Tuesday, March 1. 1955 University Daily Kansan
Page 5
Allen Fieldhouse to Be 2nd Largest in Nation
By BILL GRIFFITH
The University's new $2½ million fieldhouse will be the second largest on-campus playing arena in the land from the point of capacity.
The new structure is equipped to handle 17,000 fans and will be outranked only by the fieldhouse at Minnesota, which will seat 18,250.
It will be the largest sports structure in the state of Kansas, outranking Kansas State's four-year-old fieldhouse by 4,500 seats. There are no other playing arenas in the Big Seven which can accommodate fivefigure crowds.
There are 21,000 lineal feet of concrete in the pilings which support the structure, plus 4,000 cubic yards of concrete used to cement the bricks and haydite blocks in place. The superstructure contains 2,700 tons of structural steel. Other building materials include 700,000 bricks, 52,000 haydite blocks, 11,625 tons of stone, and 245,000 board feet of lumber on the roof alone. It took 35 tons of paint to cover the structure .
In addition to Kansas State and Minnesota, there are only 12 other fieldhouses in the country that can hold crowds of 10,000 or more.
The dimensions of the new giant are almost unbelievable. The building is 344 feet long and 254 feet wide outside. It is three stories high and the peak of the roof is 85 feet above the ground. The arena itself is 252 feet wide and 341 feet long, and the list area is 134 feet by 341 feet.
The outside finish is of native stone. Span construction is of rigid frame steel. The balcony surrounds the entire arena and seats 65 per cent of the 17,000 capacity. Around the floor is a six-lane, 220-yard track for indoor track meets.
If the structural steel in the building was all drawn into wire, a wire
fence four feet high could be run from San Francisco to New York, and there would be enough wire left over to build the same kind of fence around the state of Kansas.
There is enough concrete to build a side-walk two feet wide from Lawrence to Topeka. The bricks, if laid end to end and two feet high, would make a wall more than eight miles long.
The arena will serve more needs than just basketball and track. Baseball and football drills can be held there. It will be used for commencement and baccalaureate, when bad weather drives these ceremonies indoors. It will also accommodate enrollment, registration, and ROTC inspection and drills.
The lumber in the roof alone is enough to frame 40 five-room houses. The 35 tons of paint would paint 550 five-room houses. The amount of electricity that is needed to light the arena would run 55,000 clocks.
Freshman Baseball to Start
Freshmen interested in playing freshman baseball are asked to meet at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow in 203 Robinson.
CARL'S SENDS
CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE UNIVERSITY AND TEAM ON THE OPENING OF ALLEN FIELDHOUSE
Through the years Carl's has been headquarters for fine clothing in Lawrence. You're always welcome at CARL'S . . . whether you stop in to talk sports or shop around for CARL'S GOOD CLOTHES!
905 Mass. St.
Phone 905
PROGRESSING WITH K.U.
THE ALLEN FIELDHOUSEAnother Symbol of Progress for Kansas University
THE STANDARD LIFE ASSOCIATION
Serving the Public Since 1890
8th and VERMONT STREETS
LAWRENCE, KANSAS