The Washington bee., 1910-08-27

Cummins Welcome the Guests.
Full Description of the Theater. -
The long-looked-for opening of
Howard Theater was fully realized
last Monday night. The Washington
society was out in full force. Never
before in the history of Washington
have the people turned out in such
mass for a social event as they did
last Monday evening 1t was an event
that will be remembered for years to
come. The private boxes were filled
with many ladies of society. The or
chestra was monOpOlized with the So
cial elite OF Washington, gayly and
gOrgeOusly dressed IN gowns fit for
the goddesses. The orchestra, under
the direction of Prof. VIII Vodrey,
was one of the events of the evening.
After the overture, the performance
opened with speciality, after which
Judge Robert H. Terrell, of the Mu-
nicipal Court, Auditor Ralph w. Ty-I
ler, and Hon. Harry Cummins, of Bal
timore, Md, on behalf of the manage
ment, delivered short and pointed ad-
dresses of welcome to the vast audi
ence Their addresses were filled
with encouragement of bright future
for the colored people of the National
Capital, and their appreciation of what
Messrs. Rosenthal and Benedict have
done for the ColOred Americans in
erecting such play house to the peo-
pie After which the three gentlemen
assured the management that the peO-
pie of this city would show their ap-
probation in the future as it has to-
night Among some of the most
prominent noticed in the boxes
were, in the lower box, Ex-Gov.
P. B. S. Pinchback, Hon. Harry S.
Cummins, DIR. E. D. Williston, James
| H Hudnell, Recorder of Deeds John
son. In Box B were the entire staff
of The Bee: w. Calvin Chase, Sr. and
Jr., editor and managing editor of
The Bee; Miss G. B. Maxfeld, mana
ger and photographic editor of The
Bee; Miss Jessie c. Mason, society
editor; Miss Naomi Toppin, Bee at
tache, and Miss Anna Robinson, of
North Carolina. In the right lower
boxes were Register w. T. Vernon,
wife and invited guests. Next to Reg
lister Vernon's box were Mr.. Emmett
]. Scott, of Tuskegee, Ala Assistant
y. S. Attorney ]. A. Cobb, and Audi
tor Ralph w. Tyler, wife and lady
guests. In the upper boxes were Mrs.
George A. Carter, Prof. Geo. w. Cook,
family and guests.
The program was very entertaining.
Miss Abbie Mitchell, queen of song,
carried the house by storm. She is
not only nice singer, but her ges-
| lures were effective. The five Car
| gads, European acrObats and gym
nasts, were sensational and daring
| Mr.. and Mrs. Tom Lancaster made a
hit in their musical comedy. The 9TH
er participants added greatly to the
| occasion.
Mr.. VIM H. Smith, formerly of the
Pekin Theater, of Chicago, is the
manager; Mr.. Lew w. Henry, stage
manager; o. L. Garrett, electrician.
Having thus fully described the in
teresting ceremonies incident to the
formal opening of the Howard Thea
ter, as also the magnificent audience
which greeted the initial performance,
a detailed description of the structure
itself is in order.
1t may be mentioned here that the
Howard" is the first theater built in
this city under the new building code,
which became effective on November
I last. The regulations are consid-
cred, SO far as they apply to theaters
and public halls, as the most perfect
of any in the country. They are in
| deed rigorous, but properly so. Ev-
cry precaution that the science of con-
struction could devise for the safety
and protection of the public is incor-
lpOrated in the new building code.
First of all, the building is absolutely
fire proof. No better evidence of this
could be given than the statement that
the Howard pays a smaller insurance
premium than probably any theater
in the United States. The usual rate
being from two to five dollars per
hundred dollars of insurance, whereas
the Howard pays at the rate of forty
cents per hundred dollars. Nothing
but steel, stone, brick and concrete
being used in its construction.
The entire roof is of reinforced con-
crete, likewise all the stairways, the
latter being covered with either Ten
nessee marble or slate Over three
hundred thousand pounds of steel
were used. Ten heavy steel columns,
solidIy built-in walls laid in Portland
cement, support five hip trusses on
which the roof rests. Some idea of its
solidity may be had from the simple
statement that the girder on which the
proscenium wall rests, which divides
the stage from the auditorium, weighs
over sixty thousand pounds. The en-
tire balcony, which is on the cantilever
plan, is composed entirely of steel
filled in with concrete.
The house is divided into an or
chestra, balcony, with eight prosce-
MUM boxes, and has a seating capacity
close to 1900. A broad and magnih-
cent lobby leads through various
balcony is reached by separate en-
frances direct from P street.
There are I3 separate and independ-
ent exits for the main auditorium,
enabling the management to empty
the house in two or three minutes,
something which cannot be done by
any house in this city or elsewhere
and which is made possible by the
fact that the building occupies an en-
tire block, being bounded by three
| Sfraats aud y fNyepfu-fooE oI1a1-