The Calumet news., 1912-06-10
PAGE THREE


are 200 feet long by SO feet deep. At
the front and back OF the hall the mar
row permanent balconies have been
equipped with three rows OF seats that
will accommodate between four and
five hundred. The balconies are 12
feet above the ground floor in front
and securely supported by beams OF
wood and steel. The two at the ends
of the hall are banked 50 that the view
from the rear seats will be uno6-
Strucied.
To facilitate quick emptying of the
building. l3 new doors have been cut
in the granite walls. making total
of IS. Twelve OF these are for the
use Of those who hold tickets to the
balconies. and enable the balconies to
connect directly with the street. The
extra doors on the ground floors are for
use mainly as exits since no difficulty
Is anticipated IN handling all who en-
;er through the wide entrance In the
front and center OF the building
seats for the public are reserved on
~ by sections, which are designated
by numbers and letters. The larger
blocks of seats arc numbered and each
numbered block is divided into three
subsections, lettered respectively "A"
"B' and &C" \ ticketholder who finds
his piece Of pasteboard stamped, for
instance. "35-B" will find his seat
among the 1872 chairs grouped under
that subdivision These subdivisions in
~ D. ...I
the most desirable chairs N each di-
vision will go to the earliest comers
Band Of 200 Pieces. 6
The convention hall band will be in
a stand erected over the main entrance.
Space has been given for 200 music
ians. A telephone with an electric slg-
nal light connects the leaders, stand
with the desk Of the chairman at the
opposite side OF the hall. so that the
latter may signal his wishes. The
chairman's position is connected BY
telephone also with the six COMMITTEES
rooms. which have been fitted w in
the vacated company quarters at the
two ends OF the building.
No expense has been spared to beau
tify the interior of the hall. The prfn-
cipal task OF the remodellers was the
construction OF a false ceiling which
would improve the acoustic properties
by preventing the speakers voices from
being lost among the lofty steel
trusses of the curved roof. This has
been accomplished by suspending from
the roof beams arched trusses OF
wooden framework which have been
covered with bunting. The spaces be-
tween have been filed in with bunting
so as TO present an unbroken cloth
ceiling which at a distance looks more
permanent than It's temporary use de-
manded. The ceiling is cream colored
paneled with gold.
The construction of this false ceiling
and the draplng Of the walls and GRID
ers and the installation Of the haEs>
pictures ana party slogans when
make up the interior decorations oc-
cupled IA men for more than a month
ana cost $1,000. Thirty-four thousand
yards of cream, gold and white bunt-
ing have been used and 5000 yards OF
red, white and blue To sew these
strips of cloth together six seain-
stresses drove their sewing machines
eight hours a day for two weeks.
Three hundred flags have been used
The balcony railings are festooned
with national colors and at the base OK
each arch descending from the roof Is
the Insignia OF some state or terri
tory. The speakers stand is covered
with red. white and blue, with the COLI
ors and arms of the state OF Mary
land banked In front. Most conspicuous
Of the portraits that adorr the walls
are paintings of Washington and Jef-
ferson, each eight feet square and eX-
ecuted especially for this purpose.
Bunting is Fireproofed.
A feature OF these decorations
which the committee in charge is par
ticularIy proud of is that every yard OF
bunting used has been fire-proofed-
The -proofing preparation was
mixed with the dye and has not chans-
ed the appearance of the cloth subject
ed 10 this process. Although the cot
ton cloth used in it's natural state Is
very infiammablc, the fre-proof bunt-
ing will not blaze even when thrown
into the fire. The cloth will CHAIR.
but only in places 70 which a fame
is directly applied
The use of this firc-proof bunting
in building constructed OF stone.
brick and steel has not, however, pre-
vented the convention committee from
taking other precautions against a pos
siblc FIRE. The hall is provided with
an unusual number Of exits. and tho
fact that the main floor is on a level
with the outside street is regarded as
another valuable factor Of safety.