The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-17 00:00:00

REFUGE HAVENS, OR SAFE2Y PLACES
FOR MINERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

STR,—Colliery proprietors are doubtlessly now
impressed wita the necessity of universally hav-
ing two shafts to each pit, and also a communi-
cation or staple between different seams of coal,
the want of which caused the fatality during the
late tragedy. Yet there is another safety valve
which would save the lives of miners if the wooden
brattice should be destroyed by explosion, fire, or
otherwise, and it has not been noticed by others
permit me to describe my idea. Division of a
shaft generally occasions sufficient ventilation in
the whole of a pit to enable miners to do their
work in any part. When a brattice is disarranged
the upward current of gas and downward passage
of air cease, and probably at the same time the mode
for the men leaving is ungeared. Inexpressible re-
lief would be conferred on the imprisoned miners
by their having the facility at such a time to escape
to a particular and selected part in any of the
seams, where they could congregate and wait for
relief. This object could be secured by embedding
under the brick or wooden casing of the shaft a
diaphragmatic pipe, or a double concentric pipe,
laid from the outer air to the spots chosen as
"havens of safety" in each of the seams, which
could be thus ventilated perfectly distinct from and
independent of the mode adopted for the remainder
of the pit. This is merely an extension of the
brattice principle, and a mode daily used for ven-
tilating particular rooms in buildings. It may be
desirable to have the power at each of the selected
spots to close the ventilating pipe in any other
seams where the use of it may not be required.--I
am, yours truly,

GEORGE WALCOTT, C.E.
24, Abcburch-lane, Feb. 14.

PIUNCESS'S THEATRE,

On Saturday evening a new mystic drama, entitled " The
Angel of Midnight," was produced at this theatre. The
piece, which belongs, in every sense of the word, to the
" sensation" class, is an adaptation, by Mr John Brougham,
from the French of MM. Barriera and Plouvier, in which
all the startling effects have been preserved with scrupu-
lous care. The plot of the drama is not of the clearest de-
scription, but where magical effects are to be produced, that
is always looked upon as a secondary consideration. The
Angel of Midnight, or, in other words, the Spirit
of Death, jealous of the skill of a certain young
physician, Albert Werner, appears to him on a
lovely moonlight night, and there compels him, on
pain of losing his much•loved mother, to enter into a com-
pact, the conditions of which are, that whenever she ap-
pears at midnight and takes by the hand any sick person on
whom he is attending he will forthwith retire from the con-
test and leave the dying person to his fate. Remorse to a
certain degree follows the completion of the unholy con-
tract, and ever after Albert, in his happiest moments, is
continually meeting with the Angel of Midnight—first in
the sick chamber of his father-in-law in perspective ; next
at the ball given in honour of his approaching nuptials;
then again in the gloomy recesses of a forest in the depth of
winter, where a duel to the death is fought amidst the fall-
ing snow; and lastly, amongst the bridesmaids who are
about to attend his young and lovely bride Margaret to the
altar. The agony of choosing whom to lose, his bride or
mother, impels Albert to appeal to a Higher Power
than death, and thus the terrible angel is vanquished,
and Albert is left to enjoy uninterrupted happiness.
Of course, a drama such as that we have briefly sketched
affords unlimited scope for stage effect and scenic grandeur,
and Mr. Harris has availed himself to the utmost of the
opportunity presented ; but as an acting play it is not one
that creates universal satisfaction, although it will most
unquestionably attract for a time. Miss Marriott made her
first appearance at this theatre as the Angel, her dress and
action Leing all that the most wonder-loving play-goer
could desire. Mr. Ryder, as Col. Lambech, the villain of
the piece ; Mr. Shore, as Karl; Mr. Widdicombe, as Dr.
Blokk, the quack doctor; Mr. Meadows, as the Usurer;
Mr. Potter, as the Count Stromberg ; Miss Louisa Angel,
as his daughter; and Miss Mary Fielding, as Madame
Werner, sustained their parts with their usual ability.
The drama has been most carefully and elaborately
"mounted," and at the fall of the curtain all the principal
performers were called for—even the unearthly Angel of
Death had to make her reappearance before the " floats."
The house was crowded in every part.

HER MAJESTY.—We believe, in a short time, her
Majesty will return to Windsor Castle. It is not at all im-
probable that the Queen will then pay an occasional visit
to Buckingham Palace, for the purpose of personally
superintending the affairs of the late Prince Consort. The
active business habits of the late Prince were the cause of
his receiving a voluminous mass of papers and correspon-
dence which will have to be carefully examined ; and on
the disposal of the more important portions the Queen her-
self will decide. The same feeling will probably take the
Queen to Balmoral in the spring—for the late Prince was
busy everywhere, even in the midst of his spurts—and the
place being seen at a different season, the visit will, per-
haps, be less fraught with painful recollections than if it
were postponed to the autumni—Cou;t Journal.

MR. CHARLES KEAN.—We understand that, on
the 22d March, Mr. C. Kean will be presented, at the St.
James's Hall, with the plate which has been subscribed for
by the numerous admirers among his friends and the public.
The Duke of Newcastle will preside, which may be accepted
as a mark of admiration of Mr. C. Kean's genius as an
actor, respect for his upright conduct as a gentleman, and
a display of that warm feeling for the brother schoolfellow
of Eton which is peculiar to the race Etonian. The plate
is of the value of 2,000 guineas, and consists of several
pieces, chiefly ornamental; among others, one which intro-
duces Eton, also ten pieces representing Shaksperian plays
in which Mr. C. Kean has won honour. There are also two
magnificent ct ndelabra.—Court Journal.
BRITISH AND RO➢IAN ANTIQUITIES..—During the
last few days a large tumulus on the Howardian-hills, near
Milton, has been opened. At about the usual depth of
burials the fragments of a Roman glass bottle, of consider-
able size, were very unexpectedly found, the position Fetray-
ing the fact that a previous examination of the tumulus had
at some period been made, and all save the glass removed.
On account of the very large size of the mound the base of
which was far from reached, the excavations were con-
tinued, and at a depth of 10ft. a British cyst, enclosing a
cinerary urn, was discovered. It is therefore apparent that
the British burialplace had been adopted by the Romans,
and hence the large size of the mound. A few weeks back
a tumulus adjoining was opened, and two British urns ob-
tained, both cinerary. In this case the burials were side by
side. Mr. Pycock, of Malton, directs the work.
BURNING OF ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN SHIP AT SEA.
—Advices have just been received from Ascension Island,
with intelligence of a marvellous escape of the passengers
and crew of the ship Orient, 1,236 tons, Captain Lawrence,
from Adelaide to London, which put into the island on the
sth of January, having been on fire three days, and it had
not been got under up to the morning of the 6th. The
Orient had a very valuable cargo on board, and about 60
passengers. Captain Lawrence, in a letter to the owners,
states that the fire was observed on the morning of the 2d
inst., and after making an unsuccessful attempt to get at
the fire, they battened down the hatches, and every place
was made secure. Scuttles were then cut in the deck, and
water poured down in torrents, but it had no effect, and the
fire extended aft rapidly. All that day, the following night,
and next day, they continued at the pumps, the passengers
rendering great help. The boats were got the second day,
when by an accident the cutter and lifeboat got athwart
each other, and were smashed to pieces, leaving only the
longboat to take upwards of 100 people, but which could
not hold one-half the number. Another night passed, and,
the fire still raging, the suspense and anxiety among all on
board were dreadful, for many parts of the deck were burnt
through, and the whole cargo appeared to be a live fire, At
daybreak on the third day a sail was seen from aloft on the
port beam, and all speed was made to bear down upon it.
They succeeded in coming up to the vessel. She proved to
be the Dutch barque Van der Heim. All the passengers
were, without loss of time, put on board of her, and the
captain agreed to remain by the Orient, which he did. By
dint of great exertion the Orient was got into Ascension on
that day, the sth. She was still on fire, and, according to
the last accounts, was still burning.
THE LATE TERRIBLE COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT
KINGSWOOD, NEAR BRlSTOL.—Kingswood, Saturday
Night.—The workmen, after a vast amount of labour, have
succeeded in recovering the body of the missing man Iles.
The effort was one of difficulty, on account of the unstable
character of some of the earthwork, and the consequent
mishaps experienced while putting in the timbering. Mr.
Lionel Though, one of the Government inspectors, has been
down the works and is of opinion that the unfortunate men
were, at the time of the catastrophe, working at the " tip,"
and that, the support having been removed, the earth fell
in. Ho considers that Iles must have been alive when
Bi ain's body was recoverel, and that when the second fall
took place he must have scrambled up above it.

Some curiosity has beon evinced as to the manner
in which Dumollard, the French murderer, comports him-
self since sentence of death has been passed on him. It
w:s said that he had sunk into a state of nervous exhaus-
tion, and was, when physical strength returned, a prey to
.the most terrible despair. All this, it appears, on excellent
authority, was entirely unfounded, as the wholesale mur-
derer incarcerated in the poison of Ain displays an un-
broken sang froid, and pays the most minute attention to
his personal comforts. He wraps his shackles round with
linen to prevent them coming in contact with his flesh, and
complains frequently of their weight and coldness. He
does not expect his appeal to succeed ; but is, nevertheless,
totally indifferent to the chaplain's exhortations, and
.has
several times interrupted them to complain of the prison
fare and the bad sausages of Ain