The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-08 00:00:00

between Arnie and Cappeln by Prince FREDERICK
CHARLES, at the head of his division of Prussians, the
Danes, startled into a retrograde movement by that
proceeding, at 12.30 a.m. on Saturday abruptly
evacuated the city of Schleswig, abandoned the Dan-
newerke with the whole of the material of war there
accumulated—included amongst this all-important
material of war sixty heavy pieces of artillery !
The Austrians thereupon, of course, entering the
city of Schleswig (as it appears at seven o'clock on tke
evening of Saturday), and taking possession of the
annewerke, together with the sixty guns, et cetera!
And, not only doing this right promptly and ener-
getically, but afterwards pursuing the retiring
enemy in the direction of Flensburg. Pursuing
them thither so hotly and determinedly, that
between Schleswig and Flensburg, consider-
ably nearer to the latter than to the former,
at a place called Oversee, a battle has been
f3ught, in which the Danes were signally defeated
by the Austrian forces under General GABLENZ,
the Commander-in-Chief. In this battle, it appears,
Colonel the Prince WILLIAM of WMITEMBURG was
severely wounded, one lieutenant-colonel also being
wounded, two hundred Danish prisoners being cap-
tured, and with those prisoners six cannon of
heavy calibre, together with a considerable
portion of the baggage trains and ammu-
nition. The mere announcement in the
Danish capital of the evacuation by the national
troops of the Dannewerke, with all the ma-
terials of war there delivered up no less
completely and unreservedly than the city
of Schleswig itself to the German invaders—
has already, it would seem, created the greatest
excitement and indignation at Copenhagen. The
popular indignation, there, being mainly directed
against the Danish Commander-in-Chief, And
the depression upon public feeling because of
these last events being so profound and excessive
that a proclamation subsequently issued by the
newly enthronedPatriotKing CHRISTIAN 1X,,50 far
from reassuring the multitude, has, it would actually
appear according to one of the telegrams, "produced
an unfavourable:impression.° While the complica-
tions of war are thus becoming every day more
serious as between Denmark and Germany, what,
in simplest truth, really is to be the policy of the
PALMERTON Government between the belligerents ?
The House of Commons, the People of England
pause for a reply !

Few catastrophes impress the public mind more
deeply and painfully than accidents by fire. The
suddenness of the alarm, the imminence of the
danger, and the fact that in the ordinary routine
of daily life we are all more or less liable to it,
enhance the consternation occasioned by the
agonising and fatal nature of the accident. Of
late years, thanks to the extravagance of fashion
and the wilful recklessness of its votaries, such
disasters have been distressingly common. At a
recent inquest ou a lady the Coroner stated that
40,000 persons had died from burns in the last
15 years, being at the rate of eight a day. We
have heard so often that the repetition, though
always painful, is no longer surprising, of happy
festive meetings turned into funeral assemblies,
of family gatherings round the winter's hearth
converted into ghastly tragedies of the young,
the lovely, and beloved arraying themselves in gay
attire like victims decked for slaughter, only to
perish by the most terrible of deaths. But there
is something especially startling in such a catas-
trophe when the victim has incurred the danger
which has led to her destruction in efforts for the

public amusement ; when we propose to pass a
light and pleasant evening of diversion and recrea-
tion, and are suddenly called upon to witness an
appalling holocaust. The shock of poor CLARA
WEBSTER'S melancholy death created a deep and
wide spread feeling of horror and regret, and
steps were immediately taken to prevent the re-
petition of such a tragedy. Unhappily the danger,
although diminished, is by no means overcome,
and from time to time some poor sufferer, usually a
ballet dancer, falls a victim to imprudence
or misfortune. A case of this kind has very lately
taken place, and combined with the dreadful catas-
trophe at Chili, has called public attention with
renewed earnestness to the matter of theatrical per-
formances and risks from fire. However lamentable
may be the sacrifice of a single victim, the scene
and its consequences are far more terrible when the
whole body of spectators are involved in one com-
mon danger, when the risk of suffocation, of broken
limbs and mangled bodies, of death from the tramp-
ling feet of an affrighted multitude, are superadded
to the terrors cf the wreathing flames. The thought
that naturally presented itself to the mind of every
English reader, after the first moment of horror and
commiseration, was, " What would be the result of
a similar accident in one of our theatres ?" Nor is
the danger restricted to theatres alone; every large
music-hall and place of assembly would tell the
same tale of many complicated turps, of narrow
passages, of few and small sized doors. Any one
who has sat in the middle of Exeter-hall on a
crowded night, must, if the thought of fire pre-
sented itself to his mind, have wondered how that
living mass would struggle out of that vast space in
a moment of sudden panic. The Lord Chamberlain
very prudently has not contented himself with
moralising ; he has determined, if possible, to do
something to mitigate the danger at present existing
to individuals and to communities, and has therefore
convened a meeting of the principal theatrical mana
gers of the metropolis, for the purpose of considering
the best means of preventing such lamentable acci-
dents. The gentlemen who appeared in answer to
this summons unanimously expressed their desire
to provide in every way for the safety of the ballet
.girls employed in their establishments ; but de-
clared that the difficulty was to deal with the care-
lessness and indifference of the girls themselves.
Various plans had been tried, some managers even
threatening dismissal if the rules were infringed.
In answer to the Lord Chamberlain's inquiry as to
the possibility of enforcing the dipping of the
dresses worn in ballets in an uninflammable solu-
tion, it was explained that such a precaution was
of little use, as it was generally the mass of light
gauze under petticoats—often 13 or 14 in number
—which caught fire. The girls always neglected
to use the material for underclothing even when it
was supplied to them, and were habitually regard-
less of the regulations about passing near lamps,
&c. We suspect, however, that if the plan adopted
by Mr. CATE, of the Marylebone Theatre, were
extensively followed, and several girls actually fined
or discharged for breaking. the printed rules, such
inattention would be less common. It is not sur-
prising if the girls themselves, who would be the
victims of their own folly, cannot be made to show
a little more prudence, that managers amid all their
busy and engrossing occupations are not very pre-
cise in enforcing
such rules. Nevertheless this
accident will probably startle many
of them
into renewed vigilance and greater severity. But
it is evident that it will not do to reckon
upon the security of the dresses, being
uninflammable ; the security must lie -in having the
lights well guarded. Had the light which ignited
the poor Columbine's dress at the Pavilion been
protected by a wire network, the accident could not
have happened, and the public have a right to ex-
pect that managers should take this simple and in-
expensive precaution. A rigid adherence to rules
should also be insisted on, and no one should be

TIIh SUN, LOND

suffered through ignorance or perversity to place
herself night after night in positions of imminent
risk. The matter of ingress and egress might also
be more satisfactorily dealt with, although the body
of managers seemed to think that nothing more
could be done. It is not enough to have numerous
doors if they are small and narrow, and lead into
interminable and intricate passages. There should
be good bread portals in several parts of the theatre
or hall, or assembly room, which could be flung
open in case of sudden alarm, even if not ordinarily
used; and passages as ample and as direct as the
nature of the building would allow should lead
from them to the outer world. The gentlemen
present at the deputation expressed their readiness
to do all that lay in their power to remove all pos-
sible risks, and we trust that they will be enabled
to do something on both points that will serve to
relieve the natural anxiety of the public.

Last Thursday the royal yacht Alberta under-
went a third official trial in Stokes Bay, but on this
occasion, if the representatives of the press were not
actually excluded from witnessing the trial, it was
intimated by Captain R. BROOMHEAD that the
Controller of the Navy objected to publicity being
given to the result of the trial. Our leading con-
temporary, in referring to the subject, remarks that
" before the yacht left Portsmouth harbour for the
trial ground, Rear-Admiral ROBINSON intimated
through the officer in command of the yacht, Capt'
BROOMHEAD, to the Times correspondent at the
port, who was present, according to his usual cus-
tom, on the occasion of any trial of interest, that he,
as the Controller of the Navy, objected to any report
of the day's proceedings being made public, under
these unprecedented circumstances our correspon-
dent declined to go out of the harbour in the yacht."
While feeling naturally indignant at this very ex-
traordinary conduct on the part of the Admiralty,
we can nevertheless well understand the object. It
will be remembered that some weeks since the
Alberta went out for her first trial, when part of
her machinery breaking down, the trial had to be
postponed. On the second trial the machinery
worked most satisfactorily, but it was discovered
that the performances of the vessel herself by no
means came up to the expectations of her designers.
The Alberta was built expressly for the use of her
MAJESTY. It was proposed to construct a
small paddlewheel steamer to run between
Osborne and Southampton, which should possess
greater speed, steadiness, and accommodation than
the screw yacht Fairy. In these respects the
Alberta seems to have been a failure, for, according
to the report of parties who witnessed the second
trial, she fulfilled none of these requisites. The
engines, which are of immense power, drove the
vessel ahead, as it were, in spite of herself, which
in indignity she resented by hanging her head in
the sea, and rendering those on deck very uncom-
fortable by shipping as much water as possible. It
is not, however, on the merits or demerits of the
Alberta that we wish at present to remark ; failures
and blunders are too common in our navy yards to
create much surprise. We look forward with curio-
sity and interest to the new systems about to be
introduced in the building of oar ships, by the con-
structor of the navy, and wish him every success ;
but with regard to this new admiralty system of
gagging the press as it were,we denounce it as quite
un-English. It cannot be that they are ashamed of
their blunder, and wish to hush up the matter.
They have come forward too often boldly and un-
blushingly to admit a reckless expenditure of pub-
lic money. Yet, if such really be the object, we can
only remark that the conduct is on a par with the
wisdom and British spirit of our Foreign Office.
Every day English institutions and English inde-

pendence are being pushed into the background by

those whose duty it is to uphold our national posi-
tion, while they study, to assimilate our laws
and political expressions, as far as possible, to the
French and German standards. Great interest is
taken at present in the construction of ships, many
new plans of construction are being adopted. The
Duke of SOMERSET stated recently, on a visit of
inspection to the Ironworks of Messrs. BROWN and
Co. at Sheffield, that there were ten or twelve ves-
sels being built, all at different stations, by way of
experiment, for the Admiralty intend that the re-
presentatives of the press shall be excluded from
the trials of these vessels, and the public kept in
ignorance of the results. Much has lately been
said about the jobbery existing in the Dockyards,
but if this practice of keeping their doings in dark-

ness be continued at headquarters, it will be o.

little or no use to complain of the malpractices of
their subordinates. We trust that some explana-
tion may be given of this unprecedented conduct,
and that this exclusiveness on the part of Admiral
ROBINSON may be the exception and not the rule of
future conduct. The failure of the Alberta for the
purpose for which she was intended is a matter of
little moment, except it shows how long it, takes
Government officials to choose the right road when
there is a wrong one open to them, and if it is pos-
sible to take the latter one, they generally do.
These mistakes are not often made in our private
yards. When the Thames, Mersey, and Clyde
firms undertake to build a vessel of a certain
tonnage and rate of speed, they seldom
fail to fulfil their engagements. With the
Admiralty it is, however, too often far
otherwise, and we could mention any number of
instances in which newly launched vessels have had
to be metamorphosed and doctored to render them

partially fit for service. The engines will probably
be taken out of the Alberta and placed in a more

promising craft, while she is turned over to some
other purpose. These things have often happened
before, and will probably occur again, but we trust
that the representatives of the press may not again
be excluded from trials of interest to the public, to
suit the whim or fancy of any member of the Admi-
ralty. Government mistakes and blunders may be
tolerated to some extant as unavoidable, but offi-
cial despotism is always to be condemned, and we
trust that we shall meet with no more of it at the
hands of the Lords of the Admiralty.

THE NATIONAL SHABSPERE COMMITTEE.—Prof.
Donaldson (President of the Royal Institute of
British Architects), the Mayor of Bath, and the Mayor of
Wareham have been added to the National Shakspere
Committee. A joint meeting of the Site and Monument
Committees was held on Friday. The general impression
seems to be, that the choice of site lies mainly between the
Green Park, near‘to Piccadilly, and the Temple Gardens,
close to the river esplanade. Primrose Hill finds many
advocates, and a warm recommendation of Kensington
Gardens has been made. The Mayor of Stratford-upon-
Avon announces the details of the Shakspere celebration in
that town. On Saturday, April 23, there will be a banquet
with the Earl of Carlisle in the chair. On Monday, a per-
formance of "The Messiah" will be given, and in the even-
ing a miscellaneous concert. From Tuesday to Friday there
will be dramatic performances and readings, the festival
concluding with a fancy dress ball, on Friday evening.
A pavilion, capable of accommodating about 6,000 persons,
is nearly completed. The profits are to be devoted to the
endowment of scholarships in the Free Grammar School,
and to the erection of a memorial to the poet in his native
town. Some of our chief centres of provincial life have
also announced their commemorative projects. Birming-
ham has resolved to collect a Shakspeare library,—Man-
cheater to found scholarships, and perhaps erect a statue,—
Derby and Newcastle to found scholarships in'connection
with their respective Grammar Schools. Liverpool and
Leicester intend to have a local celebration—a play, a din-
ner, a concert,—which they will probably commemorate by
some local foundation. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin,
Cork, will probably move in the same direction. All this is
as it ought to be. In a few years we may have scholar-
ships in all the arts,—Atheneum