Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-06
NHEElING'S NEW THEATRE
WILL BE A MODEL STRUCTURE
AND A CREDIT TO THE
COMMUNITY.
THE PLANS OF THE COMMITTEE
Are Understood to Call for q Seating
Capacity OF 1,2OO-TwO Galleries
and an Abundance of Standing
RoOm-WiIl Conform With the
Modern Idea in Every Respect.

the building m OF Inc BOarQ
of Trade Building Company from its
tour of inspection of theatres, coupled
with the announcement that the COM
pany's charter has arrived, both made
in the Register yesterday morning,
has revived interest in the new theatre
and the public eagerly awaits a def
mite description Of the proposed new
building. AS a matter of course, the
stockholders will finally determine
the nature of the building and the de-
tails of construction, but will be guild
ed by the recommendations of its COM
mittee on building. The views of the
committee, therefore, in so far as they
may be ascertained, will be learned
with considerable interest.
In the first place, it is considered
extremely probable that the committee
will recommend that the seating ca
pacity be not than 1900. At
first blush, this will be a disappoint-
ment to those who have advocated a
theatre with a capacity of 1000 or
more. There will be a general will
ingness, however, to accept the better
judgment of the committee in this
matter, which will be all the more
valuable because there is no desire to
spare expense. The committee has
learned the fact which is potent to all
who will investigate the subject that a
big theatre is an elephant"
The theatre will not be small. On
the contrary it will be commodious,
but the space will be utilized in adding
to the comfort and convenience of
patrons, rather than filing in with
chairs set closely together. There will
be a balcony and a gallery. On the
first floor there will be a commodious
foyer, so that there will be standing
room for several hundred patrons.
The committee visited Toledo, Co
anu lLJoUulS 6. II was nv I'm
sidered necessary to visit Dayton and
other cities embraced in the original
itinerary of the committee, as they
were furnished all the data they desir-
ed without a further expenditure of
time and money. The theatre which
they will recommend will embrace the
best features of all the opera houses
they visited. 1T will be u~p-to-date in
every sense of the word. Not one of
the theatres they visited measures up
to their idea of what Wheeling re-
ouires, and their recommendation will
therefore embrace some of the commit
ties own ideas. The arrangements OF
the seats will be designed to give the
house a comfortable and well filled
appearance. Everybody knows that
a performance goes" better when
there is a full house.
There will be two private boxes on
each side of the stage, large and we'll
furnished. They will probably be
built on the stage level. The old
fashioned notion that dressing rooms
should be under the stage, will be dis
regarded. The space above the private
boxes on both sides of the auditorium,
will probably be utilized for dressing
rooms. They will be as near the stage
possible. The stage itself, will have
a wide opening, and will be construct
ed strictly in accordance with modern
ideas of stage building.
On the first floor there will be lava
tories and retiring rooms for the lad
les, and indeed, every convenience
found in first class theatres in the
largest cities.
The ventilation will be of the most
modern character. Large fans will be
used for circulating warm air in win
ter, and cool breezes in summer. The
boiler room will be absolutely fire
proof, and the entire building will be
as nearly fire proof as it is possible to
make it, with the funds at the disposal
of the company.
A proposed feature of the new build
ing is an up-to-date barber shop, with
Turkish bath rooms in connection, for
use by performers and the public gen.
orally. A high class restaurant is al
so contemplated as a feature of the
new building.
On account of the absence of several
stockholders, who are in Charleston in
the interest of the passage of the
Wheeling electric light bill, the build
;Do conmiftaa caOOof uoI-a &c raoor+