Leroux has used, for the scene of his story, the Paris
Opera House as it really is and has not created a building out
of his imagination, is shown by this interesting description of it
taken from an article which appeared in Scribner's Magazine in 1879,
a short time after the building was completed:
"The new Opera House, commenced under the Empire and finished under
the Republic, is the most complete building of the kind in the world
and in many respects the most beautiful. No European capital
possesses an opera house so comprehensive in plan and execution,
and none can boast an edifice equally vast and splendid.
"The site of the Opera House was chosen in 1861. It was determined
to lay the foundation exceptionally deep and strong. It was
well known that water would be met with, but it was impossible
to foresee at what depth or in what quantity it would be found.
Exceptional depth also was necessary, as the stage arrangements
were to be such as to admit a scene fifty feet high to be lowered
on its frame. It was therefore necessary to lay a foundation
in a soil soaked with water which should be sufficiently solid
to sustain a weight of 22,000,000 pounds, and at the same time to be
perfectly dry, as the cellars were intended for the storage
of scenery and properties.
Pages:
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399