The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-06-06
COLISEUM At CHICAGO
Being Made Ready for the Republican
National Convention, which
Meets on the 18th.

Chicago, June 6-For the third time
since it's erection thirteen years ago,
the doors of the Coliseum will be
thrown open June Is, for the accom-
modation OF a Republican national con-
vention. In 1904 the Republicans nomi-
mated Col. Theodore Roosevelt for
president in this building and in 1908
under the same roof William H. Taft
was chosen as the party's standard
bearer
The Coliseum is on Wabash avenue,
between Fifteenth and Sixteenth
streets, less than a mile from the CEN
ter of Chicago's retail shopping and
hotel district and is accessible from
all parts of the city by elevated roads
and surface lines. The Coliseum is
305 feet long, ITO feet wide and sew
enty feet in height. built of stone,
brick, steel and concrete and 10 fire
proof.
It stands on the site Of the old Lib
by prison which was brought to Chi
cago from Richmond, Va, in sections
and rebuilt the year of the Worlds
fair by Charles F. Gunther and used
to exhibit q valuable collection of
Civil War relics 1t is of modern Ro-
manesque combined with the English
costellated type of architecture and
cost 100000. It has been the scene
of many notable assemblages. 1t has
eleven large exits and can be emptied
in five minutes in an emergency.
The subcommittee arrange
ments of the Republican national COM
mittee 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 11,1SS seats,
of which 1888 are on the main floor
and 1900 in the balcony.
The speakers platform is built
against the south wall of the struc-
ture and extends across the entire
width of the building. 1t is seventy
five feet deep and contains 1882
seats, which will be occupied by the
chairman, officers of the convention,
members of the national committee
and distinguished guests.
Seats for 400 Newspapermen.
The seats back Of the chairman's s
ia BILE will be slightly elevated. Di-
rectely beneath the chairman's table
Is space for four noiseless telegraph
instruments and their operators, by
which news Of the conventions pro-
ceedings viii be flashed to the world.
On both sides and extending in a half
circle around the front of the plat
form are seats and tables for 400
working newspapermen and corre-
spondents from all parts of the coun-
try.
Nearly 1,1OO Delegates.
Directly in front of these are the
seats for the 1910 delegates arranged
by states. This space will be en-
closed by a railing and closely guard
ed by a large force of sergeants-at-
arms. Back of these are the seats for
the 1910 alternates enclosed by a
railing. On both sides and in the
rear Of the space occupied by the dele
gates and alternates are $500 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 placard-
ed showing the sections for which 1t
will be used and each ticket will bear
the letter Of the entrance for which
# is intended. By this plan delegates
and visitors wilE>e enter the door near
est the seats 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 a
large number of telegraph instru-
ments are being installed in various
! parts of the building for the accom-
modation of delegates and the public
Architect Arthur G. Brown has ar
ranged the seats in such manner
that the chairman's platform may be
| seen from every section of the large
| hall Sergeant-at-Arms William F.
Stone will be assisted by a force OF
| 500 deputy sergeants- alarms door
| keepers, ushers and attendants. A
| special telephone system is being in
| stalled which will enable Sergeant-at-
| Arms Stone. from his desk on the
| platform, Immediately to communi-
/ cate with his assistants in any part OF