The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-22 00:00:00

TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.

ROYAL OAK BURIAL SOCIETY

Last evening, a meeting of the members of the Liver-
pool United Legal Friendly Burial Society, NV is convened
at the Queen's Hall; Bold-street, for the purpose of trans-

acting the Yearly business of the society, and for the pur-

pose of electing officers for the ensuing year. Long
before the hour at which the meeting was called, the hall
was densely crowded by the members, a great number of
females being itt attendance. It was quite evident that
there were two parties to be consulted before all the
matters were settled—a fact soon manifested by the hoot-

ing, yelling, and other discordant noises from the body
of the hall, as any of the leading parties on either side
made their appearance on the platform

These

iemonstrations, combined with both personal and
filthy expressions, filled up the interval which elapsed
the business of the evening commenced
The Women assembled decidedly took the most

part in the agitation, and at some portions of the meeting
their conduct was almost fiendish—one side espousing
the " Cullen" party and the other the "Shepherd" party
—neither of whom was, however, permitted to address
the tithe of a sentence to the meeting.

As soon as each party had taken their places on the
platform, which they did amidst the most tremendous
confusion that was ever before witnessed, even at the
most hotly contested elections,

Mr. Moses Cullen came forward for the purpose of
addressing the meeting. (His appearance was the signal
for loud cries of " Cullen for ever," re-echoed by " Cullen,
you humbug," and interspersed with " turn that socialist
Shepherd out," and groans, cheers, and hisses.)
Mr. I'. Martin, who it had been agreed should take
the chair for the evening, urged upon Mr. Cullen not to
excite the meeting.

Mr. Cullen (addressing the reporters) said : I, as the
late President of the society, claim the right to speak.
(Cries of "Sit down," groans, and cheers.) This meeting
is called for the purpose of electing officers, and for
looking over the accounts. We can't do that without we
have a chairman. I will, therefore, propose that Mr. Mar-
tin take the chair.

Mr. Sheppard then came- forward. (This gave rise to a
fresh burst of indignation, spiced with a few such epithets
as "Sit down you d—d scroundrel," " Who ruined the
Druids," &c.) The uproar having in some little degree
subsided, he said : I beg to second the proposition.
T. Martin, Esq., then took the chair. [We need scarcely
say that the whole of the above was mere dumb show to
all present except the speakers themselves and the repor-
ters, not a word being intelligible to any other person.]
At this juncture of the meeting a great brawny fellow
attempted to get upon the platform, insisting on his right
as a member of the investigation committee, but he was
soon ejected by the exertions of Mr. Cullen, and others,
who, in their over zeal, nearly upset the table, and the
reporters as well.

The Chairman then attempted to gain a hearing. (The
yells and noises were then most discordant and continu-
ous.) In vain he said, ". Gentlemen—silence; will you
permit me to address you ? " "No." All was uproar
and confusion. At last, in the utmost despair, he resumed
his seat, saying, " I will not go on with this noise,"
although he was requested to proceed with the business,
and not to mind the members hearing what was done.
Mr. Cullen essayed to get the chairman a hearing, but
his efforts were in vain.

After waiting patiently for some time, during which the
noise had somewhat subsided,

The Chairman said : Silence—order—unless you are
quiet, the meeting cannot go on. If you have attended
to hear the speakers, be quiet, and hear what is said on
both sides. If you are not silent you will not be able to
hear what is said, and, therefore, will not be able to come
to a calm and dispassionate conclusion. (Hear, hear.)
I have to request that you will listen to the speakers in
solemn silence; let each side be heard. I stand here per-
fectly independent. Certain business will have to be
done ; but if your conduct is so violent, it cannot be done.
A person from the body of the hall suggested that the
chairman should state, that he was not Mr. Shepherd,
and then the meeting would be quiet.
The Chairman : I am not Me. Shepherd, nor have I
any interest on his side or on the side of the officers. I
am here to see that justice is done on each side, and I
will do so. Ido not care which side prevails so Meat jus—
tice is done. You can't do that if you are not quiet, for
if reason do not swell the sail, passions will be at the
helm. (Cheers, uproar, and cries of "chair, chair
intermingled with a desire that the chair should be sent
to the regions below.) There are certain matters which
must be done, such as the election of trustees, &c. These
are matters which must come before you. The first
business you will have to transact is the election of three
trustees.

Mr. Shepherd again came forward, when the storm
which had for a few moments been a little calmed, again
burst forth in all its fury. He said—"l have great
Pleasure in rising to propose the following gentlemen as

trustees." [Mr. Sheiheid, after repeatedly attempting ti

. -
get further, but was as often met with the uproar of the
meeting, at last yielded his post, which was the signal for
a tremendous burst of applause.] Mr. Shepherd again
rose, when he was loudly greeted with cheers. After
waiting for half an hour, at least, he turned to the
reporters, and, addressing them, said, "in proposing- the
following gentlemen, W. Rathbone, Esq., T. Martin, Esq.,
and F. Hall, Esq., as the trustees to this unfortunate
society, I believe I shall not be opposed, therefore, I move
their appointment."

Mr. James Cu,•rie seconded the proposition.
The motion was about to be put from the chair, when
an almost indescribable scene ensued. Shouting, hissing,
cheering, and waving of hats and handkerchiefs filling up
the time for about half an hour, during which the chair-
man repeatedly attempted to put the motion, or to ask if
there was any amendment. No business could be trans-
acted, from the confusion, and at last the chairman
adjourned the meeting, which he did by the exhibition of
a paper inscribed " This meeting is adjourned," being
totally unable to gain a hearing.

After the meeting separated, the utmost confusion pre-
vailed in Bold-street, but fortunately all passed off with-
out the assistance of the police being called into requisition.
The cause of squabble in the street was, as to which
hal the majority—each party claiming to be in that
position, but from the uproarious conduct manifested at
the meeting, the point still remains a problem.

THE LATE DESTRUCTIVE ACCIDENT AT
THE CYMMER COLLIERY.

We have already given some particulars of the awfully
fearful accident which occurred on Tuesday last, at the
Cymmer Works, one of the extensive collieries worked
by Messrs. Insole and Son, in the Rhondda Valley,
Glamorganshire. At the time when the last particulars
were despatched, the extent to which human life had been
sacrificed was uncertain, but the examination of the pit
having been concluded on Wednesday night, we are
enabled to state the accurate loss, which has amounted
to the enormous, and, happily, unprecedented number of
112 human beings. The last body got out dead was that
of a boy named William Llewellin. His loss had been
known ; but his death occurred so far in the workings that
his recovery was difficult, and nearly two days were
expended in the endeavour to get out his body. On Wed-
nesday evening, some men ventured to crawl on their
hands and knees to where they could not venture to take
a light, and they thus succeeded in finding him. This
lad's body made the entire number got out dead 111, the
number brought up alive but burnt nine, and about thirty
who, from the circumstance of its being the last day of
the fortnight, and their tram being full, were on the shaft
side of the workings, escaped unhurt. Of the men burnt,
one died on Thursday morning.
From the appearances of the pit, the explosion must
have been a very slight one, as two of the doors were not
even blown down, and the entire damage to the works will
scarcely amount to £lO. Tha cause of the explosion has
not been satisfactorily found out, although, judging from
a statement made by two of the survivors, it will probably
be found that some of the miners carried a light, for the
purpose of raising some tram plates into an unused and
t'otbidden part of the works. It would seem that the
practice of the colliery had been for three firemen to go
down before the men and examine the works. When a
stall was found all right, a tin label was placed upon it,
which the workman was required to possess himself of,
and bring in at night to the manager. When a stall was
unsafe, a piece of timber was placed across its entrance,
as an indiceion that no one must enter it The mine, it
is stated, had been duly examined in this way on Tuesday
morning. The workings are very extensive, reaching, it is
said, nearly a mile, and the reason why the explosion,
though comparatively a slight one, proved so destructive
to life is, that it occurred near the entrance to the work-
ing parts, and thus exposed to the after or choke damp
(the suffocating properties of which are too well known),
the great body of workmen who were in its rear. The
position in which the corpses were found, showed that,
upon finding the air cut off from them, the affrighted
workmen ran from their stalls to mingle and die together.
At one spot twenty bodies were found, and at another
thirteen, all lying huddled upon each other. In one stall
an aged father and three of his sons were found lying side
by side. The appearance of the men who had been burnt
was very shocking, but those who had been suffocated
merely appeared as if in a deep sleep.
On Thursday, the funerals of most of the men took
place, and never before has there been seen in the
Rhondda Valley so sorrowful a day. All the colliers
throughout that and the Aberdare Valley turned out to
assist in the burying ; and the corpses, some of which had
to be carried distances of six, eight, and even twelve
miles, were accompanied by processions formed of
hundreds of men and women singing hymns and psalms
and funeral chants. A more touching ceremony than
one of these funerals presented can searcely be con-
ceived. There was no artificial mourning, but hearts
of all present seemed smitten by the deep solemnity
of the occasion. The villages and straggling hamlets
through which the corpses were borne crowded the road-
ways as they passed, and joined in the funeral dirge. The
shutters of their houses were closed, and at some places
black flags were hung out in testimony of sorrow and
respect for the dead.

As might be expected, great excitement prevailed
throughout the district, and after some of the burials were
over the men began to congregate in numbers, especially
those from the Aberdare colleries. Some apprehensions
of a disturbance were anticipated, and messengers were
despatched to the superintendent of the Glamorganshire
county constabulary, at Newbridge, requesting the pre-
sence of a strong body of police.

THEATRE ROYAL

LAST APPEARANCE OF RISTORI

Al6eri's tragedy of "Rosamunda " concluded the en-

gagement of Malame iti4tori, last night. A brilliant
audience assembled to witness her extraordinary tragic
delineations; at the same time the house was not quite
full, and we understand, with much regret, that the enter_

prising manager is not likely to be repaid for the heavy
outlay which enabled him to secure a " star" so much in

the ascendant,

The poetry of Alfieri is undoubted in its fullness of
pregnant diction, its singular passion and intensity, but
though Rosamunda may delight in the closet, yet, when
depicted on the stage with the force and fervour of a
Aistori, the heroine is an unmitigated hyena, and, as the
tragedy proceeds, the auditor finds he has "supped full of
horrors " without a redeeming trait on which to pin a rag
active I of reaard—

abe was one of those
" With whom revenge was virtue,"

and exercised the said virtue in its most revolting form.
So much for the play.. The acting of Madame Ristori, in
her ungrateful part, was up to all ideals of excellence, and
can only be recorded in the same language which has been
the feeble vehicle of description to the flashes of genius
which have elevated men in Kemble, Siddons, Kean,
Cushman, Rachel, et hoc genus omne. In her picture of
the jealous, hating, queen and woman, there was a ser.

pentitie devilry that would have appalled, but that it was

throughout chastened by the utmost taste and beauty in

pose, declamation, and vocal purity,

irsq cotemporaries (particularly the
proverbial for " kindness " to

critiques of our Lo
" leading journal ") which

As is usual, th,

artistes have som

Lewhat damaged Ristori by too high sound

ing praises which causes disappointment to the provincials,
who pin their faith to such fallacious dictums. There
is nothing more to remark in last night's performance
beyond saying Mademoiselle Picchiotino acquitted herself
as Romilda most admirably, and won the sympathies of
the audience completely.—lf the management would
favourably consider the question of lighting the centre
boxes here, it would materially add to the comfort of
those who have to study the libretti in those " abodes of