New-York tribune., 1899-06-29
SAENGERFEST DELAYED.
FESTIVAL HALL IN CINCINNATI IN UN-
READINESS.
no ANNOUNCEMENT OF PosTPoNEMENT BEFORE
SINGERS REACHED THB BUIIDrNG-BIG
OF GOLDEN JUBILEE.
fRY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

OF GOLDEN JUBILEE
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l
Cincinnati June &-Less than half an hour be-
fore the time set for the opening concert Of the
Golden Jubilee Sangerfest Of the North American
Sangerbund this evening the local committee de-
cided 10 postpone the affair TIL tomorrow evening
And no wonder. Upon the hills. right at the en-
trance Of the Geological Garden the festival hall Is
in process OF construction. OF course. 1t should
have been finished a fortnight ago. but when the
singers who form the local chorus arrived at the
place this evening. clad in their best bids ana
fuckers they found an amphitheatrical structure.
covering what looked like acre. without doors
floors chairs stage. but filled with wilderness
Of timbers which had once been scaffoldng.
A couple OF hundred worn and weary laborers
were dragging things about or sitting exhausted on
the debris Yet such has been the mysterious work
ngs OF the minds OF the committee that singers
and would-be listeners permitted TO make the
long tourney in the trolley cars without an enort
being made to inform them OF the fact that has
been patent to every intelligent observer Tor a
week namely. that there was not the remotest pos
slbity OF getting the building into even make
shift condition for the concert
on Tuesday evening all ir-minded and judcious
friends Of the enterprise were prepared for post
ponement but the chairman OF the committee
Bernhard Bettmann United States Revenue Col
lector for this district, persuaded the newspapers
to announce positively that the concert would take
place This morning 1t was admitted that the main
floor OF the hall could not be laid, but all day 1t
was stouty maintained that the balcony and dress
circle would be finished and the opening exercises
would proceed according 10 programme Not until
thousands OF people had gone the hall four miles
from the heart OF the city. did they learn that no
would be given. and then only by an ocular
demonstration OF It's mpossbility.
Meanwhile the city had put on gala dress and
about three thousand singers from thirty forty
cities and towns had arrived. marched through the
streets with their gay irruption Of streamers and
festoons. been entertained Horticultural Hall
and escorted with music 70 their various quarters
All these must be asked stay day longer
than was contemplated. and the expense must be
borne by the local committee. An orchestra OF 100
men. slxty-seven ~ whom from Chicago. must
be paid for extra days services. arrangements
must be made with the solo singers. OF whom
may have other engagements. 20 keep their SER
vices until Saturday night.
The disgusted visiting singers must be modified.
and a public alternately irrtated. frightened,
amused and angered for month past, must be
brought into a good and generous humor. II the
festival, which was TO be the most brilliant in the
history OF German American festivals is not TO be
the most colossal hasco on record. II is a ptlful
case. and worthy OF detailed consideration, for.
though much is chargeable to the Incompetence of
the committee. there have yet been mitigating cir
cumstances.
The management OF the festival has had more
than the usual dspensation OF the hard trials and
great tribulations which fall 70 the lot of their
kind. An ordinary sangerfest is uuwieldy thing
and an expensive one. Many time and often has
the wisdom Of a dscontinuance Of the festivals
been discussed but the German fondness for the
institutions OF the Fatherland has prevailed and
the North American sangerbund having reached
the end OF fifty years. determined upon fitting
celebration.
There were public spirited and art loving in
the community who thought that more honor
could be the institution by curtaillng some Of
the features and expanding and dignifyng others,
notably the artistic. One OF their notions
series Of concerts Of the highest class in the Music
Hail. with a picked chorus OF the best singers in
the Union. or with the mass chorus divided into
sections 10 each OF which concert should be
assigned
But this was rot to be thought OF by the up
holders Of the old sangerfest idea. The affair must
be colossal bigger In every direction than any
thing attempted heretofore And their notion pre-
vailed. A hall planned with stage room for
four thousand singers and seats for ten thousand
listeners. Similar halls but more modest in pro-
portions. had been built for previous festivals. and
TO one Of themAthat built for the meeting OF 1s7O-
Cincinnati owes the impetus which gave her her
May festivals Music Hall. great organ. Art Mu-
scum and College Of Music.
Vague ideas Of permanent use for the new hall led
the managers on TO ignore the financial lessons OF
most Of the earlier festivals The hall not
tectura comellness. The cost OF the structure was
put down at $4,000 though tho opening OF the
festival finds II incomplete and II is more than
likely that $4,000 $4,000 has already been ex-
pended upon H. This one item alone has created
the inevitable prospect OF the financial failure OF
the enterprise With audience Of ten thousand
at each Of the five concerts there would still be
deficit and such an attendance IS not to be con-
sidered as within the bounds Of probability
An unfortunate Incident added 10 the cost OF the
hall and simultaneously lessened the prospective
receipts Some weeks ago there a sagging Of
some Of the roof timbers and fall OF false work.
Fear that the building would he unsafe threatened
m grow into CONSERVATION, and in the hope OF
checking a conviction that would have been fatal
II permitted TO spread a commission Of wel-known
civil engineers and builders was appointed 10 ex-
anime and supervise the construction. The plans
had 10 be changed and much OF the work done
over.
Then came troubles with the labor unions, which
created grave delays Now for two weeks the
builders have worked night and day with an energy
Of desperation. Anybody who could push saw
WELD hammer or carry board was hired. Ward
BALDWIN professor OF civil engineering at the Uni
versity Of Cincinnati. who. with G Bouscaren
engineer Of the Water Works Commission had
undertaken 70 reconstruct the engineering plans
with a view TO render the building safe beyond
peradventure also took an active hand In the work
of construction and enlisted his students at the
university The work has been going on without
minutes suspension for weeks. but the time lost
because Of the original blunder and In the hcker-
fngs OF the labor unions could not be
repaired and nov, TO add TO the as
oo,,raeerant the financial deficit. which was
always in prospect. began to grow alarmingly. The
plans being changed, all estimates and contracts
went TO the winds Cost could no longer be con-
sjdered The Music Hall had 10 be hired Tor the
rehearsals which were 10 have been held in the
festival hall and it Is safe to say that the expenses
~ the meeting will be over $4,000 in excess OF the
original estimates, and I think from a quarter
centurys experience with musical festivals that
deficit Of so 900 Is a conservative estimate. Then
the confidence OF the people in the safety of the
building has not fully restored. and there are
M Indications OF the enthusiastic interest the
part Of the public which alone could produce