The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-11

HdhcfS duu ucsiSucTs, Win ioI
forty talors and forty dressmakers. Clothes.
arms, WIGS ornaments, feathers. everything
wanted Tor theatrical purposes. has its appointed
place so that every among several hundred
persons can Immediately find what belongs TO him
or TO ner.
Finally the Director the secretary general, the
cashier. the comptroller, the keeper OF the ar
chIves, the cOpyists OF music have each and all
their apartments ana their places in the gigantic
and complicated machinery OF this palace OF
pleasure.
The department OF the orchestra Ia composed Of
common room for ninety musicians with depot
for their instruments and their music as well as
two private rooms, one Tor The leader OF the band
and one for his first fiddle.
Accommodation Is likewise provided for the
CAVALRY OF THE STAGE.
Horses which appear on the theatre have been
enabled 10 make their entry by gentle descent.
There is stable for fifteen OF them lodging for
fifteen grooms and stable boys, with saddle and
harness rooms, bay lofts and corn bins.
Extraordinary precautions have been taken to
insure the success Of rehearsals Three large
rooms have been allotted to singing lessons ana
repetitions another still larger room Tor general
lepetitions.
BUILDING OF THE OPERA.
The first difficulty which presented itself In the
construction OF this eince was the unusual depth
required for its foundations 1t was neediul to
provide space under ground for the immense
cavern destined tor the machinery and decorations
OF the theatre. depth Of nearly twenty yards
was wanted for this purpose beneath the stage:
and, in order to AVOID raising IL too high, 1t was
necessary to sink the foundations far below the
water line in this part Paris. The water there
fore, had not only TO be exhausted In the imme-
date vicinity OF the foundations, but space sum-
cient had to be drained to prevent all possibility OF
dampness, and double wall was then built round
1t. 1t took more than a year to lay the founda-
lions, and eight pumos, worked by eight engines
OF forty-eight horsepower, were employed to
pump out the water, acting day and night,
without Interruption for seven months and eleven
days. An unexpected result followed these pro-
ceedings, for all the wells in the neighoorhood
were dried up Tor nearly half mile around, and
there arose
WILD sHRIEKING OF LANDLORDS AND LODGERs.
The water, however, came back at last into their
wells, and their minds were gradually Gained.
On the 2lst oil July. 1862 the first visible stone Of
the new opera house was.laid, and by the close OF
that year the foundations OF 1t were finished. They
represented the labor OF 100000 days. work OF a
strong man, and there were twelve years. labor
yet to come before the building was completed. It
progressed SO satisfactorily, however. that 1t
could be used irepr0of magazine during the
siege OF Paris, and many valuable paintings, with
other works oil arr, were deposited there. 1t Is.
probably, now one of the most solid structures In
the world.
1t will be lighted by
EIGHT THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED JETS OF GAS
and heated by thirteen cslOriferes. It's size Is
nearly three times greater than that Of the grand
theatres at ST. Petersburg, Munich, Turin and
Berlin. 1t is nine times larger than the Berlin
Opera House.
Within Is an astonishing prodigality OF ornameE-
tation and gliding. The rarest marbles ana The
most beautiful bronze have been freely used, and
the first artists In France have been employed on
its decoration. 1t is beautiful from the mosaic Of
the floors to the paintings OF the roOf. The most
sensational OF the groups OF art which adorn 1t s
LA DANsE'' OF N. CARPKAUx.
1t has been 80 enthusiastically praised and so
herceiy condemned that the admirers and de-
tractors Of the famous sculptor have more than
once come to blows on the subject, and there have
been duels without end about 1t. In the latter
days or the Empire 1t was surrounded by MODS OF
hoOtng and applauding spectators, and one night
the principal figure was wantonly stained by q
quantity OF black nuid known to Partisan COM
merce as
THE INK OF LITTLE VIRTUE.
N. Carpeaux's party photographed the group in
this state and tried to rouse general Indignation,
efaced the riot around 1t gradually subsidized,
though not till o Ministerial decree, issued In 1869.
ordered the finest piece OF sculpture in France to
be withdrawn from the public gaze and removed
TO the interior OF the building. The order how
ever, was not executed; for M. Gumery, who was
employed to carve another group to replace 1t,
died before his work was inisned.
The grand staircase has also been much talked
about; but an American gentleman, who visited
the opera with me yesterday, observed that 1t Is
not so fine as that Of
THE PALACE HOTEL OF SAN FRANCISCO,
and, indeed, though 1t IL broad and stately 1t did
not strike me as remarkable It's steps are OF the
white marble Of Seravezza, bordered by q balus-
trade OF onyx and bansters OF red antique mar
ble reposlng on the green stone or Sweden. But
the whole effect is somewhat wanting In artistic
excellence. The system OF secondary staircases
mas been carefully planned. They are supported
by thirty columns, made by turns Of red granite,
OF speckled granite of Aberdeen, OF the rose-col-
ored granite Of the vosges, of the red granite OF
the Jura and the jasper OF Mont Blanc.
LIE GRAND FOYER
literally bazes with gliding and Is perhaps the
finest room in the world. 1t is fitted up with bril-
liant upholstery, specially made Tor 1t at the looms
OF Lyons and lit by twelve chandeliers. Around
1t are twenty columns, surmounted by allegorical
sary for an artist, Imagination; 2, Hope; 8,
Traditfon;4, Fancy; s, Passion; 6, strength; I.
Thought; 8, Prudence; 9, Moderation; 10, Ele-
gance IL, viii; II, Grace 10, Science; IA, Faith;
Is, Dignity; 16, Beauty; IL, Wisdom; is, PhiosO-
ply; 10, Independence; 20, Modesty. Each OF
these statues is executed by some French sculp-
tor known to fame.
LIE FOYER DE Ia DANSE
is even more beautiful, and 1t Is adorned by some
exquisite paintings OF the queens OF the ballet.
Here are portraits life size. OF Niles. de La Fon-
talne the first lady who danced at the opera;
Tagioui, Elssler, Vestris, Montessu, Dpvernay,
Carlotta Grisl, Cerito and others, with allegori-
Cal pictures by Boulanger, Saint-Leon, Cardel and
Marilier. IL Is a pity to be obliged to add that
they Will be Invisible TO the audience, and that
millions Of francs, more or less, must have been
thrown away upon them. Indeed, there Is
end to the waste OF decoration; for even the
mouths OF the heating pipes, placed mostly out oil
sipht. are designed by celebrated artists and the