The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-16


without being lavish are in excellent taste.
Il IS quadraagular In form, Hts length
from easr To- west being 2Ss feet. and rs
breadth. from north to south. being ls22
about 1900 square feet and with the ex-
ccptsoa Of the gaIerp supports, this7frl-
lnense space has not pillar. or column,
IS really remarkable In that respect. The
only supports that are TO be sean are
about dozen transverse beams close to
besides square-hewn timber columns,
rather wide apart and not massive, which
rest upon the galleries and aid in slls-
verse beams are covered with muslin
and are partly concealed by bunting,
and the upright columns are also draped
The platform for the presiding officer
secretaries and press reporters occupies
the centre of the north side of the
square and is elevated some five feet
above the floor level In front of this
platform and extending back to the south
side of the square is the space assigned
Der of about a thousand. face the pre-
siding officers chair. and are securely
nailed to the floor. Flanis!ng this space
to the east and to the west are fixed the
chairs for the alternates, facing not the
platform but the position of the dele
gates. Back of the platform tiers Of
chairs separated into compartments for
facility of entrance or exit, form the
"
sides of the square the galleries occupy
the entire space.
They appear to be rather steep-pitched,
but space has been gained by the increased
slope. so that those four galleries can seat
nearly 1900 persons. To be accurate, the
whole number Of chairs placed in the hall
for delegates. alternates, press CORE
spcndeDts and spectators amounts to 800.
The platform for the pres tdent, secre-
taries and distinguished visitors extends
out good space from the lane of the
VI ,.fca tNnhs sr1 -
The framework which elevates it from
the floor is covered with dark red cloth,
over which national flags upon brass
javelined' slaves cross Or are turned
gracefully
On the front of the gallery which rises
behind the Presidents table the sad fate
Of the first Republican President of the
United States looks out from the sur
rounding folds of the flag he loved 50
well, the photograph being held in the
talons Of small brass eagle. Right
above this picture is one of the first
Presidents of the United States. seeming
to overlook the whole scene in magnifi-
cent seniority. brass eagle, of larger
SIZE than the one that does service for
Lincoln, stretches his wings over Wash
ington and all around and about the ma
tional flag is draped aud festooned
Immediately to the right of Lincoln is
a small photograph of General Grant. and
TO the left a similar sized one of General
sherman. All the pictures of these three
times are open to criticism of being
thoroughly mean and commonplace. A
very inferior painting Of General Sheri-
dan. framed Qike Lincoln) in the. folds Of
the National flag, occupies similar place
In the centre of the roof of the west gal
lery, one Of Farragus in the east and
didate for the Presidency, in the south.
In the centre of the hall midway be-
tween north and south. hangs the blue
banner with the cost-of-arms of tie
United STATES. ATTACHED or annexed to
this banner and perhaps intended as a
forecast of che future, was a small flag
with one star and three stripes. repre-
senting the standard Of free Cuba. Over
the banner hangs a fve-pointed star
showing the national colors, intended
probably, to typtfy heavenly protection to
the nation Lengthwise. crosswise and
diagonally, large arc lights are suspend
ed-sixty altogether-and to add to the
picturesqueness of the illumination strings
of large and varigated Japanese lanterns
are provided. A row of these each hav-
ing one large letter, stretches from east
to west of the hall and the letters spell
out Republican Convention.'