The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-29
WENT TO SEE.
Topeka City Council Hunting
For Practical Ideas.
Kansas City Convention Hall Is
Inspected.
BUILDING EXAMINED.
COuncilmen Take Mental Notes
of Its Arrangement.
Things Learned on the Trip
Which May Prove a Help.

The Topeka city council chaperoned
by Mayor Drew and City Attorney
Bird visited Kansas City, Wednesday.
at their own expense, in search of ideas
for Topeka's new city hall and auditor
ium. They found them.
The party was composed of Mayor
Drew, City Attorney Bird and Council
men ]. w. Blossom, A. P. Benson, Jno.
Elliott, w. S CLANCY, James Burgess,
James Warner. Fred Roundtree and
Gen. ]. w. F. Hughes
The city council is determined to give
Topeka such an auditorium as will fill
the demand for a hall large enough to
accommodate large gatherings but af-
ter taking a look at the Kansas City
convention hall the gentlemen conclud-
ed that it would be out of the question
to think of building a hall similar to
that and it was also the determination
to have one which is not so hideOusly
ugly.
The Kansas City convention hall will
seat Il, 900 people and the manager says
that 1000 more can be taken care of
without crowding. There are two gal
Ier1eS and the pit floor is level The
floor may be taken up for horse shows.
There is what is called a roof garden
where people may look directly down on
the heads of those in the pit.
The building is 314 feet long and 1913
feet wide and the various stories about
the cost have a latitude ranging be
tween $160,000 and $250,00 1t would
probably be not far wrong to say that
the building in it's present shape cost
$210,000. Topeka has only $1O5,00O al
together and out of that a site must
be purchased and provision made for
city offices and fire department. 1t is
apparent from these figures that To-
peka will be compelled to work along
different lines from those suggested by
a glimpse of the Kansas City conven-
tiOn hall. The Kansas City building
was erected with the proceeds of pri-
vate subscriptions and it is controlled
by a board of directors. The Topeka
hail will be the property of the city and
will be properly a city hail.
Nevertheless the Topeka men found
something to think about in Kansas
City They were especially impressed
with the wonderful acoustic properties
of convention hall Back of the stage
is a mammoth shell-like structure
which serves as a sounding board. 1t
is covered with incandescent lights
which in the night make a beautiful
sight.
Lets test this thing" said General
Hughes as he stood with the Topeka
party near the entrance.
'All right" said Councilman Warner.
You go up on the platform and make
one Of your high falutin speeches and
we will see if we can hear"
General Hughes is courageous and he
walked to the stage while his colleagues
stood nearly 300 feet away He first
the sound was distinctly heard by the
other members of the party. Then he
let a penny fall and that could also be
neard without difficulty.
General Hughes than began one of his
orators and the sound waves f1oated
cut over the arena in regular and un-
arms and discussed the greatness of
Kansas until the man who was at work
in the middle of the arena on a 24-foot
ring for the exhibition of Champion
,J6ffrieS nd
gazed at the speaker in open mouthed
astOnishment wondering whether he
was one of the Democratic orators in the
coming national convention which Kan
sas City hopes to capture.
The test was so satisfactory that
Mayor Drew said that Topeka would be
perfectly satisfied if the proposed audi
torium furnishes as good facilities for
speaking.
One thing that met the approval of the
Topeka delegation was the fact that
there are no stairwayS in convention
hall. Even the highest gallery is not
reached by a stairway. The inclined
plane is used and this led Councilman
Chaney to remark that the person who
dio not care to take the trouble to walk
out might initiate the small boy who
sides down the cellar door.
Councilman Blossom advised Mr.
Chaney to give practical demonstra-
tion for the benefit of the party but he
declined.
The use of the inclined plane instead
emptying of the building and it is the
boast of the people of Kansas City that
the big hall can be emptied as quickly
as the smallest theaters
After the inspection had been COM
pleteu Councilman Hughes marshalled
the forces before him to discuss the citv
hall question.
Now what do you think of it, asked
the spokesman.
It's too big" said Councilman War
ner. a
II don't like it, said Mayor Drew. "I
think that it is as poorly arranged as
any hall I ever saw
we can not build a hall like that"
StIu councilman Roundtree. 1--WE
haven't money enough"
There are things about the ba11
which are worthy of notice. said Coun-
Gilman CLANCY. The acoustics seem to
be perfect
1t is that big shell that makes that
sad Councilman Burgess
would like to see those big iron
glrders covered some way" said Coun-
Gilman Warner.
There is too much waste space" said
Councilman Benson
City Attorney bird listened to the COL
doquy without word It continued
Tor several minutes and the visitors con-
cluded that they had seen enough One
or TWO OF the members suggested that
the big hall should be studied bv lamn
light meanwhile casting sidelong glances
at the platform which had been erected
for the prize fighters to use in the even
ing
Several of the members of the partv
did study the big hall by lamp light
and they should be forgiven for Incl
dentaly Slancing at the 24-foot ring in
which the champion of the world" ex-
h