The Washington critic., 1888-06-19

of the features of Chicago architecture.
II will represent an expenditure of over
three millions, and it Is the result of the
enterprise of 2j0 of Chicagos most pro-
gressfve capitalists.
The idea was that of Mr.. Ferd. w. Peck
The city had had seven National con-
ventions, and for six of them temporary
auditoriums had to be constructed. In
the opera festival of 1885 the necessity of
great building was emphasized. The
result was that corporation of $50 men
concluded to erect the largest and hand
soonest public building in the West. On
the Doth of January, 1887, the ground was
broken, and since then the work has
steadily progressed. The building is only
half completed at the present time and II
will require about fifteen months more
before it is entirely finished.
IL Is q tremendous structure with a
frontage of over 700 feet on Congress
street, Michigan avenue and Wabash
avenue. II will be ten stories high, or
la feet, and will be absolutely fireproof.
Its tower, i0x7l feet, and 225 feet high
will, in itself, be a large building. Over
fifteen million bricks are used in the con
struotion, and some of the walls are six
feet thick. The interior part of IL is n
great auditorium, and around this is
large hotel, with u capacity of four hun
dred rooms. The hall has been put in
condition for the convention by tempo.
rary roof and other temporary arrange
ments. The style of architecture is re-
markable for its plainness. Ornamental
ton is rare, but the effect of it, on ac-
count of its bulk, is very impressive.
The interior of the hall as it now is in
dicates how unusually fine the full view
| will be when 5000 people fill it. The
| front railing, which separates the dele
| gates from the chairman and the press, is
| ~ ixfiH nj hot hn hal
| proper and the stage. This stage Is the
second largest in the world, and will IN
| itself accommodate 1000 people. Tenn
| porary balconies have been erected for
| the convention on both sides of the hall,
and all of the proscenium boxes have
| been arranged so as to seat as many peo-
| pie as possible.
The dimensions of the hall are 120x2l6
feet and. the distance from the presiding
| officer to the farthest spectator is 175 feet.
| Its entire seating capacity is g. 100. Three
| thousand electric lights will illuminate
the hall day and night-sunlight being
entirely cut of. These are arranged in
large stars, composed of from twenty to
forty incandescent electric lights of differ
ent colors. An enormous shield with
three hundred of red, white and blue
electric lights will hang over the chair
mans desk. All around the arches that
span the building are rows of these lights.
The decorations are in red, white and
blue, and every post and all the wood
work are covered.
The Decorations.
On each of the two walls are immense
designs in the American flag with the
National insignia set Off by electric lights
Above are broad stripes of red and white
bunting, which will cover the entire cell
ing, while the walls will be hid by flag
fifty feet long. AT equal distances from
the proscenium three iron arches span the
ceiling, the outer rims of which are stud
ded with the electric lights, and within
great stars of electricity will be fitting
illumination OF the red and white stripe:
above. These arches appear to have 9
symbolical significance. They extend
from the south to the north.
The chairman's platform is an elabo
rately decorated design Of three Ameri
can flags held by golden eagle .ant
draped around portrait ofGeorge Wash
ington. One very effective feature of the
decoration is what is known as radiator
1t is as follows: First, a square piece o
white muslin; above, two immense ma
tional flags, half unfurled at an angle
and directly in the centre q large whee
of red, white and blue converging into |
central star, the outer rim of the circl
being completed by thirteen electri,
stars, each of which has ten incandcscen
lights. Right in the spoke of the whee
the painting of General Grant is placed
Then, as framework of the whole ther,
are muslin strips of the Stars and Stripes
The wall on the opposite side is nearly
duplicate of the radiator, except that II
the details stars of blue on white back
ground will take the place ofthe tricoloret
spokes of the radiator, and in the centr
there is picture of Lincoln. Above tn,
speakers desk, and falling from the cell
ing of the stage, there Is big war pictur
representing General Logan and his mill
{ tary staff. Two 6-foot paintings of Gran
and Lincoln will adorn that portion Of tn
wall between the private boxes at til
right and left of the speakers desk
Other pictures are portraits of Garfield
| Sumner Seward Chase and COnkling