The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-02
STAGE IS SET
FOR BIG JULY
FOURTH SCRAP
Light Training Work Will be
Done by Principals in Last
Days.
tBy Associated Press)


completed today and with the gather
ing up Of the stray strands the stage
will be set for the heavyweight cham
pionship bout between Jess Willard
and Jack Dempsey scheduled for Fri
cay afternoon. The principals will do
but light training work. Willard box
ing few rounds with his tired and
battered sparring partners while the
challenger will confine his efforts to
easy limbering-up exercises and some
shadow boxing.
At about the same hour the last
nail will be driven in the arena which
is to seat some $4,000 spectators, and
the greatest fight stadium OF ancient
or modern times will be ready for its
burden Of humanity on the Fourth
OF July. In many respects 1t Is the
greatest sport arphitheater ever
erected-certainly the greatest ever
constructed for temporary use only.
In seating capacity. ease of ingress,
and exit it compares favorably with
the Roman coliseum and the Yale
football bowl at New Haven.
Built at the cost OF $4,000, the
structure includes 100000 feet OF
lumber and hundreds OF kegs Of nails
ands bolts, the combined weight OF
which suns into many hundreds OF
tons. In addition to the $4,000 specta-
tors who can be seated comfortably.
there is standing room for close to 20
900 more, 50 that the total capacity
approaches the 100000 mark.
Four times the size of the Reno
fight stadium, 1t measures a little
over 600 feet across and the farthest
seat is just 29o feet from the center
OF the ring. There are "a miles OF
seats and the grade or rise IS such
that the face of each spectator will
appear Just above the head Of the
person in front giving the effect Of
sea of faces when viewed from the
ring.
Great as the care with which the
entire arena was constructed, atten-
ton has been fairly lavished upon the
ring in which the heavyweight cham
pionship Of the world will be contest
ed. 1t will rise five feet above the
floor Of the stadium and will measure
"a feet square over all. Each side OF
the square; measured along the ropes,
is exactly 20 feet and the extension
outside the ropes two feet. The floor
ing consists of two.inch thick plank
ing with a top layer Of one-inch close
ly ma tched planks laid in cross sec
tons.
Braced by Posts 80
This fighting foundation is braced
and supported by the heaviest kind Of
posts and beams until there Is not
culver when several 200 pound men
plunge around upon the structure.
Over the ring flooring has been spread
heavy felt padding one inch thick and
top OF this a canvas ring covering.
which it Is claimed is the heaviest
ever used for such a purpose.
Over 20 feet square, it contains but
two seams and will be stretched
through especially constructed eye
lets placed inches apart. 1t will be
dressed with lamp black and "a
pounds of rosin, after being put into
position, which will not be until an
hour or so before Willard and Demp-
sey appear. For the preliminary
bouts an old canvas will be used and
the felt underneath covered with Oil
cloth in order that no water may seep
through.
The ring posts will rise on the ex-
IRENE corners of the platform and will
be clamped to the floor by specially
constructed metal collars, in addition,
to be sunk into huge blocks, two and
a half beet below the arena floor
proper. From the posts, turn buckles
will extend to the ring ropes, eighteen
inches inside the posts. The top rope
will measure four and half feet from
the floor and is one and half inches
in diameter. The lower ropes will be
one and a half feet apart and all viii
be wound with heavy canvas banding
1t is the claim of the contractors ant
builders that the ring and its founda
ton would support an eight story
building.
Seats Half Sold.
The sale of seats has kept pace
with the speed in arena construction
stated that close to half of the 10000
seats had been sold, including the
greater portion of the higher priced
sections. While he did rot care te
give the exact receipts to date h
said that they were well above his es
innate of the gate when he frst con
templated the possibilities Of the
match some six months ago.
The usual side lights of a heavy
weight championship bout, whether II
big city or on the sands of the des
ert have made their appearance anC
veteran fight followers admit that the
last touch of atmosphere, necessary te
complete the picture Is in place
Counterfeit tickets for admission tt
the arena have turned up In the hand:
of innocent purchasers who state tina
they bought them in other nearby
cities. The tickets are but a poo
copy of the real steel engraved admis
sion cards and are not likely to cause
trouble to the gate keepers on Friday
The button and picture card vendel
is also present in force as we'll as the
promoter of all kinds of games o.
chance in which the player takes
about ninety per cent. of the chances
The police have taken cognizance o.
this particular angle and have ISSUED
orders that the wheel, dice and play
ing card bust be conspicuous by theil
absence henceforth.