The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-05
A FEAST OF THESPIS.
All Ready fc-.. the Grand Open
ing Of the Theater.
WONDERS IN ELEcTRlcLIeHTlNo
Lamps BY the Hundred-Modern I'm.
provements on the Stage-The Dedi-
eatory Address and Opera.

Seattle theater today so that 1t may be
quite ready for the grand opening per-
Torrance by the Duff Opera company to-
night, and the curtain will rise in as hand
some and weil-equipped house and on as
good an all-round body of lyric artists as
the country can boast.
Work was so far advanced last night
that there is no fear that the audience will
see any reminders OF the speed with which
it has been hurried along day and night.
All that remained to do was to place some
of the hangings, carpets and upholstery,
put up the ratings to some OF the
stairways and do some odd bits
of carpentering. The seats are all
set up, the lighting is finished
in every detail, the scenery and curtains
have been placed in position for the stage
hands, and nothing has been left undone
which would aid in carrying through the
initial performance without hitch. The
audience will be reminded of the newness
of the house only by the brightness and
cleanliness of everything about it and by
the smoothness with which the play will
60 on in consequence of the adoption of
every modern improvement in the way of
stage machinery.
The equipment of the house has several
good points which will form a strong in
ducement to the best theatrical organiza-
tons to make engagements here. These
are to be found principally in the stage
machinery and the lighting arrangements.
in which respects this theater will be the
equal of many of the best in the country.
The lighting Of the house is a splendid
illustration of the degree to which eiec-
tricity can be utilized in Tightening stage
effects and identifying the decorations.
Credit is due to the theater company for
having realized the possibilities of cleo
tricity and giving carte blanche to 4.
Bachelet. the electrician, who is one of the
best in the country, to carry out his ideas.
The manner III which he has made use of
his opportunity has fully justified the
trust reposed in him, as every member of
the audience will readily acknowledge.
The most striking feature of the lighting
is that of the sounding board. By the use
of three switches all the 400 lamps, both
between the ribs and around the outside
circle, can be turned on at the same time.
the outside circle can alone be lighted, or
half or all of the lights between
the ribs can be made to cast
their glow on the coloring Of the
plastic work. The lamps run in diagonal
lines towards the corners of the prosceni-
um arch. and produce beautiful and
novel eflec: Another novelty in electric
decoration is the placing of nine bulls
eyes in the front of the balcony, each sup
Piled with three sixteen-candle-power
lamps. which show up the wreaths of
rhododendron around them in striking
manner. In the four circular holdings
on the ceiling are rings of sixteen lights,
with chandeliers of eight lamps in the
center. There are four brackets of three
lights each on the gallery wall, four on the
balcony floor. and four shining into the
parauet circle, while two light up each
rear aisle of the parquet and one is in each
of the boxes.
Electricity has been brought into requi-
sition in every part of the stage. There
are ITO lamps in the footlights, two side
reflectors of thirty lights each. five border
| lights of eighty lights each-forty white,
| twenty red and twenty greenland twenty
| float lights of twenty, ten, fifteen and four
| lamps to suit any occasion. On any of the
| border lights all or any part can be turned
! on at time, half or all the white, the red
| or green. In case of accident to the cleo
| trio plant, gas jets have been placed along
| the footlights and the second border,
| which can be lighted by an electric fric-
| ton machine in moment whenever
needed. There are six bunch lights of
| nine sixteen-candle power lamps, each
made by Mr.. Bachelet, which can he
| dimmed and adjusted in any way desired
In place of calcium lights on the stage a
recent invention. consisting of low-tension
arc lights run by special wires, has been
used. The lights for the orchestra have
| bronzed hoods which throw the light on
| the music and prevent it from being dissi-
pated and spelling any of the stage effects.
| An electric button gives the signal to the
leader of the orchestra to begin the music
at the opening of the performance or to
repeat piece. There are also beside the
| switchboard speaking tubes to the two fly
| galleries, the leader of the orchestra and
the manager and ticket office and a
| warming bell which gives notice when
| the curtain is to be dropped. An electric
button will also ring gong in the foyer.
the Rainier Club and the storeroom in the
front of the building three minutes before
the curtain rises and at the beginning of
| each act.
All the lighting is controlled by switch
board on the left side of the stage, which
| has been made by Mr.. Bachelet and en-
bodies some very valuable improvements
| OF his own invention. The current is in
| troduced into the house over five main
| wires and then split over 1000 smaller
! ones. The switchboard has sixty switches
governing every light in the house. half
OF them for the stage alone. By opening a
switch, which is simply pulling down a
| lever the footlights, the red, white or blue
| lights in any one of the borders, either of
the side lights or any one of the float lights
| can be extinguished. In like manner an
| other switch controls the lights on each
| OF the floors, three give light or
! darkness 10 the sounding board, two To
! the bul!'s-eyes. one 10 the boxes, one To
the circle lights in the ceiling wings and
| another TO the chandeliers in their GEN.
| tiers. But great Improvement made by
! Mr.. Rachelet and an entirely new inyen-
ton of his is the system OF main switches
by which lie rules the light ike a magi
| clan. One OF these is for the red lights on
the borders, another for the white, a third
for the green, another Tor ell the stage
/ lights and nth for the whole auditor
| lum. \ mere turn Of the hand makes the
| difference between light and darkness
/ The swltchman pushes up lever and the
! stage is suf1used with pure white
! light; he pulls il down again and
pushes up another, and white is suddenly
changed 10 green; with the same motion
green gives place TO red. In the same way