The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-03-18
THE ARENA.
It Was q Twelvc-Sided Affair Without
Cover.


Cover.
The arena in which the great fight
was pulled off is situated about one
third of a mile from the main street OF
the town and is located in the centre OF
the race track. The structure is en-
tirely of undressed lumber and has no
top. Arrangements were made for
canvass covering in case OF inc.ement
weather, but unless the the snow comes
down in great force-and it rarely
comes down in any other way il
Carson-the men were to be compelled
to fight practically in the open air.
The arena IS a l2-sided affair, each OF
the sides being section, and each Sec
ton containing about 800 seats. Tho
seats in each section were divided
into three classes, those nearest the
ring being held at $40; the seats
next above them at $50, and
those at the top, which wer1
not numbered, were sold at IS.
All of them were good, although tie
view from cheaper ones was somewhat
distant and the fine points Of the fight
could not be seen from them. The
ring was raised about four feet above
the floor of he arena and at each corr
ner was an iron post, which was care
fully bound up in cotton batting 10
protect the men in kle event of then
falling against it. The floor of the
ring was covered with canvass o.
though Corbett preferred to fight on
the bare boards, as the canvass, no
70 ha
movements of the fighters.
Only One Gate t" the Arena.
The entrance to the arena was
through one gate only, and this was
the main one, which was used for SIM
liar purposes when racing was in prog.
ress From the gate to the side of the
arena stretched n sidewalk OF loose
planking, which afforded the spectators
a passage over the mud that during the
last few days had been turned into
almost quagmire by the many people
who had been tramping around tn"
arena to see how it looked. There are
four tunnels in the side of the buildin,,
one each from the north, south, ca t
and west Above the entrance to each
white cloth bearing in black the letters
| of the sections which could be reached
by the passage way underneath. Fou1
| stairways on the outskirts Of the build.
ing led up to the $40 seats
No Blun1ng the Ushers. s.
Big ushers, each armed with a huge
| cane, were located at the entrance t.
each passageway and at the bottom OF
| each stairway, and it was hard lines
for the man who attempted to entoI
the arena without the proper creden.
tials. No mercy was shown to tbs
buffer and he was unceremoniously
hustled off the grounds. In justice,
however, it must be said that the po.
lice arrangements were excellent and
that there was very little trouble in
getting the spectators to their seats.
The ushers for the most part knew
their business and there was no more
difficulty in handling the crowd thar
there would have been in a metropol
itan theatre of much smaller size
Under the seats at the west end of tEt
arena was a small shed about l0x1i
feet, which was set apart for the us'
of FitZSlmmOnS as dressing room
The dressing room of Corbett Is stu
ated on the south side of the arena
The passage by which the men entered
the ring were at right angles to eacl
other The dressing rooms were s.
located in order that there would be IL
possibility of the men or their trainer
coming in contact and causing trouble
Fifteen Men Killed.
LONDON, March II. The correspond
ent of The Times at Canea says tha
while the gunners Of the Russian iron
clad Cessoi Veliki were practicing ,
= gun burst, blowing the top off turret
Fourteen men and officer were killed
and l6 others were wounded, fatally
1t is believed that the bursting of th'
3 gun was due to an ill.closed breech
. All the occupants of the turret wer
J killed, while the falling debris of tn
=. structure killed and wounded others.
Relief Work at Lucknow.
/ LUCKNOW, March 1.-THE specia
| renresentatiye Of the Associated Pres