The New York Herald Newspaper, February 26, 1877, Page 6

NEW YORK THE FLORIDA. SWAMP. | Adventures in the Morass of the Wacissa. CEN DISMATL The Correspondent and His Party in a Den of Reptiles, Ea HOW THEY ESCAPED. Encounter with a Youthful Alligator. RESCUE OF ecole A NEGRO. Discovery of a Group of Islands Hitherto Unknown. THE STON peace IDOL. S1xK 0” Pixnooxs, Fla., Feb, 12, 1877. The stories of Stanisland and Maynor made such an impression upon me, despito thetr palpable exaggera- tion and possible invention, that an indefuite antict- pation had been formed of discovering in the morass a large hummock or istand, such as they bad described, I was not surprised, therefore, when the “Jndge,” after returning from the ‘line’ much futigued, reported in a hopeful tone that Dallas had, late in the day, after climbing a lofty cypress, seen, not far in advance, a tract of pine and liveoak timber, elevated above the surrounding country. Our enthusiasm had been flagging for the pust sixty hours, but this discovery revived tt into a heat quite as extraordipary as that which fired the sailors of Columbus when the cry of “Land!” was heard trom his masthead, The evening session by the camp fire was consumed in conjectures and imaginings concerning the ex'stence of high and dry ground in such a region, and the wonder was especially groat ‘when it was remembered that the hunters of the woods bad never by chance or the ardor of tho chase been Jed in that direction, nor had stumbled upon possible fijscoveries there awaiting the enterprise of the Beran. A WATERY DEN OF REPTILES, Noon fonnd us at the terminus of the “line” which we were eager to extend. But tho reader must not suppose that it was as easy going thero us it is to walk down Broadway on even the sloppicst day of tno thawing season. 1 found that the ‘Judge’? had pene- trated into a far worse region than that previously ex- plored. The tall, thick growth of cypressea casta gloom upon the dark waters which languidly licked their feet—a gloom so heavy,-so contagious, that it seomed to fill the very soul of the adventurous explorer pnd to warn bim in an mexplicable way worthy to be studied by the psychologists to desiat from the rath- Jess curiosity which would lead him still turthor into this sombre wild. It seemed veritably a desert, for of the massivo vegetation there was nothing apparontly which could render subsistence to living being. A cbill pervaded the atmosphere which crept into our marrow, and the slothful breeze reminded one of the cold sepulchral air which are said to accompany ghosts when they walk on earth. Certain it scemed that’ none of the bigher species of vertebrates haunted this strange solitude; uot even a warbler was there present to lighten the ponderous silence with its cheery chirpings; but on looking flown into the tawny water in which our feet and Jegs were submerged we wero startled and horrified by apparitions, to which our depressed and timid imag- fnations gave the most loathsome and dreadful aspects. A greenish, slippery vegetablo substance, haif slime and balf moss, carpeted the bottom of the lagoon, and against it were revealed the crawling shapes of huge moccasins, calied because of their deadly animosity to man ‘water ratties.’? They, how- ever, have no rattles and give no warning of their proximity. They pass through tho water with a rapid rush when they are angered, coming down upon their prey like THE PARLED SKA SERPENT which adorns sailors’ yarns, As we stood, doubtful what to do, these noxious things never ceased to glide, and their scaly folds seemed to thicken around us. Evidently we had entered a very den of the Evil Ono, perhaps the corridor of hell, pillared by the ghastly emblems of death—the misty cypresses. Luckily there were several little mounds banked up about the bases of large trees close to us, and on these ‘we sprang, and, hastily jumping from one to the other, fled from the reptiles, 1: was some time before wo ventured again into the water, and not before wo reached a broad and rapid current, We made our way to it as best we could by Jumping from mound to mound, or from pné talien tree to another, To cross the main channel pf the stream, however, it was necessary to again go Into the water. Wo waded in cautiously, and tho “Judge,”? who was in the van, insured our safety by feeling bis ground as he advanced with his taithtul “Jacob's staff." A WATER MONSTER, In the middie the water was nearly as high a8 our chins and the current swept against us with alarming Strength. It was while vearing the more shallow margin that we espied a huge water reptile, moccasin, ploughing along the surface of the water with great rapidity toward our little party. Juke de- tlared him to be the largest one of the species that he ever had seen, The ‘Judge,” who was nearest tho Ganger, struck at him with desperate vigor with his only weapon, the “Jacob's stail.”” The blow fell short, and the monster never paused in bis course, bat rolled the ripples about him more angrily. Ove of the men then lashed the water with a sappling, which he bore in bis hand, but trepidation had ¢0 unmanned him that he could not reach the onemy. The snake then stopped and lay on the surtace looking at us, with his forked tongue darting menacingiy. We could now observe him, His size was almost stupendous, and at a short distance he might have been mistaken for a young alligator. I ievelled my gun and gent some fine shot through his brain, He vorned half over and wrig- gied and twisted himself into all sort? of knotty Bhapes. He had not disappeared when we reached tho cypresses, having passed very near him, With a forked pole n novse was slipped over his bend and ho ‘was dragged into shallow water, whore the remaining vitality in him was speedily despatched, He was as large around as a woman’s arm and his form showed its immense muscular development, a quality which makes this species so terrivle, since they swim so Fapidiy and strike with the swiftness of a thunderbolt, PRROCIOUS ALLIGATORS. Our adventures were not ended with this conquest, Be it known thas the alligators of this region are ex- jromely ferocious and fearless in their relations with man, They have not yet had sufficiont intercourse with that monarch of living creatures to respect tho resources of his ower. Itisdifferent along the streams frequented by touriste, There they mutely acknowledge tho powers of gunpowder and lead and dive to avoid ob- scrvation.» Here their eelf-rospoct is not yet enopgh impaired to permit the saurian aristocracy to subfuit tos fordign domination. And that, too, proflered by that upstart genus of the drift period called homus! Were not the alligators. descended from those noble creatures who odorned the earth in the dim anterior ages, tho pliocene, tho miocene and the eocene? Why, then, should man object to their chotce of him x an occasional morsel for their delicate stomachs? The aliigator of the morass (crocodilus lucius) at- tacks man without hesitation, and when once be suc- ‘coeds in coming to close combat with him js nearly certain of the victory, ADVENTURE WITH A YOUNG SAURIAN, Wo wore crossing stream after stream. They seemed Yemarkably close to one anotht ind we became con- ‘vinced for that reason that wo were nearing the main course of the Wacissa, and that they were tho numer 048 delta of larger tributaries socking an entrauce to phe grand bighway to the sea, In one of these ‘rung’? a . HERALD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1877.—WITH SUPPLEMENT. 8 great ory,of terror burst trom pis of our faye SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA. we hastened back to him, for he was in the rear, ¢x- pectant of @ scene of horror, There was ao violent eplashing and eddying of the water, and ope of the men was struggling, with cries, to freo his leg from the jaws of 8 youthful erocedilus luctus. He had stabbed it twice with his knife, and it euddenly relaxed its bold, but only to whirl aronud in the water and with its powerful tail to deal its adversary a terrible blow on the legs which upset him, The tragedy would soon have been complete had not the “Jacob's staf,” which figures so benovotently in this narrative, bedn again usedin defence of the Henanp explorers, Ita end was shod with steel, sharply pointed, and tho “Judge” handled the weapon as if it were a true and trusty lance and he a doughty knight of the medimyval time, It penetrated the ugly saurian’s neck, just where his nataral armor is jointed, and he turned over on his back with a graceful acquiescence in tho force of cir- cumstances which was quite edilying The poor ne gro was examined apd nis leg found to be but slightly bruised, thanks to the toughness of his trousers and the juvenility of bis assailant. He was able to plod on with Jess physical than moral injury, for his imag- ination was seized with terrors every timo that we plunged into a new stream. He feared to go on, but still less dared to start. back for camp. The accident was really a remarkable one, as iv 1s unusual for alligators to show themselves so early In the season, when they are, besides, too torpid to feel very great ambition for conflict, But we had already heard them biawing, as they rogo fromthe waterto sun themselves on logs, and the rapidiy increasing warmth warned me of the danger of prolonging the explora. tion late Inte the spring, unless it were to be continued in boats along the Wacissa River, A GKOUP OV ISLANDS. AB we advanced wo found that we wore crossing great numbers of “runs.” When we afterward took the trouble of counting them we found that within a distance of two miles there were not less than thirty- ope. Some of them part trom the Wacissa, describe a curve through the morass and return to it, We arrived ata high pine bumfhock, upon which, however, we found nothing remarkable, Wo nameo it Piney Island, We only rested here and then pressed onward with an anxiety to finish the line on that day. ‘At last we could plainly discover before ug a dense | mass of foliage, Mving and green, which strongly cou trasted with the nakedness of tne cypress through | which wo had been toiling for several hours. Tho trees | were of enormous growth, As wo approached we crossed another stream, and its further bank was firm and dry, but densely screened by a tangled tnicket, What might there be behind that barrier? Was this at last tho enchanted precinct where abode the mysterious presence of those unexplored wilds? 1 felt somewhat like the fairy prince of childish memory, perhaps, tor hero as in the poem:— All round afeage upshoots and shows: At distance like a little wood, Thorns, ivies, woodbines, mistictoes, And grapes with bunches red as bloody All creeping plants, a wall of green Close matted burr and brake and briar, I looxed involuntarily around for— ‘The bodies ana the bones of those Who strove in other days to pags, but they were not —withered tn the thorny close Or seatiered blanching on the grass, So we took courage and broke through the copse without exactly expocting to find the enchanted castle | and “the sleeping beauty” in “the quict chamber far apart,’? but something perhaps akin to them in won- dee. WONDERFUL TREES. We bad reached an island. The interior was thickly shaded by giant live oak and magnotias, which so shut cout the rays of the sun that the atmosphere was laden with a dampness like that of some ancient crypt. But 1t was small and soon explored, Beyond it was an- other island, not so circumscribed in its limits and ap. parently mainly covered by pines, although there were scattered over it groups of live oaks and magnolias. We crossed a deep ‘‘run” to reach it, and found its soil 60 much like that of the other that I at once concluded that the first growth of timber, which was probably live oaks and magnolias, had been ‘onco hewn down by the hand of man. It is well known, that in Florida a strange phenomenon occurs in for- estry when the primeval growth of timber is destroyed, Should it be pine, the new forest which will spring up will consist of the hard woods, such as ouk, bay, mag- nolla and gum tree, and it is supposed that the pine will succeed these alter they have been cut of. Com- paring the age of the pines which we found on tho third island with that of the live oaks, [ should conclude that the latter are perhaps by two centuries tho elders The pines are “ut weeds when contrasted tn their rank overgrowth with the august dignity of yoars belonging {o the ofiginal lords of the soll, A STONE IDOL. The third is! nd seemed several times as large as the other two, and we hastened to push our explorations to its utmost limit But we wero arrested for the night by a wonderful discovery, a brief outline of which I have already telegraphed you. In a spot quite secluded by the surrounding growth of bramble, shrub and vine, and where a few gigantic oaks cast deep shadows, we were startled to behold a figure Vearing a semblance to the human form, Tho wild fancies of some of the negroes had suggested more than once the existence of some old and enfeebledslave fu- gitives in some nook of this region, but they were of course treated «as improbable, We were utterly unprepared for the shout which | one of them raised, ‘Look a’hyere! Hyerc’s a man, sho’ *nough!’’ “Looks like it’s the berry debbil bis- self,” said another, shrinking back, while all of our dusky assistants showed tokens of awe, if notof fear I approached the grim presence. Tho resemblance to a human figare was far less apparent upon a near in- spection than when viewed at a distance, but still there was altogether quite a verisimilitude. It is a great stone column, rotund in form. The upper portion has been at some time fashioned into the shape of the human head, poised upon broad and rudely carved shoulders. There aro but taint traces ot the eyes, cars, nose and mouth. The substance composing the idol is quite soft, a fine gray sandstone, and those features might have been nearly washed away by the ram within a hundred years or so, The figure has no arms, A GIANT Gop, lt is set vertically in the earth, and has probably sunk many feet deeper than it stood when originally erected, Its present height above the ground 1s about five feet, and by excavation it was found that it ex. tends about four feet bonenth. The original altitude of the image was, therefore, in all probability about cight tect. On the front, or what appeared to be the front, of the figure we discovered some singular characters, resem- bling scratches rather than graven charactors, Part of them were hidden by the soil and moss, and this was removed 80 as to disclose the whole, Tho heroglyphs, if such they are, bear no analogy to any of those ta- miliar to the writer; but they were 60 dimly traceable that this opinion may be a mistaken one,‘in conse. quence of the unfavorable light which pervaded the secluded precinct, A short distance from the statue wo stumbled upon another column or obelisk, It lay prone ou the ground, and bad co nead-shaped upper portion, If it had ever possessed one it bad been broken off and probably destroyed, for we saw neara beap of fine débris, This may bave been partly produced when the idol was shaped, or afterward, when its companion was demolished, The party was illy provided for remaining another day in the morass without communication with the camp. Leaving the Judgo and three of the met to Divouae on the island all night and to press the search in the morning, I set out with one attendant to return, My intention was to send provisions to them early and to follow them myself, so as to examine at leisure tho strange objects which had been discovered. FELONIOUS ASSAUL James L. Cleaner, a young man residing at No. 36 Mott street, became enraged at Donnis J. McBride, of No, 37 Oak street, on Saturday night, and pointed a loaded revolver at him, with the evident intention of shooting, Meltride jumped for the weapon and suc- coeded in grabbing it before its owner could fire, A policeman was called and took Cleaner in custody. At the Tombs Polico Court yesterday morning, before Judge Daly, McBride related the story of the assault, and the prisoner was hold in $1,000 bail to answer,” ARKESTED FOR ARSON. Louis Cohen, of No, 14 Essox street, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of retting fire to his apart. | disease, _—— GLOWTH OF THE AL DRAMA-~ CLERGYMEN AND ACTORS—LITERATURE AND ALT IN THE NEXT CENTURY, To Tun Epiror or Tie HERALD: — Foreigners bave not only watched with intenso in- terest the advance of literature in this country, but also tho enterprise and progress of our theatres, Half @ century ago a paper was published in Paris wherein it was observed that the poople of the United States would summon over tho sea, at an immense expense, celebrated English actors to perform the plays of Shakespeare, where, in the New York theatres, they excited even more enthusiasm and applause than in those of London, * * * “And thus this comedian ol the age of Elizabeth,” the article continues, ‘this author esteemed so uneducated, who had himself never collected or reviaed his own works, rapldiy composed, as they wero, for obscure and rude theatres, will be the chief and mode! of a school of poetry which snall speak a language diffused over the most flourishing half of a new worlt,”” Hackett’s “Notes and Com- ments Upon the Piays and Actors of Shakespeare’’ were prononnced in England to be among the most in. tollectual that the stage can give a nation, In connection with a review of the theatre in the United States the visit of George Frederick Cooke to our shores is, perbaps,.the most noteworthy. He made his first appearance as an actor i Brentford, England, in 1776, His arriva: iff New York in 1810, under contract with an American manager, 1s said to have caused a greater sensation than had been produced by that of any other Individua; not associated with our political welfare lt was not believed by Englishmen in New York that there wag sufficient entetprise in American theatrical citcles to secure his presence; they ‘swore roundly that it could not be.’ An account represents that it appeared as impossible to many that the great London actor should be removed to America as that St, Paul’s Cathedral should bo transported across \ne Atlantic, But he had already arrived (on November 16) and taken rooms at the Tontine Colfee House, Five days later he played Richard 111. before “tho greatest house ever known in America.’? The audience he red garded as one of unusual intelligence, for it most ap- pluuded, ho said, what he kuew to bo his own beat For sovonteen nights the receipts word For twenty nights in Phila dolphia, $: The senting capacities, it may be presumed, limited the proceeds, for on the evenings of his performances in the former city ‘‘the press of people in the vicinity of the theatre was violent and dangerous,” At the latter city it is stated that such was tho eagerness ‘to procure tickets that “sturdy bluckguards” were pad by gentlemen from $6 to $10 for securing a singio seat, and persons were seen sitting at tho theatre door eating their dinner, who bad taken points, -their posts on Sunday moraing with a determination of remaining there all through Sunday and Sunday night to be ready tur the openiog on Monday. Cooke wasa constitutional drunkard; bis drinking was a but ho possessed unrivalled talents and great kindness of heart, In the words of another, he was occentric in his conduct and eminent in bis profession, In this country, as tn England, while he won the admiration of fashionable, learned and critical audiences be was the jolly companion ot barroom putrous. It seems to bave been painful for one to behold him in the degradation of his habits, but supremely ennobling to witness him emid the glories and triumphs of his genius. “His heart was Open to receive every good mpression aud strong in ite impulse to every good action.” The standpoint taken by professed Christians, aga class, against the theatre he regarded us one of the most deplorable errors of civilization, [1 is said that the two gentlemen with whom be was most delighted in Boston were the portrait painter, Stuart, and a Rey. Mr. Gardiner, dle astonished some fricnds one Sunday moruing by say- ing, “1 am gotng to hear Parson Gardiner preach He's tho only clergyman that has done mo the honor to come and see me play, and I’! do him the honor to go and hear him preach. Sam, give mo soine hot branuy toddy.? Fraaght with @ telling significance, his words passed iuto bistory. Wherever he went in the United States he observed, with astonishment, the people’s One appreciation of the great poet's plays, In @ letter to a London friend he sat “Pheatricals here are conducted in avery respectable manner, and the companies superior to what 1 had expected, 1 may add much more so.’? A SINGULAR CONVERSATION, Tho tollowing conversation, imbued with interest at this time from the fact of our Centennial celebration, passed between Cooke and an American :— Coukn—I observe that you Americans always say, “Our great poct,”? “Our immortal and unrivalled dramaust;” but you are not the countrymen of Shakespeare, What part has an American in the Bard of Avon? AmunicaN—Precisely the same part that an English- man of the present day can claim in tim, As a descendant from Britons, t claim the same share in the heroes, poets and philosophers of former days as avy Briton of this day can, CookK—So, 80—very pretty! No, no, that won’t do. You are a face of yesterduy—mere upstaris. You abandoned Great Britain aud gave up your abare in her fame, Amenicax—By no means, The younger breiber who leaves his parental roof, though he dues not imberit bis Jather’s estate, is beir to hie father’s fame as much as the elder. I have as full a participation in old English glory as you, Shakespeare and Milton; Locke, Bacon and Newton; tho Harries, the Edwards and the Marl- Voroughs, areas near to mo as to you, And the glory which an Englishman feels at the sound of those names and the recollection of the glory of Old England is mine as fully as his. CooK¥—So, 80, 82—and where do you draw the iine? Amenican—Why the year 1776 must be the chrono- logical mark of separation, I believe, I have no claim upon Britain since then, though I owe her much. Cooke (laughingly)—And you willowe her a great deal more belore you are able to pay anything in re- turn, FOREIGN ACTORS IN TH UNITED STATES. ‘The lasttmme that Mr. Cooke ever played was on July 31, 1812, in Providence, R. 1 Ho never returned to England, but died, aged fifty-seven, ut the Mechanic Hall, in New York, on the 26th of September, 1812, and was buried in St. Paul’s churehyard, in that erty. Ab imposing monument marks the spot, apd the tn. scriptions which it bears happily illustrate a Christian spirit, which pre-eminently adorns the dramatic pro+ fession, They are as {ollows:— Erected to the memory ‘ GEORGE asi ERICK COOKE, EDMUND KEAN, th Theatre Ro. Throo kingdoms Both hemispheres pi ne 1. Drury Lane, his birth; mounce his worth, Haymarket, 1si4 Cooke’s mastorly impersonations in the plays of “Richard LiL.’? The Merchant of Venice,” “Otuello,?” “Macbeth,” “Henry LV <ing Lear,” “King Jonu?? and others grandly impressed the Americun public with the moral worth of the drama, and from his ume to the present it hus welcomed Shakespearian actors from abroad with marked distinction, The ambition ol loreign actore now 1s to appear betore and win favor with American audiences, It has finally become pro- Verbial on the other side of the Atlantic that their visits hore ure not toa land of strangers, bat peculiarly to one of friends The transatinuiic professional tours of eminent actors are also productive of fewendly feelings of an inportant iniernattonal character, Thonas A. Cooper, of New York, who Imported’ Cooke, won celetrity in the character of Hamiet, ond atter George Frederick, and unul the are rival of tho clder Wallack in 1818, ho was a rein. ing theatrical star und the ouly one in the Western | Hemisphere. Wailack came direct f the age of twenty-five. His Hamlet was liked bere more than in England, and undoubtediy it was the American estimate that’ stole the briliant Wailacks from the British stago. ERRORS OF THR cnUKCH. The catcer of Williom Auzustits Conway affords a sad commentary ujon the conrse pursued vy the clergy. This gentieman withdrew altogether from the London stage and caine to the United States to tind a home. He had played the most exalted of Shake- speare’s characters, and they had taught him such Drury Lane, at divine truths that in 1 he determined to study tor the ministry, Three years later he met with opposition ‘irom Bishop Hobart, of New York, ‘from the fact that he “had been an actor.” Ie then sailed for Savannah in order to obtain from Bishop White permission to “take orders in the Church,’ but ina tit of despond- encs jumped from tho ship, off Charleston Bar, and was drowned, Although our American theatre has had constantly to contend with versecutions of the Chureb, yet it bas finally risen to an eminence of purity and renown. It now has its little churches ‘rgund the corner, ’’ where sorrowing (riends can bow before holy altars In the presence of dead actors, It also has not a few great minds belonging to tho. clergy to nourish and cherish it It may’ be & question as to whether the theatre ever sullered more disgusting scandals than the Church now endures. In their respective positions the Chureh needs purification more than the theatre. Up to 1882 William Mla on artist and author of dis- tinction, and at thattime Vice President of the National Academy of Design, was the best authority on tho drama inthe United States. He then pubiished his “History of the Amoricun Theatre,’ when ho readily admitted that there were evils, perversions and ubuses attendant upon theatricals as on all sublunary things, In the midst of all tts objectionable features, however, he had observed its straggling tendency toward virtuo and morality, “I firmly velieve,’? ho said, “that the theatre 1s in itself a powertul engine well adapted to the improvement of man, and that it only wants tho directing hand of an’ enlightened society to make it the pure source of civilization and virtue, Without the aid of the actor there are thou- ands who would never havo heard tho nat Shake- speare, but who, by Iris aid, are familiar with the most ita, damaging the contentsto the amount of $50 Saving Gret insured thein for $400, sublime, moral and beautifol sentiments that ever adorued a language,” It may bo romarked the first play ever performed on American soil was “The Merchant of Venice.” + HUDKON’S LECTURES. It was in 1548 that Hadson’s lectures on Shakespeare attracted universal attention. Germany could not ad- mit that they were profound, bat Gervinus suid of them :—‘Every eritic of Shakespearo will highly re- joice at thie Amerigan’s fine appreciation an@ estimate ‘of the poet on the whole.” His lectures, however, were exactly what he intended they should be, Aw American le seems vo have conceived the fact that the duty ofa lecturer before the general public is not to impress the profound few, but rother to please, interest: and instruct the Jer» intellectual many. SHAKESPEARE (X THE NEXT CENTURY. The first contury of Amerivap independence will have produced im this country at Go distant period in M18 second a class of profound Shakespearian critica, superior to those of either Germany, England or France, The literature of the colonies partook of a Hinuted and ordinary character; but when the signi of the Declaration of Independence created a new na- tional life—an Evglish speaking people onder a repub- lican form of government—it was destined that a cen- tury bence should find the United States so far advanced in learning a8 to warrant the belicf that close of its second century will find it the foremost nation of the world, not only in literature, but also 1a the arts and sciences, f have remarked that it was fitty years ago when Villetwnain, of France, sought to account for our rapid strides im these respects At the time of the ineeption of the United ier) and foi le many years, be argued, its peop! had scarcely any other literature than the bool of Old England, and no other national theatre than the picees of Shakespeare, ‘*fherefore the popular good sense of theso Americans,” he said, ‘so indastrious and so cecupicd, has seized with ardor the profound thoughts, the sagacious maxims with which Shakespeare ts filled. His gigantic images please minds accustomed to the most magnificent spec- actes of nature and to tho immensity of the forests aud rivers of the New World. In acountry endowed with an aspect so poctic,”? he added, “the genius of the aris shall awaken," England was slow to recognize tho appalling gran- dour of the genius of her immortal bard ; but the sequel hes in the fact that he Jad bare the intrigues of crowns and faithfully tHustrated tho shameless deeds of royalty. The Republic of the United States, on the other hand, created a singularly free people, who could read thase lessons of the poet and witness bis historical plays while. untrammelicd and aninfluenced by monarchical surroundings. But England to-day is pure, and her greatpride isthe fact that her womb conceived Shakespeare. JOSEPH WATSON, New York, Fe JOHN OXENFORD'S RELIQUES, THE NEW YORK STAGE THROUGH AN ENGLISH OPERA GLASS—OUR BOARDS A DECADE SINCE—FOOTLIGHT FLASHES OF THE PAST— EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS TO THE HERALD, ‘The death in London, on Wednesday last of Mr. John Oxenford, the celebrated dramatic critic for the Times and other papers of the English motropolis, revives an interest in the life of this persijleur of the past. His chief merit was in writing conscientious opinons of good, bad and indiflerent plays in the samo vein in which he received tho impression, Ho was originally imteuded for a barrister-at-law, but wisely resolved to make the good dramatic eritic rather than the bad lawyer, His lite ary and dramatic compositions are numerous in quantity and havea vast range of subject. What links him particularly with New York is the fact that during the latter part of the year 1567 he contributed, whilo making a visit to this city, sume remarkably brilliant theatrical letters to the New York Hexaup. The subject treated was ‘The Stage in New York as Seen Through an English Opera Glass,” Those letters were signed “By an English Playgoer,’’ ana the first of them bore the date Now York, August 10, 1867, lt began with the sentence:— A GLIMPSE OF TUK PAST. “It is a common remark among the American actors who visited London that the English public is, for the Most part, wholly ignorant of the standard by which transatlantic fame is to bo measured.” After this delicate and most glittering platitude Mr, Oxenfora reters to the American artists who at that time wore delighting London. Amorg those mentioned aro Kate Bateman, playing at the Adelpti, and Joe Jeffor- son, who was doing iip Wan Winkle and Asa Trench. ard at another of the London theatres, John RB. Owens is also alluded to, and there is a casual méntion of the feminine glory with which Mrs. Barney Wull- fams and her sprightly sister, Mrs. Florence, illumined the boards of the London stage, THEATRICAL MATTERS IN NEW YORK. One of the striking paragraphs of Mr. Oxenfora’s first letter on theatrical matiers in New York is as follows:—“'The preliminary note may not be super- fluous that, theatrically speaking, New York is as much the chpital of the United States as London is the capital of Great Britain and Ireland, * * * Betore the war a particular repown attached to New Orleans as the place where no end of money was to be made; but New Uricans, like the Northern cities, required a New York testimonial of talent. '" Fotlowing this declaration ot opinion comes Mr, Oxeniord’s sentiments with reference to the deimo- cratic character of our audiences, He says:—‘'Thoe mass ot operatives and humbe persons who are re- garded with complacency by the aristocrats of a Lon- don audience, ana who frequently offered amusemenis by their mirthful demonstrations on holiday oc- casions, are carelully kept out of view in the Empire City; nor in tho absence of some great pohtical crisis can Iconceivo the possibility of the upper tiers singing {n unison the airs played by tho orchestra, like the Eoghsh ‘gods’ on boxing night or Easter Monday.”? Whilo Mr, Oxenlord was visiting our theatres he was complaisant enough to notice that ‘we wero very proper in the style of our audiences, One of the paragraphs in his first letter speaks o1 us in au orchestra way as being ‘“decurous to a fault,” and mentions the fact of onr beimg extremely uudemon- strative, At this point he gets off the following nappy antithesn: “When the Evughh roar the Amoricans merely smile.” THY SECOND LETTER, The second dramatic coutribution of Mr. Oxentord bears the date of August 17, 1567. It begins witha comparison ot New York to London, and likens Canal street to Temple Bar. While dweliimg on the subject of streets be say! Near the City Hall Park stands what the writer calls ‘the palatiai office of the New York Hexap.’’? Mr. Oxentord bere menuons the Broadway ‘Theatre, which was at that time under the management of Mr. Barney Williaws and Mr, Bully Flor. ence, A piece called “Le Yankee Gal” was then tho rage; it wis followed by a very successtul perform. ance’ ot Rovertson’s “Caste.” Mr. Oxentord tn this letter compares Niblo’s to the Adelpin Theatre, and says apropos ol A spectacle which was in its lime- hight glory during his visit: —"Whatis *Binck Crook Nomunaily it a drama; but itis 80 utterly devoid of plovor action that the most daring adversary ot the sondon Aloainbra would searcely venture to call a ‘stage plu Lotta is mentioned as having been playing at Wal- jack's m **The Pet of the Petticoats” and ttle Nett and the Marchioness,”’ While in the Lotia strain Mr Oxentord wrote as follows:—"“Generally, as [ have al- ready stated, the audiences of this eity are inclined to be grave and apathetic, but the sparkliug pleasantry ‘damn it,’ sharply uttered by a little lady who looked scarcely tov old for « pinalore, was too much for the havitaul stoicigm of the most genteel theatre on the Broadway, and drew torth screnins of delight.” CHEWING CLOVES. Our letter writer drops into pleasautry, and alludes Father sarcasticully to the habit whieh the American youth whom he met in New York theatres had of pom out Lo get cioves. He noticed this particularly at the Olympic, then called Laura Kecne’s Theatre, where ‘‘Dombey and Son’’ was being performed, it was at the Olyinpic that Mr, Oxeutord saw Mr. John Brougham, who had come from the picked company of Mme. Vesiris, of the Olympic Theatre in Londo! He also speaks favorably of Mr. K, Coleman's persona tion of Quilp at Wallack’s Theatre, SKKING RATS, The third letter is dated October 24, 1867, and to it occurs ® comparison of the Bowery to Whitechapel road, He mentions the Stadt Theaire as being across tho way, and also alludes to the fire which destroyed the New Bowery Theatre. This letter bas a playiul attack on mosquitoes, One paragraph reads:—"Let me rather say that ull daybreak there are no peaceiul slumbers to be disturbed, but that I am provokingly interrupted in iny tranquil contemplation of the rats which, even in good hotels, sport about the bedroom as irecly and as visibly as raboits in & warren.” Mr. Oxenford alludes to the fact that the Bowery Theatre was once called Crosby Hall, and takes occasion to compliment Mr, Studley, # favorite actor at the time of his visit tothe city. WEEK ON THE NOWERY. The sudject of lager beer on the Bowery ts tapped by our ietier writer, and there is quite a gushing descrip- tion in one of nis letters of Atlantic Garden. In the same letter be speaks of Ristori being at the French Theatre, of Mrs, Landor’s sway in New York, and of the celebrated suit of Wallack vs. Florence, There aro many caustic sentences in this letter which were, no doubt, as entertaining to the people in London as they were surprising to the public of New York. Itmustbe aaid, however, that Mr, Oxentord wrote as a genuine dramatic scholar, and that his criticism of our crade ways was tempered by his appreciation of us as a peo- ple. THR LAST LETTER, . This letter is dated, Liverpool, November 6, 1867, aud is headed, “The Stage in New York,” It' is an analytical review of what tho gonileman saw of New York theatrical matters, and is thrown into ndmnberod paragraphical statomenis, Wo extract frocly as fol- jows:—"With the exception of the Bowery the New York theatres, considered as edifices, furnish models which the London architect would do well to imitate, as they aro light, commodious, und so arranged as to allow nearly the whole of the andience a good view of the stage, theatres in London that most resembie thom are Astley’s, in its present condition, and the sinall house Highbury Barn, * * * The New York audiences are for tho most part ex ly sedate and decorous, and, save at the Bowery, decidedly plebeian element. * * * of like the people of Paris’? The people New York aro, as a rule, resolute playgoers, Mr. Oxenford, after pussing upon the prevalehce of the stur system im this country, speaks of the Theatre Frangais as being ‘In Qu extremely gonteol, but somewhat out of the way uarter.’’ In his opinion, there was no chance in New ‘ork 1p 1867 for @ ari 18t, but every opportunity a scene painter, He advised us to rewrite old plays here that | belongs to tho Spauiards,”’ 1 and putin this spico of caution, “Don’t let Kin Philip conquer Queon Elizabeth, especially while Cu GREAT FIRE IN PLILADELPHLA, Fox’s Theatre Entirely Consumed at One o’Clock in the Morning. The Mercantile Library Irre- trievably Injured. The Largest Variety Theatre in America and the Largest. Library Building— Losses Over $325,000—A Fire- man Mortally Hurt. ae Puapgrenia, Feb, 25, 1877. Tho theatrical business must be ata very low ebb indeed when Saturday night came around without bringing an immense audience to “Fox’s American Theatre, the great variety show of Philadelphia, seat- ing 5,000 people and giving them more for their money, in poiut of time at least, than any rival estab. lishment jn town. Saturday night was always a great night for tho “boys,"’ and it was always midnight at the ocarliest before the green curtain fell fur good, Last night was no exception to the rule, A largo and heterogeneous audience had assembled under its lofty dome; the performers had done their best; the crowd had onjoyed themsolves and applauded in their usual vigorous fushion; tho long bill had been successfully gone through with; the “patrons of the drama” had dispersed to their homes—or somewhere else—nnd the jast member of the company bad bid “good night’? to Charley Charlton, the night watch- man, as he dragged himself wearily homo to bed, The watchman locked the stage door after the depart- ing song and dance man, completed his rounds of tho building, set bis clock at quarter to one o’cluck, and had just taken a seat whea he saw 4 PUFF OF SMOKE burst from the property room, situated on tho prompter’s side, and on a level with the flies, Ho was tho only man in the theatre, and at once turnod ‘on the two fire plugs on the stage, and tried to ox- tinguish the flames with a patent fire extinguisher, but his efforts wero in vain. In almost less timo than it takes to write it tho wholo mass of tinder and inflam. mablo stuff on the stage was on fire beyond the hope of saving thom, Within a few minutes the fire burst through the root over the stage, and being seen on tho streets an alarm was given, which brought the fire engines to the spot, A stiff breeze was blowing {rom the west, and great golden billows of smoke rolled out toward the frontof the theatre on Chestnut street, carrying pieces of burning wood and canvas, which fell in A BHOWER OF FIRE on roofs and awnings for at least two blocks away, Everything outdoors had been soaked in a twenty-four hours’ rain and snow, which ,had just ceased falling; but this did not prevent the fire breaking out on tho roois of adozen diferent buildings, while it provably saved the entire block bounded by Tenth, Eleventh, Market ond Chestnut streets from total destruction. A general alarm, summoning all the available fire ap- paratus in the city, was speedily sent, but ft was soon’ evident, in spite of all their efforts, that tho conflagra- tion could not bo confined to the theatre, ; THE FIRE SPREADS. The auditorium and stage of the theatre were situ- ated back from Cheatnat strect, approached by a wido passage about filty feet in length. A barroom and @ cigar store wero on citner side of this passage way, facing on Chestnut strect, and extending back to the front walls of the auditorium. It was one of the curious freaks of the fire that neither of these stores suffered any damage except by water, while bulidings nnmediately adjoining them were in- jared, and during the fre two barkeepers were kept busy within ten feet of the flames serving out liquors. Within half an hour after the outbreak of the fire the whole of thé tbeatro was blazing furiously, and the other buildings in the tmmediate vicinity had becomo ignited, Nextdoor but one to the theatro, and the first to become ignited, was tho large double dwelling ana store of 1. C. Love, tailor, No. 1,019 Chesinut street, fhe rool of the building caught from sparks, the tlamos igniting the cornice on the front. From this heavy woodwork they spread rapidly over the roof, and in a few moments tho entire upper portion ot the structure was cnveloped in a sheet of fire. It was found impossible to bring streams of water to play upon !t trom the adjoining roots, and 1m order to over- come the difficulty wn extension ladder employed by tho department was wheoled in front of the building, from which the firemen played. The flames nere were finally put out before they had done very much dam- age. Next to this building on the east was Taylor’s drug Store, a one story structure, The fire passed this by merely singeing it, and also Milligan’s tailor sbop ad- joining, but the next structure was the large three story and aitic building occupied by William D, Rogers as Bcarriage maouiactory. It was undoubtedly because this structure towered above the others that its roof caught fire from the clouds of sparks with which the air was filled, 1t was burning some time betore atten- <tion was called to it, The building was filled wih inflammablo stock. In the attic was wool and hair, on the third floor var. nishos, paints, partially completed carriages and similar materials. On tho second floor finished car- riages and on the first floor were the slrow roo! the best goods, About $50,000 worth of stock to have been in the pluce, although no one can be found who knows detinitely on this matter, Mr. Rogers himself being sick and at the point of death, Two- thirds of the stock wus dostroyed, A FATAL ACCIDENT. City Fire Marshal Thompson, George H. Bonnatore, Sceretary of the Insurance Patrol, and George Freder- ick Newman, a fireman in the employ of the Insur- ance Patrol, wero among others in this building, di- recting the preservation of the carriages, A number were engaged in wheeling out the valuable sale car- Tiages that stood upon the first floor, when a crash was heard overhead, the whole build: hook agit rocked by an earthquake, aad the peoplewnzaged in the re- moval fled in terror, In another moment the third floor had crushed in the second, and the contents of both were piled upon tho first, with flames darting in all directions, and dozens of costly carriages in rus. ‘The three men above named were buried in the débris, and for a few moments the wildest excitement prevailed among the crowd, it being regarded as almost ® certainty that they were killed. The Fire Marshal was dragged out with bis face laid open on one side from bis forehead to his chin. The gash is an ugly one, but not serious, Mr. Bonnatore was strack on the bead by a timber and stanned, being partially un- conscious When taken out, He wore a heavy fireman's helmet, which broke the weignt of the blow aod prob- nbly saved bis life Both men were attended by a physician and sent home. Tho other of the three, Mr. Newman, could not be found, anit it was thought that he had perished. At ten o'clock this morning. however, after the fire had been completely extinguished snd a careful search was wade, Nown wus ound wedged into the débris, still alive, b dangerously wounded, He was conveyed to the sylvania Hospital, but will probably die of internal in- juries, Several other sremen wore also more or less injured by falling cornices and timbers belore the ex. tinvuishment of the fire, which was not until alter daylight. ‘the Rogers’ establishment marked the boundary of the fire on the east, but there would bave been a dif- forent story to tell had not the massive granite build- ing of the Now York Matual Lite Insurance Company, on tho northwest corner of Tenth aod Chestnut bones. stuod and defiled the further march of the james. A GREAT LIBRARY IXJURKD, Tho southern wail of the Philadelptia Mercantile Li- brary is directly opposite the rear of the destroyed pluy-house, separated only by a narrow alley, called arble street, It 18 muathly a one sory brick struc ture, with a high arched roof of tron girders and tin, anda nearly tre proof, The library builuing nobly withstood the rain of fire upon it from the roaring pit ol (ho theatre, but when the rear walls of tho theatre fell upon its roof the skylights, with which it was pleotitully supplied, were broken’ in, gave entrance to the flames and burned the interior of the roof from end to end along that side of the building, Tho glass from the skylights now lies in powder and tn fantastic shapes on the floor of the library; but tho water, which the firemen poured in in Jiberal quan- tities to quench the flames on the root, has done more damage than the fire itself, No books were burned, but the most valuavie volumes in the library have been destroyed or injured beyoud repair by the water, About 6,000 of the choicest books tn the collection were kept in a gallery under the root near the roar wall, just in the spot where the greatest damage was done, Here wero such yolumes as Audu- bon’s Birds of America,” for which the company paid $1,000; and which is badly damaged, folios with val- uable colored prints, in architecture, geography, nis- tory and science, Many old and rare vellum covered books now out of print were on these shelves, some of which are now reduced almost to pulp. Some ot those destroyed can never be replaced. No estate of the loss 1n dollars and cents can, of course, be given under the circumstances until a careful examination 13 mado by an expert. The president of the library, however, nindo the following statement to the HERALD: THE Loss is ag fully covered by insurance aa such a loss can be iu the folowmg among other companies:—Franklin, $10,000; Delaware Mutual, $10,000; Fire Association, $10,000; Reliance, $10,000; American, $10,000; Hand- in-fiand, $5,000; Philadelphia Contribavionsbip, $6,000, It 1s catinated that nearly one-hait the 130,000 volumes in the library wore more or | imjured. Many of theso ore ruined and inost of the others will have to be rebound at a cost of soventy-five cents euch, The average cost of the injured books 18 perhaps about $175. The total loss will reach about $75,000 it 18 thought. Tho work of repairing the buiiding will commence without dolay, but it will probably bo some time betore 14 is ready for use again, in the mean. time tho association may occupy another building, but nothing definite in this respect has been determined ro ‘THE 1088 ON THK THRATRE « Mr, Robert rh eld joasee of tho Site othe very ill $+ his home, and it ib pogaible yet to obtain a do- tailed estiinate of bis losses, Every! tr © was consumed except cles saved beimg two trunks bejongy! Zantretta, of th: niretta troupe, wi pertormed atthe theatre this week, and treasurer’s office were in tue lobby spoken of above, which is only imjnred by water. The safo and contents, being the receipts of sev performances, Mr. Harrison, the &G, Were preserved uninjured b; treasurer. Mr. Wood Benson, the manager for Mr, the Hkxaup corres} Z Fox, was found by whom he stated that thé loss on the theatre wou about $225,000, on which there was an insurance of only about $80,000, Mr. Benson states, concern’ the origin of the fre, that it began in the nortl corner of the building, directly back of the paint in the flies, The paint room bad not been occup! for ten days, the painters having been discharged and the room closed since that time. He id Dot way account for the fire, unless the oils in the room had caused spontaneous combustion, Among otbor articles suid to havo been Jost in this theatre was a valuable painting, which Mr, Fox refused $20,000 tor recently, ‘The building was owned by a company, and 1t was run by Mr. Fox, who was one of its owners, on shares, ‘There is a rumor on the strects that the theatre was set ou fire by an incendiary, having been insured bee yond its value, This would appear to be elfectually disposed of by Mr. Benson’s declaration that. tho foie only amount to $80,000, and the building ig own to havo cost about $250,000, THE BMYLOYEES’ LORS, As usual the actors and actresses suffer severely, There not being one from the lowest to tho highest who 1s not the loser of wardrobe or propertics, stile, Alexandria loses ali her handsome dresses and articles of jewelry; diss Georgie May sulfers the loss of all hor wardrobe; Miss Jennie Yeamun 1s a hi joser; John Pendy fost all lis ebarncter costumes Fitzpatrick, his entire wardrobe; the Zuntretta Vantomime Com- bination, who were to open this week, is said to have Jost aH their wardrobe and properties, but this could not be traced to any relinble source. f Messrs, luce, Forbes, Danvers, Myers and Misses Leo Gordon, Susie Warren, Coral Leigh and the super bumerarics all lost their wardrobe. A HISTORY OF THR THRATRE. The burned butlding was formerly the Academy of Fine Arts, be:ng changed into a theatre after extensive, } alterations and preparations by Robert Fox, in 1870, and was opened to the public on Saturday night, De- cembor 17, of that year. It wus completed at groat expense, the cost, as stated by the proprietor, being $250,000, The butiding extended trom the north side of Chestnut street to Marble alley, the ground plan giving to the auditorium a spaco of 103x100 feet, the lobbies, private oflices, box offices, &e., being embraced in the space ot 86x53 feet, the entrance being through. un arcade 14 feet wide, ‘Lhe stage was 100x88 feet, and, had all the modern improvements. ‘Tho walls, it is said, were 14 inches thick, with pilas- tors 2 feet 3 inches think to sustain the rafters for the roof, cach girder being estimated to bear a weight of 50 tons without deflection, Tho parquet, parquet circle and firat and second ters were in height 501eot, The galleries were open iron wire, with white and gold, with crimson showing through, On cach side of th jtorium were five private boxes, making in tho two twenty boxes, exclusive of stago boxes, ‘The dome of the theatre was 22 focy in diameter, and from the line of the ceiling 25 tect high, Suspended trom the dome was a magniticeut charMelier, while fives ight gas brackets were arranged in iront of the tiers and against the walls. ‘The theatre Was not only one vf the Jargest, but one of tho handsomest theatres in tho country. ‘ As originaily constructed, it contained an orchestra and parquet circle, dress circle and Upsice In the summer of 1875 an additional gallery was con- stracted, which increased the seating capacity to 2,800, less than one-li/th of the seats being down stairs, ‘THK WEEK'S PERFORMANCE, The programme included performances by tho sensa- tional dramatic artists, Miss Kate Raymond and B, Collin; @ really wonderful and interesting exhibition of juggling by Mons. Bushvelland Zarena, wherein the former surrounded the body of his companion, stand. ing the width of the stage with sharp knives, There was also a number of variety features, meluding bur- losque, soug and dance, yocahsms, dancing, gymnasts, &e, &c., by tho regular company and specially en- gaged performers. . WHAT WA TO BE PLAYED, The present weck the famous Zuniretta Pantomime Company were to have begun an engagement in tho new production “A Fat Man’s Frolics,’’ for which special preparation had been mad. ‘Tho bill nn. nounced also in its other features was of the usual va- riety and attractiveness, introducing a largo number of artists. SKETCH OF THR LIBRARY. The Mercantile Library was founded 1n 1861, and the building at present occapied was inaugurated on the 15th of July, 1869, It stands ona Jot having a front on Tenth street of 96 fect and a depth along Marblo street of 301 fect. The whole of this space is covered by the building, except an offset of 16 feet on the south side, left open, a portion of itas a garden, do- corated with lountatns and vases, aud the remainder asa passage way. After deducting this offset, there still remains an area of over 24,000 squaro feet ou the iret floor alone, larger than that of any other library building in America, and nearly double that of the great reading roor of the British Museum, ‘The cost of the new building may be seon from the following statement:— Original purchase. + $126,000 00 Alteration of building. 3 12,000 00 1,003 00 Furniture. 18,953 70 Ground rent and interest. . 9,000 00 Insuranco (porpetual),...... 1,758 00 ——— 101,261 48 eevee $227,261 43 The old edifice was sold early in tho year for $95,000, a price which the Board considered advantageous to the intereats of the company, and a sum nearly doable its original cost, A mortgage of $50,000 had been created prior to the sale, for the purpose of paying in partfor the alteration of the new building, leaving $45,000 to ve otherwise provided for, The company accepted for this, a mortgage of $27,000, payablo in two years, umply secured, and a second morigage on the ‘old building, payable $10,000 in six months and $8,000 in one year, ‘MR, FOX’S THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES, Robert Fox has been for a long time connected with the variety business iu this city, and during that time hus met with various fortunes, His rst connection wag with the Casino, an establishment which was opened for variety performances in the old building which been for imany years occupied as Jones’ Hotel, in Chestnut street, between Sixth and Seventh streets, He was at this place for some time, but ambitious for a better establishment, he changed bis quarters to the old Continental Theatre, in Wainut sirect, above Eighth, This building had seen many changes, It was constracted on a large lot running from Walnut to Sansom streots, which had been occupied in 1831 by Kopor’s and afterward by Barrett’s gymnasium, Raymond & Waring erected tho first building there forthe purposes of a menagerie, and occupied it with their zoological collection for some years, being succeeded by Welch & Lent, and subsequently by General Rulus Welch on Lis own account, Ballard & Suckney altered this place for the purposes 01 a circus, and ope! 1% for equestrian periormances on the 3 of December, 1853, Alter the National Amphitheatre, Chestnut street, east of Ninth—now a portion of the site of the Continental Hotel, and occupied by Welch & Lept—was burned, July 5, 1854, negotiation was made for the Walnut gtrect menagerie. They suc- coded Ballard & Stickney, and the house was for some years known as Welch's National Amphitheatre and Circus lt was opened for that purpose July 5, 1854. William Wheatley succeeded General Welch He tore out the ring, put up a stage, altered the hou for dramatic purposes, and opened the house as tl Continental Theatre, a speculation which was not for- tunate, It was at this house, during Mr, Wheatley’s management, that the Gale sisters lost their lives. by their dresses taking fire while they were performing on the stage. The house seemed doomed after that and Mr, Wheatley abandoned 1t about 1861, Allison Hincken succeeded and opened the plice a8 a variety theatre in 1862. Mr, Fox tollowed them, and gave up the Casino, which, after a few months’ trial in other hands, was unable to compete with better attractions, and was closed. Mr. Fox gave to the building on Wal. hut sweet the name of Fox’s American Theatre, and opened it to the public August 23, 1865, He remained there with much success until June 19, 1867, when ¢! building was totally destroyed. ‘The ‘slack Crook’ was in the course of performance when the fire broke out, About halt-pust nine o'clock in the evening. Fors tunately the audience was warned in time and va- cated the builuing sately, But, notwithstandin; this happy circumstance, there was a groat loss of life, While the firemen wero laboring faithfully the front wall of the theatre fell out into the street, by Which thirteen persons were killed and sixteen wounded, Atter this disaster Mr, Vox with great energy applied bimself to the rebuilding of the house, and it was opened in the same year. He remain here for about tureo years in consequence ot dill. culties with bis landlord he turned bis attention to a new situation, Ho bought from the. Academy of Fine Aris the large lov on Chestnut streot, formerly occus pied by that institution, ond opened Fox’s New Ameri- can’ Theatre, December 17, 1870, Since that pertod the forvunes of the house are well known, It was a very successiul place of amusement. LIST OF PLACES OF AMUSEMENT BURNED IN PUTLADELe VHA, The following 13 4 lst of all the theatres and places of amusement destroyed vy fire in Philadelphi Lailson’s Amphitheatre and Concert, northwest cor. be of Fifth and Prune streets; destroyed July 8, 798, 2 Kicketts’ Circus, southwest corner of Sixth and Chesnut streets, December 17, 1799. Vauxhall Garden, northeast corner of Broad and Walnut streets, burned by a mob, September 8, 1819, Chestnut Strect Theatre, north side of Chestnut Street, east of Sixth, April 2, 1820, Southwark Theatre, corner South and Apollo streets, between Fourth and Fifth, May 9, 1821. Muclzei’s Hai), Fifth, above Prune, 1845, Athenwam (Barnum’s Muscum ana Theatre), south. east corner Seventh aud Chestnut, December 80, 1851, Assembly Buildings, southwest corner of Tenth and Chestaut streets, March 18, 15: Sanford’s Opera House, Tweltth street, below Chest nat, December 9, 1853 National Theatre, south sido of Chostnut streot, ‘east of Ninth, July 5, 1864, Chinese Museum, rortheast corner of Ninth and Sansom streets, July 5, 1854, Atwericau Museum, northwest corner of Fifth ang Chostnut streets, Decomber, 1844, Melodeon, north side of Chestnut, between Sixth aud Seventh, 1867, Fox’s American Theatro, Walnut street, west of Eighth, June 19, 1867. it City Museum Theatre, Callowhill street, betwoon Fourth and Filth, November 26, 1868, National Hall, south side of Market street, east of Thirteenth, January 29, 1874, Harmomio Hall (German theatre), Coates street, near Seventh, March 8, 1s7L. Saniord’s Upora House, Second street, above Poplar, October 17, 1871. Arch Street Opera House (Simmons & Slocum's), Arch street, west of Tenth, March 20, 1872, Fox's Am nu Theatre, Chestnut stroet, above thy Fobruary 25, 1877,