The sun., 1908-11-08
new GYM FOR DARTMOUTH
ANCIENT BISSELL HALL 40
BE REPLACED.
Dirt Running Track Indoors to he q
Unique Feature OF the Building
Baseball Diamond Also TO BE In.
ataIIed-Cost aa Planned Gl2B 600

Rymn asium A committee of alumni hai
had plans drawn and is collecting money
! for the new building. The gymnasium
is to replace Bissell Hall, more venerable
than venerated structure.
To be sure Bissel Hall when ii wai
put UP in 1886. forty-two years ago, wal
the second college gymnasium to be estab'
lished on an elaborate plan. for 1t wal
elaborate then. twas entirely adequate
for the ssl students at Dartmouth.
The college Ia something like four time,
as big now and the building is hardly IN
keeping with the rest OF the institution
Amherst long ago outgrew Barrett gym,
nasiurn which was the finest of them all
once, and Dartmouth would have replaced
Bissel Hall before now had IL not beer
that 70 many other buildings were com
sidered more necessary first
The new gymnasium is to have at leea
two unusual features. The newest oi
these is dirt indoor running track which
will be Of eight laps to the mile. No othe,
college has anything like 1t, as all depend
for their winter training on board track
either indoors or out.
A dirt running track indoors will b
exactly the thing for Hanover. where thu
winters are very long and the opportunl'
ties for work outdoors on dirt very few
On no less than two occasions Dartmouth
has travelled down to Cambridge for dua
track mcot with Harvard without ever .
step of work on a dirt track in preparation
Occasionally dual meets In May have been
interrupted by snow wstorms at Hanoveri
This feature of the new gymnasium there
fore will be thing much needed.
Whatever the needs Of the athlete
il is certain that the small floor space
of the Dartmouth gymnasium now iss
inadequate for the uses Of the man who,
wants to do winter exercise; and that ID
what the new gymnasium is for. *
Dormitories have been built at Han
over, a system of water works has bee,
installed, heating plant has been put
in, the Hanover Inn has been taken over
by the college. a modern library build.
ing has been put up. the College Hall has
been finished and fitted up and the Y.
NJ. C. A. building and Webster Hall havs
been completed. With these things ou,
Of the way the alumni believe it is abort
time that something was done for the
physical we'll being Of the students. That
is why they are after $125,oOO to put up
this new building.
A pamphlet has been sent out to all
the graduates which says in part: There
is hardly a college in the country where
the need Of suitable facilities for phys
ical exercise is greater than at Dart
mouth. The town is small the winters
are long and cold and the ground is usu-
ally covered with snow during more
than half the college year. certain
amount of physical exercise is compul-
sorry during freshman year and yet the
present gymnasium floor can accommo-
date comfortably only about one-sixth
Of the class at one time and the rest of
the college is deprived OF the use OF the
gymnasium. ...
1, 900 and 1 800 growing young men be-
tween the ages Of 10 and 23 are for fiv'
months in the year shut up in Hanove
with practically no opportunity for avs.
tematic physical exercise. When this
defect has been remedied and not until
then will the fundamental equipment
Of the new Dartmouth approach COM
pleteness. This defect is going to be
remsdied at once"
The class representatives OF the recent
Dartmouth graduates have sent out
notices and the subscriptions are coming
before November Of 1909 so that the next
generation Of Dartmouth men may use
it. They aren't going to lose any time
in the matter.
The appeal is to be made first to the
members of the classes from 1883 to 1907.
re enough money doesn't come in that way
the other classes will be asked to con-
tribute. The present sopohmore class
already has pledged $1,000 for the build E
ing, the undergraduates altogether at q
meeting last spring having subscribed
$4,000, They aren't expecting much
difficulty about getting the money.
The other new feature Of the gymnasiuni&
besides the indoor running track OF ditt
Ia baseball diamond of dirt on the ground
floor too. Some other colleges have this
already, so that IL is not unique like thu
track The other colleges, though. hava
ings, unlike this one at dartmouth.
The new gymnasium will be near the T.
athletic field at Hanover. The main
will he 400 feet long and 80 feet
wide. This will lie north and south.
The wings running east AND west will
structure. On the first floor there will
be a trophy room. 1t will contain ap-
,ly the same number Of square
|eet as the present gymnasium. giving
1t least an idea OF the smallness OF that:
tLe bOuIH VI TOOLn lb IDe T.
ocker room, which will be fitted with
steel lockers and shower bath and drying
There will be separate apart
nents for visiting teams and for the \
home teams. The south entrance be
ween these two team rooms gives
.hort trip to Alumni Oval the athlet
ield. to the east.
The wings to the ground floor are
eet high They give a space from 81
o end OF $50 feet, SC. that there is roo
o have the 100 yard stretches for Il
printers and hurdlers. This is We
'aluable thing for athletic training.
Squash and handball courts fit into q
pace to the east inside the track.
he ground floor there will be space (
Ield events as we'll as track sports. j.
The central part OF the ground foc
3 raised feet up so as to leave spacs
or the running track underneath. The
DOM left In between the stretches Of the
rack will be used for storing athletic r
pparatus until later. Then a swimming +
'ool may be pvt there.
Fitting the lines Of the dirt track will
e one on the level OF the floor of the gym
asium hall upstairs By the use ct
liding doors this hung track Of boar,J
7ill be available. This will have corners
anked like those at the Mechanics Hall
a Bosom.
On this floor, that is, level with the
allery running track. will be the exer-
isinR room, or gymnasium floor proper,
Ox200 feet. This will accommodate
eHeral hundred men at a time.