Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-23
News by Telegraph
 FROM ALL QUARTERS. OPEN TO THR PUBLIC. The New Opera House In
 New York. A GRAND MUSICAL EVENT. Wealth and Beauty's Tri-
 bute to Talent. THE EPIScOPALIAN CONVENTION. Changes in the Book Of
 Common Prayer.
THE EPISGOPALIAN CONVENTION.
Changes in the Book of
 Common Prayer.
NEW YORK.

A RkSGTOo
 p0lieam Opera House Thrown Open to
 the PubIic-A Grand OperatIc Treat
 Abbey's Great Singers i'm the Opera Of
 Faust-FIve Hundred Millions Repre-
 sented tn the Audience.
 NEW YORK, Oct. 22.-One of the most nota-
 ble events in the history of music in this
 country took place in this city tonight. It
 was the formal opening to the public of the
 great Metropolitan Opera House, about
 which so much has been said and written
 during the past three years. The opera SC.
 leoted for the occasion was Faust and it's in
 depreciation was entrusted to a cast which
 owing to the individual excellence of it's members it would be difficult to rival The following named famous artis s filled the principal roles of the opera: Signor Campanini as Faust, Mme Christine Nilsson as Marguerite, signor Novara as Mephistopheles, Mme Scalchi as Siebel and signor: :DelPusate an Valentine. The grand orchestra numbering no pieces was conducted by Signor vianesi, the famous maestro of La Scala The audi ence present was variously estimated at be- tween three thousand five hundred and four thousand. The seating capacity of the house is three thousand five hundred, but this was greatly increased by the large number of persons who remained standing during vestibule, corridors, parlors and every available position from which glimpse of the stage could be obtained The sittines had nearly all been sold during tue previous week either to their intended occupants or to various parties who held them for pur- poses of speculation. The value of choice seats increased rapidly in the early evening and during the progress of the opera several offers of from thirty to fifty dollars for seats in the parquette were made and refused Speculators on the pavement in front of the house were selling parquette seats at $25 each. At o'clock sign was displayed in front of the box office at the Broadway en- trance stating that every seat in the house had been sold and that admission was only obtainable Long before the time set for the commencement of the opera the streets in the neighborheods of the building presented an almost impossible jam of ve- hicles. Broadway from Thirty-ninth to Fortieth streets for time was completely blocked with carriages, stages and street cars, while in Thirty ninth and Fortieth streets on each side of the opera house the carriages were drawn up in 8 line three deep. It re quired the greatest exertion of a large reserve force of police under the command of Captain Williams of the Twsnty-ninth precinct to keep the streets open to passers. AS the hour approached for the opera to be gin the crowd in the vestibules, corridors and in the grand staircase increased rapidly in Eize and despite the strenuous efforts of large and well drilled corps of ushers much of the delay and embarrassment incident to g first night was experienced in getting the audience seated. The brightness, light and harmony of color Of the interior of the great audience room is in marked contrast with the dark and gloomy tone of the to which old habitues of the Academy have been so long accus toned. The painting, upholstery and general color decoration of the whole interior have been selected and arranged with a viey to producing definite unity of effect, aud the result as displayed tonight under 8 broad food of gas light was much finer and much greater success than it's designers had ventured to hope for. The prevailing mellow golden hue accented in places by the rosy tinge of the silken drapery of the boxes and forming magnificent background for ths display of brilliant toilets. From the great dome of the ceiling hung two immense concentric rings or circles of gas jets casting down broad zone of light, while the general of the interior was produced
 
 tered through various parts of the house The ladies present made an extremely fine and costly display of toilets, most of which were designed especially for the event. The triple tier of boxes stretching clear around the auditorium in the shape of an immense horse shoe was perfect mass of color lit with the
 leam and sparkle of diamonds and resem- bling hurge bank of vari-colored flowers.
 It is safe to assume that larger and more brilliant assemblage of all the wealth, beauty and fashion of the metropolis was never be- fore gathered together thaa than which filled the opera house tonight. In this connection it was remarked by gentleman present who is we'll known in New York society, and who is an excellent judge of the character and social tone of large audiences, that very large proportion of the gentlemen present, and who gave the dominant tone to the assembly, were men whose faces have been much more familiar in Wall street and Jerome park during the past few years than at operas. phllharmonics, academy exhlb1- tions or other places frequented by people of musical or artistic education. The aggregate amount of wealth represented by the occu- pants of the 122 boxes at the opera house to night was estimated at $500. GOO, GOO. Not only was New York well represented, but many well known residents of Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and Chicago were in the audience. It was not un- til nearly g o'clock that the noise and confusion in the house had subsided enough to warrant the conductor in proceeding with the opera Signor Vianesi then arose from his seat, turned and survey sd the immense audience for an instant and raising his baton the overture be- gan. As the first strains of the great masterpiece of Gounod swept through the vast auditorum hush sd into silence and all aglow with light and life and beauty, the effect on the imagi- nation was most impressive and will long dwell in the mem- mory of those who experienced it. The opera was not concluded until nearly 1 o'clock, much time having been lost in long waiting between the acts. The greater part of the audience remain ed until the finish. a Br1dge-A Passenger Train
 PIunges Into a Canal-Three Killed and
 . Number Injured.
 A-1.,yr OoH % "A sneoiaI ko Eha PrAaa