The Portland daily press., 1895-11-20

| l.
The Coliseum Suggested as the Place
with Characteristic Energy the
Windy City is Hustling for 1t.
q Chicago, November 19-The Republic
can National convention, if it comes to
this city as it is now predicted, will be
held in the largest auditorium in the
United States, the Chicago Coliseum,
which will be completed by the Worlds
Fair Exposition company in the early
part of April.
II think it is the largest public hall in
the world" said S. S. Beeman, architect
for the Coliseum company. yesterday
afternoon. Perhaps" he added, "that
Prince Albert hall Of London may be a
trifle larger, but do not think so. The
Coliseum is twice as large as the Madison
Square Garden of New York city and will
seat comfortably 10000 people; at least
$4,000 people can be crowded into the
hall. The building is 726 feet long by 300
feet wide and the center of the dome is 65
feet from the floor.
"The acoustic properties of the hall
will be excellent. In a building of this
size, the accommodation of the construc-
tion to the transmission of sound waves
is matter of great Importance. The
delegates can all be seated in the section
Immediately in front of the platform.
This section. or parquette suppose we
might call it, is separated from the other
sections by wide aisle which will OBJ
viate the confusion usually attendant up
on su ch conventions due to the crowd
rushing into the seats occupied by dele
ates who may be temporarily absent.
sOf course. the Coliseum follows the
amphitheatre plan. The delegates seats,
however, will be only slightly raised.
The seat farthest from the platform is
Just twenty three feet from the floor.
"The Coliseum is located on the site
occupied by Buffalo Bill's Wild West
show during the fair. Its main entrance
is only about fifty feet from the Illinois
Central railway, the street railway, alley
L. and the South Chicago and Calumet
electric line"
"Do you think the Coliseum will be
absolutely secure under the weight OF SO
many peOple?' was asked
II have not the slightest doubt about
it, +" was the prompt reply. ''rhe build
ing is certainly safe, and you will find
that all the people you can get into 1t
will not effect its bearings any more than
so many flies. The collapse, a short time
ago, WAS due to overhaste on the part of
the workmen or sub contractors, who
were following up the iron work too
closely. The crash was due to an
immense amount of lumber that was
piled upon the trusses in the evening for
the next days work. ="
"How many men are now engaged in
the construction woIk?"
"Fully one hundred and fifty, and al
though there is good deal of activity
down there, the work will be done well,
and will be finished in the early part of
April
Flanking the delegates section in the
Coliseum are two sections which may be
used for special guests. The acoommoda-
tions for press and telegraphic service are
excellent. The telegraphic quarters will
lie under the platform. Spacious rooms
in the rear of the platform can be used
for committee rooms. Promenade halls
on three sides of the smphitheatre will
aid materially in managing the crowd.
J. Irving Pearce is all aglow with en-
thusiasm over the Republican conyen-
tion. and when he receives word from
Chairman CaEU6T VI U1i6 NdCAOudt ltcPuu-
lican committee, he will proceed at once
to apportion the expense among the
aoencies and business concerns to which
the convention will bring the greatest
financial profit.
tiIt is impossible to do much of any
thing lust now," said Mr. Pearce yester-
day. Fas a premature assessment might
cai1se a great deal of confusion and extra
work. We are all out for the convention,
and personally want to see the Demo-
cratic convention here, too. We are all
agreed that the Coliseum is the place to
hold it; the wigwam business is played
ont. We have canvassed the hotels, supply
houses. Jewellers and transit and railway
companies, and they are all anxious for
the convention. Private individuals men
who have retired from business, but who
still count themselves part of Chicago's
business activity, are also interested and
their name is legion.
ssIn the newspaper business Chicago is
the best distributing point in the country
for telegraphic news. AS a matter Of fact
| if the convention were held on the Pacific
coast, it would be almost physical i'm
possibility for the telegraph offices to
| handle anywhere near the amount of
matter offered them, and it would impose
| a frightful tax upon the newspapers east
| of the Rocky mountains for services and
tolls; furthermore, it would cost great
many thousands OF dollars to delegates to
get there and back, and a great many
| thousand of dollars more to the news
papers and telegraph offices to furnish
| the news -