The Portland daily press., 1888-06-19
Distinguished guests.
National Committee.

From this it will be seen that the spit" OF
the auditorium, occuying space of about
eighty by ninety-hue feet, will be given over
to the delegates. The floor of this is on the
level, and within the space will $50 chairs.
On all sides OF this space the galleries for the
spectators rise, and these are so arranged
that man sitting In the farthest corner of
one of them will not be more than one hun
dred feet from the delegates. In conse-
quence 1t VIII be an easy matter to hear all
that is said from any part of the hall
The entire hall will hold about 5000 peo-
pie, and it will be furnished throughout with
opera chairs. There will be 1908 of them, and
In addition to the seating capacity there will
be standing room for about 1,4O0 people.
Just back OF the delegates seats are those
OF the alternates on lower platform, and
back OF those are the spectators seats. In
front of the delegates they will face to the
east are the reporters seats and the presid-
ing officers desk, The reporters will be
seated on a platform elevated two feet above
the, main floor. Here there will be tables
ditlon to this there will be several hundred
seats for the descriptive writers, whose busi-
ness 1t is to touch on the scenes of the Con-
vention while others attend to the detailed
reports.
The presiding officers desk and chair win
be on diaf just in the center Of the plat
form assigned to. the reporters. Behind the
this is another platform for the accommoda-
tion of the National Republican
Committee and the distinguished
guests and still further back are the stage
and stage gallery, with seating capacity Of
The dimensions of the hall are only 12Ox26O
feet, but every foot Of space IS utilized, and
the seating capacity is much greater than
would be imagined, Without crowding it
makes the audience compact and brings
every one within hearing distance, and vet
seating QQnQQifV
hundred OF what 1t was in the Exposition
Building four years ago. The galleries run
the hall.
Il Is to be lighted by electricity, and the
engines and dynamos are already in place
and virtually ready for business. In addition
to lighting the hall they will be placed in
circles around the portraits of dead Republi-
can Presidents. Lincoln, Grant and Garfield
will have places Of honor The six iron ar
been studded with lights, and the effect at
night will be brilliant. Between the arches
will be stars composed of inoandescent lights
The decorations will consist Of bunting re-
presenting the National colors for the CELL
ing and fifty flags for the side walls
While 1t will not seat as many people as
the Exposition Building in st. Louis where
the Democratic Convention was held, it has
many advantages over that, principal of
which is that every one can hear. There the
people at the further end of the hall were
completely out of ear shot, being about four
Moreover, the hall was not as convenient
nor as comfortable as this will be- There
are twelve entrances in all, giving an exit
room of 237 feet An entrance leading from
Congress street direct to the centre of the
hall viii be used exclusively for delegates
The main entrance is also on Congress Street
One on Michigan avenue will lead to the
stage and stage gallery, and one on Wabash
avenue to the west gallery. The reporters
telegraphers, &c, will enter from the Michi-
gan avenue entrance. All the sections are
reached bytunnels, which will prevent the
usual disturbance upon people entering.
When the spectator emerges from the tunnel
he will find himself at the furtherest within
fifteen feet of his seat.
The telegraph arrangements are of the
most perfect. The Postal Telegraph and
Cable Company will be located just to the
left Of the reporters, and the Associated
Press and Western Union 70 the right,
The acoustic properties OF the hall were
tested by Mr.. Adler, the architect, going to
the remotest seat in the loftiest gallery. 1S0
feet from the Chairman's stand, and talking
with the other gentlemen who remained on
the stage.
"With our voices pitched little above the
conversational t0ne," said Colonel Runnels,
I'VE could distinctly understand him and be
u.s." One OF the best things about the hall
dI6 Tic SlSHL lHcS, pun III MI. OldIkSOu.
"They are so perfect that the space for the
delegates may be seen from any seat in the
building This fact together with the splen-
did acoustic properties Of the hall, makes
the remote seats nearly as desirable as those
nearer the stage.
The acoustics may be marred somewhat by
the folds of bunting, which will tend to dead
en- the sound. The platform where the press
men are to sit and the aisles are TO be laid
with mating to reduce the clatter Of feet.
The original number Of working seats for
the newspapers was 146. These have been
increased to 30 by extending the platform
little nearer the delegates, and taking up
some of the room set apart for the National
Committeeman and distinguished guests.
Mr.. Clarkson estimates the applications
for seats now to be 100000. There have been
1900 applications made to him. He has
just fourteen tickets allotted to him as his
personal share. 1T is becoming problem"
TCONTINIIFD ON FoIrprtt pAar1