The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-16
Local Theatrical Magnate Re-
ceives Plans for the Play
House and Work Will Be
Started in Short Time.
WILL BE FIRE PROOF
IN EVERY Department
Structure Will Be One of Fin
est of Class in the State
And Will Be Devoted Solely
To Vaudeville Use.


plans have been received from the ar
chitects Office and bids will be open
ed next week. 1t is expected to begin
actual construction the moment , con-
tracts are awarded. Contracting firms
of Chicago, Dayton, Cincinnati, New
ark, O.. and St. Louis have sent re-
quests to Manager o. G. Murray of the
New Phillips theater asking that they
be advised Of the day when bids will
be received and the day they will be
opened.
1t is Manager Murrays plan to book
nothing at all at the Murray theater
outside of vaudeville and that to be
of the best the prices of admission will
permit. The proposed play house will
remain of the popular variety and adj
missions in all probability will remain
the same.
The seating capacity, it is estimated
will be about nine hundred chairs.
The plans which are in the hands of
Mr.. Murray are a copy of those sent
! to the state department and there ap-
proved. Out of possible fifty changes
that are usually demanded in plans
offered the state department., but two
| minor changes were called for in the
delineations of the Murray theater.
"Fireproof" Is Big Idea.
The proposed play house will be one
of the most beautiful and pleasantly
equipped structures of it's sort in the
state, rivaling those of the larger
Hoosier cities, although being of a
| smaller dimensions. No city in the
| state of the class to which Richmond
| belongs will have theater that will
compare in detail with this new ven
| ture of o. G. Murray's. The structure
! is planned along the one dominant
| Idea of having a structure as near fire
proof as modern genius in construct
ion can attain.
For the past several years Mr.. Muir
ray has been contemplating the cree
beautiful public edifices of the Quaker
city. 1t with this idea in view that the
property at Tenth and Main streets
was taken over and orders for draft
ing of plans for a $4,000 play house
placed with Fred w. Elliott, architect
of Columbus, o. Mr.. Elliott has a
country wide reputation as conceiver
of plans for theaters and has elabor.
ated the ideas personified in some of
most attractive playhouses in the
country.
| General Plan Of Theater.
The general plan of the new build
ing is: The first or ground floor will
be devoted to the theater. beneath
which will be a deep basement hous
ing heating and lighting apparatus
and an elaborate system of dressing
rooms for actors. The second floor
back will be devoted to the balcony
OF the theater and the front to set
of business Offices. The third foo,
back will be used for the gallery OF
the theater and the front will be &C.
cupied by two five room flats.
Between the front and back parts OF
the building is deep fire wall, which
practically makes two buildings of one
AS near as human genius can figure
this wall, in case Of fire, will stop any
blaze originating in either the front OF
back from getting into the other part
In any event it is almost a practical
certainty that the fire wall will check
the blaze long enough to give occu
pants plenty Of time to escape.
| Concrete Used Freely.
! Concrete will form an important par,
in he construction of the building
and it is planned to use as little timber
as possible. The entire basement in
Guiding the areaway will have a con
crete floor. Bedford limestone will
also be used promiscuously in the out
err construction of the edifice. The
front or Main street side of he struc
ture and the Tenth street side will
be of pressed brick of light gray tint
These bricks will be laid in dark choc
olate mortar. The proscenium arct
will of the best quality of cement
The roof of the theater will be com
posed of flexible cement roofing. Ou
Of the roof will protrude the marquist
and automatic yentilators, which al
though furnishing the theater witt
fresh air at all times will not caus,
any depression in the temperature.
The vestibule to the theater will
have a paneled steel ceiling and thu
auditorium will have background q
steel ceiling
Iron Cage for Machine.
The moving picture machine bootl
which is SO often the cause of fire:
in theaters. will be as near fire proc
as modern building conceptions car
make 1t. The booth will be of gal
vanized iron riveted to an iron tram,
work. The door to the booth is alst
OF iron and is kept closed when not IL
use by automatic weights The open
lings in the front Of the booth are t.