New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-11
OPERA HOUSE STORMED
RESERVES CHECK CROWD.
Metropolitan Benefit Adds $4,000
to Relief Fund.

About $4,000 was added last night TO the fund Tor
the italian earthquake sufferers by the speclaI
concert at the Metropolitan Opera House. me
great auditorium held ono of the largest audiences
In its history. The demonstration by the crown
of several thousands that surrounded the opera
house on the four sides compelled the management
to close the box office long before the hour for
the concert to begin This action limited the
standing-room ticket holders to five hundred
Those who remained outside gave the ponce III
charge Of the arrangements the busiest Sunday
evening that they have had in many months Ihere
were about fifty and they were nowhere near
enough to cope with the jostlins. pushing crowd
that stormed the several entrances and choKed
the streets and sidewalks Inspector McClusky'
in charge, vas compelled to telephone to the zolh
street and soth street stations for the reserves
Captain O'Brien. of the Tenderloin precinct. &C
companied mis- men TO the scene. which had De-
come one CT great disorder The presence Of the
ticket spectators added to the confusion
Many of those in the crowd were Italians. men
and women They cared about just one thing 10 aoo
their contributions to help their countrymen. and
that their mite TO alleviate any sunerlns 1t
was worth while using every effort to enter the
opera house. This they did, and the police strug-
gled with them most patiently.
Many of them had arrived at $50 o'clock al
though the concert not to begin until TWO
hours later At o'clock the streets about the
opera house were choked with the crowd. and its
descent the box offices was like raid Inc
inside were helpless, and they were eA
out. Even then the disappointed ones stood around
still hoping but the police allowed to enter only
those who could show tickets But those VINO
did not hold tickets blocked the sidewalks, and
those who had them had difficulty in reaching the
doors The SPECTATORS did good business.
In all the crowd, however. there was only one ar
rest. Isaac Samansky, ticket Spectator, OF NO.
2OS 42d street. locked up in the West Soth
street station charged with larceny by George NJ.
Zimmerman of No. 1875 Amsterdam avenue. Gum
fO outside
the opera house and sold him two plain pieces Of
cardboard marked Balcony for S. When Gum
norman failed to get admission the tickets he
appealed to the police. and after searching IN the
crowd for time he pointed out Samansky
There was not a vacant seat in any part OF the
auditorium when Mr.. Hertz raised his baton TO
conduct Les Preludes.' the first number Of one OF
the greatest operate concerts ever heard in New
York
William K Vanderbilt, Otto H. Kahn and other
directors of the opera house company and box
holders had bought boxes. The usual popular
concert schedule of prices abandoned for last
night. the lowest admission price being 81. The
programmes, too, sold.
Every principal singer-tenor. barytone. basso,
soprano and contralto-of the Metropoitan's roster
was the programme. Only two, Nine. Eanes
and Mr.. Schmedes, failed TO appear. They both
sent word of their tndispositicn Nine. Rappold
and Mr. Burgstaler sang their respective places.
The four conductors-Toscanini. Spetrino, MAILER
and Hertz-also gave their services. No solos were
sung, account of the great number or artists
that appeared. There duets trios. quartets.
ouintets and sextets. The excellence of the pro-
Eramme, the cause for which the artists gavs their
services and the vastness of the audience pro-
duced volume Of applause that made the seats
vibrate in their fastenings.
The chorus contributed their services in the
'Miserere" from '"Trovatore," sung by Mr.. Caruso
and Nine. Rappold which number was received
with especial enthusiasm Nine. Kaschowska and
Mr.. Note in their duet singing of lie Crucifx."
of duet from the first act Of Die walkre,'' also
made deep Impressions. The orchestral numbers,
besides Les Preludes," the I1eonora No. s
overture of Beethoven. conducted by Mahler, and
Rossinrs "Semiramide'' overture, which Spetrino
conducted.
The artists who took part besides. those already
mentioned. were Mines. Sembrich, Farrar, Destinn,
Homer. Flahaut, Ranzenberg. d Pasquali. L'Huil-
Her. Gay, Aida, hatfield and Messrs. Bonci. Mar
tin, Scott, Rossi Campanar, Didur. Feinhals.
Reiss and Amato.
Max Hirsch. treasurer of the Metropolitan Opera
House, auctioned off during the concert silver
snuff box contributed by anonymous giver TO
the fund for the earthquake sufferers. There
a touch of pathos in the letter that accompanied
the gift. This explained that the box had been the
property of the gver's mother and that because OF
a change OF circumstances in the last year il
the only offering possible. On the box the in
scription Kate to Mother" There was also sold
the autographs of all the artists that took part
himself m. NJ" for $50 He had it put up
again This time Caruso bought 1t for $3.50. The
programme brought $50 from boxholder who said
he was 20 Z