Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-07

| CHICAGO, June with the convention
| hall opened for the first session of the
| Republican National Convention and the
| first wet and bedraggled spectators
ensconced In the galleries out of the drah
drizzle of rain that covered Chicago like
clammy, gray mantle, there was big
uniformed Chicago policeman. on guard In
every section. With policeman to every
80 seats and small army of doorkeepers
and deputy sergeants-at-arms on duty, the
convention officials believed they would keep
the inevitable disorder In the big hall within
reasonable bounds.
AS the first spectators filed In, the deco
rators were just putting the finishing
touches on the adornments in the hall.
High up over the broad platform with seats
for the officers and speakers great full
length painting of Abraham Lincoln looked
down on the scene 1t was surmounted by
a replica of the presidential flag and was
surrounded by score of draped stars and
stripes
From the Lincoln portrait the great
arched roof of the Coliseum swept away In
waves of white to the tiny gallery perched
upon the roof at the rear of the hall, where
a relocated band waited to add to the
convention din.
The band at signal from sergeant-at-
arms Stone opened its concert just before
10 o'clock, A medley of national airs was
the first selection, but 1t aroused little
enthusiasm among the few cold, damp spec
tators in the galleries None OF the dele
gates had then arrived.
The spectators leaned over the flag
decked galleries and watched anXiously
for the first delegation. The seating ar
rangements for the delegates put New York
and Ohio delegations directly before the
aisle. on the right aisle IlltnoiB and
speakers stand on either side of the centre
Massachusetts, had the front seats, and
Indiana and Iowa on the left aisle
Charles ID. Hilles. chairman of the Ma
tional Committee, was the first official TO
appear on the platform. He consulted with
Sergeant-at-a Stone, reviewing the ar
rangements and discussed the program of
the day.
Shortly after 10 o'clock, a few % the
seats in the alternate section, Just behind
the delegates section began to fill up. The
gallery crowd began 10 arrive and the front
OF women. some of them in rainy day attire,
but many OF them In finery which had
suffered from the driving rain.
squad of ushers added TO the general
hubbub and the efforts of the band by
hawking official programs" in roucous
tones. A group of photographers over-ran
the hall taking picutres from all accessible
and inaccessible points of vantage.
few of the Indiana delegates, brave in
an assortment of Fairbanks badges, took
scattered seats in their section. They were
the first delegates to appear and brought
NAAN
weather. They took their places without
enthusiasm and talked indifferently together.
EMERGENCY HOSPITALS FIRST CASE.
The temporary hospital equipped behind
the big platform was early in demand,
The first emergency case was that OF
Policeman Sweeney, who injured his arm
on one OF the grand stand supports. DR..
Arthur b. Rankin and DR.. Thomas Grif-
fiths bandaged the bruse and sent the
policeman about his duties once more.
As indicating the lack OF unanimity
among the delegates. very few OF the State
delegations came in body. They strag-
gled In by twos and thTees, wet, angry and
ready for anything. At 10;45 there were
more than soc delegates in their seats, but
there was not single State delegation COM
plete at that hour. The leaders also were
slow coming In.
The wet weather prevented the usual
mass=play entrance OF various delegations.
Few delegates had the temerity to march
70 the Coliseum under the streaming skies.
Ten minutes before IL o'clock the dele
gates section Of the convention hall was
z seelhtns mass Of delegates, ana not =
single delegation had aroused any eHthasl-
zsna e had been given demonstration
% tz 4FriFaI Tie delegates gathered Il
little 4oupz and dIseaased the latest cur