The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-05-29
NOTES OF PREPARATION.
A Look at the Hall in Which the National
Convention is TO be Held.

CHICAGO, May 27.-The Exposition building has
been thronged by visitors all day, and tonight The
odore Thomas has occupied 1t with an orchestra of
200 pieces, chorus of 600 voices and an audience
of 1900. At the conclusion of the musical festival
next Saturday night, six hours work will make all
the alterations required by John G. News commit
tee The only thing which will have to be Changed
for the convention is the arrangement of seats in
front of the stage. Six of chairs will have to
be removed to make way for 80 tables for the
press AS the hall now stands, the officers of the
convention and invited guests will occupy the 400
seats at the north end Then the press tables will
follow, and next to them the delegates and alter
mates. Aisles either sides of the delegatss' and
aernates seats separate them from the extra press
seats aud private boxes the latter painted red The
boxes number SO on each side, and will hold ten
persons each. This makes total of 100 box seats
Proceeding south in the hail. railing separates the
delegates and alternates from the general public
After 900 seats distributed to the holders of
stage and press tickets, and 1000 the delegates
and alternates, there will be 5000 seats for the
general public. This makes total of Is 900. This
number includes the 500 seats in each gallery the
private boxes and the flies. This morning, when
the committee reached the hall, they made dis
covery which caused some amusement. They
found that the directors of the building who ap-
piled for 800 seats, and were respectfully refused
had surreptitously constructed platforms for about
100 seats up in the west fly of the building Access
is obtained be stairway leading to the treasurers
Office outside of the hall proper, so that the COM
mittee have really authority the trespassers
AS the seats are SO high also, the committee will
make objection. The exits for the masses are at
the south end of the building; delegates and d stin-
gushed guests enter by doors near the north end.
The delegates will not come in contact with the
masses at all, high ratings separating them and
tickets indicating their right to seat Mr.. New of
the committee said that as to contesting delegates
he presumed they would be admitted on footing
with the other delegates, and if the committee on
credentials chose to dispossess them they could do
so. member of the committee measured the hall
today and found that it exactly 80 feet less in
length than the hall Of 1880, but what it lacks in
length is partly made up in the arrangement of
chairs. They are placed closer than in 1850, and
are a little smaller. The only trouble to be appre-
hended is that the seats will not be wide enough
and there will be great deal of crowdng.
number of committee men visited the hall dur
ing the Thomas rehearsal, and tested its acoustic
qualities. They are UNNECESSARILY superior to
those of 1880. For years ago the echo was 80
strong as to drown the voices of speakers This
year there is no echo, and man at the extreme
point of the south end can hear the speaker dis
tinctlY.