The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-22
Auditorium Instrument Is Elk.
pected Tomorrow.
Work of Erection Will Com
mence at Once.
INSTRUMENT AMARVEL
Pipes Large Enough For Man
to Walk Through.
Ten Experts VIII Be Engaged
to Put 1t in Place.

Topeka's big $4,000 Auditorium
pipe organ will arrive on Friday from
the Kimban company in Chicago.
Shipment was made on last Tuesday
over the Rock Island. Advices from
the local freight depot of that road
are to the effect that the instrument
will get to this city by tomorrow after
noon.
w F. Roehr, the Topeka represen-
tative of the KimbaI company, stated
this morning that work will be COM
menced at once to erect the organ in
the Auditorium. About ten expert
mechanics viii be sent said Mr..
Roehr. land not a single moment will
be lost in placing the instrument. My
information from the company at Chi
cago is that tn eorgan was shipped
on Tuesday"
Unless some unforeseen mishap in
tervenes. the organ will be entirely
erected by January 10, at which time
the state poultry show begins The
tuning and voieing will then be done
at opportune times The dedication
will take place on February II. a
noted organist will be engaged for the
event.
Yes, the organ has been shipped, said
Prof. George B. Penny this morning 1T
left Chicago several days ago and is eX-
pected to reach Topeka today. Its big
pipes should be passing through Kan
sas avenue tomorrow or next day ON
of erection begins at once, and Mr..
Hedgland will be here Monday to at
tend to the details. 1t will take pretty
heavy trucks to cart the stuff, which
fills four cars. Some OF the 30 foot
open DiapasOn pipes are large enough
for the small ponies of the Topeka boys
TO trot through, but the boys would have
to diSmount and let the ponies go II
alone. I walked through one of them;
could not stand erect of course, but had
no more difficulty than 1 did in going
through the long passage ways within
the great pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.
II would make a fine SarcOphaguS for
six men placed end to end But then
these pipes were made for the living
not for the dead-and they are very
much alive-they all speak-and so
forcible will be their remarks that I
have no hesitation in saying that our
organ will be the largest in the United
States-not in the number of pipes, OF in
the space occupied, but the largest for
the ear in tone volume, and for the eye,
in apparent space occupied.
Recall the front of CrOSby'S or Mills
stores on Kansas avenue The dimen-
sions you see there in width and height
are approximately the dimensions of the
organ. The front equals the facade Of
two ordinary stores, three stories in
height. 1 climbed up Is rounds of
ladder before reaching the bottom of the
pipes. This was the height of the first
story-the case of the organ.
'All the pipes of the four organs COM
bined-the great. the orchestral, the
swell and the solo are above the
woodwork of the massive case. The
pipes of the fifth organ, the pedal are
long, that the mouths of some of
them may have to be located below the
stage in order to clear the ceiling.
In the large setting up room of the
Kimball company I have seen several
organs under way at one time, but IN
my last visit, the Topeka organ was
alone in its glory-no room for others
and even then the second story of the
organ was against the roof. that the
third story had to be constructed sep
arately.
The first story, behind the case. con-
tains the triple bellows for the different
organs the electric engine for the mo-
tor power. and the system of tubular
pneumatics which pass under the entire
stage, connecting the console or key
board in front of the stage, with the
wind chests of the pipes.
THE second story contains two of
the organs and the third story the 9TH
er two. The great front of pipes above
the case work had already been packed,
so that 1 did not see it. but 1 was as
sured that the solid gold decoration was
rich and effective The case in its dark
rich golden oak, handsome panelling.
carved designs. and massive pillars, was
a thing of beauty and impressiveness.
Below ii is to be placed the four or
five rows of permanent seats for the
Choral society, giving us for the first
time satisfactory seating for the
chorus. While the depth of the organ
DaCk OF the seats TOT the CnOTuS Is only
about eight feet, nevertheless when the
pipe region above is reached, the depth
is increased to twelve feet, the front
pipes resting on a heavy cOrbelling
which forms at the same time sound
ing board for the chorus standing un-
derneath.
The delay in the arrival of the or
gan has upset the plans of the choral
society season. or, rather, it has
punched the events to the post-Christ-
mas season, thereby causing a lack of
interest in the rehearsals up to the
present time. We look. however, for a.
large membership and the old enthus-
iasm on the part of the mem bers from
now on. The society is changing in
character somewhat, its membership
consisting altogether now of real music
lovers who enjoy singing for the sake
of singing. enjoy the study of great
works because they are great and be-
cause they give back so much true
music in return for the labor expended
in rehearsing them 1 know of no
member in the society at present who
IS ambitious to do the solos realizing
as each one does, that the realms of the
amateur and the professional singer are
Tery different, that Topeka has heard
the best and will continue to demand
the best even from home talent, and
that the Auditorium is one of the larg-
est buildings in the country used for
musical purposes. and is therefore too
severe a test for the majority of anna
teurs.
.sThe society is to bend all it's energies
towards raising the money for the OF
gan; its affairs are ably controlled by
President Holman and the board of di-
rectors. The society, like the organ. has
come to stay and will ever remain a
permanent feature Of the musical life
of the city Both will be used for the
Interpretation of the works of the mas
sers In musical composition Both will