Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-01
WANT POPULAR AUDITORIUM
Oitis.ns Suggest That Exclusive Elements
Find Other Quarters
OBJECTIONS TO COMPOSITE BUILDING
Members of Committee Think II
would He n Money-Maker and
Large Enough for Ordinary
Demands.

At the meeting OF the Auditorium com
mittee with the architects OF Omaha last |
night President Sanborn OF the company |
opened the informal proceedings with
brief speech, in which he told OF obstacles |
confronting the committee and the differ
ence OF opinion regarding the character
Of the building.
He said the committee was divided on the
question. some favoring a building de-
voted distinctly to auditorium purposes,
seating 10000 to $4,000 persons. Others
desired a composite building, providing
halls and accommodations for civic and
military societies. He called for express
sions from architects on the subject
Harry Laurie said the maximum seating
capacity OF the proposed site would be De-
tween 1000 and 5000 people; that on ex-
traordinary occasions the hall would be
filled, but on ordinary occasions the building
would be half filled. National conventions
will come to Omaha but once in twenty
eight years. The largest Omaha audience
at a popular time was a trihe over 5000
An auditorium with a seating capacity OF
5000 people would be sufficient
In his opinion Omaha needs a hall TO seat
1 200 people, the hall to be equipped with
committee rooms. etc. therefore a small
hall could be occupied by an assemblasc
which would be lost in the larger room.
He believed that a large room might be
fitted in the basement for the knights OF
Ak -Sar-Ben The Commercial club could
be housed in a second floor without crowd.
ing the auditorium. The decision OF the
question OF the character of the building
must be settled by the directory OF the
company. but Mr.. Laurie favored the com
posite building as business proposition,
although IL would cost more money than
simply an auditorium.
| Mr.. sanborn suggested that as the grade
OF Fourteenth street is lower than that OF
Fifteenth street It would be possible to
put a room under the main floor on Four
| teenth street. leaving the main entrance
on Fifteenth street on the street level.
! wants Commercial Club Kept out.
John Latenser said he thought an au-
| ditorium was the only idea in the minds
OF the committee and he favored no COM
poste building. He thought the CONNER
cial club should have no place in the Au-
dtorium building. He believed that the
success OF the building depended upon the
| Commercial club staying out. because many
persons would think II exclusive. The
Knights OF Ak-Sar-Ben could be provided
for. but not in the basement. as the floor
OF the auditorium should be upon the
ground. He thought that the committee
should not compete with the theate,s, but
should make building sufficiently large to
seat 10000 people at least, so that enter
tainments could be given at popular prices
Find out TO what uses similar buildings
in other places are devoted he said, and
you will see that You will want an arena
which can be changed into lake or tank
OF water. II the large room is built and
proves undesirable Il can be cut up into
smaller rooms. but when you have a COM
posite building there can be no change. It
has cost SIS 900 TO change the Chicago
Coliseum for one series OF entertainments.
He thought the sentiment of the majority
OF people would be in favor OF the au-
dltorium and reiterated his belief that the
Commercial club should keep out. He
thought in case the whole space was thrown
open II could be made to seat 5000 people
who could hear perfectly all sounds. He
thought that the arena would have to be
abolished II the composite building were
erected.
Fred W. Clark said IL the Auditorium Is
not to be used TO bring financial returns
the pure and simple auditorium should be
built; that with a composite building many
entertainments usually held in an audi
torium could not be given. II small hall
should be desired, means OF cutting of
portion OF the main building could be
|
acoustic properties OF the auditorium.
Eighty Feet Narrow Enough.
He believed the simple auditorium would
, be more popular. In his opinion an arena
less than eighty feet would be too narrow.
Mr.. Clark was connected with the building
OF the Chicago Colisuem and gave his
, opinion based on his experience in that
J city. saying that the floor should be so
: arranged that the entire space could be
used as an arena He believed that a gal
I lery containing FIVE rows OF seats, seating
e,2Oo or 2,S10, could be suspended.
NJ. C. Peters, from the Knights OF Ak
, Sar-Ben stated that the board OF gov
4 ernors desired that the floats be built at
a or near the scene OF the limitations; that IL
would require space 66x132 feet for the
; building OF floats. He thought that the
h Commercial club should go into the build
s ing, but that the character OF the build
= ing should be decided by the stockholders
}, OF the company.
4 Mr.. Fisher thought that as far as the
v construction was concerned Il would be
= possible TO erect composite building with
= out offending the laws OF architecture and
e that the character of the auditorium should
d depend upon utility.
!. Edgar Allen favored composite build.
k ing and on behalf OF the knights OF Ak
: Sar-Ben said that the ceiling OF the room
T. for the knights must be twenty feet high
L Fred Metz. jr., agreed with Mr.. Allen
e favoring the composite building.
= Mr.. Fisher made a new suggestion TO the
o effect that eighty feet be cut off one end
IS OF the building and two-story buildnG
e be erected for the Knights OF Ak Sar- Ben
IS This could be done at an additional cost OF
h $4,000, the hall to be strictly fireproof
Il Then came the question of cost. The
!, figures given on plain auditorium l32x26l
IT feet varied from sl25,O0O to s175 900 II
was decided to invite architects to submit
y preliminary estimates OF cost on the diff
n ferent characters OF buildings contem
y plated.
e Architects Want Pay.
n When the question OF competing plani
= was brought up, it developed consderabl,
ID feeling. More than one OF the architecti
d held TO the idea that competitive bid
D. should not be required unless each com
petitor should be paid for his work and tn
plans judged by a competent person. Tht
sentiment was warmly expressed by T. r
Kimoall while Mr.. Laurie and Mr.. Dietrcl
n favored competition.
Il ,Lak -