National Republican., 1876-12-16
LIFE IN WASHINGTON.
THE NATIONAL THEATRE.

Is 1t Stakeholder COnnell's Report
Criticised Danger in the Gallery. .-
The report prepared by Sanitary Oficer Con-
nell in reference to the safety of the National
theatre and the Theatre Comlcue which was
printed In yesterdays REPUBLICAN,, was read
with great interest and ELECTED considerable
comment, The part that was most criticised was
that portion of the report based upon Mr.. FOrd's
statement, which said that the average nightly
attendance in the gallery, where the danger in
The members of the poiice board visited the the.
atres yesterday with Inspector Plowman, and
the latter gentleman will soon have ready re-
port upon the subject. The following communi-
cations in reference to the report published yes
terday contain opinions which are quite gen.
orally entertained:
THE ATTENDANCE IN THE GALLERY.
To the Editor Of the National Republican:
SIR: The report Of John Connell, sanitary off,
Ger Of the Metropolitan police, on Washington
theatres, published m your paper Of to-day,
shows in tho main great zeal in the performance
Mr.. Connells own personal observations cannot
be disputed; but it appears rather singular that
this gentleman should have allowed himself to
be duped by Mr.. Ford's assertion relative to the
number of persons visiting the gallery. He says:
"Mr Ford, the proprietor, states that the audi
persons a nieht.n NOW ThiIe This ststefnent NAV
be true so far as nights of dramatic performances
are concerned, it il absolutely false as to the
theatre hdbitue knows that on opera nights the
gallery is almost Invariably crowded If are
should break ont in the National theatre on an
opera night, the gallery crowded to its utmost
capacity, what would be the result? or what con-
Iolation could it afford the general public to know
before? X.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Is, 1876.
THE GALLERY OF THE NATIoSAs THEATRE.
To the Editor ofthe National Republicaa:
SIR: have read the report Of Sanitary Officer
Conneu in this mornings paper with interest;
but must take exception to one or two statements
contained therein. With respect to the gallery
of the National theatre it is stated that it will
seat 800 persons, and Mr.. Ford states the aver
that she never saw it near full only on one occa-
sion." From personal knowledge / can state
that have several times seen the gallery nearly
full, and that the audience there, when even num-
bering one hundred, can not reach the street in
much less than ten minutes The stairs are mar
row, with three turns, and in of fire or panic
parties from the gallery would have to contend
with the crowd from the dress circle, whe would
and the door from the drdss circle to the gallery
stairs is now conspcuously labeled "exit door"
Another stairway from the gallery (from which
floor the greatest loss oflife always occurs) seems
crowds at the National theatre, may be in
stanced the nilsson opera troupe and the
Kellogg opera troupe" and more recently the
"Titiens' opera troupe'' and the Julius Caesar
gallery audience must have averaged over 200
persons
The New York Herald recently sent reporters
to every theatre in that city to witness and re-
Would it not be good idea for some of your re-
pOrters TO do the like selecting some holiday or
play patronized after the fashion OF those pro-
duced by Nine. Oates Manager Ford stat9s
1t is safe to assume that it never has beer.
OBSERVER.