Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-10-25

would have acted bsfors tina heat bad a.
CREASED 70 sufficient degree "a ba 49,
Ferrous, and would have put the lIcht o,,.
But they were all alisht. 30 tbst unSa. ~.
any circumstances the FIRE OF iass MONT
eonia not have been caused BY eiec.
.'rhst" added the reporter, "e.p,a,ns
only IN regard TO the email incandsacsnt
nghts- Whht about the arc llghta p,
They are protected by thorouoh In.
suiation- Aud besides AZ regards tha
Academy only one arc wire ID copnse,aa
with The building, and that on the op,siss
where The attachment Ia. The wire itsslf
Goes mot touch the building. II wa III
solutely imposaible that the ara llebt
caused the hre."
Mr.. Lighthipe said that In reosyd to
any danger to tue iremen laet night from
,ne arc wire, the arc mainline at the sta.
tion WIS Immediately shut of when newa
canne OF the location Of the FIRE.
Tue Academy OF Musio was built in tba
season o. 1885 SO by the then existing Arm
OF L. Z. Bnck q Co, which was mposea
OF L T. Buck and James H. Sboemaker
on Monday, January 18th, 1885, ID was
formerly opened by the Boston ideal
opera Company who played a four nights
engagement appearing In as many operas.
Inc interior Of the house was- modelled
after the Arch Street Opera House, phils.
deiphia and In point OF architeotnral
beauty was quite attractive. IT. first
manaser was Ozark 8. Hamnis, who made
an effort to conduct It az iirst class
amusement house, but bis efforts In this
direction were unsuccessful. John Smith
or Chester, Pa, succeeded Mr.. Semmis al
manager, with Harry Askin, Of McOauiPs
fhiiadelphia Opera House 90 assistant.
and acting manager. Mr. Smith followed
the policy Of Mr.. Sammis to present lead.
ing attractions in the house but his
endeAvora were Iikewise fruitless. and
smith lost q considerable sum Of
money, IN fact all he had. +. r. Proctor
took the building from Smith and has
since conducted II as popular price
Amusement place. The laiter's Efforts
were more successful, as far as the at
tendance was concerned, than either OF
the previous managers, although IL Is
stated that there has nevsr been any
money in the house for either companies
OF management A year ago the firm OF
Proctor d Soulier succeeded r. Il. Proc
tor as lessees and managers Of the house
and IL has been managed by Fl. Z SoulieI
tho same manager who dlreots the
Opera House for the same frm. Tho
Academy of Music rented for o., 900 per
annum and the lessees had Just renewed
their contract for term OF three years
beginning January 18th next. Tho last
performance was given in the house on
Octobtr 18th and another performance
was billed for to. morrow evening. II is
stated that the original cost Of the build.
ing was $50 900 and that between $2 600
and %, 900 additional were expended by
the trustee, De Haven Morris, who repre-
sents q mortgage Of $4,000, an sddi-
tionai mortgage Of $4,000 being held by
L. p. Buck.
The additional Sums spent on the In,
terror improvements ct other times would
bring tho total amount expended on the
building at $4,000. The lot and the
four walls, valued by Mr.. Buck at
$i5, 900, are the only assets, thus leaving
. loss from the FIRE from gao, 1000 to
$S6 600. There Ia an insurance OF
$40 900 on the building and Proctor d
Soulier have an insurance Of 90 600 on
their contents although Mr.. soulier says
that they have expended $4,000
on the building. The insur-
ance placed through Buck q Com.
pany Ia as follows, on the building
London 4 Lancashire, $4,000; Phen.x
Of New York, Firemens Fund OF CALI
fornia, Royal OF Liverpool, 81 SOC each;
Continental Of New York, 90, 500. Proc.
tor d soulier have 81 500 In each, of the
Germsn-Amsrican Of New York aud the
James III. Shoemaker claims to have lost
about $1,000 by the fire. He was I'M
protected in any way. II was Mr.. Shoe
makers intention TO have guarded his
interests in the building against fire and
he had arranged Last week TO have a
policy for IS 900 placed on the property.
He neglected the matter for the time and
had made az appointment to have the
insurance placed tomorrow.
There 10 SCARCELY probability that the
house will be rebuilt asa theatre. The
destruction Of the Academy Of Music Is
hut little regretted outside Of its owners.
Il was built under such circumstances
that Il took q considerable time to over
como the feeling against IL, and there
have been numerous legal contests con-
esrninR recovery of payment for work
performed, but II ia said that 70 per cent
OF the cost OF erection has been paid, and
that eventually the entire indebtedness
would have bsen liquidsted. Thus the
structure which has caused much oonten-
tion in it's erection, losses and disappoint-
raent in it's early operation, has gone up
ia smoke and ashes. The FIRE had the
merit OF being opportune, for had there
been performances aud d large audience
present the oonse a uenoes might have been
serious.
NOTES OF THE FIRE.
~. u u.x.n u.. n Nm
Mrs. sames q; IonseAe., mls. y; r.