The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-05-24
WITH ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
HOW THE NATIONAL TIL EATRE is TO
BE ILLUMINATED HEREAFTER.
A Contract Made for Placing n Complete
System of Electric Lighting in the
Building-Ingenious Devices for Con-
trolling the Lamps.

Manager Rapley has just completed ar
rangements to still further add to the attrac-
tiveness and comfort of the National Theatre
by introducing complete system of ifcandes-
cent electric lights. Mr.. Rapley has had this
improvement in contemplation for some time,
and recently called in consultation Mr.. Frank
Eline the electrical expert of Baltimore, as to
the best means of affecting the desired change
in the method of illuminating the theatre. 1t
was found that the electric lights could be put
in without In anyway injuring the building
and Mr.. Eline was given carte blanche to de-
wise the quickest and most approved method
of furnishing the theatre with as complete
system of electric lighting as could be pro-
vided. When the plans had been COMPLETED,
bids for doing the work were asked for and
the contract was awarded few days ago to
the firm of Kingsbury & Mustard, of Balti-
more, who were the lowest bidders
The plans, when carried out, will give the
National Theatre as fine system OF illumina-
ton as is possessed by any theatre in the
United States. Manager Rapley at first
thought of putting In hs own electric light
plant in the building, with engines, dynamos,
ETC., for generating the electricity. 1t was
found, however, that this would be objection
able in many ways, and would be likely to
cost more than II the current was furnished
from the street wires, while there would be
little If any compensating advantages So
the plan of getting the electric current from
the street wires was adopted. The current to
be supplied to the theatre will be capable Of
feeding 1000 lights. 1t is needless to say
that every precaution will he taken to insure
the perfect insulation OF the wires and other
wise to obviate any Objectionable features of
electric lighting
The lights will be placed in every part of
the house, including the lobbies and on the
stage. The big chandelier which hangs in the
centre Of the auditorium is already supplied
with fixtures for the electric lamps, SO that all
that will have to be done with it will be to put
in the wiring and the lamps and turn on the
current. The incandescent lamps will be
placed in the lobbies, in the stairways, under
the balcony, in the boxes, in the Office, and, in
fact, in all parts Of the building where lights
are. used. On the stage the incandescent
lamps will be used as footlights, in the borders
and entrances and in the dressngrooms.
All the lights will by an ingenious arrange
ment of switches and regulators be under the
control of the individual who is now known
as the gas man. The footlights, for instance,
will be on three switches and regulators, one
controlling the white lights, another the green
lights, and the third the red. By means of
the regulators the lamps of any one of these
colors can be raised or lowered as the scene
requires, so as to secure the proper effect. In
the borders there will be a similar arrange
ment of the lights on different circuits For
the entrances portable bunch lights
will be provided so that they can
be moved to different points to Sc
cure any desired intensity of light on different
points of the scenery. All the lights in the
auditorium will be similarly under the control
of the man at the switches, so that they can
be raised or lowered al will from the stage.
At the same time all the lights in the audi
gushed by pressing asingle button.
The lights in the lobby will be on a switch
controlled from the box-office.
The work of wiring the front of the house
will be begun at once and will be pushed as
rapidly as possible. 1t is expected that it will
be all completed in this part of the house
within two weeks, before the hot weather sets
in. The introduction of the incandescent
lights, which give out practically no heat at
all, will, with free ventilation, go far toward
keeping the auditorium comfortably cool even
on the warmest nights of the summer. Man
ager Rapley has also been thinking about in
Producing electric fans to additionally cool the
theatre, and this may be done later If found
necessary and desirable.
The theatre will be put in complete sum
mer array before the light-opera season opens
tomorrow night. The heavy carpets have
been taken up and lighter and cooler ones put
down, while light summer draperies have been
placed in the boxes.