Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-20
For Olympic Games at Lon
don Progressing Fast.
Astounding Advance In Con-
struciiOn Work In Few Months.
Structure Big Enough to Contain
Entire Coliseum Of Rome.

Nothing more extraordinary as q con-
structive feat is to be seen just now in
London than the city within a city which
is rising as rapidly as AIaddin's palace
on the open spaces Of Sheperd's bush.
Those who remember the cutting Of the
tirst sod for the exhibition buildings last
January by the representatives OF the
French ambassador and tine raising Of
the stanchiu Of TIE huge arena in Au-
gust by Lady Dcsbcrough, Will best bg
able to appreciate the astounding al
vance made in the last few months in
the erection Of the huge constructions
that cover 40 acres Of what WAS desert
land less than l. months ago. Eight spa
oious halls, each 400 feet nv 20 feet, ale
ALREADY outlined in steel, iron and con
crete. For many the external decorations
have already been affixed to the frtproOf
structural wallis. Two hundred and fifty
thousand square feet Of floor space has
been rooted over for the machinery Hall
alone Other palaces are rising rapidly
FOR education. fine arts, music and won-
ans work
| On Its present condition, with only tie
two great seElnents finished 1T each end
! of the mighty eliipsc, tie Olympic arena
irresstibly reminds the spectator of the
| tCHSpu!Il, as mat monument y!
| imperial Rome now looks in the Spleudor :
Of its majestic ruins. But the Coliseum
/ with all it's tiers of arches. cculd be easily
| contained within tile completed Olympic
| arena of today Tic stadium of modern
| Athens, seats ana all, could be built with
| in the space Of grass that forms merely
| the center of London's latest marvel. The
amphitheaters of Mines or Aries could be
| ~ pr n the Clqn1DTi'G-
bush arena and scarcely interfere with its
proportions. Some $1,000 people vii, be
able to sit round its spacious seats and
| watch the greatest athletic gathering the
| world has ever seen.
| According to reports from the various
countries interested in sports in all parts
| of the world. tho assembly Of athletes will
| be the greatest, both in quality and guam
! tity, that ever competed for International
| honors. France. Germany. Greece. the
| United States and many other nations.
| aside from England and the British colo
| MES. will be represented by a host Of en-
| trants skilled in strength, speed and en-
| durance. and the winner of any special
| event can well be termed champion OF
| the world in lis particular specially.
The Olympic games vii be held under
the auspices of the British Olympic Coun-
| Gil. The American committee. which has
| been appointed in accordance with the
| wishes of Lord Desboroueh as president
of the Olympic Council. is a representa-
| tive one the honory president being
| Theodore Roosevelt, President of the
| United States; Caspar Whitney. president,
and Julian w. Curtis Of Yale, treasurer.
| No athlete of the United States vii b.
permitted to compete in the Sheperds-
bush Stadium through an individual entry
| He must be member of the American
| team and entered as such by the Ameri-
can Olympic committee Only native bora
or naturalized Americans, either residents
of the United States or having migrated
| to foreign countries within recent years,
| will bc eligible for tie team.
| While it is not likely that any of them
| will he used. the United States has quite
q few athletes in England itself who. in
case of necessity, or in the event of any
of them showing such class that they
would be entitled to places on the team,
can be called upon TO compete under the
Stars and Stripes at the olympic games
the Rhodes scholarship men. Under the
ruling Of Lord Desborough these men are
eligible None OF tile Rhodes men are
world-heats. but in Intercollegiate meets
| they have been placed Well most OF the
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