St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-20
The Spectacular to Be the
Most Wonderful Exhibit
Ever Given.
Chicago Journalists and 9th
erS Get a Glimpse OF the
Spectacle.
Brief Story Of the Grand
Sight Prepared for the
People.
The Spectacular Capitalized
for $2,OOO,OOO--Owned by
a Hundred People.

CHICAGO, March 19.-Members of the
the press were today gwen a private
interview of the spectatorium, devised
by Steele Mackaye. and which will be
one of the great attractions Of the
Worlds fair. Viewing the enterprise
at the same time, were NUMBER Of the
leading citizens of Chicago and several
disting uished guests from abroad. In
his Grafton at the dedication ceremonies
last October. Henry WaLterson said of
the spectatorium:
among the wonders of creative and
constructive genius in the course of
preparation for this festival of the ma
lions, whose formal and official inaugur-
alton has brought us together, will pres
emily be witnessed upon the margin Of
the inter-ocean which gives to this
noble and beautiful city the character
and rank of maritime metropolis. a
spectatorium, wherein the Columbian
epic will be told with realistic effects
surprising the most splendid and
Impressive achievements
of the modern stage. The management
Of the spectatorium have rather kept in
formation concerning it from the public,
and not until today wasit understood
Just what it was. In speaking of the
objects of the sDectatOrium, its author
declared that 1.-THE object is to make an
alliance between nature and art such as
has never before been effected, and to
utilize this alliance for the most impress
i've illustrations of the grandeSt stories
of struggle and achievement in his
tory. The intention of all those assO-
ciated with the construction of this
building has been to found an institu-
ton which should become a magnificent
arena for the closest alliance of all the
fine arts with science, philosophy and
mechanics" The spectatorium was III
vented for the purpose of producing an
entirely new order of entertainment, to
which its author has given the name
'tSpectatorum. The spectatorIum is
described as a combination
Spectacle and Oratory.
There are three species Of music en-
pIoyed in the spectatorium. First, the
symphony. which follows all the cosmic
changes of the scene and all the dra-
matte action of the story; second, the
incidental music. This occurs in the
scenes themselves and forms part of
the incident of the story, illustrating,
with instruments of the time, the music
of the age; third, choral music. This
form is an adaptation OF the old idea of
the Greek chorus, much enlarged in its
scope and character by its associa-
ton with the modern scene. The
chorus is divided into two grand sec
tons. One of these sections, composed
entirely of male voices and located i'll
the spectatorium proper, or the audi
ence chamber of the building, repre-
seuts the material world, and gives eX
preston to the sentiment OF that world
toward the historic events which tran
spired during the progress of the story.
The other section, behind the scenes, is
invisible. and represents the mystic,
ideal world. 1t is composed of male
and female voices. and reveals the ideal
view of the human story. When any
Great Historic Event
has reached its climatic expression in
the scene, these choruses celebrate that
event. During the progress of the
story the invisible chorus performs an
other function. At the climax of a
scene, it interpretS the ideal value of
the human act presented by the scenic
picture, but during the progress OF the
story the spiritual contentious, which
are supposed TO be going on among the
dramatis persona. are suggested to the
public by the voices of the Invisible
chorus. To accomplish this, the mystic
chorus is again divided into two sections,
one composed of male voices, giving
expression to the demOniac Idea, while
the other, composed entirely of female
voices, expresses the divine idea. AS,
for inStapce. during the voyage of Col
umbus the great navigator encountered
the meteOric showers. storms. mirage,
the alterations of hope aud fear which
ultimately bred despair in the hearts of
the sailors. The voices of the invisible
chorus celebrate the different emotions
which pervade the breast of Columbus
and those of his crew. During the
storm
The DemOniac Chorus
sings the song of suDerStitouS terror to
the sailors, and they seek Columbus and
beseech him to listen, nut his ears are
deaf to the songs of fear. AS the dia-
bolic song dies away into the darkness
of the storm, the divine chorus IS heard
singing the inspiring song OF nope and
faith to Columbus. This song he hears,
anu, seeking his crew. beSeeche5 them
to listen; but they, il their turn, ar
. inaccessible to the song OF hope, Illus
trating that every heart nears only that
song which is akin to It's own character.
The following are tie fscts. tlsu 'eS, e C.
"The Spectat0rium," VITA It's Access
sorry buildings, occupies space OF about
600 feet square, and from foundation to
the apex of the dome it is go feet high.
The rear of the building is an immense
semi-circular reservoir, the surface di-
mansions of which are oyer 100000
square feet From the foundation of
this reservoir to the roof is no feet,
making the cubic measurement of the
spectatorium, or scenic department of
the building, over 100000 feet. The
roof over this portion is made of steel
and weighs 1000 tons. There will be
twenty-five stages, all of which will be
furnished with scenery OF an entirely
new order. The frame of the stage
picture will be l50x70 feet and the full
range of the
Vision of the Public
at the horizon Of the picture will be
over 400 feet. 1t requires over six miles
of railroad track IOr these stages 10
move upon, and their aggregated weight
is over LOO tons. In making one change
scene the machinery of the building
Will control over 600 tons and effect the
change in forty seconds. An entirely
new system OF lighting will be used in
connection with these stages, the aim
being to arrive at as close reproduce
ton of the subtle light effects OF nature
as modern mechanism makes possible.
1t will require to produce these effects
an amount OF light equal TO over 100000
candle power. There IS also the cyclone
machinery, the running of which re-
quires over 400 horse power, and the
immense current and wave makers re-
curing as much again. There will be
moments when the mechanism, which
is simultaneously active i'll producing
some of the effects, will require over
1000 horsepower. This mechanism is
capable of producing all the effects of