Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-09-24
PARIS.
The Now Opora House.

To describe the new Academic Nation.
ale de Music, which has been ten years
in the course of construction, so that
your readers might have some idea OF its
wonderful magnifcence, is so utterly
impossible that we will only endeavor to
give a general idea of its outward ap
pearance. 1t is finished on the outside,
but two years ofwork has not completed
the interior, and two years more are re-
quired for its ornamentation. There is
no better way of conveying to an Amer
lean an idea of anything that he has not
seen than to tell him the cost of it,
Well, the new Opera House has cost
40, 900, 900 francs, or about $S, ,000 900 in
gold, including the square of ground on
which it stands. 1t is government in
stitution, and was intended as one of the
crowning glories of the Napoleon en-
pire Who will first occupy the magnifi-
cent retiring rooms of the emperor and
empress it would be difficult now to say.
The Opera House occupies an open
space from which radiate the Boulevards
Capucines, Italiens, Rues Scribe, Auber,
Halcey and Neuve des Matturine, like
the spokes of wheel. The area it oc-
cupies has front Of 4O3 feet, and a
depth OF 467. If any of your readers
have the figures of the new Opera House
on Howard street, they can compute the
difference in the size of the two struc-
lures. 1t fronts on the Place de Opera,
the width of which must be about 600
feet in one direction, and 1000 feet in
the other, being the junction of all these
great thoroughfares. To stand in the
center of this place and look at the
front of the building, with its groups,
statues and busts of exquisite exc
cution, and tke towering dome,
crowned by group of bronzed statu-
ary, puts one out of conceit OF the
old masters of both statuary and archi-
lecture. The streets that encircle the
building are all not less than l5O feet in
width, and fine view of it can be OBJ
tanned from any of the great thorough
fares. But it is not the front only that
is ernamented with statuary and busts,
but the sides and even the rear, while
the sculpture of all parts Of the building
is most elaborate. Indeed, the side
views are more satisfactory, and give
better idea of its immensity than the
front, as the lateral projections with car
riage-ways under arched porticos, by
which vehicles will reach to the level of
the first row of boxes, are among the
most attractive portions of the building.
The interior ID being completed to
correspond With the grandeur of the ex
terror ornamentatien. There are five
rows of boxes, and independent of the
cheap galleries, there will be seats for
$500 persons. Each box has a small
private salon attached to it, including
those of the fourth tier. These are
fitted up as little dressing rooms for the
ladies to retire to between the acts. The
portion for the audience is built entirely
of stone and iron. The stage is So feet
broad and l25 feet deep. The machinery
of the stage is wonderful, and cannot be
described, further than that by an i'm
menss excavation far below the founda-
tions of the building, to the depth Of fifty
feet, the advantage in scene shifting
is obtained of having the side scenes
and flies all of piece, and raising them
from below. A subterranean sheet OF
water was encountered in making this
excavation, Oeeasioning an engineering
difficulty which added about 100000
francs to the cost of the building
Whether any idea of the building can
be obtained from this description, it
would be Impossible to say, but let the
reader Just conceive it to be the most
elegant, and ornamental, aud elaborate
building of its size ever constructed,
and think of the 1000, 900 it costs, and
Imagination will supply the de6ci enoies
in the descriptiou.-C C. f., IN Batft'
more american.