Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-06-07
|. $. ?. 10 MEET
 IN COLISEUM 0F
 RICh HISTORY More National Conventions Held There Than in Any
 Building in U. s.
BUILT ON SITE lF'
 LIBBY WAR MUSE JIM
For Convention Opening Tomorrow Two Additional Balconies Have Been Constructed, Giving Seating
 Capacity of 12,400.

Chicago, June 5.-The Chicago Coliseum, where the Republican na- tional convention of 1916 will be held beginning June z, has a history rich i'll political interest. More national political conventions have been held in 1t than Tn 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 presidential ticket in the Chicago coliseum in 1904, 1903 and 1912.
 The building was designed as a model convention hall, but later adapted to broader uses. It was built by Charles F. Gunther and sev- eral business 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 shopping 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 and was finished in 1900 The building is 403 feet long, ITO feet wide and 11O feet high and cost nearly $1,O0O,O0O. It has wide balcony extending around three of the walls and is well lighted and ventilated
 For this years convention two addi- tional balconies with seats for 732 persons have been built between the main floor and the regular balcony. This gives total seating capacity of 12,40O, 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 22 exits. There will be 100 doorkeepers and 100 ushers in addition to a large special detail of police to handle the great crowds. The seating arrangements will follow the general plan of former conventions, although several changes have been made which, it is believed, will add to the comfort and convenience of the delegates and visitors.
 Special Sounding Board.
 The speakers platform, 20 feet long and 40 feet wide, is at the south end of the building. It will provide seats for the officers of the convention and members of the Republican national committee. Suspended over the stand is specially designed sounding board. It consists of an inverted ocn- caved pyramid built of wood with the apex over the head of the presiging officer. It is designed to throw the voice through. the hall. Directly in the rear of the speakers stand is a raised platform with 2,000 seats for the use of presidential candidates and other distinguished guests. On either side of the speakers platform, extend ing the entire width of the building is press section, containing 558 seats for working newspaper men.
 In front of the speakers stand are the, seats for the 991 delegates, and back of these is the space set aside section reserved for delegates and alternates is enclosed with heavy dail. The rest of the main floor and all the balconies will be used for seats to accommodate the crowds of visi- tors.
 Adjoining the coliseum on the south is an annex three stories high, ITO feet deep and with 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 telegraph and telephone room, where scores of special wires have been in- stalled for the use of the news gather ing associations and newspapers in sending stories to every section of the country. In the basement of the main building is a completely equipped temporary hospital in charge of 25 of Chicago's leading physicians and surgeons who have volunteered their services for the occasion.
 The upper floors of the annex have been fitted up with the administra- tive rooms of the officers of the con- vention. Here are the private offices of the chairman, secretary, treasurer and a score of minor officials. The convention postoffice for the prompt distribution of mail to the officials and deleoates is in this section. There is a large meeting room for the Re- publican national committee and num- erous rooms for use of the committees of the convention.
 New Decoration Scheme.
 In the decoration of the convention hall the managers departed from the long established practice of practically relyin gexclusive!y on flags and bunt- ing to obtain the desired artistic eff feet This year the scheme of in- terior ornamentation is more elaborate and artistic than ever before, accord | ing to experts. The plan was de- signed by c. R, Hall, superintendent of the coliseum and Julius Floto, an architect. White and gold dominate the color scheme, while American flags, shields and bunting are used to complete the working out of the dec orative plan.
 Eight thousand yards of white cloth, 4,000 yards of gold cloth, 5000 yards of red, white and blue bunting and 36O American flags and shields