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Evening Star, Issue 4055, 24 February 1876, Page 2

The * Daily Times’ has lately called attention to what it considers insufficient means of egress from places of amusement in this City, and has pointed out the dangers that aught ensue should necessity arise for large audiences leaving them rapidly. No doubt the intention is good, and should command respect; but, in order to carry weight with the public, the statements should be true. Oh Saturday we published a description of the Princess’s Theatre, now in course of erection, and in it gave some measurements of .the passages leading to the different divisions of the house, and stated that although the spaces were ample, “ should it ever be desirable to rapidly empty the theatre, other openings were available.” Our contemporary had equal opportunity with ourselves for obtaining accurate information, and we were therefore surprised to see in yesterday morning’s issue the following misleading paragraph:—

Yesterday we took an opportunity of visiting the various places of amusement and one of the schools, and we were rather startled by what we saw. The first we visited was the new theatre, being built by Mr Sibbald. This theatre is a large one, but has, so far as we could see, only one entrance, and not a particularly broad one either, which apparently serves for the dress circle, stalls, and pit. Were the theatre anything like full, it could not be emptied in less than thirty minutes. There appeared to be two small doors opening into the Provincial yards; but even supposing these two to be connected with the pit, the means of exit would still be grossly inadequate.

And in the * Guardian ’ of this morning:—

We saw his Honor the Superintendent and Mr George Turnbull yesterday examining the approaches and entrances, or rather entrance—for there is but one—to tbe new theatre. Our own opinion is that there should be at least two modes of ingress and ogress in tho front part of the building, as appears to have been originally intended, but one of these entrances has been bricked up.

We should be the last to publish anything tending to deceive the public by leading to the idea that a building was improperly provided with means of egress, and we felt it our duty to make such further inquiries as were necessary to verify the statement we made. It appears our informant on Saturday erred in two of the measurements given. We give them now accurately, as furnished to us by the architect, and it will be seen that not only ordinary, but extraordinary care has been taken to afford means of rapidly leaving the theatre should need occur. We think with ordinary coolness on the part of an audience, a “full house”- might leave it in about three minutes.

Width. Entrance from High street to the circle... 7ft. 6in. Ttfo staircases out of the cloak-rooms on to the stage, through doors opening into . the corridor and thence into the sale yard, each ‘ 3ft. 6in, Tour large doors, forming entrances to

the pit and stalls, opening into t.wo corridors, each 10ft. Three additional large doors openingjmto . the Sale Yard. A safety door at the side of the pit, to he opened in need ... 7ft. If those means of exit should prove insufficient for the exigency, provision has been made for easily breaking through two doors at the back of the pit, each 7ft wide. We trust our contemporary will feel it a duty to correct the false impression that his cursory investigation has led him to create, and which, by a [little inquiry, he might have

IB!.- ,' ret'am match Albions v. Toko■'Will be played on the Oval tomorrow# .

,At the Eenident Magistrate’s Court, Port Chalmers, this morning, Comelius M'Carthy, for being drunk and disorderly last night, ■wag let off With a caution. Mr T A Mans, ford, E.M., presided. / ‘ ’ The racers Haphazard, Fishhook, and Auckland Kate arrived by the Wellington to-day From the ‘ North Otago Times 9 we learn that Air M. Studholme has become the owner of Cloth of Gold.

In yesterday's ‘Gazette’ it is notified that the {superintendent has set apart, by proclamation, sections 4, 11, 12, and 14, block 14, Crookston district, Tapanui Hundred, for occupation on deferred payments.

Sir Julius Yogel disclaims the authorship of the article m ‘Fraser’s Magazine’ entitled “ Is Monarchy an Anachronism,” and denies the statement of ‘The Queenslander,’ that he was ever asked to join a Republican Club in London.

The two boxes lost so mysteriously by a Mr GaUagher on the last trip of the Phoebe to WeUmgton, turned up at Auckland after all, when that steamer arrived there, and were sent back to Wellington. One of thd boxes contained sixty-six sovereigns.- _ Pigeon-flying has become an institution in Canterbury, and flying matches are the order of the day in the City of the Plains. The performances of the messengers have hitherto averaged thirty-seven miles an hour; but it will be seen by our telegrams that this was beaten at a match on Monday. Some changes are about to take place in the literary staff of the ‘ Daily Times.’ M» F. Humphries, who has filled the sub-edito-nal chair for over two years, is about to assume the editorship of the new ■ evening paper at Oamaru, and in the‘sub-editorship he is succeeded by Mi* R. Williamson, a' member of the reporting staff. The Horticultural Society have decided to hold their autumn show in the Temperance Hall on Friday, the 17th prox., when in addition to the prizes already offered in the schedule, a number of extra prizes for cut flowers and a silver medal for the taker of the greatest number (whether gardener or amateur) of first prizes at the show will be awarded.

In the report of the proceedings at the meeting of the Dunedin School Committee, held yesterday, the following passage occurs in a letter addressed by the Health Officer to the Town Clerk ;—“There is a report also that a boy, Mitchell, attending that (High) school comes from a house where there is scarlet fever.” We are authorised to state that the report as to scarlet fever being in the family referred to is totally unfounded. The weekly meeting of the All Saints’ Young Men’s Association was held in the schoolroom last evening (the president in the chair). It was agreed that steps should be taken to form a cricket club. in connection with the society. The evening was passed in a discussion upon the question of protection to agricultural products, and ft was eventually, after a long debate, decided in favor of-free traded

; Our surmise that tbe City of Melbourne was not the inward mailboat this month turns out to be correct. She, it null be remembered, was sent specially by the Sydney Government to San Francisco with the outward December mail. From the ‘ Post ’we learn that this mouth’s English mail by the Californian route is due at Auckland on Sunday next. It is expected to be brought from San Francisco by the Vasco de Gama as far as Kandavau, where it will be transhipped into the Grenada, which will bring it on to New' Zealand and come down the coast, taking the outward March mail from Port Chalmers. The Zealandia ia likely to be the New Zealand boat for the following ixroftvd and- outward --mails; bringing that- oL Mareh and taking out that of April. Mr Proudfoot telegraphs to the 'Southland Times,’ that the information re the Western railways supplied to that joiirnalis' entirely incorrect. Tne works have never been stopped, therefore they do not require re-commencing. Further, no arrangement has been made to take oyer the wfoks. The ‘ Times ’ makes answer that it had its information on such high authority that there ia no reason to doubt its accuracy, but supposes that the condition with regard to the claim for damages has prevented -.the arrangement from being - carried; into effect, and adds that Messrs J. and N. Campbell, the ; well-known contractors, are about to send in a claim to the Provincial Government to take up the contract for the Western Railways. It will be remembered that their contract was the lowest when MrProudfoot’a \VasJ accepted, and that it was sent in two day/s before the time.

The Dunedin Harmonic Society will give a concert of secular music in the Temperance Hall, oh Tuesday next, at 8 p.m. The Immanent Building Society holds its monthly meeting at the.Secretaiy’s Office, tomorrow evening, from 7to 8 p.m. The shareholders’ annual meeting commences at 8 p.m.

We have received Mr 0. W. Purnell's “ Oiir Land Laws, what should'be - their .basis”—a s ries of aides that appeared in the Evening Stab, and are now issued in pamphlet form.

Mr Lister sends us the last issued number of h : s serii so£ lithographic poi traits of Dunedin clergymen. The subject is the Kev. Lindsay Maekie, and we have no hesitation in saying that the portrait is an excellent one. MrsHamaan’s annual reunion of thepurils attending her dancing classes took place at the Friendly Societies’ Hall last night, and was thoroughly successful. The pupil* (past and present) and ihefr friends, to-the number alto* gather of about 200, kept up dancing till the carlv hours this morning, the music being supplied by Miss and Mr Lack. Lodge JPride of. Dunedin, No. 30, held its. regular weekly meeting last niyht, in the Tem-* perance Hall. There was a good attendance of members, and Bro. Wakefield, W.0.T., occupied the chair. The officers and members of I.O;Gr.T. Lodge British Heatts of Oak pa d an official visit dating the evening. A presentation, of a handsome album by. Bro. Wilson was made to Bro. rimes, oa account of his introducing the largest number of new members during the past quarter. Six new members were initiated and seven proposed.