Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-05-05
A CLASS CURTAIN
Unique Feature of Theatre in
City Of Mexico Will
Weigh 81 Tons.
HOUSE TO COST $4,000, 900
Twenty-Five Hundred Feet OF Glass
Mosaic, Divided Into 200
Panels, in Drop.

A glass curtain weighing nearly thtr-
ty tons is the latest thing in theatrical
construction and in fire protection.
but it is destined for the new $1,000, 900
theater in the City Of Mexico.
The National theater in the City OF
Mexico, now approaching completion,
will be q beautiful addition to the
works of art on this continent, and
this curtain will not be the least Of its
beauties. The theater. in fact will be
one Of the most important and beauti-
full structures In the world.
The building is constructed entirely
of white marble, much Of which has
been supplied from the quarries of
Mexico and the remainder from Car
rara. 1t occupies a central location in
the Alameda. or park, its four ap-
proaches following the parabolical lines
employed in the general architectural
design of the structure.
BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE.
Over $S,O0ODOO in gold will have
been expended upon the theater before
1t is complete, a large part of which
has been used for material and labor
in Mexico, that so far as possible the
nation shall benefit Its seating ca
pacity is about 5000, and the building,
with its ramps, fountains and gardens,
covers an area of 1--WE acres. or more
than two of our city blocks.
This theater is one OF a number Of
public buildings which have been de-
signed for the substantial improve
ment and adornment of the City Of
Mexico to be not only a fitting home
for Mexican dramatic art, but as a
perpetual monument to the progress
of the republic under the wise admin
istration of its venerable president.
Senior Adamo Boar, the distinguish
ed architect of the City of Mexico, de-
voted much time and thought to the
selection of a suitable curtain which
must not only be fireproof, but deco
rative in character. Nature had al
ready provided a scene which assisted
him in the choice of an appropriate
picture for this part of the work, and
he determined to depict the perpetual
snow capped peaks OF Iztaccihautl and
PopOcatepeu rising thousands of feet
into the cloudless sky, veritable poem
of light.
Various attempts were made with
paints. with Bohemian and Venetian
glass. but without success until it was
suggested that q mosaic curtain of
glass would combine safety against
fire with the decorative merits of
painting to express the romantic story
of the two volcanoes.
The magnitude or the undertaking
may be appreciated when it is stated
that the curtain contains more than
$500 square feet of glass mosaic and
weighs twenty-seven tons. To insure
its safe transportation from the studios
TO the City of Mexico IL has been divid
ed into 200 panels. each three feet
square, containing nearly 100000
pieces Of favrile glass, which have been
inlaid into concrete composition i'm
pervious alike TO heat and moisture.
The glass was made especially for
this particular work. Twenty mosaic
workers have been continuously EN-
pIoyed in its construction for q period
Of over fifteen months.
The curtain will be operated by by
drauhc pressure and the time required
TO raise or lower ii seven seconds.