Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-01

WHAT MR.. BERRY SAYS op rre SAFETY.
Mr.. Thomas Berry, proprietor OF Wallis Opera
House, has written . letter in answer 20 q rcceht
communication of Mr.. Adolf Ciuss, charging
defects in the construction of the new building.
Mr.. Berry alltsdes to the fact that he has been a
pracucai builder for more than thirty years,
dividing the main stair case from the auditorium,
about which AIR. Cluss finds 30 much fault, is
subject 10 comparatively small amount OF
strain during the time the audience is entering
or leaving the theater. IL was, nevertheless, q
strong and substantially built partition, the
each stud, neasared by ali the known tests,
being capable Of sustaining . weight Of at least
three tons. The nine-ineh brick wall, built in
Mr. Ciass.) and, OF course. adding to the strain.
will weigh az least six tons. In werd, il is just
that much additional strain over and above
what the audience would give on the supports.
THE sTAIRcAsEs
inside of the building are built Of the strongest
and best timber, and are capable OF bearing a
strain ten times as great as will ever be put on
them. After referring to the solid character of
the floor OF the auditorium, Mr.. Berry says of
the wooden stairs outside Of the building, that
1t has long been aquesti0n whether wood or iron
for outside stairs was the strongest and least
liable TO accident. The sudden contraction and
expansion of iron under different conditions of
the atmosphere renders it, in his opinion, very
unsafe material for the outside stairs of a thea
ter. These objections have been more than
once urged by authorities As competent as MIR.
Cluss in favor OF wood for outside stairs of
building like the one under consideration. Mr.
Berry also thinks the brittlcness of iron under
extreme frost would render q stairway of the de-
scription referred to extremely dangerous and
liable to accident. Fires, he says Mr.. Cluss
ought to know, almost invariably occur In or
about the stage, never on the outside; and this
for the very reason that during the performance
there is always a sufficient guard of policemen
and others on the spot to prevent anything of
the kind. When Wallis opera house was burned
last winter, the outside steps remained standing
and uninj ured.
MEANS OF HGREss
In case Of fire on the stage there are thirty
six windows which can be raised, each window
make the matter still more secure, he has pro-
yided each Of these windows with a rope ladder
or improved fre-escape. In addition to the
front entrance there are four large and spacious
means of egress in the auditorium floor, making
i've in all, for the audience. In addition to
these, there are two spacious means of egrcss
ior the people on the stage; In short, he con,
States Of similar character in which the means
Of eRress are so complete, and adds that they
are such that the house can be emptied in three
minutes.
THE FOUNDATIONS.
The opera house has a footing of blue rock
four feet wide and laid i'm cement. The foun-
dation walls, two feet six inches inches thick
are Of brick; also laid in cement mortar. This
Is covered by belt-course and sills of Duke
marble, two feet four inches wide and eight
theater floor are two feet thick, and of pressed
and hard brick. These are covered by a Intel
course of granite. From this to the roof the
walls are eighteen inches thick, and of selected
hard brick.
MANAGER FORD's ENTERPRISE.
After criticizing some of Mr.. Cluss' work, Mr..
Berry says that the expense of hitting up the in
terror of Wallis Opera House will cost Mr.. Ford
in the vicinity of forty thousand dollars The
chairs alone have cost him upward of nine thou
sand dollars. He is now under an engagement
with Mr.. Jefferson and his company, (nOw per-
forming in the south, involving an expense of
to open here with him and his company on the
18th of next month. To unnecessarily alarm
the public in the face of the facts stated. Mr.
Berry thinksis as unjust as il is criminal.