The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-06-25
OUR NEW OPERA HOUSE.
Architect Cobb Interviewed by a Trib-
me Representative on Yes
terday Afternoon.
The House to he Handsomely Built. Fin
ished. Furnished and Fitted-A
Full Description Of the
Building.

Architect Oscar Cobb Of Chicago ha
arrived in the city and is registered il
the Park hotel. Learning of his ar
rival a representative of the TRIBuHi
called on him at his room. He wa
courtcously received and when his pur
pose was made known the architec
kindly unrolled the plans and gave tn,
following complete description:
The house is situated on Third street
between First and Second avenues north
1t extends along Third street seventy
feet and is 10 feet deep. OF the ~sevent!
feet on the street sixty compose the
frontage and ten are devoted 20 an en-
trance leading to the dressing-rooms.
The auditorium proper is located or
the ground floor and is reached by al
entrance on Third street. This entrance
is sixteen feet deep by twenty feet il
width. On the left-hand side is a ticket
Office, furnished with a window, from
which tickets to the lower auditorium
and balcony are sold. From this same
box-office, but from another window,
tickets to the gallery are sold. On the
opposite side of the grand entrance the
managers Office is situated. The audi
forum is sixty by seventy feet and the
lower part is divided into a parquet and
parquet circle. The seating capacity of
this lower portion is 800. The balcony
accommodates $40 and the gallery $50.
The house will therefore seat about 1,400
people.
The cutting off of ten feet of the front
on the side next the alley has several adj
vantages. 1t makes an excellent actors
exit and there being no rooms behind
the stage gives an opportunity for per-
feet light and ventilation. Besides this
it locates the dressing rooms very con-
veniently. OF these, four are on the
ground floor, six are above the stage and
three are placed in the basement, under
the stage and will be reserved for min
strel purposes,
The stage is 20 feet long and II deep.
This width, the architect says. gives am
pie opportunity to produce, without cur-
failing or diminishing scenic or spectac-
Ular effects, any attraction which Gan
SLOW al Helena. Butte or indeed at any
leading point on the way across the con
tinent. The height to the rigging loft is
80 feet and the space between will easily
contain the longest and widest drops.
The scenic grooves will be adjustable,
double-jointed and will move from IL 10
2G feet in height, thus insuring an easy
shifting of scenes.
In the auditorium at the right and
left of the %proscenium are the boxes,
four IN number, two on each side. n
long lodge box is also placed along the
front of the balcony Owe the lower boxes.
The orchestra will be of proportions suf-
fcient to accommodate twenty pieces anda
piano.
The grand entrance is paved with en-
caustic tile. Entering the auditorium
from this. to the right and left stairs are
seen leading to the balcony. These are
i've feet wide and, being built out at an
angle, leave an ample space below for
ladies' and gentlemens' toilet rooms.
The balcony proper is reached directly
at the sides and rear from these stair
ways and is divided into "A balcony and
balcony circle. 1t is also furnished with
a retiring tOyer or %lounging room sixteen
feet wide by twenty long.
The gallery is entered from stairWays
leading up directly from the front corn
ers of the building. 1t is seated with
pew benches and is nicely ventilated.
The lines of sight and acoustics are per-
feet.
The p%arquct. ~parquctte circle and bal
cony are seated with the latest improved
upholstered opera chairs, furnished with
lat racks. foot rests. shawl racks. cahe
racks. etc. In the parquet the architect
advocates putting in at least four rows
of divans or double chairs. These arc
for the accommodation of people who de.
sire a close acquaintance. or for people
whose physical proportions are 50 pro
nounced a. to make one chair uncom
Portable. Should the committee ap
prove, the entire p~arquet may be seatcC
il this way.
A particular feature of this particular
" handsome house is the p%rosceniun
proper. This is built in sounding boards
which extend into the auditorium siXteer
feet and then splay off at an angle o
forty-five degrees. Proceeding at Thu
angle the proscenium meets and inter
sects with the side walls. then taking OF
a circular form it goes from the floor t.
the ceiling where it meets a similar for
nation from the opposite side. 1t
modelled after the famous Chicago Au
Gitorium and is the very perfection o
acoustics.
The house is to be heated by steam
The boilers are placed under the farther
est projection in a corner, at the rea
of the basement. The undercurrent sys
TEN is to be used. BY this no radiator
or coils are visible in the house, except
ing such as are on the stage and in tn