Evening star., 1901-09-11
EVERYTHING IN READINESS
ROOM IN WHICH THE sCHLEY COyRT
Is TO he HELD.
Arrangements for the Members ana
COunsel-Facflftfes for News
paper Correspondents.

The room In hch the Schley court of in
quiry Is to be held In the navy yard Is in
complete readiness for beginning business.
The court Will assemble tomorrow The
room fitted up for this purpose Is on the
second floor OF the gunners' workshop, To-
Gated to the southwest and about 500 feet
from the entrance to the yard. 1t Is en-
tered through the shop below. which is
now strewn with tools and other equip
ment, the shop being very recently con-
structed, and it's fitting up is not yet COM
pleted. Two staircases and a freight eie-
vator provide access to the upper hall. The
elevator was built to carry extremely heavy
weights, and 1t moves at a snail's pace. 1t
has been provided with side railings and
benches to make 1t serviceable temporarily
for the carriage of passengers.
An Ample Court Room.
The upper floor Of the workshop has
floor space of about 60 by 200 feet, this
having been partitioned off so that an
ample court room Of about 60 by 80 feet
has been secured, with other commodious
rooms at each end of the building. The
court itself has a space within a railing
sufficiently large to accommodate members
Of the court, Admiral Schley and counsel.
stenographer and two or three others
whose presence will be necessary. Imme-
diately back Of the court room are two
large private rooms, one for the court, pro-
vided with a fireproof safe and neces-
sary furniture for holding sessions in
cret, and the other for Admiral Schley and
his counsel. The court room itself is very
simply furnished. The partitions and walls
of the room have all been given coat Of
white paint. Indeed everything about the
building Is freshly painted. and there is an
air Of scrupulous cleanliness everywhere
Back Of the portion of the big room par
titioned off for the court and over the door
and Admiral Schley couple of new Amer
lean flags are draped, being caught up
with large representation Of an American
eagle, with outstretched wings, all freshly
is a tall grandfather's clock, which has
been in the navy yard for a great many
years.
Desks for Newspaper Men.
Outside the railing encircling the court
are the continuous desks for newspaper
correspondents. There are sufficient seats
at these desks to accommodate sixty-one
correspondents, every seat being numbered
and assigned to newspapers that are to be
represented at the inquiry. The portion OF
the rooms occupied by the desks OF the
correspondents is also rallied on. and be-
yond its ratings are placed seats for about
400 spectators, who are to be admitted by
card The floor Of the room Is bare except
within the portion rallied off for the court
itself. where two big Smyrna rugs are
placed One staircase will be reserved for
the court and those connected with 1t and
the correspondents, and another for spec
tators generally. Back of the audience
chamber additional rooms have been parti-
toned of for the use of correspondents and
telegraph companies. Many cities OF 25.OpO
or $4,000 inhabitants have no larger main
telegraph operating room or more complete
facilities than are provided for the work
to be done during the Schley inquiry. In
addition to the most ample telegraph ia
cilities there will be two long-dfstance tele-
phones for general use. In every way
the facilities provided are 80 ample that 1t
does not seem possible that at any time
there will be any unnecessary difficulty In
the prompt and satisfactory handling OF
reports Of the inquiry for all papers
throughout the country. The large size OF
the room and Its very high pitched roof
threaten to make hearing difficult except
for those who are rather close to the wit
nesses.
The court will convene at O'Clock to-
morrow, when the afternoon viii probably
be taken up in preliminary work