The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
NEW ORLEANS" GOLD DRURY"
TIE BURNED ST. CHARLES THEITRB
AND ITS FINE CAREER.


h"eh t"In DoWn,'" s"u,n. ,,,poru ',,,'
EN''''' '''''
NEW ORLEANS. juno -. Inc ot' ,harIes
lhcatre. whlch was purheu last week. was tho
oldest oil the large theatres In the country am
Tor many years the nhest III the country ana
with the most distinguished history. Ihere
were lew OF the great actors 10 lhe curry Gays
OF tho american stage VINO hhu not pinyeo
upon us boards. Inc 81 Iharles VIII DO re-
bullt out not IN tho stVie or architecture OF the
Oh theatre FOR thirty years II mas been IN q
aecaSeu anu ono mIgh1 almost hay,
dangerous cohueion' h"u hre occurre.
therc curing performance there wouIu
almost certainty nave Dcen heaNy loss OF
me- as 'he la'IihR III Oh 'he ehure roo' 80
soon aiter the IRE began inc other uay
sho"eu mo wy 'ouhcli hau peen Regis"
iatihR on inc subject ana uhuor tne ne"
ordnance us 10 theatres the d. 'naries
wouIu proDaoly hnNe pcen cohdeihhed.
~ escaped that ia'e by pelng uestroSeo
10y hre WINE closed. IN" Du'lalhH was
rickey ana dangerous even WITHOUT II nre.
twenty-five years ago some one suggested
thnt on tne uay before MaFu' uraS the ne"
oreahs INQUIRIES III oruer W contribute 10 'ho
ho'iuay spirit OF 'ho CITY give Tree per-
lormahce' throwing open thelr doors 10 tho
pubic aiter inc manner OF the faris the-
atres on NapoIeohs pir'huny' Den De OAR.
theh owner Oh 'he ot' 'har'e"' ouop.eo
tnis iuea, ouC trieu IL ohiy once ms
d. INJURIES WIS ero"ucu Win fhou
OIL o'ooo 10 o'ooo people, very poor iliose OK
wnom hau pronaoS never peth IN .hea'rs
before, Inc ponce coui,i not keep oruer' anu
uhuer the immense auuiehce one sue vi the
sahot' e"iA sc'e'"' ie''' peh 10 nai Woo
ir"h,.c WIN 'no ''"r ies' ms eu'iio '"ea'te
wouiu tunip'e uo"h on inc heaus Oh MS au-
ulehce anu cause n h"aVy loss OF lie. but 10
he'u 'nrouEh ,',c pe'r'' in"ice "ltiouEh 'neLe
was coi9iue'"p'e iioPP'hI Wy W w oi'el"o'u'
II was h"fro" escape ouu '''e lreo rcr'orui
ance ldea was never resumed-oho trial was
enou6h
more than once since theh the theatre mas
cra'keu or tne p'iiar7 sunk or clustering iaieh
IN II ca'lou LOT great nea' OIL relairih9 from
year 10 yea.' ana IL "ou'u prooao'y nave paio
" yum 'he D"''u'is Wv II anu eie'' ne" o"e'
i"o innings pfoEcut'u WI. INC a'soc'",ioiiS
Ha'hercu ar'uhu 'he olu thea're. anu ns
"ohuefiuI "cou''ic rfopct.''s' "n'ti "efe
que parity 10 the si"ii,'c''' Oh construction anu
parity 10 acciueh'' oo"eh 'hca'res nave oech
pullt ID NJ" orleans since us "hE' pu. none III
when SO large an aud'ehce-t conld easily
holu ='7oo 10 '''Oo persons near every
Whisper srohen Oh 'ho s''Se' zoo- ...-..
Inc hrst o'. .hhries was pu'it III l0'o II was
.ic succcasoi VI '"' "'ic' Ailie' 'c"i ''eaues'
'"e o'ucS' vi ""'G" ''o',u ""'N n'"t' e'Sh'S
years ~ was "oe!Hen u "onu'l III US my
II was hurue,l ,our vcnrs artcrwarJ without n
dollar If Insurance on II for :be insurance
comnanias rnrnsod to t,kn theatre risus-tbev
wore sn had in those DAYS Of dnfcctive lighting.
Tho 81 charles wos rohuIt in 1870 slightly
smaller than its predecessor. but still the
s,.n'er uian 10 w. D"t s,', ,hs
largest ana finest theatre IN the country at the
time. seating nearly 5000 people. and having
"A stage OF extraordinary breadth, 1t was also
S'"so 90 ~. pioHu''' ~ ""'
the hrst theatre NJ with gas IN this country
and was as matter of fact built by the Gas
Rank (which hccait, subsequently the New
80 60 WV, CO. Ce 49,, on"tusiroa ~,
Orleans Gas Company. then controlled by
James II Caldwell. the theatrical angel" Of
that doy and whose son. shakes peare Cald-
w., W. ~ IL. .,.h
well. named by his rather aitcr the oard OF
Avon" whom he worshpped. tried the stage n
wbiIa himself Tho ~ Charles vss narticu-
"''''' nm w. ~ -
larS proud OF It's immense glass chSndeher.
said to weigh twenty tons, which huA & from
tho dome of m. theatre. casting a brhlinncy
.hsh ~ IL, ,.,iai, 49,, rnrarJ,d 80
tHrOuRn PIT anu HaIlcry Wnlcn WAS rs