Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-15
Possibility Following Fire
AT NY. Baseball Park.
Promoters Unable TO Buy Siie
and Lease Ends in 10 Years.
Fireproof Structures Demanded and
Expense Would Be Too Heavy.

New York. April 1.-THE New Yorf
National League Club may never play
baseball again at the Polo grounds
City authorities will insist on strictly
fire proof structures TO replace the
grand stand and part of the bleachers
destroyed by fire early today, and this
raises a serious as to whether the pro-
moters care to invest thousands of dol
lars in steel and concrete on leased
site.
One thing is definite however. Tn
til further notice. the New Yorks will
use the American League park on
Washington Heights, beginning a series
with Brooklyn there tomorrow. Presi-
dent Ebbetts of the Brooklyn Club. Of
fered his grounds, but as conflicting
dates would interfere, acceptance was
out of the question.
Although the club is homeless, New
York is thankful that the fire did not
occur during a game with probable
loss of life. The coroner's office took
cognizance of the situation today and
addressed petition to the building
department asking the department to
insist that the stands if reconstructed,
shall be built of fire proof material
President Brush was too i'll to take
any active part today in the settle
ment of the temporary troubles of the
New Yorks. He has been in favor of
building concrete and steel stadium
but has hesitated because of uneer-
tainty of the future of the Polo
grounds, as the baseball park. Many
times the question of cutting streets
through the grounds has been raised
and all efforts to buy the property out
years yet to run, but the fire has
brought matters to a crisis and the be-
lief among followers of the game here
Is that new site will be selected in
the end although the Polo grounds
may be used temporarily when repairs
are made.
.Sew York. April 14.-"Although the
damage to the Polo grounds in my
opinion will easily amount to $3.50, 900.
1 believe that If We can get in touch
with the officials of the fire department
ard the building department we can
clear away the debris and place chairs
about, so that the game scheduled for
to-day can be held on these grounds"
said John ]. McGraW, manager of the
New York Giants, early this morning,
while he was looking over the scene
Of the fire that destroyed the grand
stand at the home of the New York
National League Club on the eve of
the third baseball game of the season.
Starting a half hour after midnight
TINS morning the flames within Is min
utes We're greedily devouring the big
grandstand. Only the work of the fire.
men in separating into two parts the
oval of seats by means of water cur
tains. one en- the north and one on the
south, saved the clubhouse of the
Giants and the bleachers at the easter
1y end of the grounds
The fire, after eating it's way from
the south end of the grandstand to the
northern, set fire to the repair shops
on the Elevated terminus of the Inter-
borough Railway Co, which abuts
against the fence surrounding the
srandstand. Although employees of the
Railway Co.. who were in the repair
shop when the fire gained headway,
fougnt the blaze with apparatus stored
in their rooms, seven trailer cars val
ucd at $4,000 each, We're DESTROYED. as
weH as four electric motors stored in
tho repair shops, valued at 1000.
Shortly after o'clock this morning
all that remained of the grandstand
was mass of twisted grders and
heap OF smouldering embers.