New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-01-14
AT COLUMBIA
New Buildings Gradually En-
CroaChing on South Field.
NEED OF STADIUM EVIDENT
Work of Filling In Plot in Hudson
River to Begin Be-
fore Long.

River to Begin Be-
fore Long.
Since the beginning of the actual work of
construction Of the building for the School
Of Journalism at Columbia, on the north
west corner of South Field, undergraduates
and alumni alike have come to feel that II
will be n question of only a year or two
until South Field is no longer available for
athletic purposes. and that the sooner the
proposed stadium is built the better 1t will
be for athletics in general ar the university.
The alumni have reappointed a committee
TO work up the matter. and IL is believed
that a report will be made shortly that the
preliminary work be begun at once. The
1orings for the stadium have already been
made in the bed of the Hudson River. be-
tween 116th and 190th streets. for distance
from the shore of about six hundred feet.
II is the present plan Of this committee TO
have the work begun some time this COM
ing year. II this is possible. The perma
nent bulkhead which will contain the made
ground for the stadium is the first thing
that will he built The funds in the uni
versitys hands for the stadium already
amount 10 $4,000 which were given to CO.
lumbia six years ago. II is proposed that
this money be expended in the initial work
of construction.
With the construction of the new rapid
transit subways under way it will be an
easy matter for Columbia TO obtain any
quantity of material for filing in pur-
poses although most OF It will have TO be
carted or towed for a considerable distance.
II would be necessary, first of all. to find "A
new site for the Gould boathouse, which
now occupies what will he the southeast
corner of the stadium. and it is believed
that inasmuch as the crews will shortly
be in need Of more extensive rowing quar-
ters at Edgewater the house will be
moved across the river and placed on a
permanent site north of the Fort Lee ferry
landing. With the boathouse out Of the
way the university would then have 10
obtain permission to open up right Of
way along the New York Central tracks
from both street for the carriage Of build
ing materials. Following the filling In Of
the space inclosed by the bulkhead the new
land is TO be laid out in practice fields for
the university teams, and If the present
plan is adhered TO the stadium itself Will
not be constructed until the university Is
in possession Of sufficient funds for the
purpose. II is estimated that the actual
cost of erecting the bulkhead and filling In
the dock thus formed will be at least 500
co.
In the mean time and until the new field
! is ready the Columbia teams will find
| themselves further cramped each year.
| After the completion of the journalism
| building the university hopes 10 erect one
or more dormitories on the field, and this
| will further limit the space available for
| athletics so that there will be practically
| no vacant room aside from that inclosed
| by the running track. Already the uni
versity has found other uses for East
/ Field the lot on the east side Of Amster-
| dam avenue which for years was the home
of the West Side Lawn Tennis Club. it
was hoped that this land could be made
available for athletics, and especially fnr
lawn tennis, but part of 1t is now taken
up by the new house OF the president OF
| the university. and by the greenhouse and
| gardens Of the department OF botany.
| The Blue and White minor sports teams
| have shown marked improvement during
| the week just closed. and unless they hit
another slump as a result of the mid-year
| examinations at the end OF the month
there is every hope that they Will finish
| the season creditably. The situation In
| swimming and water polo Is still precari-
| GUS. for, despite the fact that the teams
| improved the number OF candidates has
not increased. Norman Cox. the coach OF
| the teams, has received only praise for his
work with the swimmers. and. despite the
| unsatisfactory beginning, II Is believed
/ that he will turn out a team that viii end
! the season we'll up. At all events. he VIII
/ be retained as coach another year, when
| greater efforts will be made TO get large
squad Of candidates out for the team al the
beginning OF the ,practice season
Although the actual registration for ere"
| candidates for either the varsity or fresh
| man squads does not begin until next
month, Rice is spending most OF his spare
| time digging UP new freshman material
| To date the number OF first year men re-
| porting for rowing has varied from 1orty-
Ave TO twenty-eight. and although the
1 nractice is only voluntary for the present
| Rice does not like the way his squaos
/ huctuate. He has planned to boat as many
as four freshman Fights on the river, ana
| ~ he has the men he will have five crews
ON the water for the first part OF the sea-
Il CON M least. From the material he has on
hand Il will be possible for him to boat
| crew averaging well over 1e0 pounds IN
weight and close TO six feet in height. Rice
i has set his heart on duplicating the VIC
E.orxs NJ the freshman crew last spring. and
| "a bent on getting the best freshmen In
the university in the boat.