Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-03
WILL HOUSE HOSTS
Republican Convention Hall to
! Seat Over 1000.
JAIL PLANS COMPLETE
Force of Over Eight Hundred At
tendants Provided For.
COMMITTEE SPENDS $4,000
Great Coliseum Will Be in Gala At
tire-Hospital One
Adjunct.

CHICAGO. June 3.-For the third time
since its erection, thirteen years ago, the
doors of the Coliseum will be thrown open
June IS for the accommodation of re-
publican national convention. In 1904 the
republicans nominated Col. Theodore
Roosevelt for President in this building
and in 1903 under the same roof William
II. Taft was chosen as the party's stand
ard bearer.
The Coliseum is on Wabash avenue be-
tween 18th and 10th streets, less than a
mile from the center of Chicago's retail
shopping and hotel district and Is acces-
sible from all parts of the city by elevat-
ed roads and surface lines. The Coliseum
is 3O5 feet long, 10 feet wide and 20 feet
in height, built of stone, brick, steel and
concrete and is f1reproof.
1t stands on the site of the old Libby
prison which was brought to Chicago
from Richmond, Va, in sections and re-
built the year of the worlds fair by
Charles F. Gunther and used to exhibit a
valuable collection of civil war relics. It
is of modern Romanesque combined with
the English castellated type of architec-
ture and cost 100000. 1t has been the
scene Of many notable assemblages. 1t
in five minutes in an emergency.
Seating Arrangements.
The subcommittee on arrangements of
| the republican national committee. under
the direction of Col. Harry S. New, has
expended $4,000 preparing the building
| for this years national convention of the
| republican party. The building has Hiss
seats, of which 1888 are on the main
! floor and $500 in the balcony.
| The speakers platform is built against
the south wall of the structure and ex-
| tends across the entire width of the
building. 1t is seventyfive feet deep and
contains 1892 seats, which viii be occu-
| pied by the chairman. officers of the con-
yention, members of the national commit
tee and distinguished guests.
The seats back of the charman's table
will be slightly elevated. Directly be-
meath the chairman's table Is a space
for four noiseless telegraph instruments
and their operators. by which news OF
the conventions proceedings will be
flashed to the world. On both sides and
extending in a half circle around the
frc.lt of the platform are seats and
ia bles for 100 working newspaper men
and correspondents from all parts of the
country.
Arranged by States.
Directly in front of these are the seats
for the LOIS delegates, arranged by
states. This space will be inclosed by
a railing and closely guarded by large
force of sergeants-at-arms. Back of this
are the seats for the LOIS alternates, in
closed by railing. On both sides and
in the rear of the space occupied by the
delegates and alternates are 800 ele-
waited seats for visitors. At the north
end of the building a special bandstand
will be erected. In the balcony, which
extends around the four walls of the
building, there will be 5000 seats for
visitors.
To avoid confusion in seating the crowd
each entrance Will be pacarded showing
the sections for which it Will be used
and each ticket will bear the letter of
the entrance for which it is intended.
BY this plan delegates and visitors will
enter the door nearest the seat assigned
them.
The platform, aisles and all open
spaces will be covered with mating to
insure the maximum of quiet while the
convention is in session Five hundred
public telephones and large number or
telegraph instruments are being installed
in various parts of the building for the
accommodation of delegates and the pub
lie.
Eight Hundred Assistants.
Architect Arthur G. Brown has ar
ranged the seats in such a manner that
the chairmans platform may be seen
from every section of the large hall.
Sergeant alarms William F. Stone will
be assisted by a force of 500 deputy SER
geants- at-arms, 'doorkeepers, ushers and
attendants. A special telephone system
is being installed which will enable Ser
geant- alarms Stone from his desk on
the platform, Immediately to communi-
cate with his assistants in any part of
the hall.
In the two-story annex, adjoining the
main building on the south, are the of
fees of the republican national committee
private rooms for the use of the chair
man, secretaries and sergeant-at-arms,
quarters for the committees on permanent
organization, credentials and resolutions,
and fully equipped post office.
In addition to this, there rooms for
the press, where scores of private tele-
graph wires will be installed. On the
second floor there will be a fully equipped
emergency hospital. in charge of a corps
of physicians and Red Cross nurses.
There will be numerous retiring rooms for
men and women in the annex.
In the basement of the main building
there will be lunch counter with sew
eral thousand seats The building will
be deliberately decorated in the national
colors. The exterior of the structure will
be profusely draped with red, wnite and
blue bunting surmounted by hundreds of
large American flags.
Interior Decorations.
Practically every foot of available space
of the interior will be draped with bunt-
ing and flags. Over the speakers plat
form there will be a fifty-foot President
flag flanked by two large American flags
The space on both sides of this center
piece will be heavily draped with fes-
ICONS of bunting and batteries of small
flags and shields
The walls of the building will be draped
with bunting and flags. The rail of the
balcony also will be draped with festoons
| of bunting with small flags shields and
wreaths at every steel arch. The large
| bandstand at the north end of the build
ing will be deliberately draped with flags,
bunting and Wreaths