Dynamics of the globular cluster system associated with M87 (NGC 4486).: I.: New CFHT MOS spectroscopy and the composite database

We present a comprehensive database of kinematic, photometric, and positional information for 352 objects in the field of M87 (NGC 4486), the central giant elliptical galaxy in the Virgo Cluster; the majority of the tracers are globular clusters associated with that galaxy. New kinematic information comes from multislit observations with the Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), an investigation that has added 96 new velocities to and confirmed many of the earlier values in a preexisting data set of 256 velocities published elsewhere. The photometry, consisting of magnitudes and colors in the Washington (T(1), C - T(1)) system, is based on CCD observations made at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO). The composite database represents the largest compilation of pure Population II dynamical tracers yet identified in any external galaxy; moreover, it extends to larger spatial scales than have earlier investigations. The inclusion of photometric information allows independent study of the distinct red and blue subpopulations of the bimodal globular cluster system of M87. In a companion paper we use this powerful data set to analyze the present dynamical state of the M87 globular cluster system and consider the question of its interaction and formation history.