The news boy., 1896-05-30
TilE 6lo HALL READY

10 Reeo1ve II pec0rAtlone 3or ire ~
Louis Conventicn--It h the Most Con1t
I've Gar Loads Of the Finest Material
VIII Bs 0sed IN Aderning the Interior-
Precsatisas Aeainst fifes
81. kours, May sa-The big SohSefls
tion hall Is practically complete. Only
the finishing touches remain to be
added to the great auditorium in which
the republican party in convention as.
sembled will name It's candidates foi
president and viee-president Of the
United States. f'he contractor will
tprh 1t over to the local committee oi
tie Business Mems league ON June I.
Bysthat Committee II will be formally
turned over tothe Republican national
COMMITTED, or subcommittee repre-
5eftinE that body, on the day before
the convention opens.
1t is believed to be the most eon3
plete convention building ever erected.
Il will have an actual seating capacity
Of t3, 500 people, besides the chairman
and other officers of che convention.
The most interesting part OF the whols
thing is the way in which the audi;
torium will be decorated, which will
be on the most elaborate and costly
scale that has ever been seen in this
| city
1t viii require two ear loads OF
flags; bunting, fringes, pictures. etc,
to cover the interior walls OF the build;
ing. The material will be Of the finest
quality. There will be none OF the
gaudy; cheap material SO commonly
used. The entire paraphernalis is
composed of the finest silks, pltfslf,
gold bullion fringe, hand-painted
scrolls on silk for the ornamentation
of the speakers stand, and national
flags of every description, done
tn the fnest elaborate style. AL
the flags IN use id the army
and navy will be Brought iiitt
play, and every kind of bannef
authorized by congress, from the
presidents flag, which must be saluted
by American ships wherever unfurled
and by foreign vessels as an act o.
courtesy, down to Old Glory in his
everyday bunting clothes of Stripes
and Stars.
The estimated value of all the dec
orative material requited In carrying
out the contract is between SIS, 900 ant
$50, 900, and if it were bought outright
in the market it is proba able that these
figures would be doubled. 1t is mo-
likely that the entire assortment could
be duplicated on short notice, as many
of the flags that will be displayed are
not in common use, and not few OF
them will be seen here for the frs
time when the convention hall is dedi'
Gated.
In all IL, 900 yards of bunting will bt
used in trimming the hall and cover
ing the bare spaces. 1t will take $500
yards for the cross beams, 1,400 yard
in the top of building, and 1000 yard
between the windows. Not squar,
inch of bare wood will be allowed t.
show. The speakers stand will b
fairly buried under silk flags and ban
ners of crimson plush and hand-painte'
white satin banners. From the roof
4s flags will fly from as many flag
staffs, and the entrances will almos
be hidden from view under buntin!
and flags.
The building is well protected fror
fire. Assistant Chief Haynes ha
opened an engine house under tn
seats in the south end Of the building
with six firemen in charge; and ther
are four boxes in the hall, from whic
! an alarm can be turned in that vii
: call out the entire department. Ther
are also 1000 feet of hose in the hal
: eight Babcock fire extinguishers, an
r chemical engine, which is statione
in the north side, under the oeat'
where it can be quickly used in css