Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-06-28
Arena For Fisiic
Encounter July 4
Nearing Completion

Toledo, O., June 2s-Thrustins Its
raw, yellow skeleton skyward the
huge bowl shaped arena, costing $780,
600 and originally planned to seat so.
600 persons, is rapidly nearing COM
pletiop for the heavyweight champion
ship contest between Jess Willard ana
Jack Dempsey here July 4.
Aho arena Is located In Bay View
Park, n municipality owned plot Of
ground sixty acres In extent and d.
rectly north four miles from the heart
OF the city. Before being turned over
to Tex Richard, promoter OF the
championship contest the park has
been used as a recreation center and
tho arena rests on the site of two base
hall diamonds. On the north side OF
the park Is Maumee Bay and to the
least IL Maumee River. Encircling the
plot liz n road OF crushed stone. The
park is OF artificial construction, most
OF it being filed in land, but II is
ideally situated In every respect. II
is perfectly fat and treelcss. making
the work OF the engineers constructins
the arena easier than II would other
wise have been.
Some idea of the immensely may be
obtained from the fact that 1t is four
times as large as the arena In which
Jack Johnson battered Jim Jefferies to
defeat at Reno, New, and capable OF
seating four times as many persons
Approximately 100000 feet of lumber
has been used in the structure. Not a
bolt has been used. the entire building
being held together by nails Of which
two carloads or 80. 900 pounds have been
driven. All new lumber has entered
into the construction and this will be
sold after the contest.
Precautions for safety have been
taken in the contraction. Careful
tests were made on the ground to find
ont whether It could carry the great
human weight which would rest upon
It. The carrying capacity of the lum-
Der and the tensile strength Of the
nails were determined and margin
allowed for safety. Altho the structure
was originally planned for $4,000 per-
sons. a load Of $4,000 persons was
taken as the basis of the estimate and,
instead of allowing Us pounds per per-
sion. as is done in ordinary construc-
ton for "live loads, an average of 200
pounds was taken. This gave total
live load" of 5000 tons. but to allow
even q further amount of safety mar
gin. construction was based upon a
load of 10000 tons. .. . g"
AS insurance AGAINST any settling
should rainy weather on the day Of the
match. or even few days before,
cause the structure to settle slightly.
heavier footings were used. This en-
tailed an additional expense Of about
$4,000 but promoter Richard decided
it would be cheaper for the greater
safety afforded. g.
Nor is the actual safety of the spec
tators the only thing which has been
considered. Every effort has been
made to make it certain every ticket
holder will get the seat to which his
ticket entities him. To take care of the
big crowd. there will be four grand
entrances. one each at the north. south.
east and west side Of the arena. AT
each of. these will be four runways.
one each for the $40. SIS. and $25 seats
while the fourth will take care Of the
$40. $40, $50, and $50 ticket holders. In
order to. obtain entrance it will be nee
essary to pass muster Of three separ-
ate ticket takers to guard against any
on not holding a ticket slipping by.
Several hundred discharged soldiers
all having seen service in France. will
act as ushers and guards at the arena.
They will be armed. Bank clerks have
been engaged by Promoter Richard in
handling the ticket sales at the arena
and at the downtown headquarters on
the day of the contest
Precautions against rushing" of the
gates have also been taken. Outside
the arena eighty feet distant will be
a barbed wire fence. or ENHANCEMENT,
eight feet high and half mile long to
keep the crowd away from the en-
frances. Closer to the arena will be
q. board fence twelve feet high, sur
mounted by barbed wire, while at the
top Of the arena itself will be five
foot fence OF barbed wire with armed
guards stationed every twenty-five
feet. The $40. $15. $25 and $40 and $40
seats also will be separated from each