The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-26
DEATH OF STEELE MACKAYE.
TIE DRlN<rsr PASSES AWAY ON
SANTA Fs TRAIN
He vss Re Rsuts tsCsnroruis yvht- zee Ess
suddsaiy Cs.e-iHis Noteu orthy Career
as Actor. Investsr. $50 WRITER for
the afnrn Tha Standardization EnlInrr.

! the stsEe - TIE Spectstoriunn Fntur~.
l., JUNrA. Col. Feb 25.-Steele Mackays
died at 10 O'clock this morning near Timpas.
on board q Santa Fe railroad train while en-
route 20 Gan Diego. Cal. where IL was hoped
that be would lie able to build MP his health.
Mr. Mackaye. accompanied by his wife. DR..
Parker and nurse. left Chicago IN Thursday
in the private car Of George II. Peck Of the
/ santa F6 road. He had been very III for sew
eral days previous to his departure. Since
leaving Chicago Mr.. Mackaye's condition was
| thought TO he slightly Improved. and his
| death. while not wholly unexpected. came
suddenly. DIR. Parker made every effort TO re-
vive his sinking patient. hut without avail.
| The car was detached from the west bound
| train and brought to this city and at $50 p.
M. left on the east-bound passenger train for
| Chicago
1ll-luck followed Mr.. Mackaye from the be-
ginning OF his last journey. In the nrst place
HIS baggage. containing medicines. 6c.. was
forgotten. and when q few miles out some per-
son threw an iron bar six inches long through
the ftateroom window. barely grazing the sick
mans face in its flight Then the heating
pipes got out OF order and the cold became in
tense. But despite these unfortunate happen
inRs Mr.. Nackayes condition seemed to inn
prove and IL was thought that his entrance
into milder climate would repair his shat
tered system.
Steele Mackays was born In Buffalo a little
more than nifty years ago. His father was Col.
James Mackaye. a Scotchman and q retired
army offlcer. His mother was a Miss steele OF
Boston. When only 10 the son Joined . New
jersey regiment. and It was while the regl-
ment was encamped near Washington that
MackaJe first gave evidence OF his talent for
acting in q series Of private theatricala He
had n w ayi n aad MI ,,d. fas - "a d..
1858 his father took him to Paris to make a
painter OF him. While he was q student in
Paris he met Delsarte. aud became greatly
impressed with the Delsartean ideas Of dra-
matte expression. He became so ardent an
admirer Of Delsarte that the latter gave him
full authority to exploit his theories In series
OF lectures in America on dramatic art. Mao
kaye gave up his paints and his brushes and
na s, lor america TO spread the new Del
He wa. about 30 years old when he reached
sion with the announce cement that he had been been
commissioned by Delsarte. the master" to
The profession and the dramatic newspapers
made made sport %, OF the eccentric and energetic
several PLAYS 10 Illustrate the Deisartssa
tire was called the st. James. His Ventures lures
were not success. and he was looked upon as
Mackays returned to Europe after this fail.
ure and acted 10 London according to Delsar-
t tai p. %stsodi p %sas ,h the trS:
cause Of the radica! difference Of hia Hamlet
from any the world had ever before seen. The
a pays With Tom II TagST the h,s f EnH
lish dramatist; he wrote "Clancarty." and he
George Eliot In making dramatic versions Of
their favorite novels. But the latter isbors OF
collaboration never brought forth any staged
M9ckaye returned to Americ. and started
the Lyesum School Of Acting. and had some
Ing John Mccullough and Harry Montague.
He formed the acquaintance OF Manager A. NJ. |
Two Orphans tho GnIo %'s square Hsssn Thear.
MackAye was anx lous to become an Am erican
adapt Rose Michel" Which Was s ns% 20
and was his first dramatic writing in this |
While with Mr.. Palmer he arranged the
s Nina Eslsn e: stage f1d
thelr talent was sustained by their later per- |
ftS e. s., Bot. Both became members Of Mr..
The late Lester WaIlack engaged Mackaye
to write Won at Last" and he also made him |
Mackeye had made name for himself in the |
atrical circles and he got capitalists &c listen
novel seheme of building a theatre that should
have double stage and q concealed orches;;
Tor years and chung to Il despite the ssseriion a
Saye hired he old Filth ASsSuo ThSs Sle wSs sS
ana rERs %.. ,sSss
on t, permit Msc Ia to change the buildipg
were also, Interested In theatrical ventures
and they 5aessd SaetaSe' maping . eSnt tract
With him to build and manage the new theatre.
gigantic freight elevator. so that the stage
carpenters could set one act while the act ors
PSy above tho Mhkks the
the elevated orchestra were brand-new IDEAS
il theatre construction, and they made the
world over as a mechanical Innovation.
;, Mackaye opened the theatre with Hazel
nomsnai run; Hazel Rirse was the IL = same anne
play that MaSksys. had written some years be.
naii interest in this play at that time to pioa
Boueiesult. who, wanted to star katherine
sSe 10 Ma hSS been Sn! sA'Sa o. arr he
asa!.s% sessSs The .los:ss.' a az! a s Hss
rSsatre on Fourth aSsnus. iatreS rod s' an,
Sa'. oreSsstrs' Before his he he had invented
seli;acting folding orchestra chair that was
till lie seen in the Lyceum Theatre.
Mackays tried playwriting again, writing
,ra%ss about mechanical devices q his own
.S % ts:: r:!s s:
implies. He acted for time the leading role
n Paul kauyar" At the Standard Theatre.
His Last and greatest project was the much
ak ed OF "spectatorium." built for the Worlds
air Mackaye hoped to establish a lasting
equation on this venture, and threw his
Whole heart and soul into insuring its sue
ess. IL was designed 10 represent the history
4 America In ssrie OF spectacular tablsaux.
ranged on scale more stupendous than |
ny ever before attempted He designed il
o he n climax of realism. The failure OF the |
nteIpriss broke MAckAye down. both In health
nd In finances, he talked so hopefully
the wonder Il Was to prove that ne
snt Of nearly s5OO.OOO. vast structure %
tsel and iron and glass was erected. but Mac
laks the show the great Worlds Fair Attrae-
lon be had hoped II would be. MAckAys Was
1Arried several times widow and a son |
uIviye him. The son was at one time q mem
or OF Kate Claxton's company
Obituary Notes