New-York tribune., 1910-01-16

h;,erv Cost More Than a Quarter of q
~ Million Dollars and Contains More Than
One Million Pounds of Steel.

utes- II The School for Scandal we made
six changes in six minutes. These scenes
were so heavy that they had to be moved
on trucks.
We produced Don and Liz wit no
i-terrlission between, them. Liz is q
one-act play, and as it is set complete.
with Don on the revolving stage we
pass directly from Liz to the first act
OF the longer play and have our inter-
mission between the first and second acts
OF Don
The stage Is not Yet completed When
IL is We shall be able to produce startling
effects. Ultimately we shall abolish the
curtain altogether and present series OF
acts without interruption. The intermis-
sion VIII be determined then by those in
the audience-when they are tired we shall
pause while they 20 out for tea or a
promenade
The stage will be so constructed that
section Of it, separately or In conjunction
with Others. In fact 1t is SO constructed
now, but in its complete form it Is not
yet in working order. We can build a scene
On the first seven sections for example
present II and then lower II into the cellar
TO Sufficient depth SO that the eighth Sec
uon, on which scene has been set. may
be driven forward sixty feet a minute to
the front OF the stage. Each transverse
section or cradle has its lower section or
bridge, and We can build scenes on both.
For example. Nos 5. 6, and bridges,
With their cradles and top members, may
be lowered to a sufficient depth to allow
cradles Nos J, 2. and TO be moved
TO the back of the stage Then bridges
Nos. l. q 3 and may be screwed up until
they are level with the permanent stage
floor. and on them we can set a scene. A
second scene may be built on cradles Nos
!. .. and 4. When the scene upon the
first four bridges is finished IL is lowered
into the cellar: then cradles Nos I, 2, 5
and are driven forward to occupy their
original place, and bridges Nos. 5, 6, 7
and are screwed up. so that the wheels
OF their respective cradles may be thrown
on their traekways and a scene be built
upon them. These mechanical movements
may be continued until the sections are in
their original positions.
1.-The revolving stage floor may be low
cred or raised distance of thirty-two feet.
There are trap doors which may be used
for graves or for scenes such as one in
Antony and Cleopatra
Each cradle is SO constructed that il
viii bear a load of fve thousand pounds
II ADDITION TO Its own weight. This means
a load of ninety pounds to the square
foot"
One of the most remarkable devices con-
nected with the stage is the counterweight
system for the raising and lowering Of
scenery. Instead Of relying for this pur-
pose upon electric motors, which are
notoriousy unsafe in time of fire and un-
wieldly at all times. Mr.. Hagen has in
vented an ingenious device, in which he
uses small shot to balance the weight of
the drops or scenery. In explaining this
system Mr. Hagen said:
The machinery consists OF an elevating
rcd or batten made OF steel pipe sixty-six
feet long. 10 which the hatten of a scene
roll is attached. The elevating batten is
carried by five wire ropes which, passing
over their respective sheaves or wheels,
hung up under the roof trusses 124 feet
above the stage. are led TO the south wall
OF the theatre over a single fve-grooved
sheave downward and attached to a cour-
terweight box This box Is 3l4 inches by
14A inches IN cross section and feet