Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-12-31
A FLOATING THEATER.
Tho Grand scheme Which Is to 10 Innugu-
rated ON tho Gladiator.
New York Times.l

'attu Oh 'uc GiHdthtOf.
New York Times.l
y startling innovation Is to be intro
duced into the histrionic world in the
shape OF n floating theater company.
A certificate was filed yesterday In the
county clerks Office Incorporating the
company, of which the trustees are w
b. Stone, 5. Conant Foster of the firm
of Otis Il Co, Ross G. Stone, Robert
NJ. Fryer and Sydney Necrgaard. The
company's capital is placed ut 81 ,000,-
600, 10 be divided into 100000 shares.
The first beat, designed by Mr.. Fryer,
is to be built on the catamaran princi-
pie, and the structure will
pc supported on two steel cylinders of
20 feet each. The dimensions will be
276 feet in length by 66 feet in width.
The motive power Will be compound
engine OF 1900 horsepower, while the
draught will be u feet. State-room
accommodation for company of 100
will be provided, while the seating ca
pacity of the theater itself, including
parquet and two balconies, will be for
| 800 people. The parquet is to be on
the front Of the vessel, taking UP little
more than one-third its length, and
the stage will be in the
middle. The engine-room, state
| rooms, and dining-room and
kitchen will occupy the after part.
The boat is to be built by contract in
this city, and will cost S250,060. 1t is
to rejoice in the title of the Gladiator.
1--WE have the sympathy of some very
eminent theatrical penple," said one
of the trustees last night. ~ may say
that they are enthusiastic on the sub.
ject. Our object is simply this: There
are 2,0O0,000 people outside of New
| York and Brooklyn distributed in
towns of from 10000 to ~ 900 inhabi-
tants, who have no opportunities Of
witnessing good performance with
out coming to the great cities
This Is always incOnvenient on
ut night. Moreover, great actors vii
not 20 to small towns Do you thinl
Booth would play in Newark? HI
would positively decline to do so. W.
shall visit such towns as Newport, Al
bany, Newark, Paterson, Stoningtor
! and Fall River, alongside the dock
and give them Il iirst-rate performance
such MS could never be heard in the
miserably-appointed theaters Of sucl
towns. We shnll have a regular stocl
company. who will live on the boat al
the wear round. The appoint
ments of the theater viii b'
simply sumptuous. All that art ant
modern theatrical Improvements car
suggest will be found on board tia
Gladiator. We shall rival Wallack'I
and the Fifth Avenue in point of com
pleteness, while our company will b'
n second Madison Square troupe, anC
conducted upon exactly the Sam
principles ~ those which govern tina
iheater. We can move from place {
place during the summer months, bu
we shall keep the company in actiol
3G5 days in the year. The cost
running il will not be nearly $
much rs that of managing theate
on land. There will be no land taxes
and we can therefore afford to build
very fine boat, and theattr that vii
he one of the best in the world. TIL
will be only our first structure, an
we shall not venture upon the ocea
with IT. Later on we shall have boat
10 take in the Delaware and Chess
pealie bays. We shall elect our OIL
GERS about the beginning OF neN
week, and next spring we hope 10 L
able TO launch the Gladiator.