New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-07

and ragged with such fury that all efforts 70 save
the properly were baled. and persons xa al 'I In
persisted the scenery that had been provided i OI
Hamlet" Richelieu' and The Merchant n o,
Venice" Booths personal wa hr hod hem worn
by his father, large and rich collection OF s.aYe
dresses Of theatrical furniture, Vatua .he
clothes and jewels owned by members vi '"e
dramatic company, quantity Of costly aI,nut;
considerable library inclusive of several lnipor.a'
manuscripts, and interesting gallery OF theari'
ca! portraits aostror.d n,
March %, 1867. The cornerstone Of Booths
Theatre was laid April 8, 1865, ana the Ilrs'
AIRY B. 1869. The project for the new tne9 iors
was started by Edwin Booth shortly after the loss
of the old one, and he presently entered mug %
partnership with Richard A. Robertson. Of b ,,
ton lobit 1s9ll, for the establishment of Booth
| Theatre. In the spring Of 1861 Mr.. D. H.
Magoniglc, their business representatiiyeMa ani
purchased land the southeast corner o. Iwen.S,
! hrd-st and Sivth-ave, New-Yorl. The WORK
was begun on July |, in the same year
MASSIVE AND BEAUTIFUL BUILDING
! Booths Theatre was made Of granite. Inc
front of the structure in Twenty-thtrd-st. was 81
! feet in lcngth-thc theatre front measuring loo
feet. The other thirty-four feet was the width OF
wing OF the main building. abu'ting on us YVES.
end, with a frontage Of seNenty-siN feet IN oiNu-
| ave- That wing was devoted to shops studios ana
| miscellaneous rooms The theatre was 100 feet
deep, from north to south and 100 feet In hclsht.
! The main entrance was in TwcnU-thlrd-s.' "u1
there was another door in SiXth-ave At uie Ell"
OF the front great door to the stage cofreS-
! ponding in size and style with the main eh'ra'oc
10 the auditorium. Between these were three
smaller DOORS used as means OF exit ihrec
large panels surmoun,ed those doors, made to con
Higher I'D, and placed equidhtant along
the front of the theatre. were three
large inches. with Ionic pillars. to contain
statues There were four large windows on llne
with those alcoycs Above beautiiul cor
nice and above that was mansard rool, SUI
mounted By three short towers In each tower
there was all oval window llagstai rose itoih
the centre of the fiat roof. Around the suiinit oi
each tower was ornamental iron treAis-"orA'
and the liSitningrods which traiied o'er 'no
towers and roof were adorned with gilded Stars anu
cresccnts Entering at the principal door the Wy,
tor found himself III commodlouS .tS" '..,,'
paved with Italian marble ticS ana iieu VIZ
Italian marble ccmentthc ceiling Doing ireSc"I"'
That vestibuie extended in u seni-crce aions .nc
rear OF the auditorium. to when entrance w"s a.
fored biz tbrc. arched doors Tho lower iloor OF the
theatre comprised tie divisions OF pafquete anu
orchestra spacious stone staircase at the soH,"
end Of the vestibulc. led 10 the balcony Aiu.
the elder Booth. Above the balcony was Secolla
gallery and above that the amphithcatrc. Ico"hcd
BIZ a stone staircase from the Sxth-ave entrance;
There were three prosccnum boxes on eacl sue VI
The stage and the house contained seats for l.'3o
persons and standing room for 5Vo I"re. III
slapc the auditorium followed the HORSESHOE
molel From every part Of the theatre the stage
could he distinctly seen. Bright frcscoes shoHe
forth on the ceilings. \ chandelier d'penueu
from the centre OF the roof. and all the gaS,e's Ia
flo bniIhing were ignted by electricity. MarDie
II, 10 Oh
the boxes In tic centre OF the proscenium arch
stood a statue Of Shakespeare: the work Of signor
in the net Of writing. othcr statue.
and cmblcmatic devices surrounded that
figure and completed the decoration Of the arch
There was neatly designed pit for the hand. sunk
hollow thc front Of the stage and below the level
of the main floor. that the musicians din no, oo-
struct the view sf the stage from the auditorium.
MR. BOOTHS SECOND MARRIAGE.
Tho new house was completed in January 1863
Booth had employed the time between the burning
OF the Winter Garden and tie opening OF DIS nc"
theatre in acting in the provinces. one OF Tie
ci,ics that he visited was Chicago, and there,
in thc summer OF 1867, he met and was betrothed
10 Mis- Mary Mcvcker. lie had first seen her IN
1853. when she was but nine years old. ana wnen
she attracted his attention by her precocions teh'
a. vocalist. She sang in concerts WIN S4hor
Bronoli and on the dramatic stage she acted
;uy.nilo ports such as Eva in Uncle Toms
Cabin Seeing her after lapse OF nine wears
Booth found her polished by education. intelligent,
sancune in temperament. vivacious ana endowed
with both the sense aud faculty.
humor. When hc acted at Me'leker
Theatre IN Chicago in 1867. that iauy r.
turned to the stage. playing Ophelia to his Hamlet
and subsequently during that anu ofher cnsa;
,,s ,Lorc and elsewhere she cC-operafed win
HIM. in chief female characters At later perl9l
she accompanied him TO New-iork; where on nIs
opening night Of the new theatre she acted '"lie.
q, liz Romeo Their marriage occurred ~ Long
branch. Ncw-Jcr,cy. on June !. 1860. Miss NC.
Vckers last professional apocarance was mace ia az
Rooth's Theatre, IN the spring OF that year. as D,n
dcmono Mrs Booth retired from the stage ana
rover resumed its pursuit 4 son was born TO
Edwin and Mary Booth, on July 3 1870 ont ~
Jiej in Ncw.lork on November -. 1881. and
was buried in Chicago