Columbia Bubble Bursts And Is Buried by Snow

Columbia's attempts to expand its athletic plant have been as disheartening as the Lions' results in team competition. The latest disaster in New York was the collapse of a bubble-type facility, similar to Harvard's.

Efforts to erect the bubble were begun in December after a number of delays caused by the weather. The site was a football practice field at Baker Field. The bubble was quickly inflated but trouble came shortly. The anchors had not been securely buried, and several were pulled up by the wind.

They were installed again after deflating the bubble, and by the middle of January, the facility was ready to have lighting and heating fixtures installed. Lady Luck seemed to be smiling down on Columbia, and everything was set for the opening track meet against Rutgers on February 1.

At 7 a.m. on January 31, however, a strong wind blew in off the scenic Harlem River, and ripped the bubble off the blowers. The results were especially disastrous since the fabric of the dome came down and was punctured by the light poles. City building regulations require permanent metal light poles rather than collapsible ones.

International Latex Corporation, the manufacturer, rushed in to repair the material at Baker Field. But things got worse. Heavy snows in February buried the bubble and quickly ended any repair efforts. The manufacturers now intend to return the fabric to their Delaware plant to put it back together.

Columbia Director of sports information Kevin G. DeMarrais said that the bubble will return to Baker Field, but that no one is making any predictions about the timing of its reappearance. It is likely that the facility will be erected sometime next Fall after the football season.

Columbia's other recent difficulty in expanding the athletic plant was the memorable controversy which arose when the university tried to construct a gymnasium and swimming pool in Morningside Heights last year.