THE MICHIGAN DAILY

[POc IN HISTORYo OF
MIHGAAHLTC


HI GE BOWL V0MB1N ES ALL Of
RFCENT CONSTRUCTIONAL
DEVELOPMENTS
CONTAINS 86,000 SEATS
Compaeness, Perfet Draiage, Ad
Proxhulty Among Features
of New Structure'
John H. Maloney
Marking a new epoch in Michigan's
athletic history, the gigantic new sta-
dium, fourth generation of Michigan
stadia, will be formally opened to-
day, before a crowd of approximately
86,000 spectators.
Lookig back over 37 years of foot-
ball at Michigan to 1893, the present
huge bowl offers a decided contrast
to Michigan's first stadium which had
a seating capacity of 400 persons.
For three years before the first sta-
dium was 'constructed, spectators
would line up their carriages around
the athletic field, which was located
on the present site of the medical
building and Waterman gymnasium.
Add New Stand i 1896
Due to the increasing popularity of
football, the Regents ord red the con-
struction of a second covered stand
in 1896. The new stand had a seat-
ing capacity of 800 persons. Since
that time great strides have been
made both in the popularity of foot-
ball and in larger facilities for taking
care of increasing crowds which wit-
ness the great American game.
It is interesting to note that in the
Michigan-Chicago game of 1904, there
were 13,500 paid admissions, a record-
breaking crowd which amazed the
middle west at the time.
In 1907 the gridiron was moved to
/the site which it occupied until this
season. Crowds 'grew larger and
larger, until 1914, when the .present
concrete stand was constructed on
Ferry field. Even this stand proved
inadequate to take care of the
throngs. Last year, wooden bleachers
were constructed at both ends of the
field and were filled. Until this sea-
son, Michigan elevens have played
contests on Ferry field for the past
twenty years.
Can Increase Capacity
Less than one year ago, the present
site of the stadium was a weed filled
swamp which came to be called "Lake
Tillotson" when chosen for the site
of the new bowl. A year can, and
did, wreak great changes. In a short
time the swamp was drained, an army
of men, steam shovels, conveyors and
trucks, working night and day, quick-
ly changed the, coitotr pf "Lake Til-
lotson" fron a swamp to a huge hole
in the ground, resembling the crater
of an extinct volcano. Visitors, watch-
ing the progress of excavating, when
told that the "hole in the ground"
would be an immense rectanglar con-
crete bowl to be completed for the
grid games this fall, would shake
their heads, rather dubious that such
a feat could materialize.
Y)st Realizes Ambition
But it did materialize and under the
direction of the inimitable Fielding H.
Yost, University of Michigan's Direc-
tor of Athletics, the stadium is a real-
ity, today seating the largest and most
colorful crowd that ever attended an
athletic contest in Ann Arbor.
During the first few months of work,
considerable difficulty was experi-
enced by the workmen, due to the fact
that underground springs caused in-
cessant cave-ins. This difficulty was
overcome by constructing artificial
drains to take care of the surplus water.
Throughout the winter steam shovels
carried away the clay and sand, ap-
proximately 240,000 square yards of
dirt were excavated and hauled away.
With the - advent of favorable
weather in the spring, construction
received an impetus and on May ninth,
with the forms in place, workmen
started pouring cement. The cement
work was completed on September
fourth. Into this huge block of ce-
ment work were inserted 440 tons of
reinforcing steel. The stadium took a

definite shape, a huge rectangular
bowl.
Much foresight was shown in the
construction. The drainage system
consists of a network of pipesbe-
neath the playing field. Twelve huge
conduits were imbedded in the con-
crete, allowing enough room for any
special lighting, heating and electrical
appliances which may be used in the
future.
The over all- dimensions of the sta-
dium are 800 feet by 600 feet. The
bowl was construct9d in 44 concrete
sections. Around the entire length
and breadth is a concrete deck 50 feel
above the playing field and 28 feel
wide. There are 72 tiers of seats
which include four tiers of box seats
These 72 tiers of seats will accom
modate 72,500 spectators, 2,500. being
box seats.
Entrances can be effected from th
four points of the compass. The Eas
side has thirteen entrances througl
portals, while on the North, Soutl
and West sides there are 31 entrance
"over the t6p," making a total of 14,
runways, as there are two walks t
each entrance, In the steel fenc
surrounding the stadium are 72 en

BUCKEYE VETERANS INVADE NEW MICHIGAN BOWL
IN FIRST MAJOR HOME GAME ON 1927 SCHEDULE
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Nine of Coach Jack Wilce's Scarlet MIIOAN WILL HIAVE LiVE WOLVERINE MASCOTS
and Grey football luminaries who will NAMED "BIFF" AND "BENNIE" ON tiRIDIRON TODAY
attempt to gain revenge for their re-
cent loss to Northwestern as well as Today, for the first time in the an- field of battle. It is planned to parade
a long string of reverses at the hands nals of Michigan gridiron history, a "Buff" and his partner "Bennie" across
of Maize and Blue teams in the first Maize and Blue team will take the the playing field on the ends oIcleashes
Big Ten game to be played inthe si ,-r a++1. m +m,. u. wai which will be held by Lawton and
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1 u-diu va udwie wiLic LWIJ live W UlVez I

new Wolverine bowl. ines as mascots on the sidelines. This
In Capt. Ted Meyer, veteran guard, feature of the celebration of the for-
the Bucks have one of the most con- mal opening of the new Michigan bowl
sistent linemen in the conference, was made possible through the cour-
while Raskowski and Cox form a tesy of two of the Detroit alumni,
formidable pair of tackles, the former Fred Lawton '11 and Clark Hyatt, '11.I
tipping the scales at 212 pounds. Cox The mascots, "Biff" and "Bennie"
is lighter than his- teammate but is ,as they are called, showed little of the
exceptionally fast and makes up for ithusiasm about the coming battle
his lack of weight in speed. is evideced among the throngs
of fans who await the opening whistle.
Robin Bell, who is usually Wilce's When "Biff's" steel jacket was tried
choice for one of the end positions, on for the first time last week, he
is also a capable punter. Fred Grim, protested so vigorously that he neatly
a former halfback, has been. shifted ,Ipped a strand of steel wire cleanly
to quarter and is making good at his i iwo with one snap of his powerful
new position, while Byron Eby has s
proved one of the Ohio team's most The Wolverines will play a conspic-
depenylable ground gainers. Alber, u~ns part in the official opening of the
Marek, and Kriss are all candidates nrw Michigan stadium just before the
for backfield posts, although the for- ;:ize and Blue and Scarlet and Grey
mer can play end if he is needed. clad elevens take their places on the

Hyatt.
The live mascots will also play a
prominent part in the colorfnlU cere-
monies that will preceed the Michigan-
Navy contest on November 12. Just
before the kickoff it is planned to es-
cort "Biff" and "Bennie" across the
field to the Navy bench where they
will be formally introduced to the fa-
mous mascot of the Middie eleven, the
Navy goat.
Up until today Michigan teams have
had a mascot and that mascot was a
wolverine, but a mounted one that has
graced the trophy case in the admin-
istration building at Ferry field for
some time; now everything is differ-
ent and Coach Tad Wieman's grid
warriors, in addition to a fine new
stadium to play in, have two live Wol-
verines as mascots for the important
home games that remain on the sched-
ule.

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The forests of our country never had a greater friend than Theodore
Roosevelt, whose memory we honor this month on the occasion of his 69th
birthday, Oct. 27th. Foresighted and aggressive, he aided in safeguarding
the future Prosperity of this great nation -by setting aside more National
Forest Preserve acreage than all other presidents who preceded him did to-

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Ann Arbor

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