Evening star., 1921-07-02
TENSE EXCITEMENT
AS CROWDS ARRIVE
FOR GREAT FIGHT
CONTINUED from First Page.)

title in a Jersey City residence TO
which he had been spirited from his
training camp at Atlantic .tlly laie
yesterday. The challenger lett ms
quarters at Manhasset by automoplle
shortly after breakfast for Port Wash
ineton, where a yacht waited to bear-
him to the fight city.
Both had issued laSt-minute state
ments asserting they were ready ior
the battle of their lives and breathing
confidence in the outcome
Odds favoring the champion had
shortened markedly in the last hours
of betting. but Dempsey still relgned
a or 2lh to / favorite over the French
challenger: Carpenter. however. ruleo
the sentimental favorlte-
New York newspapers, whose accounts
Of the coming fight were measured today
by pages rather than by columns. were
a study in superlatives.
The fight was described as the great
est heavyweight encounter in the history
Of sport" 1t will be staged in the
biggest arena ever constructed. De1ore
the Largest and most brilliant assembly
and the purse-$500,o ,o0o-is the most
generous in the history Of the ring.
Greatest Since Sullivan.
Denpsev is described as the greatest
heavyweight champion since John l..
Sullivan" while the handsome French
man. who has been called vanousiy a
Greek god" mystery man. man OF
destiny" and wonder man. is ACCLAIMED
as the greatest heavyweight Europe mas
produced"
The bout unquestionaby has exciten
the greatest interest ever arouSea pt
pueilistic encounter The crowd that
was struggling its way out toward
Roy,e's thirty acres all through the fore
noon. assembled from every corner Oh
the world. Representative citizens from
far west, middle west South anu e,a'
had been rolling into the city Tor Ior'E-
eight hours on every tram "iilie :al.,
from France. England, Spaih-e'eii iio'''
far-away Japan and Chlna-
Among the spectators were proinlh-
emf state and city officials. an as-
sistant secretary of the Navy, scie
lists, artists. theatrical stars anu
impresarioS, men whose names dis
famous in every field of sport ana
inst niain citizens. 1t was estimated
that at least 5000 women woulo pe
in the big arena when the gong lot
the main bout rang at O'Clock.
Expects $1.5O0.OOO.
Promoter Rickard announced last
njpht that the seat sales had exceed
ed the one-million-two-h hundred and
ff:y-thousand- dollar mark, ana ne
estimated the final sale would pass
81, 800, 900, with at least 10000 or the
9l,l63 seats in the huge arena taken:
A full arena would mean sale OF
about sI.75O,00O. Elaborate police
arrangements had been made 10
handle capacity crowd.
Purchasers who bought seats from
spectators at advances of 400 to 5oo
per cent over market prices groaned
today when they learned that some
of the "scalpers" had become panic
stricken and cut prices to 20 and 30
per cent below Richards prices. Even
at these prices the spectators tickets
went slowly. This was believed to
be due more to the scare over counter
felt tickets, however, than to a les
sening demand for seats. Established
brokers reported tickets moving
steadily, although it was said there
were many choice seats still available
A brass band, which helped while
away the long wait for the early ar
rivals, put in an early appearance.
The first of the six preliminary
bouts-that between Babe Herman
and Joe Metranga-will be started at
o'clock. eastern daylight saving
time All of the preliminaries were
carded for eight rounds. with no de-
lay between bouts. The other bouts
were:
Packey OGatti VS.. frankie Burns,
Dick Griffith vs. Midget Smith, Jackie
Curtin vs. Mickey belmont or Willie
Spencer, Gene Tunney VS.. Soldier
Jones and Jack Renault VS.. Billy
Miske.
The principals were due to enter
the ring at o'clock. eastern daylight
saving time. although Tex Rickard,
the promoter, promised to bring them
in few minutes earlier If the pre-
liminaries were disposed Of before
that time. Both CARPENTER and
Dempsey expected to be in their
dressing rooms by o'clock