Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-05-29
Great Fire in New York.

NEW DIRK, May 23.-There now remains
no doubt about the &c OF last NIGHT heinz
the WORK ,oi an incendiary. 1t has been as
cer:salned that the edifice was fred in five
different places simultaneously. Only the
charred walls now remain. The streets in the
vicinity are crowded by an excited multitude
eagerly looking upon the ruins. The entire
ElOck from Gazing Place to Third Avenue
half block on Third Avenue aud the whole
block on Fifteenth street were burped out
The following are the buildings DESTROYED ::
Academy Of Music, Medical College, Gatzeer's
Hotel, the piano factory of Thorn, the Luz
theran Church, and several private dwellings,
The loss will not fall short of four millions Of
dollars. The scenes during the fire were ter
rible in the extreme large billets of burn
ing wood and hot cinders were flying through
the air for tens of blocks around, and women
and children were running frantic through
the streets in the neighborhood. Maretzek's
loss is $3.50 in wardrobes, for which he
has only an insurance for $4,000 Grau
lost all his wardrobe also
The following description of the Academy
of Music, the principal building destroyed,
we copy from tho New York World:
The Academy of Music was commenced
in the spring of 1858, and was opened to the
public in October, 1854. The cost of the
editice, including the ground, was three
hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars
1t was one of the largest opera houses in the
world, ranking with La Scala, Milan, San
Carlo, Naples, and the principal establish
ments of Paris and London. The structure
was of brick. Its seating capacity was for
thirty-fve hundred persons, but on occasions
of great interest, from five to six thousand
persons had frequently found accommodation
within its spacious walls. The stage was.
with the exception of that in the Old Bowery
Thcater, the deepest in the country, and
afforded room for professions composed of
three or four hundred persons. By measure.
ment the edifce was about two hundred and
fifty feet in length and one hundred in width.
The auditorium comprised very extensive
parquet, balcony circle, box tier, family
circle, and gallery or amphitheater. The
foyer and lobbies were conveniently planned
The Academy, however, had its defects.
The horseshoe form of the auditorium proved
serious disadvantage, in as much as a full
view of the stage could only be had from
about tTo-thirds of the seats. In the family
circle and gallery this defect was go serious
that large number Of seats were seldom oc-
cupied, even when the largest audiences had
assembled: Moreover, it was unnecessarily
high, and although the acoustic properties
were good, they would have been better had
this objection been guarded against.
For theatrical representations the Academy
was poorly adapted, being too vast. AS a
ballroO Onto which it was readily turned
by flooring over the parquet) it presented
few facilities, but these were quite overcome
by the lack of adequate supper, cloak, and
retiring rooms.
The charter upon which the stock company
which built the Academy was organized
provided for the establishment, in connection
with the opera, of free school for instruction
in vocal aud instrumental music This pro-
vision was after few unsatisfactory expert
ments, disregaIded.