Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-12
The Light Il7fantry's Splendid
New Home.
AN IN - RISE UriICE REFLECTS
CIlETsIT UPON TIE CITY,
a Complete Illu8tr ted Description Of
the New Building.
An Opera House That Combines the Latest
Ideas and Modern ImproVements-The
Facilities of the Armory--Interest-
ing History of the Corps

AEu afInoEE " hlc:l las just DScn begun by the
Washington Light Infantry corps is situated at
the corner Of 18th and + streets. opposite the
grounds of the Executive mansior-a locality
peculiarly well adapted for building of this |
description. Fifteenth street at this point being |
very wide and free from railroad tracks. gives |
all tie room desired for carriages and immunity !
from noise yet it is within few hundred feet |
OF all the lines Of street and prime pal hotels
The armory proper will be on the ground floor. |
with entrance on both streets. The grade of
the streets is such that the armory will be very
little below the sidewalk on f street and the |
opera house but slightly elevated above 18th
street. The armory has a drill-room 90x120,
the walls and ceiling handsomely panelled in
wood This room has gallery for musicians,
and Will be used for balls and recaptions The
Ofhcers r0omS Open into the drill-rOOm. and
have door communicating with vestibule of
entrance on street. The lOcker-rOGm and
Kitchen are situated in the rear of 6riil-rOom
The principal eHtranCes to the opera house open |
Into yestibUle 2iX!O feet, the floor of encaustic
thing, laid upon brick arches and iron beams
forming thorough fTe-prO0f construction |
From this vestibuie two grand flights of stone
steps lead to the upper focr- There is a lobby
on the orchestra floor, also or the balcony floor |
24xG0 feet each. These do net lead rcctly into |
the auditorium. but into foyer IL feet wide |
which Las doors opening on each aisle
THE SIZE OF THE OPERA HOUSE.
The size of the opera house can mere readily |
be appreciated By comparing it with the largest
opera houses in the world. The auditorium of
the metropolitan, New York, measures So feet
Inches by % feet inches. The Grand Opera |
House, in Paris, 20 By 81; while that of the new
opera house at Washington is IS by 90. The |
stage is 30 by 81 and IS frcn stage to ceiling |
giving ample accommodation for putting on
grand opera and spectacular dramas S0mething |
tnat Washington has not heretofore enjoyed.
THE AUDITORIUM.
On entering the auditorium one Is struck hy
the novel treatment of tie prosceHum The
abandonment of the conventional ertical shape
OF the opening and the substitution OF good con-
structlona lines, does away with the necessity
ior the cheap Initiative drapery which is usually |
nung above the scenery. This gives good ar |
ChtVctuTal forms, which DO net require sham |
decoration.
nunGer) are clear of the stage but go arranged |
that the occupants have an uninterrupted view |
% II. a. also OF the auditorium The fronts are |
felEc'rcUiar and enriched with moldings and |
CARVING IN delicate detail. forming. with the |
Columns and arches OF the rrosc,uuIu a hand |
some and attractive feature
Tie fronts OF The galleries ofiron. wrought |
In artistic forms. supported upon columns and
beams vi TIE same material.
The ceiling i laneed with nodded ribs and
has ali arcade. aruu2d and inside OF which are
seYrlai rows of lights, thus doing away with the
central Chandelier
The building VIII be heated bv steam. the
boilers being located in ID vault under the SIDE
walk. The method employed Will be indirect
rat,!atiOn, the radiators be.n.t So arranged that
tnty are SUPPLIED directly with fresh air from
outside.
PINS FOR VENTILATION.
The ventilation of the opera house will be
ample and very complete; a series OF fues at in
fary- IL 4
al the back ot the auditorium. with large steam
pipes enclosed To- thoroughly heat Them will
open upon each floor TO receive the vitiated air
from the auditorium and galleries and the
heated ayr from the oas Jets. The CAPACITY OF
these fueS is equal tn oiiScharging the entire
contents Of the theater every ten minutes fur
n!sng full and ample ventilation for 1900 pe0-
PIE The whole 0stem Of vcat.latip ion and heat
Ing can be controlled from the back OF the stage
and the temperature Of the house and ra,ty
OF ventilation are rccirrccaiiy controllablc so
either can tie decreased or augmented the
cOitiitiOn Of the house may require
The building will be constructed of the best
mater as and in the most approved manner no
expense being spared To make it GIe Of the most
substantial as well beautif ui structures of its
kind The cost Of the building. including deco
ration and furnishing. will be $4,000 The
architects are NcSsrs. GRAY i PAGE the builder
Mr- d. j. Macarty
The above cut. prepared from the plans de-
signed 10y the architects. Messrs. Gray & Page.
gives an excellent representation of the new
opera house and armory-
History of the Corps.
A RECORD Full OF HONOR
The projected 2rmory and opera house will be
memorial OF the enterprise and popularity of
the Washington Light Infantry. organization
whose history dates from 1856 The first public
appearance OF the Washington Light Infantry
was made September II. 1856 when the COM
paHy paTaded the streets It's officers were John
b. Blake. captain: Richard France Ist lieuten-
ant: John Mills. I'd lieutenant: Wm Nauro Sd
lieutenant: Joseph Borrow$ surgeon ard JAS
i. Mexican. quarterEnaSter. The cOrapany which
proSpered was subsequently commanded success
sveiy by Capts. Richard France James T. Me-
Mean Joseph Il. Tate. +. c. Darlington and Jas
i Paws Company a was from its infancy
very popular organization. Though the .c;tin-
Ia@A- by tie s..t and the long pilgrimages
w-c.i characterized tie latter history of the
c".p- "ere probably ut that day uUdreamt Of
Sill tae rcn"wH ot the company was not con-
fined = the District y visit made bythe com
I"ay 10 Fredericksburg. Va. on the 4th OF july
1si> = described - follows hv gentleman who
W. present iii Fredericksburg:
- matter of course, the soldiers and citizens
or iA,t ID Town hal roccive! notice Of their com
81 an ti,".F'f Vas made To i've them old
Nli-LL- I'v.cl:ae NJ That tac capt. Talf was TIE
eSii-,Eti:1rF oi thr W J. l., and capt. Jackson OF
Va fft-'fit- ''!'S 'i1iiTd,- II was a great event
10 Ft'':-!i' N>tUT- and every body there was de
Niit'fI WIN III appearance OF tine cOinDaEy which
fhtf. - Vel a. At ilcSei.. combined every gentle
Hi;thiE ana Sc.dI'T-y element. The Washington
company "EcaInrcd i'll tents the I:tppehaDuOck
TVCr, l. i! upper section. Of the town, and during
The b-'f period OF their visit nothing could have
presented Il scene OF miTth and Jollity more prGmI-
Rent than was there exhibited. The great Fourth
OF july dinner was provided On BROW MS Island half
wy across Couiter's bridge. between Frrdcrfcks-
burg and the = fori Side. There the pay we
celebrate cclt DRAFTED With Vim worthy OF the
Hen and women OF that day
The INFANTRY IN THE WAR.
When the war Of the rebellion broke out the
Infantry among the first, if not the first or
ganizatiOn. to tie mustered in under the three
months call. The name Of the orderly sergeant
OF the Washington Light Infantry the very
FIRST To be placed on the rolls of the volunteer
army which afterw ards swelled to millions. That
the corps did good service in and around Wash
fngtOn i shown by the records of the War de-
paTtment From these records it appears that
they We're mustered in on the 10th of April, 1861.
The military service performed by them In up
holding the Union will compare fayOfably with
TIE record Of aay similar organization from any
Ol The states Many of the members who went
into the war with the first remained in active
service Till the very close The District yolun-
teefs inciudin" the W. l.. i. Corps. rendered
service oil great value to the government during
tne critical period at the outbreak of hOstiiities
when there was great need OF ready troops.
H.