Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-09
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY,
A PEN PICTURE OF THE HALL.
The Scenes and Crowds of Four Weeks
Ago Completely Eclipsed.

The Scenes and Crowds of Four Weeks
Ago Completely Eclipsed.
CHICAGO, July S.-The air this morning
was cool and bracing and summer ap-
parel did not burden the person. Crowds
began to gather in the vicinity of the
great hall in which the convention is held
early in the day, the door tenders and
ushers reporting for duty at s O'Clock,
with people then in waiting to enter and
secure their seats. Inside the auditori-
um, however, there was an approach to
chaos, laborers still being engaged in
giving the finishing touches after having
been employed during all the preceding
night. They did not desert the main plat
form, where decorations were being hung,
to within halt an hour before the time an
nounced for the opening of the convention.
When the workmen quilted the building the
picture presented was majestic, and truly so,
with its setting of $4,000 auditors. Every seat
in the vast ampitheatre appeared to be oc-
cupied, the aud ence having its full quota of
the fair portion ofhumanitytin holiday attire.
1t is conceded that in picturesque effect the
arranging and dressing of the hall ex-
ceeds that of the convention Of four weeks
ago. The great vista of the old hall has been
lost by the placing of the main stage at one
side and midway instead of at one extreme of
the hall, but the arrangement brings the en-
tire audience very much closer to the stage
proper and the delegates.
THE DECORATIONS.
The decorations are not profuse, but striking
and pleasing to the eye, the national colors
predOminating. The only retarding feature
is the main platform, which is dWarfed in
the hall. The delegates are seated IN a square
immediately fronting the speakers platform,
tween the delegates and platform are the
quarters assigned the press representatives,
who have been provided with tables in rising
tiers, affording this working army the most
complete view imaginable Of any incident
likely to occur during the session. To the
right and left of the delegates are the
seats for spectators, sloping upward easily
to apoint thirty feet from the
floor level. The only additional word to
be offered in the way of description is that
the lighting of the vast hall is complete, being
which pour their flood OF light upon every
portion of the auditorium, even with a dull
leaden sky overhead. AT 1880 O'Clock the
scarlet-coated band of the First Illinois Regi-
ment took position above the Speakers plat
form and burst forth with a martial air,
which also proved the signal for the arrival of
the first of the delegates. The Tennesseans
led the van. From that moment the crowd
streamed in without ceasing unfit noon, when
the hall had its full complement of people.
THE FIRST CHEERING.
The approach of the hour for the assemb-
ling of the convention was marked by the ar
rival OF delegates IN large bodies and great
crush of people at the door ways. which pro-
voked confusion. The arrival of the Califor-
MIA delegation, carrying a banner at their
head, occasioned the first outburst of applause
in the audience, and the cheering was hearty.
The presence of distinguished leaders among
the delegates did not appear to be caught by
the crowd, and there was no applause TO mark
their arrival. This held true until the fami-
liar figure of Senator Thurman, of Ohio, was
discovered, when cheer arose which swelled
into a roar as the audience came to know the
occasion of the applauding. While the ex-
citement was at his height, a California dele
gate, named NJ. T. Tompkins, addressing the
Charm an. who was not yet in his place, said:
'sThe California delegation, after travelling
$500 miles, catches its first glimpse of paradise
in the person Of Allan G. Thurman, OF OHIO"
[Cheersl.
Among the United States Senators present,
either as delegates, alternates or simple spec
tators, were Messrs. Hampton, Vance, Beck,
Williams, Mcpherson, German, Farley, VoOr-
hees, Pendleton, Jones, of Florida, Ransom,
Lamar, Jonas, Call and Harris. Soon after
ward, when the band struck up 'Dixie,"
there was another great shout, proceeding
from the Southern delegations originally, and,
as the import of the applause was understood,
il was taken by the audience.