The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-08-29
NEW USE FOR
THE M'KINLEY FUND
A LARGE AMPHITHEATRE NEAR
THE NEW NORMAL SCHOOL rs
PROPOSED.


for the construction of a William Nc
Kinley memorial, but which has lain
idle in the bank pending some decision
Regarding what form this memorial
should take. Five thousand dollars OF
the original fund raised has already
been expended in purchasing a lot at
Waikiki on which it was intended to
erect an elaborate monument of some
kind, but the matter has been allowed
TO rest for some time now
The new idea, which already seems
to have made considerable progress in
popular favor, is put forward by the
Board of Commissioners of Public In
struction, and is for the erection of a
large outdoor amphitheatre on the ma
uka side of the new Normal School
building at the corner of Lunalilo and
Alapai streets. The Board is very en-
thusiastic and very much in earnest in
the matter, and yesterday was accord
ed an audience with the trustees OF
the memorial fund in question and
placed the matter before them in con-
siderable detail
The members of the Board of Trus-
tees of the fund present at the meet
ing, which was held at 4 o'clock in the
afternoon at the offices of the Bank Of
Hawaii, were Judge S. B.Dole, J. A.
McCandless, c. M. Cooke, A. S. Cleg-
horn, T. Give Davies, F. A. Schaefer,
J. G. Rothwell and w. D. Westervelt.
Superintendent Babbitt and Edgar
Wood represented the School Board,
and they had with them H. L. Kerr,
the architect, who had been employed
| to look into the matter of the con-
struction and had prepared prelimin-
airy plans and estimates of the cost OF
a structure which would be capable of
seating about 5000 persons, and would
cost, provided the bulk of the work
could be done by convict labor, about
$4,000, which would include a statue
of the martyred President to cost
about $4,000.
The plans as submitted by Architect
]
in form to be constructed on a radius
of about 12O feet, and to be built on
the high bank directly back of the
! Normal School building, which seems
to be ideally adapted for the purpose.
The great amphitheatre if built will
! be of concrete and will rise in the
form of a great semi-circular tier OF
steps. In the center at the base OF
these steps is a pedestal on which the
designer has planned shall be erected
a life-sized statue in stone of McKin-
ley.
Superintendent Babbltt explained
that such a structure would be of the
/ greatest utility in the school work OF
/ the public schools. At the present
! time there are no auditoriums large
enough in the city to accommodate the
1000 or more school children which it
is frequently desirable to bring togeth-
er for musical rehearsals, exhibitions,
or other purposes. Such an amphi-
| theatre would be ideal for the purpose.
from which to witness athletic sports
and games which might be arranged to
be held on the broad open space of
ground in front of the structure, while
for the purpose of large public gather
ings as of lectures, or political meet
ings it would fill long felt want.
A great many questions were asked
by the trustees, and a lively interest
| displayed in the proposition It was
suggested that the capacity of the
structure be reduced from the 5000
capacity planned by the architect, to
about 1000. in order to bring the cost
down to nearer the figures of the fund,
which was stated to be something over
$4,000. Judge Dole and other members
thought that the statue proposed was
rather unnecessary as well as likely
to be difficult to place where it would
not be an obstruction, and it was pro-
posed to eliminate it from the plans.
1t was also proposed that some ar
| rangement be made for constructing
some kind of a covering over the whole
thing in order to shelter it from the
sun.
Some question was raised concern
ing the size of the steps, which would
have to form the seats for the audi
ences, and it was finally decided by
motion which carried to let the matter
rest and allow time for the secretary
to communicate with the University of
California authorities and get some
points from their Greek amphitheater
constructed some years ago.
The sentiment of the trustees was
strongly in favor of not taking any
definite action in the matter until
there is time to learn the popular SEN
timent on the project, and they are
open to suggestions along this line.
WHERE WE GET CHEATED.