Evening star., 1921-12-11

The building known as Walls Opera
House, at the corner of 9th anr &
streets and
Walls Opera House Louisiana
Destroyed by Fire. DESTROYED bx
fire on the early morning of December
s, 1871. The fire originated in an
adjoining building occupied as junk
shop. and quickly spread into the
theater. which could not be saved
from the flames. In connection with
the account of the fire Tho Star of
December 6 said:
'The opera house. a three-story
brick building, was originally built
by Messrs. Haslup & Weldon, about
the year 1850. as a coach factory and
subsequently as d gymnasium. About
fifteen years ago the building was
purchased by Messrs. Thomas Berry
and Francis Mohun. and, after the
gymnasium had disbanded, 1t was
used for several years as storeroom
and for other purposes. During the
war it WAS fitted up and run as ..
the war, and Messrs. Berry and Wall.
the latter gentleman having secured
Mr.. Mohun's interest in the premises,
used it as storeroom for Furniture.
About six years ago. these gentlemen,
thinking it could be used to bette
improvements and repairs, and it was
Opera House The theater was
leased to H. b. Phillips. who opened
the place with Rosetta and a full
dramatic company. Wallack and
management of Humphrey Bland. now
dead, round of the characters
peculiar to those eminent actoTs.
assisted by Rose Eytinge, were played.
1t was leased to Sanderson & Barton
during the season of 1S6S-1S69, and
up to the close of the season of
1S70-1S7l. the principal leasee. While
he was manager very eminent his
trionic names appeared upon the
boards of Walls Opera House, among
them Nine. Marie Seebach. Mrs. Scott
also the Mrs. James Oates and Lisa
Lever buriesque operate companies,
Kelly and Leon, the Walhalla troup".
Bryants minstrels, etc. At the be
ginning of this season it was leased
by Mr.. ]. q. Saville. leasee of the
National, and has only been occupied
about three weeks in that time. Ar
rangements, however, had been COM
pleted between Mrs. Saville and
Manager Risley for reopening next
Monday
A new building was erected on the
site and was later taken under tho
management of John r. Ford. who
had been without "A theater in Wash
ington since the closing of Ford's
Theater on 10th street when Presi-
dent Lincoln was shot in 1865.
The waste of aqueduct water in the
government buildings here, which has
been the subject
Water Waste in of complaint for
n many years, was
OePdItneuts. noted in The Star
of December :, 1871, in connection
with a warning by Gen. Babcock.
chief engineer of the aqueduct, that
householders must use the water
more carefully. 1t was pointed out
that whereas vigilance was exercised
to prevent leaks and waste 10y the
citizens. in the government depart
ments a tremendous waste was con-
stantiy going on. due chiefly TO the
use of the water for running ma
chiuery. At the Treasury Department
it was noted a turbine wheel was
run by aqueduct pressure: at the
Navy Department condenser was
used and the aqueduct water was
allowed to run waste all day through
an ch-and "a half pipe. Saving to
the government by the use of water
over the use of coal pitiful dollar
or two day" The Star said that. OF
course, the government had the hrst
right to the use of the Potomac water.
but it never could have heen com-
templated to bring it here at such
heavy cost, to be used in running
machinery to the deprivation of half
the city of water and at the risk
of the sacrifice of valuable govern
ment property by fire through in
adequacy of water supply.
Great vigilance has been used by the
water department to stop leaks and TO
prevent waste by the citizens, but at
the government offices, where the water
officers have no control, the waste Is
excessive and the aqueduct water is
used as though it were as free as air.
And this waste of water is mainly for
running machinery and to effect
trivial saving in expense of motive
power-a saving with a vengeance when
it deprives all the upper part of the
city OF water and puts all the city at
the mercy of a conflagration."