The Calumet news., 1912-06-10
MONEY IS lAvISHLy SPENT
S35,000 Being Expended by the
State on improvements
ALL BUNTING is FIREPROoF
10000 Yards Used to Transform Hall
into Wide Expense Of Red,
White and Blue.

Baltimore, June 1O.-The Demoora-
tic candidate for President of the
United States will be nominated i'm q
huge National Guard Armory situated
in the residence portion of Baltimore.
When this city sent its repre-
sentatives before the Democratic Ma
tIonal Committee To bring the National
Convention here the possession of an
ideal convention hall was one of the
strongest advantages Baltimore had to
offer. Since that time. at the eX
pense Of many thousand dollars the
requirement of the delegates who as
semble here ON June % and the
throngs that gather to watch their
deliberations.
will meet in the Fifth Regiment
Armory, which occupies nearly a
whole city square in the Mount Royal
district, fronting on Hoffman street
and bounded by Preston street In the
rear. At the two ends of the block are
Park and Linden avenues. both OF
which carry trolley lines connecting
with the business center. Two squares
distant Is the main station of the Bal
timore and Ohio RallIUad and only q
little further. barely Eve minutes Walk
Is the Union Station. where passengers
arrive on the other railroads entering
the city. close al hand. within easy
walking distance il the citys largest
hotel.
When the state spent $i5O.OoO foI
this drill hall To- house lialtimore's ia
nous regiment, the "Dandy Fifth big
conventions were in mind and tht
building was situated and designed
with reference TO affording such ac-
commodations. Exterior embollishmeni
was a secondary consideration. The
Tifth Regiment Armory is surrounded
Ivy massive walls Of grey granite, two
stories high, from which lisc twelve
steel trusses that carry the arched roo
To a height Of 80 feet. 1t is lighted
by windows i'm the side walls and 10y
a sky-light that runs the whole ienstl
Of the apex OF the roof.
Extensive Alterations.
From the outside the appearance o.
the structure is not particularly i'm
pressive, probably because the princi'
pal dimensions are lateral. ana too cX'
tensive for the eye to appreciate un'
less the beholder could look down Oh
the building from an elevation. The
armory extends 304 feet in width OF
Hoffman and Preston streets and IL
2s4 feet deep. The gre. drill hail in
side, where the convent. viii assem-
Bile. Is 300xgOO feet.
To adapt this building further Il
convention purposes the state cppro
priated $4,000. The greater part o
this sum has been spent to increas'
the seating capacity by putting In tenn
porary balconies at the Two ends
the drill hall. Decorations. which III
clude the construction of false ceiling
to improve the acoustic properties
cost $1,000. Several thousand dollars
has been spent In the construction
the speakers platform. on seats' an'
on remodeling the military COMPANY
quarters at the sides and ends OF III
building for use as committee rooms
AS one enters the hall through TN
main gateway On Hoffman street TN
eye first Is impressed by the magnin
cent distances and the seemingly end
less vistas Of seats. Under the hands
The decorators the place has lost IL
military. utiltarian look transforine
by the more than 0,0OO yards of bunt
ing that hides the roof beams Grape
the walls and covers practically ever
foot of the interior except the WIN
dows and noor spaces. The BACK
Yround is soft effect of cream. got
and white. which makes an etectN
setting for the national colors dis
played in countless arrangements an
the insight, and colors of the variou
states.
Architects Plan Seats.
The seating arrangements here hi
the result OF long study on the arch'
tects part. aided by the practical eN
pcrience OF men versed In the practlca
problems Of great conventions IN
hall will seat comfortably more Una
$1,000 persons, and those In charge
It's preparation believe they have .WoIh
ed out their problem so that ever
member Of this great audience ca
command a view Of the speakers stan
and understand what Is being sald.
bring this about the location OF tu
Continued on Page Three.