New-York tribune., 1896-08-28

be admitted without fear ~ personal injury,
Before the doors were opened there a great
crowd gathered about the Fifty-seventh-st on
trance but there was no undue desire expressed
by anybody to get in first II crowd ~
reasonable. thinking human beings who con-
sidered pei s0nal comfort better than fatal
haste. The night. too. all that could be
desired for IT was cool and inviting out of doors
ana not oppressvely warm within.
THE DECORATIONS
once inside the hall. a most brilliant and IN
viting disclosed The stage was the
first object Of general attention. ever the
speakers desk ran a SUSPENDED sign containing
the names Mckinley aud Hobart in raised
gold lettering. and the Inscription as drapcd
with flags At the extreme back Of the stage
against the wall were two pictures. one Of the
Presidential candidate and the other Of the Vice
Presidential Both were framed in flags. and be-
tween them was the Niiion's shield. seals q
the States were hung Mt intervals around the
circling depth OF the stage. and that OF KentucTy
held the central place between the portraits Of
the two candidates. Around the rim Of the first
tier OF boxes there ran a rever-ending festoon ~
hags draped in pairs. ani ~ the junction Of tns
curNing lines there We're suspended the seas Il
the States TO the number OF sixteen. The sec
ond tier was hid behind flags. which stretched
along in unbroken line, and the bal
cony and gallery rails we're similarly decorated,
except that around the rail Of the gallery four
shields OF States were suspended. ON the stage
me observer might have thought preparations
wefx making for one Of the oratoro con-
certsS4pr which the hall will remain memo
Iabe,& the seats were in place. ris-
~ Rsove tier in true chorus fashion.
ON thes3 eats were ranged guests II the even
81
ing FOR seat upon the stage. and the seats
were crI fded The stairs OF the entrance were
block5eRbefore Mr.. Depew began to speak. and
AtyHAS with difficulty that the ushers detailed
for the purpose kept inquistive listeners from
occupying the very front Of the stage itself IL
any criticism We're forthcoming it might he
apty applied To single feature. namely. the
location Of the eth Regiment Band in the very
centre Of the front oi the stage. which space
shout hays hesa giyea-2yer in its entirety 10
thSa = 1ntfnb9S"s FNS Press. Who not there
he amNsed. but on business in which the public
are phally Interested The representatives. of
theNewspapers were crowded in scant quarters
at eaSh side Of the centre OF the stage. But the
band feature not to be ignored. Under
the ead4khip Of Bandmaster Walter Rogers. It
kept the Nh<ors from thinking too seriously
of las ae.Ay Muending the appearance of the
speakers u $ns7evening Not that the latter
were late in arriving. on the contrary. they
were seated in their places long before the an
nounced hour for commencement
SINGING "AMERlCA"
Just about the time the relations between au'
ditors who were late and diminishing seats were
Incoming decidedly strained the Dand STRUCK UP
that one hvmn with the words anu music VI
which Americans as familiar as they are
with the long metre Doxoogy-"America In
.,o,tlv voices began TO join in with the music.
The chorus begun in the forward rows. grad
uallv rolled upward TO the ceiling. The vocal
ists took their cue by platoons and by regi-
m,nts. IL appeared and the sound grew into one
vast volume Of sorority until before the first
verse bad been ended the place was filed TO.
ovcrfowng with the warm. rich harmony II
the inspiring old hymn Then popular airs fol-
low ed In swift succession until an opening Was