The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-06-10

accommodations Exterior embelliSh-
meat was a secondary consideration
! The Firth Regiment Armory is sur
! ouEGcd by massive walls OF srey
/ granite, two stories high, from which
! rise twelve steel trusses that carry
! the arched roof to a height OF 81 feet.
I II is lighted by windows in the side
walls and by d skylight that runs the
whole length OF the apex OF the roof.
From the outside the appearance of
the structure is not particularly i'm
pressive, probably because the princi-
pal dimensions are lateral, and too eX-
tensive for the eye to appreciate un
less the beholder could look down on
the building from an elevation. The
armorv extends 36i feet in width on
Hoffman and Preston streets and is
2S4 feot deep. The great drill hall
insida. where the convention will as
semble is 3OOx200 feet.
TO adapt this building further to
convention purposes the state appro-
priated $4,000 The greater part OF
this sum has been spent to increase
the seating capacity by putting in
TEMPORARY balconies at the two ends
of the drill hall Decorations, which
include the construction of false
ceiling to improve the acol ftic prop
critics. cost 5000. Several thousand
dollars has been spent in the con-
struction of the speakers platform, on
seats and on remodelng the military
company quarters at the sides and
ends of the building for use as COM
mittee rooms.
As one enters the hall through the
main gateway on Hoffman street the
eye first is impressed by the magnifi-
cent distances and the seemingly end
less vistaS of seats. Under the hands
of the decorators the place has lost
its military, utilitarian look, trans
formed by the more than 10000 yards
of bunting that hides the roof beams,
drares the walls and covers practical
ly every foot OF the interior except the
windows and floor spaces. The back
or l. off nt m, opl1
and white, which makes an effective
setting for the national colors uls-
played 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-
terts' part, aided by the practical eX-
perience of men veGsed in the practi-
cal problems of great conventions,
This hall will seat comfortably more
than $4,000 persons. and those in
charge os its preparation believe they
have worked out their problem so that
every member of this great audience
can command view of the speakers
stand and understand what is being
sad 70 bring this about the location
OF the speakers platform was the
matter of first Importance
In the Baltimore hall the speakers
will stand we'll out toward the middle
of the auditorium, directly opposite
the main central entrance. midway
between the ends of the hall and about
so feet, or more than one-third 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 abou;
on the orators part. 1t measures
about - feet long by ten feet deep. 1t
Is elevated six feet above the main
floor.
Back of the rostrum two feet
above it and communicating by steps.
Is another platform of the same size
for the use of the secretaries OF the
convention Back of this are 600 seats,
banked at the rear to a height Of II
feet. which are reserved tor the Off
GERS OF the national organization
Grouped about the speakers platform
at both sides and in front are 49,
seats for the press These communi-
cate through passageways under the
tauked-up seats behind with the com
paay rooms outside the drill hall
which have been fitted up for the use
OF the newspapers and press associa-
tionS and telegraph and telephone
companies From these offices. within
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 conven-
tion to the world