THE RING THEATRE, VIENNA.

Westport Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1966, 13 January 1882, Page 4

THE RING THEATRE, VIENNA.

Thanks to the courtesy of Herr Gottraschek, formerly one of the celebrated Austrian Band, now a member of the Montague-Turner Opera Company,we (Lvttelton Times) are enabled to supply our readers with some very interesting details respecting the Ring Theatre which was the scene of the fearful calamity that cost so many hundreds of people their lives. The city of Vienna is surrounded by a circular belt or ring, somewhat similar to the Cbristcliurcli belts, but of course very much wider. This belt serves as a promenade for the citizens, and is also a species of Rotten Row, used extensively for riding and driving. It is on this telt, to the north of the city, that the Ring Theatre is erected. It cost upwards of 3,000,000 gulden or florins, and was in the hands of a company who used it solely for the purposes of comic opera. Its seating capacity is between 3000 and 4000, and the elegance and comfort of its appointments is unsurpassed. It was without doubt the leading theatre in Vienna. The house, which is constructed alter the manner of the Paris Opera House, has means of exit by S large folding doors about 10 feet in length, well distributed over the building, aud these doors are never closed during the performance, but are always thrown wide open. Attached to the theatre is an efficient corps of fire police, 25 j strong, who are permanently stationed in the building; and the appliances for firo prevention are held in readiness for any emergency, so that, by , simply turning a cock, water may at

once be thrown all over the building inside and out. The lodge, or dress circle, is situated upstairs, and is flanked by a promenade looking out over the ring, so that probably the few fortunate ones who were able to escape cremation by jumping from the windows were occupantß of this part of the house. Moreover, the stage on which the lamps are said to have fallen is shut off from the body of the house by an iron overhang or drop, which can be let down at almost a moment's notice, thus completely isolating the stage from the body of the theatre. Nothing, therefore, seems simpler than to have dropped this curtain directly the lamp fell, and so prevented the spread ot the fire.