Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-18

head of the Allison movement, and
Senator Tom Carter, who Is for the
republican party in general These men
have Just held several secret sessions,
and they have materially changed a
number of things which had been con-
sidered settled. They have altered the
architectural plans Of. the hall, and the
plans already published in the newspapers
have been odified to make them better
suited to the purposes of the convention.
The sketch sent with this letter shows the
convention building as 1t will be actually
when completed. The ground has been
broken, the foundations are laid, and
large gang of laborers are now busy put
ting it up. 1 went out to look at the work
this mornir g. The building is not far from
Union depot and within five minutes ride
of the leading hotels. 1t is just next to the
new city hall and Is accessible on two
sides by street car lines, which connect 1t
with every part of the city. When / visited
1t hundreds of laborerS were at work. a
steam saw mill was merriiy screeching as
1t cut the lumber which Is soon to resound
with the clapping Of tens of thousands of
enthusiastic hands. A hundred hammers
were pounding nails and hundred odd
carpenters were cutting and fitting the great
timbers into place. The work goes on rap
idly. It must go very rapidly in order that
the hall be finished in time. 1t will be COM
ished it will look as solid as though it had
consumed q year in building. It Is, YOU
know, to be covered with staff, the same
material as that which formed the outside
or the worlds fair structures at Chicago.
This material will be nailed on to the wood
work in square blocks, making the conyen-
ton hall look like marble, save that its
outside steps will be of wood.
The Convention Hall.
The expense Of the building will, you
know, be paid by st. Louis It will cost
$4,000. The architects contract is for
s82 500. but at least $500 more will be re-
quired to finish up the interior, Notwith-
standing this, the building will have a life
of only six months. 1t is being erected on
land devoted to the new city hall, and the
contract provides that every bit of 1t shall
be removed by October 1.
Let us stop moment and take a look at
this $4,000 sacrifice on the altar Of party
politics. First, its surroundings 1t will be
a palace rising out Of a lot Of two
story, shabby buildings of brick and frame
It will have as its architectural brother
the magnificent new city hall, of granite
and terra Gotta brick, which has cost more
than one million dollars. and which Is one
Of the finest Of the public buildings of the
United States. The city hall and the con-
venticn building occupy one large square,
containing, l judge, about four acres of
ground. The elevation is about six feet
above the street. and there is quite a
between them and the sidewalk The
shabby houses 1 spoke Of are on the oppo-
site side of the streets surrounding the
city hall block. They look like second
class lodging houses. At one corner there
is saloon, and just opposite the main side
of the convention hall there is a vacant lot,
fenced by ragged bill board plastered
over with pictorial advertisements of
rolled" oats, plug tobacco and special
brands of whisky.
The building will cover more than an
acre of ground.
Do you know how big an acre is?
Many city blocks are not so large. Well,
the convention building will cover consid-
erably more than ali acre and 1t will look
like great four-story marble building
with an extra story or canopy rising from
it's top in the shape of ridge roof This
canopy will be made Of plates of glass set
in frames. 1t will be nearly half an acre
in area and will cover the space in the CEN
ter Of the conyen ton hall, which has been
assigned to the delegates and the alter
mates. 1t will be so made that the glass
can be raised, giving the hall perfect light
and as thorough ventilation almost as
though it was ~oofed by the sky In addi-
ton to this, there will be series of ven
tilatfng fans, which will keep the air with
in the hall in constant motion. The sides
Of the hall will have many windows and
there will be more than one hundred exits
and entrances. 1t is estimated that the
hall could bs emptied within five minutes
If a panic should occur
In going over the plans with one Of the
architects, I asked as to the strength of
the structure. He told me there was no
danger whatever of its not being able to
hold the people and to stand any kind of a
strain. 1T is said he, six times as strong
as 1t need be and every thing will be built
IN the most substantial manner. 1t will be
entirely of wood, but brigade of firemen
will be constantly on hand with their en-
gines steaming, and the least sign of fire
Will be detected by the watchmen."
The Seating Capacity.
The hall will seat 1901 persons. It will
have, 1t is said. the largest seating capacity