Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-09
IN THE WORLD OF SPORT
Magnificent Athletic Grounds Planned by the
Y. M. @, A. a Go,
AMES AVENUE BAIL GROUNDS LEASED
Athletic Director Barnes Has Planned
Fully Equipped Field for All
sorts of sports-work starts
When weather Permits.

All question and doubt about Omaha hav.
ing an athletic field commensurate with its
size and Importance vanished during the
last week, when the final and satisfactory ar.
rangements were made by the Young Mems
Christian association in securing a lease
Of the Ames avenue ball grounds. All that
stands in the way now is the weather The
plans have all been drawn, a preliminary
survey has been made and bids for con.
struction have been called for. II only re-
mains for Weatherman Welsh to furnish the
proper sort Of atmosphere to permit actual
work to commence. When a start is once
made the work will be rapidly pushed tc
completion.
An examination of the plans is sufficient
to convince any one that Athletic Director
Barnes of the association is preparing to
construct one of the most complete fields
in this section of the country. good
track one-quarter of a mile in circumfer-
ence, tennis courts, a hand ball court, q
diamond, gridiron, traps for the shooters
ample space for all sorts of field events
and even swimming tank are to be the
features OF the grounds. In order to accom-
modate all this the grounds have been en-.
larged, 100 feet to the west along the en-
tire depth Of the present park having been
leased.
The bicycle track will be the best that
can be built. 1t will be in the shape of an
oval, about 13O feet across and almost three
times that in length, and will be located in
the southern half of the grounds. 1t is to
be excavated to the depth of over a foot
and packed with layers of cinders. 1t will
be banked from eight to ten feet around
the turns. Its width will be twenty feet
Its construction will be planned and super
intended by committee Of practical rae
ing and bicycle men, comprising Frederick
son, PXley, Henderson. Howe and Barnes.
In front of the grandstand, which will re-
main in its present position, the track will
be practically forty feet in width for a
l20yard stretch, twenty feet in width will
be built on the side toward the grandstand
for hurdle racing. The track for the sprints
will be the bicycle track itself, for on the
stretch in front of the grandstand this will
furnish straightaway over 100 yards in
length, the tape being located about OPP
pcsite the grandstand. The places for the
jumps and other field sport Of like char
acter will be between the track and the
grandstand. Ample room is offered, be-
cause a forty-foot space will separate the
stand and the bicycle track.
The base ball diamond will be placed in
the oval OF the track, where 1t will have
ample room, although the center fielder may
be compelled to take his position north of
the oval. The diamond will be of dirt, al
though the outfed, and, in fact, all the re-
mainder of the grounds will be sodded. In
the foot ball season first-class gridiron will
be constructed in the oval, which provides
ample space.
The tennis court will be located in the
northeast corner of the grounds in order to
secure as much shade as possible. They will
be built of clay The hand ball court will
be placed at the west end, some distance
from the south fence. This is to be con-
structed under the direction Of ]. J. Byrne,
the local hand ball player, who in years
past has won championship honors.
A unique athletic feature for Omaha will
be the swimming tank which Athletic Direc-
tor Barnes is planning to place in the ex
treme southwest corner of the grounds.
This may not be constructed Immediately,
but Director Barnes hopes to have it finished
soon enough to give the Omaha public It's
first taste OF water polo before the summer
is over. The tank is to be about 100 feet IN
length, canvas-lined and from four to nine
feet in depth. 1t will be excavated imme-
diately to secure dirt for banking the track
and will be completed as soon as possible.
aquatics in Omaha this year and therefore
before the summer is past the sport-loving
felix of this city may see swimming and
diving races, water polo matches and other
water games.
A new venture is to be tried by the asso-
citation in the shape of a gun club, made UP
of shooters who do not like to work at the
traps on Sunday. The shooting grounds will
be located in the northern section OF the
grounds directly to the north OF the bicycle
oval. There will be ample space for all the
traps that will be needed.
The grandstand, as already stated, will be
allowed to remain in its present position.
The bleachers TO the east will be moved a
little, so as to border the bicycle track The
bleachers to the west will probably be moved
into such a position that they will command
a view OF the swimming tank. affordng seats
for spectators at the water games. To the
east of this swimming tank a little club
house will be built amply proyided with