The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-26
IN PHILADELPHIA.
From the Pennsy lvania Enquirer, May a. ]

We have already published the act passed by the
last Legislature, which authorizes q company to
erect an Academy Of Music" or Opera House, in
Philadelphia. The commissioners are Messrs. JOS
R. Ingersol, Geo. NJ. Dallas, Henry d. Gilpn, John
M. Scott, Charles Henry Fisher, Joseph Swift, Ro-
bert Morris, NJ. D. John Rhea Barton, j. Price
Wetherill, George Cadwalader, Edward s. Buckley,
J. V. s. De Havilland. Charles Harlan, Charles
Wells Hartman Kuhn, Junior, Aubrey H. Smith.
Charles Z. Smith, George McHenry, George H.
Boxer, Emlin Physick, VIM. Parker Foulkc, James
Gideon G. Westcott J. X. Mitchell, NJ. D., John B.
Myers, J Pemberton Hutchinson, John H. Hugunell,
and John Sitter They have organized, and have
opened books of subscription at the office of Charles
feel interest in an undertaking Of this kind, and
SO calculated to promote the musical taste Of Pha
delpha, should repair.
We learn that the contemplated building is to be
Of ample dimensions in all its parts, and with an
auditorium capable of seating with perfect comfort
five thousand persons, each person throughout tho
house having stuffed arm. chair The front of the
building is to be used for the entrances to the par
quet and lower tiers of boxes, having u carriage
way under the building, so that visiters who ride
may entirely avoid exposure to the weather; the
entrance to the upper portions of the house being on
the side. Exit doors to occupy the entire front
and both anks of the building far the audience
portion of it extends, that, when filed to it's ut
most capacity, it may be emptied without difficulty
in less than ten minutes. Four grand stairways are
to facilitate communication with all parts Of the
house. External Hobbies yestibules on the en-
trance floor are to protect the internal lobbes from
the noise and air Of the streets, and afford comorta
bic and abundant waiting crush rooms for
parties retiring to their carriages.
The parquet lodges and the parquet, are to be
entered on Il level with the street. Viewed from
the parque, the houses to present the front Of
each tier of boxes, retreating behind the imme
diaeIy below it, each having, therefore. its open
balcony, and the whole forming magnificent am
phtheatre; to the splendor of which, it is believed
no theatre of the world will afford a parallel In
order to meet the tastes of all classes OF visitors tho
house will contain boxes with elegant drawing
rooms attached to each, private enclosed boxes,
open private boxes, public boxes, single chairs and
sofas, and the boxes varying in capacity from four
up to twelve seats. The form of the house and the
inclination of the tiers to be so planned that u
view Of the stage will be commanded from any part
OF it, and the performer in front of the curtain limo
will be as fully in view of the remotest as of tho
nearest spectators. Equal attention will be given to
the acoustic properties of the house.
The propretors Of this enterprise have also in
view the construction of the stage department. upon
the same plan as the Academic Royalc OF Paris, so
that the scenic representations aad changes may be-
produced with the admirable illusion and rapidty
which render that establishment remarkable above
every other in Europe 1t is proposed, also, by tho
of iron for the stairways and in other parts Of
the building for which it may be available, and by
coating all the stage frame work with the recently
discovered incombustibe paint, to render the whole
structure more nearly freproof than any other
theatre.
We are of the opinion that an opera house. thus
constructed and managed. would add greatly 60 tho
prosperity OF our city The governments of Europe,
and even that of our sister city of New York. ara
heenly alive to the pecunary advantages TO be de-
rived from making their cities attractive to stran-
gers. In Paris, the government spends upwards
OF a million of dollars annually on gardens, thea
tres. and other places of amusement; and this
systematic outlay has been found, by more than
a century Of experience, to be repaid four-fold
BY the strangers who are thereby attracted to tho
place. New ork has, at the present time, no less
than five successful theatrical establishments, tho
least OF which is superior to the best OF ours in point
o. comfortable accommodation for the spectators,
ard some OF them in the general character of tho
performances. We would earnestly draw the atten-
ton Of the business men of this community to this
iact for they may rest assured that rs long this
is the case if they sell their goods at the
price. and afford equally expeditions and cheap
transportation to the different points of the Union,
the Weston and Southern merchants viii give tho
preference 70 that city which aords them The cheap
est. the best, and The most varied anuscmcnts Tho
eastern cities naturally regarded by the citizens
of the rest of our country the seats Of superior
reiiHcmcr and enjoy and the merchantalways
contcmI alcs pleasure well business in his
semi annual trips to those cities. We therefore re-
gard the project one in which merchants no.
e-keepers and business men generally moro
Interested than any other portion oftle community