The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-09-06
THE NEW OPERA H0USB.
A Description Of Mr.. Null
1one's Beautiful Thea
ire Which Opens
September II.
ITS BRILLIANT DECORATIONS.
Elegance, Comfort and Safety for
Audience and Actors.


An event OF more than usual interest
for Jersey City will take place on Mon
day, September IA On thai day there
will be opened in this city MulIone's now
Opera House. which is one Of the hand
soonest and best apportioned playhouses
in this vicinity. In fact there is not a
single theatre throughout the state that
can surpass it, and but few can equal It.
Except as TO size it will compare favor
able with the best houses Of amusement
in New York. AS almost every one III the
city knows. this new playhouse Is locate
on the south side of Newark avenue, q few
doors above the City Hail. Its broad
facade--built of pressed brick IN pleasing
style of architecture, by all odds the
most imposing front Oh the arenue-has
long been familiar sight To the
throngs of people who daily pass mp an d
down the Ehoroughfare.
A BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR
Attractive as the exterior may be it Is
| far surpassed by the beauty OF the inter-
ior. Mounting q short flight of broad
stone steps from Newark avenue you pass
through the great doors into the lobby.
This is one OF the broadcast and most COM
modious entrances TO be found in any
house OF amusement of like character.
Numerous tiny electric bulbs throw their
cintiliating rays sparkling over the in
laid floor with the words Opera House,
worked therein In attractive colors, and
bring out all the beauty OF the green and
gold designs which decorate bhe walls
and ceiling. To the right Is the box Office,
| while to the left are the managers Office
| and the cloak room, where wraps, Hm-
| brellas and canes will be takeniB charge
| by competent person until the perform
ance is over.
| There are no steps leading from the
lobby TO the body of the house. After You
| have handed your ticket to the courteous
gentleman at the wicket you pass
| through large swinging doors with panels
of soft-tinted cathedral glass into the or
chestra. You pass down richly-carpeted
aisle and take your seat in a cpmmoaious
CHAIR upholstered in dark blue plush.
| You hang your coat on the rack IN front
| of you, place YOUR hat IN the rack
| beneath your chair and settle down TO
admire the many beauties OF the house.
The first thing that attracts your eye IS
the proscenium arch.
THE ARTISTIC CEILING
The arch, as well as the front OF the
balcony ana gallery. is all hand carved.
and not q speck Of papier mache or like
material has been used in the construc-
| ton of the theatre. The arch is decorated
| with masks, faces ard other conventional
theatrical designs, IN ivory, cream and
| gold. The ceiling over the arch, which
| IN reality is sounding board SO admin
| a bly, constructed that away back In the
| t artbest corner Of the gallery an ordinary
| conversation can be heard. is decorated
lin cheerful design. It represents a
baiustrade oTerrun with roses, palms
and brilliantly hued flowers. while above
soar groups Of cherubims garlanded with
rose S.
From this arch your eyes win wander to
the ceiling of the mouse, where they Will
- - - l.
sign which covers it. The design was one
of Mr.. Mullones own devising. A mas
sive chandelier Of artistic pattern depends
from the centre and sheds the soft light
of forty electric bu lbs upon three panels,
surrounded by a richly draped curtain,
the whole being fra med with border Of
simple yet beautiful design. Each
panel is decorated with bunches of rare
and beautiful flowers. On each side of
the prosceniuln arch are four boxes, hand
somely upholstered in silk aud plush Of
colors which harmonic with the general
by Mrs. M. e. Bigeman, the lady who
decorated the New York Academy, the
Thalia. the Union Square and several
other theat res In this vicinity.
THE BEST LIGHTED HOUSE.
On Thursday the house was lit up for
the purpose OF testing the electric lights.
A moBg tn Csc who saw the fnteriorwere
some actors who have been in mary the
aires all 0 yer the country, and they said
that they never saw such a well lighted
house before. There are altogether 525
electric lights in the house. OF which
house and lobby. The stage, Including
the border and footllghts, has 225 of the
shining bulbs. The power is furnished
by the Jersey City Electric Light COM
pany. The lights are controlled by re-
sistance regulators from the stage,
or Diminished in any part Of
the house the same as gas. Dependence
is not placed alone upon electricity for
light. There are forty gas burners IN the
great chandler ia the centre of the cell
ing and gas jets are distributed all over
the house, SO that in case the electricity
fails the performance Will not be inter
rupted for want of light. The lamps
which hold the electric bulb in front of
the boxes ana those pendant from the
balcony are very pretty indeed They
are of antique design and have pale blue
glass which imparts delicate tint TO the
light streaming through.
Fifteen hundred people can be seated in
the new house. Ali the orchestra and
the first two rows of the balcony are up
holstered in dark blue plush. The other
seats in the balcony are one half chairs
upholstered in leather and the other half
are perforated veneered chairs. The
gods will have broad commodious
benches to sit upon while they hiss the
villain and applaud virtue IN distress.
The house is well provided with re-
firing rooms. There ID comfortable
smoking room for gentlemen. and on the
balcony floor there is a ladies' pari0r
amply provided with all the conyenienees
of modern times.
SAFETY ASSURED.
In providing all this beauty and COM
fort for his guests, Mr. Mullone has not
overlooked their safety, aud has made
ample provisions to guard against fire
and against accident in leaving the house.
A fonr-inch water main rms into the
building ana connects with four stand
pipes on the stage, with two on the or.
chestra floor, two on the balcony floor
and one in the gallery. Fire hose Is at
tached to these pipes with capacity OF
drenching the house in three min
utes AS u further precaution. Bah
cock fire extinguishers are placed
at convenient places throughout the
house, and back on the stage is q
patent alarm box, from which an
alarm can be sent to the Fire Department
at once. Even If a fire should succeed in
getting underway in spite OF all these
Preparations to cheek III which is ex-
tremeIy doubtful, there Is small probable
ity that anyone could be injured before
he could get out. There are no stairs, as
has been Said before, from she body OF the
house to the lobby and three broad door,