Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-21
FORTY THOUSAND IN TENTS.
Washington's Arrangements to Care for the
Christian B%ndeavorers.
GREATEST CONVENTION OF THE YEAR
Five Churches nnd Central Hall Pro-
vided for the observation-disclosures
Houses of worship Open TO
the Delegates.

A combined seating capacity OF 10000
will be available at any given moment dur
ing the Christian Endeavor convention
which. it is expected, will draw to the ma
tional capital, in a little over two weeks
scores Of thousands of visitors and dele.
gates. 1t has not been the effort of the
local committee Of arrangements to provide
as many seats ct the meeting places as there
are delegates expected in attendance, says
the Washington Star; II it had been one-hali
as many more accommodations would be re-
quired, as far as present estimates can
determine the number that will attend the
conventions. But the committee has eX-
erted itself to provide seatings for a major
ity of the estimated throngs, and as there
will be some 300 separate and distinct con
vention meetings during the six days IN
which sessions will be held, it is very I'M
probable that any one will be unable 10
gain admission to one or two or even seNeIai
of them If the proper effort is made,
But 40 600 sitcings available at the same
moment is an enormous number. Inc llhe
was never before seen In this city, ana SCI
dom, If ever, on this continent. vi prime
Importance and interest. therefore, are the
arrangements for the meetings OF inns
convention-the fifteenth annual gathering
of Christian Endeavorers. AS the NUMBER
of delegates is expected to be larger Ihah
ever. and more accommodations are 10 DC
provided. so also will be the meeting places
be increased over the number heretofore
arranged for. When the conventions were
first held one large church was capapie ol
seating all the delegates VINO appleu lor
admission: with succeeding years larger
| auditoriums were required and large public
halls were selected for the meetings.; re-
Gently. temporary shelter in the FORM OF
huge tents has had to be provided to accom-
modate the enthusiastic EndeaVorcrs' IN
Washington this year it has been found
necessary to combine all three forms of
meeting places, and three mammoth tents
one large hall and five of the most capacloGS
churches will be utilized for holding con
vention sessions. These Will constitute the
principal auditoriums, but at certain times
twenty or more of the local churches VIII
be opened for meetings.
Primarily important as meeting places VIII
be the three tents, named, respeCtlNely,
"Tent Williston,' Tent EndeaVor' anu
.'Tent Washington" The two first named
were dedicated at last years convention
in Boston; that which has been named IN
honor of the capital city of what mlSht
be called "Endeavorland'-for the uhiteu
States is the natal country OF the orsahiZd-
ton, and here 1t has its greatest strength
has been provided especially for this con
%vention, and will be used for the hrst time
here. Tent Williston is named after the
church in Portland, Me, where the irst
Christian Endeavor society was formed "
little more than fifteen years ago.
Each of these mammoth stretches OF can
vas will hold about 10000 people. Approx
imately. 5000 persons can be mmou
in the settees for the audience, whlle on
the great platforms provision VIII De ma"e
for over 800 more. In the accompanying
ground plan the arrangement of seats IN
the tents is clearly shown. Broad alsleS
divide the auditorium into sections, ana the
seats, except in the middle section, VIII De
placed obliluely TO the platform, economic
ing space and securing an arrangement
most convenient for those who are to see
and hear. Against the extreme ENDS OF
the platform the benches will be set at
right angles to it, forming sort of amen
corners" Numerous exits will be provided,
so that it will be possible to fill and empty
the tents in a brief space of time and with
a minimum OF discomfort.
The seats for the audience will be all on
a level; the platform seats Will be raised
tier on tier, in semi-circular form, nearly
to the roof of the tents. The platforms alone
will hold more persons that most OF the
churches of the city. The main section VIII
be reserved for the chorus, and the two
thanking sections Tor ministers and those
holding platform seats. Five Of six hundred
seats on the platforms in each of the three
tents will be specially reserved for pastors
and the speakers at the convention. ricketts,
for these seats are even HOW being issued
at general headq ll!ters in Boston. In the
IOlt Anu III JIG ~ ~ ~ 49,
twenty-five or thi".y chairs, iCr the use
of the presiding cficerS, chorus leaders,
musicians and speakers, and at the front
edge of the platform a rostrum Is to be
built. from which The addresses VIII be de-
livered. Directly beneath viii lie the tables
for the press representatives.
The ideal convention meeting place, where
the three tents are to be pitched, Is the
White Lot, in the heart of the city, free
from the roar and hustle of everyday traific,
opnrnochoh1a from all directions and close
to the leading car lines. The other audi
forums are also easily accessible from all
parts of Washington and easily reached from
the tents themselves. Half way down the
famous stretch of Pennsylvania avenue, be-
tween the treasury and the capitol-the
scene of the most magnificent military
psaeants this continent has witnessed-ls
situated the Center market, over one wing
OF which is Central hall, the largest OF the
auxiliary meeting places provided for con
yention sessions. This auditorium will seat
about 1000 persons, and is one OF the most
attractive and commodious halls in the
city. 1t was dedicated for public use by
the Christian Endeayorers OF the dlstrlct
last January. on the occasion of their fourth
annual convention, and many important
sessions of the international gathering Will
be held there.
The five churches which have been chosen
for meeting places, in addition to the tents
and the hall, are all of them large ones,
OF historic interest, and situated especially
convenient to one another and to the White
Lot, where the tents will be. Those from
outside the city, who have inspected the
many advantages of situation and con
venionce apparent in the arrangements in
yariably have manifested the greatest en-
thusiasm, and the close proximity of these
five churches has been frequently the sub
iect of most favorable Comment
One square east of the treasury-at the
south end Of which the tents are to be
stretched-is the Foundry Methodist Epis-
copal church, one of the meeting places,
right In the heart of the hotel dis
trict. 1t is one of the three of the churches
which are or have been known as
'presidents' churches" President Hayes
there during his residence in the
white house. 1t is the only one of the five,
however, which is not the home of a Chris
tan Endeavor society. However the mem
,ers OF that kindred young peoples organiza-
tion-the Epworth league-very generously
offered the church to the committee of 1896
for convention purposes, and the proffer
was cordially accepted.
Two squares north and east of the Foun-
Irv church is the New York Avenue Presby-
-erian church, another OF the meeting places.
This also has been the church home OF some
the nations chief executives, as Presi-
Buchanan, Lincoln and johnson at
ended services there. 1t has the largest
l- - s4. anA na tnn |