Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-05
Allegheny At Last Promised a Fine
Playhouse, Which is to be the
Largest of Them All, and
WILL COMFORTABLY SEAT 5000.
The Proportions of Structure to Cost q
Quarter of a Million and to be
Erected on the
PRESENT SITE OF THE wORLDS MUSEUM
Capitalists Only Waiting for the Arrangement Of
the Lease to Begin Work.

from S20O, 600 to S250, 600, and will be erected
by the Worlds Museum Company, OF Co.
lumbus, o. 1t will be on the site of the
present Worlds Museum, at Federal street
and River avenue.
For several years Pittsburg has been
stirred by wonderful schemes in theatrical
circles. The Jackman building is already
being turned into the Duquesne Theater.
The ever-popular Harry Williams is but
waiting for next spring to break ground for
one of the largest theaters in the city. His
playhouse will face the Duquesue Theafer.
calvin Joslyn" is but waiting the time
when he can get possession of his great site
on Sixth street, where. he says, he will erect
the greatest theater America has ever seen.
All that is for Pittsburg, regardless of the
fact that two-thirds of the patrons of the
playhouses, on many evenings, live in Allie
gbeny. Now the muses. of comedy, tragedy
and song can soon be worshiped in the city
across the river. j. c. Colgan, President of
the Worlds Museum Company, of Colum-
bus, which owns the present Worlds
Museum, has been in the city number of
times lately. He has been trying to obtain
long lease on the property now occupied
BY the Worlds Museum.
WHEN WORK WILL BEGIN.
The lease will be made for 20 years. or
longer if it is possible. The present lease
will not expire until April 1, 1898. The
property is owned by the Robinson heirs. 1t
is expected the lease will be obtained in a
short time, and il possible work will be
commenced next spring. If it cannot be ar
ranged until the present lease expires, work
will be begun on that site, or one offering
equal advantages in the same locality, two
years later.
The site is as fine as there is in the country.
Beside the ground occupied by the old Col
iseUm building, it embraces all the stores
facing on Fedral street and the ground occu-
pied by Delp & Bell. This gives lot rum
ming from Federal street to the alley at the
Chautauqua Lake Ice Company's buildings,
an open space on three sides, so that, if
necessary, the managers can even rival
Alvin Joslyn's7o exits. The theater will be
14S feet deep, with an inside width of 100
feet in the auditorium. 1t will be of |
pressed brick and cut stone, and although |
the plans have not vet been drawn, it is in
tended to have as much architectural beauty |
as any theater in the country. The build |
ing will be fire proof, and have all the mod |
ern conveniences and late fads in the way of
ladies' parlors, gentlemen's smoking rooms,
etc. The stage will be at the southern end,
on River avenue. 1t is to be 20 feet wide,
with 80 boxes, Is on each side. There will
be two galleries.
A NOVELTY IN THE HOUSE.
L. af -. ,,al Gl..G
the slope of the seats will raise the rear |
rows Just enough to make them even with |
the floor of the main foyer, which will be |
located at about the place now occupied by |
the main entrance. A person entering from |
Federal street will walk right into the rear
of the opera chairs without having to climb |
a single step. The box Offices will be on
each side of the main foyer, and above will /
be the offices of Manager keenan, and the
smoking rooms
President Colgan, in speaking of the
venture yesterday, said: ''Our efforts in
Allegheny have been wonderfully success
fnl. The receipts have been beyond our
expectations, and now we intend to give
the city frst-class theater. We will be
delayed for some time on account of the
lease, but if we can get long lease before
the expiration of the present one. we will
build as soon as possible. The present build
ing is not worth much, and we do not care
about putting too much expense on it,
believe we are depending more bn it now
than we should. But next wear, if possible,
and in two years at the farthest we will
erect building the city can be proud of. 1t
will cost from S20O,0 to quarter oil a mil
lion. 1t will be comfortable, convenient, and
as safe as a theater Can be built. We in
tend to give plenty of room for seats, but
still will be able to seat {, 900 people. If we
cannot get the present site, we will find an
other in the same neighborhood, which will
offer really as many advantages"
ENTHUSIASTIC OVER IT.
Edward Keenan,, the business manager,
is enthusiastic over the scheme, which he
regards as the greatest in the State Said |
be: Allegheny needs theater, and a
good one. That people are willing to sup
port theaters in Allegheny there is no
doubt Harry Scott, the former manager of
the Worlds Museum, says the enormous
sums expended in fitting up the museum, .
one year ago, were cleared before the
had been running two months.
Last season we cleared over $40, 900 above
all expenses. That is more than fair in
terest on a quarter of a million.
1uls SedSOu We eApecL 10 clear mucQ
more. The whole inside has been
changed and frightened. The tcurio :
hall looks fresh and inviting. In the ,
theater we have widened the stage seven +
feet made it five teet deeper and raised the :
roof five feet We have also put in a gal
Iery that will seat 500 people com fortably, !
and 200 persons by crowding a little In \
the main auditorium there is room tor !, 100 b
people. We will put in new opera chars Z
in front. The front seats will sell for 10
cents, the rear ones 5 cents, and the gallery i
will be free. The idea is to run a better !
class of attractions this season. More at 8
tention will be paid to the theater, so that
the jump from a museum TO a frst-clsGs 4,
playhouse will not be so great.
"Onr new theater will be as near perfect :
rs one can be made. 1t will be built Just as
soon as the lease can be made. There is plenty
ot money behind the movement. The gentle i
men interested are j. C. Colgan, Thomas j. 8
Dundon, M. j. Berger, William Bott,
Joseph Bott and John McKeown. They
ire all Columbus men and have twice the n
capital necessary to build the theater. The
prices of admission will be about the same
Is those charged at the Bijou at present, and
Fe will run only high class Of attractions. I
The people of Allegheny support the Pitts 3
burg theaters, and If we can offer as good at
fractions on this side have not the least
Tear of the result. We will have house I
big almost as any two in Pittsburg, and it
will be frst-class in every respect"
| 6
Duties of the Park Policemen. c
The Allegheny Committee on Parks last
hight adopted q new set of rules by which