The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-19
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
DESTRUCTION OF THEATRES.

The destruction of theatres by re has been COM
pared with that of other public buildings, compar'
atvely small Ii is not intention to speak Of the
ancient temples, in connection with this subject two
however, a matter OF history, we mention. In
A. d. 26, the Amphheatre at Fidona, (Castel Gui.
belio,) fell and $4,000 persons were supposed to
have been killed. This building was devoted to
wild beast tights and gladatorial combats. In the
year $50, Pompey's Theatre burnt. From the
year 1870, when the first Theatre was erected in
London, and which was called 'The Theatre " un-
til 1799 have recorded the destruction of TWEEN
ty Theatres and of these elk fell from the imper.
iectness of the building The first Theatre destroy
ed by fire ION record) is that of "The Globe" the
scene of Shakspeares earliest efforts this occurred
on the Goth of June 1913. The play was Henry VIII.
The last in the list named was Ricketts, Circus,
in this city, December II, 1799
From 1909 to l845, there were thirty-one; this in
crease of course, was owing to the popularity of
theatrical representations. The first in this list was
"Astleys Amphiteatre," London, September 2
1903, which was destroyed by fire, with forty ad
jacent houses. The last was a Theatre 10 St
Johns, N. b., December IL, 1s45.
From 1915 to 1854, the number destroyed was
thirty seven. Twenty-one of these were in our
own country. Our readers, however must take
into consideration, that many of these, situated in
various parts of our country were built chiefly Of
wood, and could scarcely be termed Temples oil
the Muses." The first OF this list was the Boston
Atheneum," destroyed by fire, Feb. %, 1876; the
last the National Theatre in this city July s. 1854
In Philadelphia, we can name the following, being
as will be perceived, a very small number, dating
the time from the first theatrical representation in
our city. l749, to the present moment The first
was Ricketts, Circus, alluded to above. The Sc
cond, the Chestnut Street Theatre April g (Sundsy)
1920 The third was the old South Street Theatre,
apollo" The fourth, Barnum's Museum. The
fifth, Sandford's Opera House. The sixth, the Ma
tional We have included in this list three places
scarcely deserving to be ranked with Theatres
but as they were used for theatrical representa-
tons, we include them. =
In connection with the destruction of the Ma
tonal Theatre in our city, there is one fact worthy
of notice. When the Richmond Theatre was de.
stroyed by fire, the Goth OF December, 1911, the
play on that evening, az part of the performance
was raymond and Agnes" The same piece wal
being played at the time the National took fire.
Ia 1923, at the Baltimore Circus and Theatre un
der the management OF Blanchard, this vile piece
was produced, and during the performance the
Theatre took lire. II 10 curious fact that no frs
is srequired in the play Old Higgins, the prompter
knowing the fatality attached TO H. had an eye Il
the building, and actually succeeded In saving |
from the fate Of the Richmond Theatre The very
name OF '.nun' rendered Higgins nervous. "Ray
mond and Agnes" 10 one OF those wild dramali,
productions which add nothing to tho stage ans
detrsct much from The character Of the drama
is founded on Monk Lewis "Ambros~, or th
Monk CoLL1y CiBBS1.