Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-01

building of any of the others. this one
finds one special feature of its excellence
in its adequate protection against danger
from fire. First among the precautions.
and one which a: the same time adds
greatly to the value Of the building as a
theater, was the omission of the hotel
part, which was the source of the fire
which caused the former destruction. This
change in the old plan. by adding availa-
BILE space, has enabled the architect to in
| crease the number. size and convenience
of the property, dressing, reception and
! toilet rooms, an addition which will be
appreciated by both patrons and play
ers. \ second precaution was taken in
making the new part. on the Holmes
street side, which contains theater work
shops, property and dressing rooms, and u
large hall, entirely fireproof. \ third pre-
caution is in the separation of the store
rooms and three floors of flats on the
Ninth street side, from the rest of the
building by 4 solid brick wall. The lobby
at the main entrance on Ninth street is
also separated from the auditorium prop
er by fire doors. Add 10 all this a 60 per
cent increase in the exit facilities. SLOW
building not absolutely fireproof, automatic
fire doors surrounding the stage and audi
forum, an asbestos curtain for the front
of the stage. an elaborate system of stand
pipes and hose. fed by Il fire engine in the
f%ireproof basement, and Il soft plug
Sprinkling system on the stage, ana one
has an idea of the odds against which a
fire has to fight in a modern theater. TO
which designation this one is most GER
tainly entitled.
Other features of excellence are found in
the arrangement of the seats with refer
ence to view point and acoustics; the gen.
obtained by the. system OF heating and
! ventilation. and by the special ceiling for
nation: a modern system of lighting by
which the lights can be operated and varied
in almost infinite ways from the stage.
tho absolutely artistic and high class orna-
mentation. in the designs OF which the
in the stage. justly celebrated in the old
auditorium for its size and convenience,
Auditorium. the most noticeable change
will be the reduction IN the height of the
dome and the absence of the second gal
lcrv, two alterations which have been made
with hardly any loss in seating capacity,
the balcony and gallery having been ex-
tended far enough forward to more than
sirable seats in the top gallery. The lat
eral dimensions of the theater proper re-
sixty-three feet in depth. from the stage
line. The average height Is fifty feet. be-
ing less at the arch of the stage and in
creasing to the rear.
Description of the Three Floors.
The tire" floors of the theater may he
briefly described as follows: First floor,
with a seating capacity of $50 in the body
of the house and eighty-siX in the twelve
boxes at the wings of the stage. rises grad
ually for the first eight rows of chairs.
then a terrace rising three inches for the
next four rows. a terrace rising four inches
for the next four rows. and a terrace rising
five inches for the three rows in the rear;
This arrangement OF seats. which Colonel
Woods uses in all his opera houses. insures
to each member of the audience n good
view over the heads of those in front. This
floor will be seated with the best grade of
opera chairs. upholstered with empire
green velour. The balcony will seat 30
.nl a ~ -tfN % nrn sn,r L@x-4- rt.t ~
for thirty-two more. Here each row ~
seats is higher than the one in front. be-
ginning with a rise OF two inches at the
front which increases by an increment OF
a half inch for each row toward the rear.
In the gallery. which also ses;s 80. the
rises increase an inch to he Dbw. The
gallery and balcony are seated with fold
ing opera chairs. with veneer back and
seat. In the boxes. which are to he ele-
gantly furnished with wicker chairs. the
same precautions have been taken as in
the other parts of the house to secure an
the six boxes at either wing of the stage
the floors of no two. are on the same
level. bit rise one above the other by
steps of five inches. The aim of the archi-
tect. and he saws it is attained. is to make
| every seat in the house command an en-
tire view of the stage.
General Architectural Features.
The general architectural features of
the Auditorium will be confined 20 the
! classic style and will be purely Grecian.
! I NtI W IN dtNtAiitA at tidDcldit II
extensive designs. but the simple ard arr
tistic will be followed. Wherever possible,
as in the case of ~rosettes and other cul-
minating points in the lines of the design,
the electric lights will be placed and partly
concealed. thus making them less con-
! spicuouS and adding TO the effectiveness
of the ornamentation. The whole interior.
in which stamped steel and relief plaster
are the materials used, will be in light,
cheerful colors, ivory and gold largely pre-
dominating.
The stage. which is thirty-siX feet high
at the middle of the arch and nifty feet in
width, is connected directly with n wide
exit leading TO Holmes street. and with
the commodious property and dressing
rooms. y complete set of scenery and
stage equipments is now being prepared
by a leading house in Chicago fer the
| setting of the stage.
The building is to be heated by steam
| coils. over which will be drawn. by fans in
the basement. the pure air from outside,
and the vitiated atmosphere will be ex.
hausted at the floor. Colonel Woods fig
ures that twenty cubic feet per minute of
pure air will be supplied to each occupant
of the Auditorium when the seats are full.
The remaining apartments of the build-
ing outside the theater proper have al
ready been mentioned. The hall on the
west side is above the shops and property
rooms. twenty-seven by siXty-two feet in
dimensions and. with the gallery, seats coo
people. The south front, from the main