The Washington herald., 1908-07-12

competing the olympic games OF ls05 VIII ]
open in the mammoth stadium az Shep-
herds Bush London. Tomorrow. Nothing
to equal the eleven-day struggle on track.
field. and water has ever been attempted
heretofore IN the history OF sport. and
given proper weather conditions there APP
pears 60 be every premise Of "A most
wonderful contest and new records. For
months the NEST famous athletes OF Eng
land, Canada, Australia, the United
States. France. Germany. Sweden. and
many other countries have been training
for these events Now on the eve Of
the Ereat international contest for Olym-
pic titles word comes from England that
the various teams are in readiness for a
series Of contests which viii mark a new
epoch In tho history OF the worlds anna
teur athletics.
So great Is the interest which has been
aroused I'm the series Of events that Lon
don. great as il is. is said 10 be overflow
ing with athletic enthusiasts and athletic
interest. Even the staid Britishers have
been seized with n realization of the
greatness of the programme and the
throngs that Will witness the contests.
and according To- reports from Americans
now I'm England explain the marked m
crease in the p-ice OF commodities OF an
kinds by naively remarkrg tnat 1t is
due TO the Oiyrnpi, games. The Franco
British Exposition. in connection with
which the Olympiad rs 70 be held. has
proved a great boom to London and the
surrounding country and, beginning to-
morrow. all roads will lead To- the great
stadium wherein for the next two weeks
the athletes from all parts OF the world
will compete.
seats FOR 5000 Persons.
Everything IN connection with the games
has been planned on scale IN keeping
with that Of tho stadium. which is by far
the greatest structure ever erected for an
athleti, meet The mammoth amphithea-
ter will seat more than $500 spectators.
and inolcses two tracks the larger Of
which Is more than a third OF a mile in
circumference. IL is so large that the
marble stadium at Athens. in which the
Olympic games OF 1906 were held. could
be set on the inield alone without inter
fcring with the use Of the double tracks
Nor are tr' tracks and lnGeld the only
features Of The Shepherds Bush Stadium
for a swimming pool 10 Yards I'm length
and many feet wide. together with several
hundred dressing rooms, halls fer the
exhibition oi athletic pIraphernal'a and
trophies, immense covered grand stands
and scores ~ other minor accessories. are
ell lnclud within the outer walls Of the
cement structure
Ter more than year now the British
Olyl 'ommitce has been preparing for
the meeting which begins tomorrow with
elaborate ceremonies. SO well has Il done
the work that everything IS in readiness
for the contests. 7. Judging from tie
glowing a counts from American athletes
early on ace spot nothing is missing 70
make the meeting q SUI. ese Both tracks
and turf. composed as hey are OF cin-
ccrs cement and sod. have been rolled
seeded over. and otherwise prepared by
experts until they nov await the coming
OF the shot puttc~s pole vaulters. bicycle
riders. runners. Impors and other Ith-
lotes I'm a condition which appears ~
make the breaking Of existing records no
only pcs bla but probable
Record sale OF seats.
The advance sale Of seats is said to
have SURPASSED anyth' I'm the history Of
British ports, and % IS confidently pre-
dicted that for every athlete seen in com
petition there viii be hundred or more
spectators 20 cheer him on In his efforts.
Some idea Of tho size Of the venture may
be obtained from the statement that the
running expenses Of the stadium and
games alone will be more than IS .OG0 per
day. which. added to tho original cost OF
the structure. exceeding as II did $500 900.
makes IL necessary FOR the events TO
draw thousands Of spectators al each
and every session In order that the two
weeks meet may not be conducted at
loss.
Tho stadium which Is laid out with the
longer sides of the oval facing the cast
and west, IS divided into seventy-four
sections The covered grand stands.
which include the royal box and the at
teEdant choice reservations. are on the
west side Of the stadium and face the
swimming pool. On both sides OF this
series Of stands come immense tiers Of
uncovered seats on the north and south
sections Of the oval are what Is known as
the end stands. which correspond 10 a
certain extent with the beaChcrs az an
American baseball park. The east side OF
the stadium also has an immense covered
grand stand I'm its center with uncovered
sections on both sides, but the prices here
Will not be as high as those charged for
the west stand because Of the distance
from the finish line and also because Of
the dazzling effects Of the sun each after
noon.
For the boxes. each Of which viii ac-
commodate four persons. the charge for "a
season ticket, which will admit 10 twenty
three morning and afternoon sessions
will be $252 4 similar reservation for the
opening ana closing days Will cost S42,
with a charge for single afternoon ses-
sions Of $2l and for the morning sessions
one-hah these figures. Reserved seats
back of the boxes I'm the west stand bring
$3.50 for the session Of twenty-three meet
ings with the opening and closing day
charges $10.50. Ordinary afternoon charges
are &.25. From these figures the prices
range as low as 1915 for season ticket
and $l.i FOR a single session admission.
WIZ Fill All seats.
IL will not OF course, be possible for
the holders OF these latter coupons to
appreciate as fully the events that are
transpiring in the stadium. as il will for
the privileged grand stand spectators.
since Il is considerably moro than a quar-
ter Of a mile from the north section OF
seals 20 those at the southern end OF the
ampitheater Notwithstanding the i'm
mensity OF the stadium and the long list
OF contests which the two weeks pro
gramme calls for. IL is tho belief Of those
IN charge that the afternoon sessions each
day will comfortably ill the many thou
sands OF seats. while the opening and
closing days and Saturdays will see rec
ord-breaking throngs filing the great hip
podromc TO its full capacity
The programme for the long struggle
for the worlds athletic championship has
been planned with mathematical pre-