The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-09
WOVDERSOF THE HIPPODROME
MOVING STAGE, TANK, LIGHTS
AND 1900 SEATS,
To BE Opened Wednesday 10 ~ the World
1t Popular Prlces-Circus In MARS
10 BeEln WIth--Electrlc scene hhlIllhH
The Limit In FireprO6f Construction

IlIppodronIe takes In the whole block front
N the east side Of Sixth avenue between
lorty-third and Fory-fourth streets. IL
lg not only the newest but the most novel
{ musement place in this country II Is
treat deal larger than tho London Hippo
drome-in fact. its owners say that the
London Hippodroma could be placed on
the stage Of the new building,
Everything possible has been done to
render the building freproof. One OF its
Gains for patronage will he its low prices
OF admission The higl ca. priced seat will
10 cheaper than the good seats at the
theatres,
The building is built Of brick, marble
and steel The main facade il 200 feet in
length and the building il y feet high ON
Sixth avenue and 40 feet in the rear.
The seating capacity Is $500, and every
scat il numbered and separate. OF equal
interest 10 playgoers is the fact that each
scat Is q inches wide. Compared with
other amusement places the Hippodrome
has a monster seating capacity. The
Metropolitan Opera House seats $500;
Academy Of Music, 5000 Broadway Theatre,
800, and the New Amsterdam Theatre,
I,Ts2.
On either Sixth avenue corner OF the
building is a large globe 100 feet above the
sidewalk and ten feet in diameter. These
two globes will be illuminated at night
with 300 electric lights IL takes 5000
Actric lights to illuminate the entire build
ing The sunburst in the ceiling CON
tains 600, and nearly double that number
will be in use on the stage. One million
feet Of connecting wire was used for this
lighting insta ation.
Six million bricks were used in erecting
the building and 500 tons Of steel TO sup
port the roof and balcony, The building
cost ST. 10000. There are thirty-hve
regular and emergency exits, and the
main entrance, which Is on Sixth avenue,
Is twenty-five feet wide with a ticket win
dow on each side Of the entrance. The
keystone is an elpha nt's head in terra
Gotta weighing 5000 pounds.
Inside the auditorium proper the build
ing does not look - large. There are two
balconies, a-d the upper ne will seat 1000,
more than the capacity Of the average
theatre Every seat has an excellent
view Of the stage.
on the orchestra floor there are lounging
and smoking rooms with cafe and restaur-
ant wide promenade runs the whole
width Of the building. On both the bal
cony and gallery floor, also, there Is a wide
rooms on each floor A special feature OF
the auditorium floor II the arrangement
and construction of cages for animals Of
the feline tribe. These cages are arranged
IN a curve In the promenade at the rear
of the main auditorium, elevated above
the PFC me nace floor. They have plate
glass fronts with iron bars behind them
For descriptive purposes the stage may
be divided into two sections, that which
is behind and that which is in front of the
proscenium arch. Back Of the proscenium
arch Is the stage proper. The arch is the
largest ever built in theatre. Is has a
width Of 20 feet and a clear height Of 40.
Its asbestos curtain is said 70 be the biggest
piece Of fibre ever woven.
The depth Of the stage from the extreme
front to the back wall lie ITO feet. The
stage proper is so feet, that is from the
proscenium arch to the back wall. The
front section Of the stage, which is called
an apron" has a depth Of 80 feet. The
entire stage is the width Of the building
200 feet The main stage back Of the pro-
scenium arch is carried on four ~ inch
hydraulic rams and is capable OF a vertical
movement Of 8 feet. The weight Of this
stage. which is practically moving eleva-
tor, il carried on four deep plate girders,
with the plungers placed at the four inter-
Secting points.
This movable stage Ia provided with
massive counter weights and is guided
IN it's vertical movement by steel columns,
at the top Of which are carried the sheaves
for the counter weight cables Attached
TO the under side Of the stage are vertical
guides, which slide within the steel columns.
The guides are provided with slots which
are engaged by massive dogs that slide
horizontally in the steel columns and serve
90 lock the stage at any desired location.
The dogs are operated in unison by means
Of lines Of CONTEMPLATING which are
driven by a ngle electric motor. In the
stage are seven traps each capable Of in
depsndent operation,
The apron" or stage in front Of the
proscenium arch, which Is really part Of
the main stage when occasion requires,
like the main stage, is carried on /? inch
hydraulic plungers, but the apron" has
vertical travel OF IA feet. Normally the
apron will he at the same level as the main
stage. Beneath the apron IL built huge
steel and concrete tank, II feet in depth aud
large enough for the whole apron to sink
within IL,
When aquatic performances or naval
pogeants are to be given, the tank il filed
with water and the movableapron Is sub
merged to the bottom Of the tank This tank
is served by three centrifugal pumps Of a
combined capacity Of S 900 gallons a minute.
Around the back Of the stage at a height
Of IL feet ~ inch pipe extends for a dis
lance Of 100 feet. From this pipe, by means,
OF flexible connections leading TO a cata-
ract and fountains a fine cascade with a
fall Of "a feet Is obtained, with the full
capacity OF the three centrifugal pumps TO
MAINTAIN II IN constant TOW. Inere If also
an s-inch pipe 10y which a considerable
flow Of water is produced across the sur
face Of tho tank, giving it the appearance
Of a river.
The total height Of the stage is ninety feet
and il is in the handling OF scenery that Il
presents many striking features The
scenery in place Of being dropped and lifted
IL carried, by means OF travelling HOSTS,
on four sep rate li~es Of overhead tracks
attached to the gridron, TO either side Of
the deep wings known as scene pockets,
There are four double cleo nc hoists and !
two single HOSTS. Each hoist has its own
electric motor and has a capacity Of from
two 10 three tons. There is a man to each !
hoist. which he controls by wires reaching !
TO the floor. By this means complicated |
and heavy scenery can be lifted from the |
stage and carried to the scene pockets |
with great rapdity, Set pieces will he |
moved by winding drums, sixty in all, each |
having lifting capacity Of 800 pounds
The floors are built to carry total live or |
dead weight Of $50 pounds per square foot |
and are covered with cement and oarpeted, |
except in the auditorium where flreproof |
wood is used. The entrances are Of rubber |
tilin-, All the interior trim Is Of fireproofed |
wood and the steel Is covered with metallic |
lath and cement pl aster. The side windows |
are Of wire glass, and the stage has 400 |
faaf ~ atfrfaOa In four iarga Hpt,kla ]