New Britain herald., 1916-05-22
CONVENTION HALL
 HAS NOTED HISTORY
G. 0. P. Has Named Three Pre-
 ViOuS Tickets Within Enclosure

Chicago, May 22.-The Chicago Co., liseum, where the republican nation- al convention of 1916 will be held be- ginning June 7, has a history rich in political interest. More national po- litical conventions have been held in it than in any other building in the United States.
 Three republican national conVen- tions have been held within it's walls and it was there also that the pro- gressive party, in 1914, held it's first national convention and nominated Col. Theodore Roosevelt for president. The republicans nominated their pres idential ticket in the Chicago Coliseum in 1904, 1908 and 1912.
 The building was designed as model convention hall but later adapt ed to broader uses. It was built by Charles F. Gunther and several bus mess associates on the site of the old Libby Prison War Museum, at Wabash avenue and Fifteenth street. less than a mile from the hotel and retail Sh Op- ping district
 The castellated walls of the old war prison were used for the Wabash ave- nue side of the structure. It was built of stone, brick, steel and glass ana was finished in 1900. The building IS 403 feet long, ITO feet wide, and l1O feet high and cost nearly $l,Ooo,ooo' It has a wide balcony extending around three of the walls and IS well lighted and ventilated.
 Preparedness.
 For this years convention two ad- ditional balconies with seats for 732 persons have been built between the main floor and the regular balcony. This gives a total seating capacity of 124OO of which 9,400 seats are on the main floor and 5000 in the balconies. The crowds will enter through four main doors on the Wabash avenue side. There are twenty-five exits. There will be 100 doorkeepers ana 100 ushers in addition to a large spe- cial detail of police to handle the great crowds. The seating arrangements will follow the general plan or lor- mcr conventions although several changes have been made which it is believed will add to the comfort ana convenience of the delegates and vis- itors.
 The speakers platform, twenty feet long and forty feet wide is at the south end of the building. It will provide seats for officers of the convention and members of the republican national committee. Suspendid over the stand is a specially designed sounding board It consists of an inverted con- caved pyramid built of wood with the apex over the head of the presiding officer It is designed to throw the voice through the hall. Directly in the rear of the speakers stand is a raised platform with 2,0OO seats for the use of presidential candidates and other distinguished guests. On either side of the speakers platform, OK tending the entire width of the build ing is a press section, containing 55S sc~-" Fn" working newspaper men.
 In front of the speakers stand are tn. ata.s I0r the 991 delegates and back of these is the space set aside for the seating of the alternates. The section reserved for delega>s and al- ternate is enclosed with d heavy rail- The rest of the main floor and all the balconies will be used for seats to accommodate the crowds of visitors
 Everything Convenient.
 Adjoining the coliseum on the south is an annex three stories hlgh, ITO feet deep and with a frontage of about 100 feet on Wabash avenue. It is connected with the main building by several broad entrances.
 In the basement of the annex. at the south end of the main building and near the speakers stand, is the telc- graph and telephone room where scores of special wires have been in stalled for the use of the news gath ering associations and newspapers in sending stories of the convention to every section of the country. In the basement of the main building is 8 completely equipped temporary hospi- tai in charge of the twenty five Chica- gos leading physicians and surgeons who have volunteered their services