The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-08
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Il G. O. P. CONVENTION. :
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ST. Louis Ready Greet the Republican HostsGpse the
Exterior and Interior of the Auditorium,

ST. LOUIS. June 5-Thirteen thou
sand six hundred and one persons will
have seats in the great auditorium
erected for the Republican national
convention. A few more chairs may
possibly be squeezed in. The con-
tractor and architects planned build
ing big enough to hold $4,000 chairs
and when the real push and crush be-
gin, the full number may be utilized,
but if there were 1000 chairs, 1T is
doubtful if the number would be large
enough to seat all the people in ST.
Louis on June 16, who viii be ready to
commit almost any crime in the
calendar to see the doings on the first
day of the convention.
This great white auditorium will
shelter the ghosts of many dissipated
booms before the nation is much older
The building is of wood, covered with
blocks Of white staff, which give it the
appearance of glistening marble 1t is
a handsome structure today, but it will
not be 50 pretty when numerous wood
en- stairways are erected on all sides
to afford rapid entrance and exit to
and from the galleries on the upper
floor.
The building stands on the site of the
new City hall. and must be completely
removed by October L 1t cost $4,000,
and many people would like to see it
remain 3or future use of conventions
and the like. but others who remember
the fa.e of the Chicago Worlds fair
buildings, regard 1T as a menace in
case of fire and will be happy when the
lassI of it is torn down.
There are one Numbered and more
exits and entrances and in case of
10 Sc
building could be emptied in five min
utes. In this and many other respects,
il is superior to the buildings in which
rational conventions of the past have
been held, although 1t is the largest
The Minneapolis convention hall had
but 1000 seats and there was smaller
space at each of the preceding conven-
tions.
AN IMMENSE STRUCTURE.
The auditorium has a frontage of 2sO
feet and a depth of 49, covering an
area of 1880 square feet. The space
allotted to the delegates and alter
mates covers an area of $4,000 square
feet in the centre of the auditorium.
The seats IN this immense Enclosure
are on level and not in tiers. In
nediately in front of the speakers
stand are 924 seats for the accommoda-
ton Of delegates. There are two in
NAOSuIeS IOT diUeF1dIeS, one TO the
right and the other to the left of the
delegates seats. Each of these in
closures have accommodations for 462
alternates. The entire space allotted
to the delegates and alternates is
open, with no pillars to obstruct the
view. The speakers platform occu-
pies central position on the northern
side of the hall, just in front of the
delegates, and just opposite the main
entrance
The roof Immediately above the
spaces assigned to the delegates and
afternates is really e canopy of glass.
The glass frames can be raised or
closed at will. giving the hall an abund-
ance of both light and air Should
one Of the famous hot blasts of st.
Louis hit the town at the time of the
convention the building will not be the
bake oven which some of the delegates
fear. Dozens of ventilating fans will
keep the air III the auditorium in mo-
ton, although the efforts Of some of
the cyclone orators could be counted
upon to perform that feature of the
programme.
FOR THE PUBLIC.
Around the square pit assigned to
the delegates and alternates on three
of the sides are vast tiers Of seats for
the public. The fourth side will be
apportioned among specially invited
guests and the public On either side
of the speakers platform will be the
tables for the newspaper reporters
Each press table has been fitted with a
pneumatic tube connecting with the
telegraph offices located under the
tiers of seats at the back of the speak
er's platform. While more than a.
thousand newspaper men will attend
the convention, it is not expected that
~
the auditorium. Two hundred wires
or more VIII run out of the building
and there viii be operators enough to
keep them red hot with news all the
time
A gallery forty feet wide, which runs
around the four sides of the building.
extending back up to the roof has
chairs for 5000 of the public. Of the
5000 chairs downstairs the public will
have the use of about 1900 At least
10000 of the good citizens Of st. Louis
and the nearby towns expect to sit
out the convention from the beginning
TO the end. so it is quite evident that
some of them are going to be diSa p
pointed. From the outside, however,
they can at least hear the band of 40
pieces play the campaign airs. This
band is to be located on a stand in the
central part of the northern gallery.
TWO LEADING LIGHTS.
Aside from Major Mckinley the two
most conspicuous men at the conven-
ton will be the great Marcus Aurelius
Hanna and the Hon. Joseph Benson
Foraker Hanna expects to replace
Tom Carter of Montana as chairman
of the national committee, and upon
Foraker has fallen the honor of pre-
seating the name OF the Ohio states
man to the convention.
The centers of interest when the
convention is not in session will, of
course, De the headquarters of the
various candidates. There. rumors will
fly quicker than rain drops in an April
shower. and extraordinary tips
straight from the inside will circu-
late with the freedom of a green goods
mans circulars. Some of the Ohio
boomers viii have their headquarters
at the Planters, but a considerable
portion of the delegation viii sleep at
the Southern. Ohio win be well repre-
scented at the Southern. One large
room is to be used as general head
quarters for Ohio people. These rooms