The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-08-17
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The Worlds Peace Jubilee.
BosroN. Mas, June 92l, lS12

Now the first week has passed, bat before any &C
count is given CT these first concerts, let US review
the weeks snd months CT preparation and give some
idea about the C~oliseum,-i,s structure, dimensions
and capacity. As you probably know
THE ORIGINAL PLAN
Was to have = series OF immense arches or trusses,
as they were called, supporting a roof and galleries,
but having the whole weight Of the chorus, audience
and other essentials rest entirely upon the ground
\ site was selected as what is known as the Pack
Bay where there WAS twenty feet Of water \ few
years ago. bat which the energy and enterprise Of
Boston has now filed with gravel, which was left by
some CT AgaSsiZ's glaciers some thousands Of years
ago, about fifteen or twenty miles back in the coun-
try. OF course such material does not afford any
solid foundation. all buildings erected on this new
land are set on piles driven through the gravel 20 n
solid bed, so the preparations for the Coliseum were
the same, and beginning back in March. Hundreds
of men and horses and steam engines were at work
driving piles, till several acres looked as ifs forest
had been suddenly swept by a tornado, leaving only
the trunks standing. Then the huge trusses begsn
to assume shape and character,-they were built on
the ground lying tat, to be raised after being finished.
At the same time work was being pushed forward on
= tower - stand at one end. Finally, all was ready,
and after two or three days of suspense and partial
failure the first great arch was raised and stood tall
and slightly, the centre being about a hundred feet
from the ground, and visible from all elevated points
in Boston, and from most of the surrounding coun-
try. Gilmore, Boston. and n large part of the State
felt very proud of their huge arch, and everybody
went 10 see il. At night a calcium light was burned
so that it should stand out white and clear against
the sky. But, alas one evening n great wind arose,
and about eight O'Clock, with a crash heard all over
the city, both tower and truss fell. The next morn
ing the scenes about the ruin were very striking.
Fortunately no one was injured, and the debris was
rapidly cleared away and a new Coliseum, after the
plan of that of 1869, was commenced and rapidly
finished, and now it stands complete.
THE PRESENT COLISEUM
Stands between the lower arms of the Y. made by
the crossing OF the Boston and Albany and the
Boston and Providence Railroads. Ii looks as
much like a big barn as anything. having a com
mon gable roof over the center extending from end
TO end--either side OF the central roof there is a
fiat shed roof, extending to the outside. The d-
mansions are-length of building $50 feet; width
$50 feet: height lI5 feet. IL took several acres of
shingles 10 cover TIE roof. There are sky-lights i'm
the central roof, painted To soften the light. and a
row of windows extending along either side be-
tween the central and side roof. At either end is
q mammoth arched window, either one of which
would cover Fort Street Church very well. Inside,
four rows of columns entend from end to end. SUBJ
porting the roof, but interfering seriously with the
view, and taking away from the eject which would
be produced by it if unobstructed. The chorus
seats take about two-ifths OF the interior. a divi-
sion railing running from either side down to the
orchestra seats. They are arranged in semi. circles,
having Il radius OF from seventy to one hundred and
seventy feet. Up at the back end, behind the whole
chorus stands the great organ. Facing it, on the
right, are the bass singers, on the left are the tenors.
next to them are the sopranos. and next the bass
are the altos. The stand for the conductor is ele-
waited about seven feet above the floor, and from
that point the chorus seats rise at an easy grade.
The back seats in the far off corners are probably
forty feet nom the floor. but the space is so vast
that the rise Is hardly perceptIbie to one walking
up or down the aisles. Under the chorus seats are
a large number of rooms and passages. Eleven
broad stair-ways lead to the chorus and orchestra
seats. There are rooms for the - gents chorus;
for the ladies chorus" "a toilet chambers" &c:
rooms for the various officers OF the chorus. for the
bouquet of artists, band-rooms, engine-rooms for
the organ blower, and not the least of the conven-
fences halnw IS a prp1t rnSflnr1nt Huhara UoOl
meals can be had ut a moderate price, and a bar
where - lager bier . is retailed. Lemonade stands
and soda-water fountains are frequent, and have
proved popular. The auditorium is divided into
parquet and balcony, the former occupying the
space on the floor facing the chorus and outside of
the edge of the balcony, which extends from the
side OF the building seventy-ive feet, the lower edge
being about ten feet above the door, or ground.
Under the balcony there is n broad aisle extending
entirely around the building adjoining the paruuet
seats, next the wall are various roOms-pressh head
quarters. committee rooms, police rooms, &c. Here
and there are fire engines and extinguishers. and
police and iremen have the free range of the build
ing, reigning supreme. The sections of seats in the
parquet are lettered, running from \ to Z. each
section seating rather more than 600. The balco-
MES are divided into twenty-three sections. and the
whole building will comfortably seat over so, 900.
including the chorus. But space will not allow of
a further account of the building. There might be
n thousand and one items of interest, but we will
pass to a brief account of
THE CHORUS.
1t is composed of societies from all parts of the
United States. and curiously enough, when singers
we're first advertised for, such q large number of
choral unions replied that the chorus had to be
limited to 10000. In Boston, four great choruses of
eight hundred each were formed, meeting for re-
hearsal and practice weekly, and drilled by Carl
Zerrahn, Whitney, Southland, and Gilmore himself
part of the time. Upon these four, the Handel and
Hadyn Society. and about half q dozen other So
cieties, dependence was evidently placed for leader
ship in the concerts, for they have been assigned
front seats in the buildinO From mamhorS of fbaOa
choruses special promises were exacted that they
would attend a certain number of days, and would
not transfer tickets.
SCENES AROUND THE COLISEUM.
On Sunday, the 10th. the avenues of approach
were crowded all day with a vast throng of people,
and it was curious to observe faces, evidently n
majority were country people, who had come in to
see the sights, spend their money and have a good
time generally. From the Natural History Build
ing, on Boylston street, a new avenue has been cut
to the Coliseum, Huntington avenue, and
a wide bridge built over the b. g. A. Railroad.
Dartmouth street has been improved, and q stairway
built down to the ground just between the railroad
intersection. Bridges, both for foot passengers and
carriages, have been built over the Providence Rail-
road, so that the means of approach to the building
are abundant. In fact, the city of Boston has gone
to great expense to further and aid the jubilee.
Huntington avenue, Dartmouth street, and every
available spot is lined and covered with booths and
shanties, erected by enterprising Yankees TO 8 turn
an honest penny On one corner is a stand paily
decorated with flags with great piles of bags of pop
corn" only five cents each I" In the back part of
the stand is q pile containing over two tons of corn
ready to be eaten-so says the proprietor. In an
other place is q lemonade stand, then a stand con-
tanning views of the Coliseum and of the projectors
of the jubilee here a man wants you to buy a new
patent garter, "your wife wants it +" there a man
is crying, /" here you have q fine panoramic view Of
the F~ranco-Prussian war, with a view of the two
rival emperors only ten cents admittance. There
stands a man handing to all passers-by tracts given
by the Boston Y. II. e. A, and the association has a
large tent ut one side, conveniently located, cool and
with comfortable seats, and they have three
daily prayer meetiogs near by, too, they have a
stand with the notice, "Ice water for aIl-free -
and 4 crowd is there all the time taking a drink.
Lager bier has its stands here and there, aud of
the inevitable peanut only eight cents a
quart - so says an old negro woman who is pos