The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-12
st. Louis COppers to Swarm at
Democrat COnclaVe.
Will Be First National COnyen-
ton in Coliseum.
SEATS FOR 10000 TO $4,000
Elaborate Decorations Made to
Receive National Guests.
Democrat Heroes in Medallion
Relief on Walls of Hall.

St Louis. No, June line Lem
ocratic national convention Whlch as
sembles here on June A will be the
first nolitical convention to be held IN
the st. Louis Coliseum. the hrst pup
lie meeting in this building was in the
presidential campaign OF l9Oo "heh
William II. Taft, Republican nominee
smoke there. At that time the Coll
senm was not completed. Fifteen
Thousand persons crowded into the
structure for this opening
The Coliseum was built in 1907-19oS
at a cost of 1896 600. AS arranged for
the Democratic national convention 1t
will seat approximately 10000 persons
The seating capacity is obtained as
on the platform are 512 seats. In
the section for daily newspaper CORE
spondents and press associations are
472 seats.
sections set apart for the editors of
Democratic weekly papers in Missouri
and Illinois will accommodate ZSS
more persons.
seats viii be provided for 1,O7s del
erates and the same number of AFTER
mates, though there may be some
slicht change in these figures in case
some states send extra delegates with
a fractional vote.
Boxes for $40.
II the boxes are seating accommo-
datE9ns for 546. in the arena balcony
, 2.49i and in the balcony S,400.
> This makes a total of 9,S1S- Extra
seats placed wherever possible
throuA bout the building bring the to-
. talsseaA ing capacity to about 10000.
=. Tue building is so designed that
there~ is; room on the arena floor only
for tive delegates, alternates and the
4. daily AND weekly newspaper men,
+ The Coliseum is an octagon, con-
siderablv narrowed at one end by a
diagonal side wall. The greatest
length of HE building is from north
TO south. AND it's narrowest dimen-
sion from east to west has been rallied
off for the platform and press sec
lions. The Pa torn is forty feet wide.
and immedia Eeiy back of the speakers
stand and the tables for tellers and
clerks q platform extending rises to
the rear of the upper balcony This
extension contai Ils seats for 512 per-
sons. These seats were distributed by
the national com ulittee, and the men,
hers of the committee and their i'm
mediate parties ara to occupy most OF
them
Around the arena floor on three
sides are the boxa 5, which are re-
served for specially invited guests
party leaders of pr ominence, diplo-
mats, etc.
That part of the public which is
not fortunate enough to have plat
form or box seats is to be accommo-
dated in the arena balcony, which
rises Immediately from the boxes,
and in the balcony, which corresponds
to the second gallery in most public
halls
5.S94 Visitors Welcome.
The total number of seats. available
for the public therefore is 5,S94. and
the distribution of part of these is al
lotted to the ST. Louis committee
which raised the $780, 600 convention
fund
On the west side of the Coliseum.
back of the speakers platform are the
work rooms for the press associations
and the telegraph companies. AS this
space. originally planned, proved
too narrow to accommodate the press
associations, an eight foot passa geway
through this section was abandoned,
and by order of the mayor an alley
in the rear of the coliseum was va
Gated, and covered with an awning.
This serves as a passageway- A pas
sageway under the platform leads
from the press sections on the arena
floor to the work ana telegraph rooms
in the rear.
On the north side of the building
the Washington avenue side-is a
large emergency hospital; on the south
side are the rooms of the Democratic
National Committee, and on the east
or Jefferson avenue side-is the room
of the sergeant at arms, and the con-
ventfon postoffice.
The decorations of the Coliseum
were designed by Edward c. Dil1man
of st. Louis. In order to obtain as
( much daylight as possible, the walls OF
the Coliseum have been painted white
! To get the full benefit of this refIec-
ton 1t was necessary to exclude deco
rations from the walls. The decora.
tons. accordingly have been placed
around the front of the balcony and
boxes and on the supporting columns
that run around the building.
Plaster relief medallions of Wash