192 THE FINE ARTS. 
in their carriages; jig. 18 gives a bird’s-eye view, and fig. 19 a section on a 
larger scale. 
The frames for the drop-scenes are of like construction, but are much 
stronger and furnished with braces in every direction. Frames are intro- 
duced for practicable doors and connected with the framework of the 
whole. The stage curtain is also attached to such a frame; but in recent 
times curtains of tin plate or frames of wire-work have been made; so that 
in case of fire the stage may be instantly cut off from the spectatory. Pl. 
26, jig. 32, represents a curtain of this description in the Thédtre St. Marcel 
in Paris; and jigs. 33 and 34 give the details, from which the construction 
and mode of joining together the ribs of the curtain frame can be readily 
understood. 
All the drop-curtains have from eight to ten loops fastened to the top- 
rail of the frame ; and to these rings are attached, by means of which the 
curtains are suspended on the hooks (pl. 25, jig. 23) which are fastened to 
the tie-beams of the roof. When a drop-scene is to be made use of, the 
halliards of the scene are fastened by a slip-knot to these loops. The 
hanging-scenes or borders have no frames, but are nailed on to single rails 
or battens, which are also provided with loops like the drop-scenes. 
Another kind of loops are those used for perforated drops, exhibiting e. g. 
colonnades, clumps of trees, &c., through which the actors have to pass ; 
and it is often very difficult so to contrive these frames that they may have 
the necessary firmness, as they must never be visible. So too the frames 
for those pieces which by means of small trap-doors are to rise as it were 
out of the ground, are very difficult to construct, as they have no upper rail, 
and cannot be fastened in any other way at the top. Hence these frames, 
especially when they extend across the whole head of the stage, are usually 
very heavy. Jig. 22 shows a combination of wing-carriages which serves 
to transport those pieces which are carried across the scene through the 
traps. ig. 20 is a side-view, and jig. 21 a section of one of the metal 
wheels in the sill. 
g. Machines. Ina theatre there are a great many machines, which are 
situated partly in the space beneath the stage and partly above it in the 
flies and rigging-loft. To these belong, e.g. the drums, which consist of 
two large disks connected by a common axis, and to the circumference of 
which strips of board or laths are nailed extending from one to the other. 
The uses of these drums are very various, for they are distributed about all 
parts of the loft and cellar. One application of them is for shifting the 
scenes. Jor this purpose there is placed under the middle line of the stage 
(pl. 25, fig. 11¢c) a large cylinder (pl. 26, jig. 3 M), which begins at the 
orchestra and extends to above the sixth pair of wings; at the end of this 
is placed a second, and, when the theatre is large, a third cylinder. Parallel 
with this there stands on each side one or two other rows of cylinders (pl. 
25, fig. 11 b6 and dd, and pl. 26, fig.83 NN). On these cylinders or shafts 
the drums for the ropes are fastened, and the shaft in the place where these 
are isleftsquare. Atthe ends the shafts, as shown in figs. 13, 14, and 15, are 
cased with iron rings, and iron gudgeons ad are driven deep into the shaft 
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