Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-02-23
A HOAa1NG THEATRE.
fha Grand scheme Which H. to be lnne.u.
rntrd on tht t.,nrta,h1.

a stattling lnAovaiion l.. 70 be .i4tro-
duced into the histrio.ic void IL tie
shape Of a floating theatre connpa.v.
says tAe New York rJ.ncs. A cert Il
cate was filed in the Ge,raiy Clerks OF
flee incorporating the company. Of which
the Trustees ale Mr.. William b. Stone.
Mr.. S. Cooant Foster, OF the firm of
Otis & Co. Mr.. Ross. C. Stone. Mr.
Robert N. Fryer, and Mr.. Sydney Neer-
gard The company ccpstal is placed
at one tnilii.o dola,s, TO be divided into
100 900 shares. The first boat, designed
by Mr.. r. NJ. Fryer, is to be built on
the catamaran principle, and the struc--
ture viii be supported on two steel CYL.
inders OF 20 feet each. The dimensions
will be 27e feet in length by Gs feet in
width. The motive power will he con-
pound engine Of $500 horse power,
while the draught will be = feet. State
rooms for a company of 100 viii be
provided, while the sasting capacity of
the theatre Itself, including parquet aud
t~o balconies, will be for l 900 people.
The parquet is to be on the front Of the
| vessel, taking mp little more than one
third its length and the stage will be in
! the middle. The engine-room, state
| rooms and dining rooms and kitchen will
! occnpv the after part. The boat is to be
built by contract in n Y city and will
cost e25o.o00 It is toe1eioice in the
title of tie Gladiator.
eve have the sympathy Of some very
eminent theatrical people," said oue Of
the Trustees. 'I may ray tsat tfley are
enthusiastic or the subject. Onr Oh
| iect is simply this: There are 2.eOO, 900
people outside of New York and Brook
| lyn, distributed in to- Wns of from 10, cnN
/ to 90, 600 inhabitants, WHO lave no ,op-
pertrnitlrs 81 witnessing a good pens
| formance without coming to the Froe..
4 cities. This Is alwavc ii1collvenient on
account "f tx, late return at night.
sMnrtover, great actors will not go to
small towns. Do you think Booth would
play in Newark He vonl? positively
decline TO dc 81. We shall visit such
towns as Newport, Albany, Newark,
! Paterson, Stonirgton, and Fall River,
anchor alongside the dock. ard give
them a tirsi-rat. ,erfnrnanca. F,,rh 4ls
could never ho hoans III the miserably
| appointed thcelIes of such towns. We
shall have . regular stock company, who
| will live on the boat all the year round
The appointments Of the theatre will bs
simply sumptucns All that art arc
modern theatrical improvements car
, suggest viii be found on board the
Gladiator. We shall rival Wallack's and
the Fifth avenue in point of complete
ness, while our cqrpany Will be a sec
ond Madison Squarc troupe AMI con
Quoted upon exactly, the same principles
as those which govern that theaire We
can M We from place to place dufine Il,
summer months. but we shall Keep elsl
company in aoton s6rdays in the yea
The cost Of rnnning it will not be ncafll
so much as that ct managing theatr.
on land There will be 10 lan'l ta*<s
and I'VE can therefore afford TO !;l;1e
j a very fine boat, and theatre whici
| will be- one OF the best in the world
1 This will be only orr.first structure. an,
we shall not venture upon the oceal
with it. Later On we shnl have boat.
t. take in the, Delaware aud CDcsareak,
Gays. We sll4ll elect our officers i
December, ani '-,xt slr.ns We hope 4
be n(,!, - lauHei. the Gladiator. So
--1De &t