Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-10
CONVENTION HALL
ATTRACTS NOTICE
Industrial Record Gives
Municipal Hall Much
Space,
Elaborate story VIII BE of
Much Benefit TO
This City.

That Tulsa's convention hdll is at
tracing considerable attention
abroad" is shown by the following
article which appeared in the January
] issue Of the Industrial Record, an
influential trade publication Of Dallas,
Texas. The story was accompanied
10y two pictures of the auditorium an
interior and an exterior
Unique Convention Hall at Tulsa.
BY j. BURR GIBBONS
Newspaper Correspondent and Man
ager Tulsa Convention IlalL)
TULSA, Okla, Dec. 2O.-The year of
commercial and industrial activity
closes in Tulsa with the city boasung
of the finest convection hall between
Kansas City, Mo, and Houston, Ten
ne building, built owned and OPP
Grated by the city, has already, in its
few months of existence, been the
medium for bringing to Tulsa several
large attractions that could not other
wise have been held in the oil met
Topolis.
The Tulsa convention hall repre-
sents an investment of Sl25,0O0 and
is in keeping with the commercial and
industrial importance Of this rapidly
growing city. The building is made
distinctive by its many unique features
not found in many, If in any other
publicly owned auditoriums in the
country.
The convention hall is 13ON160 feet
seating 4,200 people, built of steel
concrete, paving brick and pure ce-
ment. 1t is exceptionally well ventt-
lated and lighted. and is equipped
with a vacuum steam heating plant
The structure has the best equipped
and arranged stage of any public
building i'm the middle west, according
to the comments of theatrical men and
other prominent visitors to this city
With sufficient scenery and electrical
appliances to make fifty separate and
distincustage settings and appropriate
electrical effects, and its enormous
capacity, the Tulsa convention hall
drew to this CITY this fall Madame
Louise Homer the San Carlo Grand
Opera company, and other big attrac-
tions.
The main auditorium is 12SX117
feet and forty feet high. The arena
is 52S3 feet wiul an adjustable floor
that is raised aud lowered on steel
Jacks and frame to accommodate
both stage and arena productions
Automobile shows, dances, public re.
ceptiOus Shrine ceremOnials the state
odd Fellows convention, religious
and memorial services, municipal
Christmas tree and a community
lyceum course are among the varioua
events in the early history of tho
building.
The stage with fifty foot opening
and double doors and driveways from
both streets and alley, has made il
possible for several huge streets
es-automobiles, mounted po-
lice and soldiers, decorated floats,
etc, to pass across 1t while thousands
of people sat i'm the auditorium ana
W.tched the procession pass in pano-
rama through the building.
The building is distinctly insured
against fire and panics and their i'll
effects. Thirty exit doors lead from
the four sides of the building. all
equipped with anti-panic bolts. which
cannot be locked from the inside, ana
which respond and open to the weight
of the human body. The building is
equipped with fnclnes and there are
no stairways to climb.
Thirteen office and committee
rooms steel check rooms for cloaks
and baggage, a balcony constructed Of
reinforced concrete on steel frame,
and not single post to obstruct the
view of spectators, are a few features
of the building. The asbestos fire
curtain weighs $500 pounds and il
the fourth largest ever installed in
this country by the Kansas City Scenic
company.
The capacity of the building is
divided as follows: Stage, 500; arena
(paruuet and orchestra), 1000; dress
circle, 1900; balcony, 1900. The build
ing is so built that a gallery can be
Installed at any time. bringing the
capacity mp to the 5000 mark
The building is ideally situated on
the widest paved streets I'm the city
and three blocks from the heart OF
the business district. Street cars, in