Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-26
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

| The burning Of the BROOKLYN Thea.
| ter. with a loss Of several score of
r;~e lives, so years ago,
Flreproo1 caused a demand for
| Scenery. the freprocfing Of stage
| scenery. which up to
that time had been OF an infiammable
| nature. In The Star of December 2I
1875, is the following indicative of
| an advance toward greater safety in
that respect:
IF Mr.. Dion Boucicault's method of
making theatrical scenery fireproof
| possesses all the merits claimed for
| it, he has placed the public under
| lasting obligation. The New York
Fire Commissioners witnessed an ex-
pertinent made by Mr.. Boucicault by
Wallacks Theater on Tuesday, by
| saturating the scenery with some in
| combustible material and then ap-
plying fire to 1t. The experiment is
| reported to have been entirely sue
| cessful. A flame from a gas pipe,
| nearly foot in thickness and over
! feet long, was directed against the
prepared scenery, which did not ig-
ME. The fire was held steadily
| against enc portion OF the scenery
until 1t crumbled Under the intense
| heat. When the flame was removed
circular hole remained. but the
/ edges refused to burn. The material
| used by Mr.. Boucicault is a solution
OF tungstate of soda, in which the
canvas is soaked. When dry the
canvas is primed with a solution of
silicate Of soda. the whole rendering
| 1t absolutely fireproof. Mr.. Rouci.
cault says that by his process the
whole stage apparatus of a theater
may be rendered incombustible for
less than $780,
During the discussion in Congress
over the counting of the presidential
vote so years ago much
troops at was made by Demo
the Polls. cratic legislators Of the
troops at the polls in some Of the
Southern cities at the November cleo
ton. The Star of December %, 1875,
points out an amusing paradox in one
OF the measures that was proposed
to prevent such happenings:
THE statutes Of the United States
make 1t unlawful for any military or
naval officer to bring or keep any
troops or armed men at the place
where any general or special election
Is held In any State, unless 1t be
necessary to repel the armed enemies
Of the United States, or keep the
peace at the polls. Representative
Walker OF Virginia introduced a bill
in the House yesterday making 1t
punishable by heavy fine and impris-
onment to bring or keep any troops
or armed men at or near the place
where an election Is held. Mr.. Walker
certainly makes a very strange prop
osition. What does he propose to
do with the troops when elections
are held? Senator Logan discussed
the same subject n few weeks ago,
when Senator Johnston introduced a
resolution asking the President why
he sent troops to Petersburg before
the. election. and several Senators
took the ground that the law means
that no troops shall be stationed In
any town while an election is being
held. Gen. Logan held that at the
place meant at the polling place, and
said that II the other construction
were placed upon the language the
troops in barracks or forts in every
town in the United States would
have to pack up and go somewhere
on election day-where. he did not
know. Perhaps 1t would be a good
Idea to send them up In a balloon
and keep them 'twixt heaven and
earth until the election Is over. Mr.
Walker would have done better II he
had defined what he meant by the
words or near the place where an
election Is held If he had said
within given number of miles from
the place of election he would have
made his bill palmer and less OBJ.
jectionable."
X X ,-+.s. fs
The sculpture which stands at
the western Pennsylvania avenue
W, entrance to the Cap
xcdce OF NAVAL itol grounds, gen.
Monument. e epHag. K known as !:
was erected little less than so years
ago. In The Star of December 8,
1875, Is news item telling of plans
for the Improvement Of the enlarged
Capitol grossnds, and thus describing
the u1Amorfaf: