Evening star., 1901-08-07
Extensive Improvements at the Ben
ming Race Track.
new STEEL GRAND STAND PROVIDED
Changes in Betting Ring, Ladies
Club House and Paddock.
READY FOR FALL M E E Z

They're Off"
When that familiar shout which starts
all eyes straining and all necks rubbering
is heard at the autumn meeting OF the
Washington Jockey Club at it's popular
Benning track this year the crowds will
find conditions vastly different from those
that have been familiar to them In the
past. There will be a new grand stand;
the talent and the public will have another
ring in which to decide who will break or
get broke; trainers will assemble their
horses in another paddock, and the ladies
will find their club house in another loca-
ton. Superintendent Lee will be housed in
a new domicile, and, in a word. there will
be metamorphosis evident of the most
modern character.
Ever since the Washington Jockey Club
determined to make legitimate racing a
feature of the spring and autumn months
at the national capital President 8. 8. How
land, Mr.. August Belmont and the enter
prising sportsmen associated with them
have cherished the intention OF making
Bennns one of the model tracks OF
the country. Under their auspices racing
has been reclaimed in this vicinity from
the disgraceful depths to which 1t was
forced by Hlegitimate tracks and popu-
lar approval has been illustrated by the
substantial and steadily increasing pa
trcnage The present improvements are
steps toward the consummation or the IN
tention described and they will doubtless
prove to be giant strides so far as pubic
satisfaction is concerned.
Architect Cooper's Work.
For several months Mr.. George s. Cooper,
the well-known architect. has been in con-
sultation with the management OF the
Jockey Club regarding the improvements
and in order to give Washington a grand
stand up to all requirements has visited
all the prominent race tracks in the Ameri-
can Jockey Club circuit, in order TO give
Benning the benefit of the best features
available, in addition to his own original
ideas Plans for the stand were completed
some time ago, and contracts for the steel
work are now being carried out. Delivery
of the steel of which the stand Will be
built will begin September /. and mean
time substantial foundations will be pre-
pared and great piers of concrete sunk to
support the structure
Description of New Stand.
The old stand has been demolished. or
nearly so, to make room for the new. The
latter will be 250 feet long and will contain
$500 comfortable chairs. These will be
portable, and will be placed on tiers rising
twelve inches one behind the other, thus
giving all occupants free and unbroken
view of a race from start to finish. In the
old stand the tiers were eight inches above
each other, and while a difference or only
four inches seems small it will be found
by race viewers more advantageous than
figures can convey in such a. connection.
The stand will be constructed, as stated,
of steel with corrugated iron sides and
roof, and the chairs and boxes extending
slightly beyond the front will be the only
wooden adjuncts to It, From the quarter
stretch lawn will ascend five double iron
stairways of easy ascent, and from each OF
these an aisle three feet eight inches wide
will run through the seat tiers. a stair
way, also of iron, ten feet wide, will lead
from the auditorium to the lower floor In
side Ale stand.
The latter will extend back over por-
ton of the former roadway. There are two
reasons for this, which the public will APP
preciate. The size of the stand will be In
creased and prospective patrons, who
reach the track by electric cars, will be
brought from the city directly into the
track inclosure and be landed under the
grand stand. Arrangements for this enter
prising course have been made with the
Washington Traction Company.
There will be a meZZanine story in the
grand stand. which will contain ladies' toi-
let and retiring rooms and cafe
Betting Ring and Ladies' Club.
The ground floor will be devoted to the
betting ring and addition will be built
west of the stand $50 feet further. making
the ring 400 feet long, with ample accom-
modations for forty bookmakers and their
patrons. The new betting ring will be in
better view of the starts and finishes than
the former one.
The ladies' club house is to be removed
from its location west of the grand stand
and will be erected where the mems club
house was between the old grand stand
and the former betting ring. The lower
floor will contain the secretary's room and
offices, jockeys rooms and other apart
ments. East of this where the bookies
and the public had many a hard-fought
round in old times, will be the paddock,
thus well removed from the betting ring
and the crowds that so frequently made
high-strung horses nervous. The paddock
will contain fourteen stalls. The present
paddock Will be the site of the home Of
Superintendent Lee. 1t will be an eight
room cottages, with verandas and while
not pretentious Will be comfortable and
modernly equipped. In addition to all this,
four stables are to be erected, with
accommodations for $50 horses. Mr..
Cooper will give personal supervision to all
the improvements