MUSIC AND THE DRAMA. 191 
longitudinal and transverse sections of the stage part of the Dresden Theatre 
(pl. 25, figs. 7 and 8, and pl. 26, jig. 3). 
The framework of the roofs of theatres must be much higher than that of 
ordinary roofs, and must also be more strongly tied together, because they 
have also to support the flies F, G, H (jig. 3), which are ten feet apart. 
Sloping-roofs are here to be avoided, because they greatly contract the space 
at the back part of the stage, the very place where the greatest’ machine 
effects are to be produced. Over the tie-beams is extended the rigging-loft 
floor (pl. 25, fig. 12), on which stand the windlasses and drums A and B, 
of which an end view is given in jig. 30. From these tie-beams are suspended 
the permanent flies G, H, and F (pl. 26, jig. 3) and the temporary ones D, 
which are put up only for occasional purposes, by means of suspension-joists 
or tongs as they are called. The rigging-loft floor itself consists of beams 
seven inches by five in thickness placed on edge at a distance of two feet 
nine inches apart, and covered over with planks as occasion requires. 
These beams, however, are not made fast, but fit into grooves ; so that when 
necessary, they can be removed for the purpose of admitting large objects 
through the rigging-loft floor. 
e. The Wings and Wing-carriages. By entrance we understand the 
opening between two sliding-scenes or wings which bound the scene on each 
side of the stage. When the theatre is designed to be large and convenient, 
the entrances must be at least six feet broad ; this gives room enough for the 
carriages, and if the drop-scenes are suspended to the tie-beams of the roof 
at a distance of twelve feet apart, two changes of scene can easily be 
prepared one behind the other. The wing-carriages serve both to sup- 
port the side-scenes or wings and as means for running them out and 
in. Such a carriage (pl. 25, jig. 15) consists of a sill a, into which are 
mortised four uprights 6 6 b 6, joined together two and two, and long 
enough to extend down under the stage. Above are the head-rails d, 
which run in the grooves of the stage and keep the carriage from being 
overturned. In order that the carriage may run easily, it has two bronze 
wheels at the bottom deeply channelled, which run over the high-rimmed 
iron rail described above, or projecting wheels running in a deep groove. 
At each end of the sill a is fixed a spring-hook, to which the rope of the 
windlass is attached by means of a ring, when the carriage is to be run out 
orin. Besides the regular wing-carriages, there are other carriages which 
run on the same floor and on which shifting pieces, &c., are placed. These 
carriages are usually brought under the trap-doors (pl. 26, jig. 11), and 
objects can be run upon them across the stage. 
J. Wing-Ladders. ‘The wings when about to be used are fastened to large 
wing-ladders (pl. 25, jig. 15); these consist of two uprights 7.7, which are 
connected together by rails above and below, and are prolonged at the lower 
end so as to extend almost half way into the wing-carriage, and below, 
where they are weakest, are strongly cased with iron. For the purpose of 
getting easily to the top of the wing, each frame has a light ladder g attached 
to it. Another sort of light wing-ladder is represented in fig. 16; jig. 17 
exhibits a front view as seen from the stage of three wing-ladders, /, fastened 
575 
