The Paris Opera House

           TheSceneOfGastonLeroux’sNovel,"ThePhantomOfTheOpera"

           ThatMr.Lerouxhasused,forthesceneofhisstory,theParisOperaHouseasitreallyisandhasnotcreatedabuildingoutofhisimagination,isshownbythisinterestingdescriptionofittakenfromanarticlewhichappearedinScribner’sMagazinein1879,ashorttimeafterthebuildingwascompleted:

           "ThenewOperaHouse,commencedundertheEmpireandfinishedundertheRepublic,isthemostcompletebuildingofthekindintheworldandinmanyrespectsthemostbeautiful.NoEuropeancapitalpossessesanoperahousesocomprehensiveinplanandexecution,andnonecanboastanedificeequallyvastandsplendid.

           "ThesiteoftheOperaHousewaschosenin1861.Itwasdeterminedtolaythefoundationexceptionallydeepandstrong.Itwaswellknownthatwaterwouldbemetwith,butitwasimpossibletoforeseeatwhatdepthorinwhatquantityitwouldbefound.Exceptionaldepthalsowasnecessary,asthestagearrangementsweretobesuchastoadmitascenefiftyfeethightobeloweredonitsframe.Itwasthereforenecessarytolayafoundationinasoilsoakedwithwaterwhichshouldbesufficientlysolidtosustainaweightof22,000,000pounds,andatthesametimetobeperfectlydry,asthecellarswereintendedforthestorageofsceneryandproperties.Whiletheworkwasinprogress,theexcavationwaskeptfreefromwaterbymeansofeightpumps,workedbysteampower,andinoperation,withoutinterruption,dayandnight,fromMarchsecondtoOctoberthirteenth.