Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-21
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION HALL.
CONTINUED From First Page.)

comics are twelve feet above the
ground floor in front and securely
supported by beams Of wood and
STEEL The two at the ends of the hall
are banked so that the view from the
rear seats will be unobstructed.
To facilitate quick emptying Of the
building, thirteen new doors have been
cut in the granite walls, making a to-
tai Of eighteen. Twelve Of these are
for the use of those who hold tickets
to the balconies, and enable the bal
comics to connect directly with the
street. The extra doors on the ground
floor are for use mainly as exits, since
no difficulty is anticipated in handling
all who enter through the wide en-
trance in the front and center of the
building.
Seats for the public are reserved
only by sections, which are designated
by numbers and letters. The larger
blocks of seats are numbered and each
numbered block Is divided into three
sub-sections, lettered respectively "A"
"B" and CA ticketholder who finds
his piece of pasteboard stamped, for
instance, "35-B" will find his seat
among the 1872 chairs grouped under
that subdivision. These subdivisions
include from forty-two to PIT seats,
each and the most desirable chairs in
each division will go to the earliest
comers.
The convention hall band will be In
a stand erected over the main entrance.
Space has been given for 200 musi-
clans. A telephone with an electric
signal light connects the leaders
stand with the desk Of the chairman
at the opposite side of the hall, so that
the latter may signal his wishes. The
chairman's position Is connected by
telephone also with the six committee
rooms, which have been fitted up In
the vacated company quarters at the
two ends of the building.
No expense has been spared to
beautify the interior Of the hall. The
principal task Of the remodelers was
the construction Of a false ceiling
which would improve the acoustic
properties by preventing the speakers
voices from being lost among the lof-
ty steel trusses of the curved roof.
This has been accomplished by sus-
pending from the roof beams arched
trusses of wooden framework which
have been covered with bunting. The
spaces between have been filled in
with bunting so as to present an un-
broken cloth ceiling which at a dis
tance looks more permanent than its
temporary use demanded, The CELL
ing is cream colored paneled with
gold.
The construction Of this false cell
ing and the draping of the walls and
girders and the installation Of the
flags, pictures and party slogans which
make up the interior decorations oc-
cupied fourteen men for more than a
month and cost $1,000. Thirty
thousand yards Of cream, gold and
white bunting have been used and
5000 yards of red, white and blue. To
sew these strips Of cloth together six
seamstresses drove their sewing ma
chimes eight hours a day for two
weeks. Three hundred flags have
been used.
The balcony railings are festooned
with national colors and the base Of
each arch descending from the roof Is
the insignia Of some state or territory.
The speakers stand Is covered with
red, white and blue. with the colors
and arms of the state Of Maryland
banked in front. Most conspicuous OF
the portraits that adorn the walls are
paintings Of Washington and Jeffer-
son. each eight feet square and exc
cuted especially for this purpose.
A feature Of these decorations which
the committee In charge Is particu-
larly proud of Is that every yard of
bunting used has been fireproofed. The
fireproofing preparation was mixed
with dye and has not changed the ap-
pearance of the cloth subjected to this
process. Although the cotton cloth
used in its natural state is very in
fammable, the fireproofed bunting
will not blaze even when thrown into
the fire. The cloth will char but only
in places to which a flame is directly
applied.
The use of this flreproof bunting in
a building constructed Of stone, brick
and steel has not, however, prevented
the convention committee from taking
other precautions against possible
fire. The hall is provided with an un-
usual number of exits, and the fact
that the main floor is on level with
the outside street is regarded as an
other valuable factor Of safety.