Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-21


the seating capacity by putting in
temporary balconies at the two ends
Of the drill hall. Decorations, which
include the construction of false CELL
cost $1,000. Several thousand dollars
has been spent in the construction OF
the speakers platform, on seats and
on remodeling the military company
quarters at the sides and ends of the
building for use as committee rooms
AS one enters the hall through the
main gateway on Hoffman street the
eye first 10 impressed by the magnifi-
cent distances and the seemingly end
less vlstas Of seats. Under the hands
Of the decorators the place has lost
its military, utilitarian look, transform
ed by the more than 10000 yards of
bunting that hides the roof beams,
drapes the walls and covers practical
ly every foot Of the interior except the
windows and floor spaces. The back
ground Is a soft effect Of cream, gold
and white, which makes an effective
setting for the national colors display
ed In countless arrangements, and the
insignia and colors Of the various
states.
The seating arrangements here are
the result Of long study on the archi-
tects' part, aided by the practical ex-
perience Of men versed in the practi-
cal problems of great conventions.
This hall will seat comfortably more
than $4,000 persons, and those in
charge Of its preparation believe they
have worked out their problem 80 that
every member Of this great audience
can command view Of the speakers
stand and understand what is being
said. To bring this about the location
Of the speakers platform was the mat
ter Of first Importance.
In the Baltimore hall the speakers
will stand we'll out towards the mid
die Of the auditorium, directly oppo-
site the main central entrance, midway
between the ends Of the hall and
about sixty feet or more than one third
of the distance, from the rear wall of
the interior This rostrum, the heart
Of the convention hall, Is not large
enough to permit much pacing about
on the orators part. 1t measures
about fifteen long by ten feet deep. It
Is elevated six feet above the main
floor.
Back Of the rostrum, two feet above
1t 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 600 seats
banked at the rear to a height Of
fourteen feet, which are reserved for
the officers Of the national organiza-
tion. Grouped about the speakers
platform at both sides and in front,
are 435 seats for the press. These
communicate through passageways un-
der 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 as
sociations and telegraph and telephone
companies. From these Offices with
in sound Of the speakers voice and
Of the secretary as he announces the
results Of each ballot, run wires that
will carry the news of the convention
to the world.
In front Of the platform separated
only by the narrow row Of press 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
Of votes these states and ter
ritories may cast aggregates 1904, the
architects have provided seats for 1000
delegates, because some Of the states,
among them, send to Bal
timore 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 2,400 seats oc-
cupy the center Of the floor between
the platform and the entrance. These
four blocks Of seats will hold much Of
the life and motion Of the convention.
The location Of the representatives of
each state will be shown by an elevat-
ed sign.
For convenience in handling the
the convention hall seats have
been divided into seventy-six sections,
Of which forty-nine are on the floor
and the rest In the balconies. The