, 1866-12-19
BURNING OF THE NE.T ORLEANS
THEATRE.

!hxrrrsunE Ren1tn1*CrnceB OF the 1nBft.
tution for Ftfry Trar1-Remark7bl<
ScrieN OF Theatrical Calamitfes.
From tho New otlean. Crescent, December ah.
The Orleans Theatre ia one Of the thing:
Of the past. 1t Was consumed by fire yes
terdaY morning between the hours Of 81,
O'Clock and halfpast utne. It's fifty years o.
amusement aud gayetY will live henccforth
In the minds of old citizens ouIy. The esigit
" the hre was behind the scenes. 1t Is mol
only positively asserted 10 have been the
work OF an inccndiary, but that tho curtains
Or scenery were set on fire Ia four different
piacee- 1he cuEfues were prompt In reach
Ing the ground, but the flames were found
extremely difficult to subdue. The interior
conlbustlblc materials, apd in two hours and
. hnlf after the flames had started they had
done their worst. The Orleans ball room
and cot1ee house, which was really part oi
the house, ure burning at the time We write,
nn1 Dull u .,, ls thought that portion Of the outer
The burning Of place Of amusement IL an
cyert Which naturally arrests the attention
Of the public bu. Of IN old building like
the Orleans Theatre, which occupied tie
foremost position In the dramatic world for
Eea1iy half century, no one ean read OF Its
destruction without certain amount of
emotion. II wus built in 1911, and upon its
boards the leading operas have been per-
formed; at a time, too, when similar it1sti.
tulion was almost unknown in Northern
cliies, md In Ruch 4 manner as 10 excite the
admiration Of every traveller who visited
ta'is country. Upon It's boards Fanpy ElsIcr
has danced, and Jenny Lind sung Col*on,
Der1ies. FIcugy Jolic. Calye, md the other
Of the iirkt lyric artists have there appeared,
AID until the building Of the new oncra, d
] shnst time previous 70 the was, It still re-
place Of resoit With tie h French i 1e'a ani
Creole fashionable world. The erection
cf the new building decided lts fate,
and Jig most historic memories neye
kcrt IT from hcncctorth occupying second.
war, and, Immediately ai,er, with some Of
the most painful changes Of the revolution
though not, that Et know OF, through my
1.ult OF the proprietor, Mr.. Par1anEe-and
the iayor of the public to subsequent rcpre-
sehtatlnns Was but reluctantly won back
The building was twice erected. 1t Was
Immediately afler It's completion destroyed
~ fire, and its cost fell IS q heavy loss upon
AF, LatEobe, The architect. It was rebuilt
by Mr. P. Dnvis, SEN, in 1871 The ballroom
connected with il has Its own history ITSELF
ane five remember rightly 1t was here that
jackson aud lafayette were .ftied on their
second visits to this city. The balls which
have tccn given there since the war have not
In all respects been Of the same fashionable
character.
The ruined appearance Of the buildtnr-
which, by the way, exhibited La Tour de
Stsle, one Of the Eloomiest ard darkest trac-
edics ever written. upon its last performance
nights at present a fair representation Of
tEoEr who we're In any way interested In II 1t
the lime OF 1ts destruction.
The theatre was valued 1t 200, 900, and the
proprietor Il said TO have paid 265, 900 in gold
for 1t before the war. The manager OF the
the-trical company invested so,00oe {about
$1,000, cFeeueacks,) in his unfortunate en-
terprise. and Hypo1lte, who had charge OF
the eotiee-house, fruit room, ball room. and
vas adding an eating house saloon, had, &C
cnfdiDc to bis own statement, spent &lf, 600
In putting his premises In order and obtain
r.. MS stock. OF this sum he only loses
SSuo, as the remainder Of bis investment
"as covered br Insurance.
The present &ens0n has been An uufoftu-
nate one for the theatrical world, and rec.tls
70 mind the terrible traEedy Of The Evening
Star. Counting the failure of Mrs. Howard
ut the Olympic, and loss Of some stage
Properties ut the Varieties by the sinking of
The Evening Star. the st. Charles remains Is
the only theatre which has SO far escaped
any losses whatever The dissolution OF
three theatrical companies a}nue Is an event.
We believe, which has never been chroni-
clcd In this city before In one season, and.
as the mtsfortnnes OF managers and actors
arc the nisfortunes Of The public, are such
a. We trust will never occur a-a:u