The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-13
.H|PPODR0ME NOW
Open [: n TO! PUBLIC J B i .
First Performance in Novel
Amusement Hall Was Held
Last Night.
GREAT CROWD RI 70: is PRESENT ! (: Z y!
Many of3Tickcts Bought at A,1c-
ton at High Premiums. If
What 1t Is.

NEW YORK, April 12.-The Hippo
dronnc, New York's newest and largest
place Of amusement. WAS opened to the
{. public tonight under the management
ofThompson & Dundy. and every one OF
the {, 200 seats was taken some Of them
having been bought ut auction Mt high
+ premiums wherever there was standing
space III was filled.
,rhc Hippodrome stage is remarkably
large and at tines was crowded. HUH
drcds OF persons and many animals IN
Guiding elephants and horses were II,
view at one time. making q very ANNA ted
and picturesque stage scene. The circus
specialt!cs introduced In the first part OF
4 the performance were ,inusually good
The Hippodrome is unique in the
amusement world. both in the great size
of the playhouse and Isl the character OF
the entertainment It offers. b s9ss II
The management frankly admits that,
the whole great enterprise Is experiment
&tal. TT IS an entirely new venture In
every way, and Is about the most elapo-
rate entertainment eyer attempted under
one roof. combining as It does q dash
8 or everything except grand opera ana
tragedy. It is "A spectacular drama, n
circus, musical comedy. vaudeville and g.
4 Incnagerie. Isl BIZ 33;..S zt.. Y,
The building occupies the block on the
\ ca sts side OF Sixth Avenue between Forty
/ third and Forty-fourth Streets. q dis
lance OF 200 feet. and extends back to s
ward Fifth Avenue 240 feet. 1t Is OF
& brick. marble and steel construction, and
archltecturally is very handsome. Is
II cost, exclusive of the cite, was 5 SOC, 600.
Its seating capacity Isl $500. and its int.
rior arrangements present many features
novel III, this country. Behind fourteen.
rows OF orchestra seats are The K stalls.
and then a line OF boxes enctrcling the
promenade. and In these smoking is per-
mitteds The stage Is 200 feet between
walls and has q total depth 81 z 70 iee 7.
" a better ga OF It's size may he obtained
from the fact that the back d rop curtain
) Of 4 the Hippodrome is eighty-f five BY 200
feet, while the average playhouse curta In
! is about twenty five by thirty I've feet.
The stage proper. 4 however, is fifty feet
deep, but an, apron extends sixty feet
Into the body of the house. q and on this
are produced the water spectacles q ana
the circus department OF the. entertain?
ment. When not in use for the marine;
show the apron contains two circus rings
OF the regulation forty-two feet diameter.
The mechanical appliances are complete
j IN every respect. There Is no gridiron,
1.-THE massive scenery, some OF the pieces
OF which weigh eight tons, working IN
pockets at the side OF the sta e. and are
MANIPULATED by electric cranes. The
stage itself Is operated by hydraulics and
and the traps by counterweig h Is. The
stage weighs 100000 pounds. while the
reservoir of the apron us twelve feet
II deep, 100 feet long and 100 feet wide. s5
The performance in the 3iippodrome Is
not an Indoor circus but a combination
OF spec tacles. pantomime. circus. musical
comedy. drama. aauattcs and animal and
equestrian exhibitions. There are two
parts to the entertainment t-".W hen a
Yankee Circus Goes to Mars, and AN
dersonville, a Story of Wilson'S Raiders. y"
In the first the opening scene discloses
Il a travelling circus in financial misfortune,
The performance Is progressing with q.
8feigned air; Of gaycty. when the sheriff
appears with an a ttachment. There is
an auction sale. and finally a messenger
appears from the planet Mars and buys
Z In the outfit. The shift OF the scene to
Mars discloses the first OF the spectacles.,
There IN the palace OF the king is given
an excellent circus performance, embrace
Ing the 4custOnlary acrobatic. aerial and
equestrian fcats. An eauestrienne pal
let picked chorus of $50 voices The
Dance OF & the Hours" from the opera
8Giocondi and elephants in automobiles
are features of the performance. Even
the menagerie feature Is carried out q
fine collection OF animals is displayed
behind plate glass screens In ccompart-
mcnts among the big promenade, and
handsome tapestries are used to curtain
them off when not on exhibition Under
ground passages connect the animal dens
with the stage. III.
n The second part OF the performance is
war drama. which Is worked out with
what is claimed to be historical accuracy
In event and costumlng. More than GOo
performers and $50 horses are used IN
the five spectacular scenes. in one Of
which is introduced a realistic cavalry
fight between Union and Confederate
troops