Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-11

~
ior. This rostrum, the heart of the /
convention hall, is not large enough |
to permit much pacing about on the |
orators part. 1t measures about 10 /
feet long by 10 feet deep. 1t is ele- |
waited six feet above the main floor. i
Back Of the rostrum, two feet above
it and communicating by steps, is an
other platform of the same size for
the use of the secretaries Of the con
vention. Back of this are coo seats.
banked at the rear to height of IA
feet. which are reserved for the officers
Of the national organization. Grouped
about the speakers platform, at both
sides and in front, are 435 seats for
the press. These communicate through
passageways under the banked-up
seats behind with the company rooms
outside the drill hall which have
been fitted up for the use of the
newspapers and press associations aIss
telegraph and telephone companies.
From these offices, within sound Of
the speakers voice and of the secre-
tary as he announces the results of
each ballot, run wires that will carry
the news of the convention to the
world.
I,2OO DELEGATE SEATS.
In front of the platform. separated
only nv tho NARROW row of DrpSS seats
and an aisle. are the places for the
delegates who come to Baltimore to
register the presidential choice of the
party in the various states and terri
tories of the union. Although the num-
| Der of votes these states and terri
tories mvay cast aggregates 1904, the
architects have provided seats for 1000
/ delegates, because some of the states,
Maryland among them. send to Balti-
more twice as many delegates as
/ they have votes, each delegate being
the custodian of half a vote. Back of
the delegates sit an equal number
of alternates. and these 2,4O0 seats
occupy the Cente" of the floor between
the platform and the entrance These
four blocks of seats will hold much
of the life and motion of the conven,
ton. The location of the representa-
tives of each states will be shown by
an elevated sign.
For convenience in handling the
crowds, the convention hall seats have
been divided into &c sections, of which
AZ are on the floor and the rest in the
balconies. The floor will seat 1861
and the balconies 440S Deducting the
seats on the floor reserved for officials
delegates and alternates and the press
leaves 1920 for the public, These
with the balconies make room foI
,62S seats for the accommodation
of Baltimoreans and visitors VINO are
expected by the ten thousands from
all parts of the country
TWO GREAT BALCONIES.
The public seats on the main floor
occupy the two ends of the hall ant
run at right angles to the delegates
seats, so that when a speaker on the
rostTUm is facing the delegates the
greater part of the audience will gel
les that have been added Temporarily
to the armOry project from the ends
and Overhang nearly half these enc
seats on the floor. These two bal
comics are 200 feet long by % fee
deep. At the front and back of the
hall the narrow permanent balconies
have been equipped with three row!
Of seats that will accommodate be
tween four and five hundred. Tn,
balconies are u feet above the grounc
floor in front and securely supported
! by beams Of wood and steel. The tW,
, at the ends Of the hall are banked 81
: that the view from the rear seats vii
be unobstructed
To facilitate quick emptying of tn
= building, 13 new doors have been Gu
= in the granite walls, making a tors
Of IS. Twelve of these are for the US,
of those who hold tickets to the bal
comics, and enable the balconies U
connect directly with the street Tn
extra doors on the ground floor are 70
use mainly as exits, since no difficult
is anticipated in handling all VII
enter through the wide entrance il
the front and center Of the building
| SPACE FOR 200 MUSICIANS.
| Seats for the public are reserved onI
by sections, which are designated b
numbers and letters. The larger block
Of seats are numbered and each nun
bered block is divided into three sui
] sections, lettered respectively a
B" and &C" A ticketholder wh