
the greatest amount Of revenue. The idea at
the time apparently vas that the club, being in
corporated and proprietary organization. the
members could hold any sort Of an exhibition
they pleased within the walls Of their club
house. provided such exhibitions were open 70
mem bers only.
After hard work number Of people were found
willing 70 go into the scheme. but on consulting
legal authorities II was found that the plan
would not work. and that the police could stop
the exhibitions whenever they saw ut. When
this little piece Of news WAS gently broken to
the proposed members they one by with
drew from the scheme, which died . natural
death some months ago.
In the mean time. however small but sathu-
siastlc number OF the older and more sststan-
tial members OF the defunct Manhattan Athletic
Club together with a sprinkling Of fresh blood
from the various social clubs In this city thought
there was room for another athletic club in .
city Of nearly 100000 inhabitants, and thew
set their heads together TO try and bring about
either the reorganization Of the old Manhattan
Athletic Club or the formation OF an entirely
For while the projectors had . hard road to
travel. but last month things began to brighten,
ity that within a few days notices would be sent
out and meeting Of the new club called.
sa ,ftf 81 to NC for% cub Of 200 %emSer:
and have them pay in s25 70 $50 apiece TO start
the club with. As one OF them put It:
Twelve hundred paying members would be
Ras % S' ia cS.fas SGVa
dye t lines as much ss i ousS. % have. i vas
fee or dues. together e with bad msnnssment,
which caused the clubs downfall before. and
you you can rest assured there viii DO nothing Like
Just before the crash came, early IN 1898, .
club but We could do nothing; jndsments. obi.
gations, and debts we never heard of before
ta IS forced to stop
and let the club GO under. as We could not tel
that dead wood and can go ahead with our eyes
According to this gentleman the promoters Of
from the lselins on the Manhattan Athletic
Clubs former , home and Z things go right the
Is or Jan. at the latest:
%he s. sei ss but s Is o. the
master Of this city, win be the clubs first Prcs-
The Manhattan Athletic Club building. which
the new club proposes TO lease, is located corner
of Madison avenue and Forty NTH street, and.
pointed club 6ouse in the city. Il cost. soss,hsr
With the land, so%e.hinT NE $1,000: goo: The
was opened TO the members on Nov. 90, 1890.
Early In 1898 the club was placed in the hands
of the members 70 satisfy the judgments out
standing against them. Receiver Freedman
The building. which is absolutely. hreproof. is
six stories high, with 9 roof garden, which Is
covered by q high peaked roof. Tho club house
has q frontage OF l25 feet inches on Madison
avenue, lis feet In depth on Forty nth street.
and 125 feet deep on the southerly side. On tho
shooting galleries, TO say nothing OF q mAgnih-
cent plunge bath. On the ground floor there Is
n good sized office and reception room and q
mamoth billiard room. Two elevators take
one TO the second story. where there are any
number OF good sized Offices and q good sized
capable Of seating 1.200 persons.
. On the third floor Is the gymnasium, 100 by OF
feet inches. the largest In the United States,
together with toilet. lounging, and locker rooms,
q drying room, and three needle baths On the
upper floors are sleeping apartments, . fne dim