Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-11
THE CONVENTION HALL.

doors. But while beauty has not been
given much consideration. the comfort
and convenience of those who will oc-
cupy the building have been taken
we'll into consideration. In fact, il
will be one of the most convenient con
vention halls ever erected.
1t will have first class ventilation
and ample provision for entrance and
exit; the seats will be arranged with
special view to comfort, and the hall
viii be well lighted both day and
night.
The location is one of the best that
could have been selected. Situated on
the north side of Park avenue and
occupying the entire block from
Twelfth to Thirteenth street. it is
easy of access from all parts of the
city, particularly so from the hotels,
Where the delegates and strangers will
h. housed While in the city. Less
than ten minutes will be required to
go by electric cars to every n of the
large hotels and most of the small
ones, and it is BIT. five minutes walk
from the Union station.
In this connection it is curious to
note that. should the great hall be
destroyed, the accident could be
ciassed as only another bit of Nc
Kinley's luck. The only other hall in
st. Louis that could possibly be used
in such emergency is the Grand Music
hall. in the Exposition building. 1t
will be remembered that this is the
place where it was originally intended
to hold the convention.
GO p,a,, -. ( ,-o la.;l-1 s. I-:Jl -
auditorium. McKinley's agents swooped
down upon the city n leased the en-
tire Exposition building, to be used as
headquarters for their candidates. II
the auditorium should burn or from
any accident become useless for con-
vention purposes, the great gathering
would have to accept the hospitality
of Mckinley.
The ground about the hall will be
beautiful and within the hall the
decorations are to be of a character
that will please the eye with their
harmony and not offend the taste by
gaudiness or vivid c%oloring. A plenti-
full supply of bunting will conceal all
the rough places and ugly defects of
the structure. Very little paint of any
kind is to be used.
The seating arrangements. the plans
for getting out and into the hall. and
the location of the various component
parts of h great convention have
been old often, but one new feature
that it is proposed to introduce has
just been brought to the surface.
A proposition is under consideration
from the Bell Telephone company
completely to equip the structure
with telephones. Within the building
it is proposed to onnect every delega-
ton in the hall with every other dele
cation. with the presiding officer, with
the press stand. and with the telegraph
ofilce. With the system as pro-
posed. the chairman of the
Alabama delegation, desiring to COM
municate OF confer with the New
York delegation, has but to press a
button. which will light a lamp i'm
mediately in front of the New York
delegation, the lamps serving the pur-
pose of signal bells. This is intended
to obviate the necessity of tramping
about the hall when conferences are
desirable.
In the same way the presiding
officers attention car be secured and a
messenger can be called from a tele
graph office or the representative of a
particular newspaper can be called to
any delegation by the simple pressing
OF a button. This proposition is now
under consideration. Whether ac-