The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-25 00:00:00

CLOSING OF THE LYCEUM.

This theatre closed on Saturday evening after a
brief but very brilliant season of nine weeks, the
great success of which was owing to the comedy of
" Extremes." Mr. Falconer at the close of the play
—which was on the occasion of his benefit—came
forward amidst the warmest demonstrations and
delivered an address, of which the following are the
most interesting portions :
" I will not attempt to dilate upon so purely
personal a matter as the motive which induced me
to risk the responsibilities of management further
than to say that I had some faith m my work—
much in the talents of the company I was fortunate
enough to obtain for its exposition ; but that I had
far more, and that in opposition to a cant, in the
sympathy of the public with any earnest attempt
to give in legitimate form a dramatic entertainment
with some smack of nationality—an efficient pre-
sentation of an original play, tolerably true to
English, or rather let me say to British principles ;
for, I suppose, ladies and gentlemen, there needs
no ghost from the grave to tell you' that I happen
to be an Irishman. Out of my success—l suppose
I may assume success, as the comedy has been
played fifty times during a season of fifty-one
nights, and the treasurer has never had occasion to
suggest a change of performance—out of this
success, no greater feeling of gratification has
accrued to me than came from the verification
of my faith in the existence of that sym-
pathy upon the part of the public, and of
its readiness to assert its existence with any
reasonable excuse. Ladies and gentlemen, I have
the greatest disinclination to assume the character
of Mr. Puff, but as we are likely to meet again it
is mere courtesy as well as business to inform you
that I have taken the theatre for a longer term,
commencing on Boxing night ; and it is a mere
matter of fact to state that nearly all the present
members of my company will at that time give me
their aid ; that I shall also have the assistance of
Mr. and Mrs. Keeley and Miss Louise Keeley; and,
at the conclusion of their present engagement,. of
Mr. and Mrs: Charles Young, of Miss Ronne.
Wright, and several other artists of professional
reputation ; that Mr. Robert B. Brough has under-
taken to write the new Lyceum burlespie, the
scenery for which is already in the process of being
painted by Mr. William Calcott, late of the Hay-
market Theatre ; and that the Harlequinade of the
comic Pantomime will be sustained by the Lauri
Family. I will not make you extravagent pro-
mises of unusual wonders, but I have reasonable
hope to present you with that legitimate and
worthy-of-being-seen entertainment which the
union of such skilled artists as I have named is
almost certain to produce. In conclusion, ladies
and gentlemen, to my thanks, let me add my sin-
cere wishes, that you may all of you realise those
blessings of health, prosperity, and content which
are so necessary to the full enjoyment of the more
imaginative pleasures which poets, painters, and
actors in grand conjunction are labouring to create
for your entertainment at Christmas, and which are
almost essential at that holiday time to insure a
good night's rest to the juniors who dine on roast
beef and plumb pudding."

FATAL COLLISION AT SEA.

SHIELDS, FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

The melancholy intelligence has been received
heie that the brig Wingrave, belonging to Mr.
Hewison, of North Shields, has been run down as
she was proceeding on her voyage to London, and
that her crew of 13 hands have perished with her.
The particulars that have been received here are,
that a screw steamer, the Kangaroo, trading between
London and Inverness, has put into Lowestoft with
her bows carried away. The captain (the agent to
our Tyne Clubs' reports) seemed disinclined to say
much about the cause of his damage ; but it has
been ascertained from the crew that on the previous
night the steamer came in contact with a laden
brig and sunk her. The agent reports that the men
say they put out the boats and pulled to where they
heard the cries of the seamen in the water, but were
unable to save any of them. A boat and the stern
of a long boat were picked up next morning among
some wreck in the neighbourhood of where the col-
lision occurred, with the name of the Wingrave
painted upon them, so that little doubt exists but
that that was the unfortunate vessel. By one of
those strange fatalities that so often occur in sea-
port towns, the master in command of the Win-
grave, Mr. Hodgson, was called upon to take charge
of her very shortly before she proceeded to sea on
her last and fatal voyage. The old master, Mr.
Hart, who had had command of her many years,
being taken unwell, was obliged to give up charge
of the vessel to him.

Fears are entertained that another fatal disaster
has occurred. The Margaretha, which has arrived
in the Tyne from Altona, reports that within 20
miles of Tynemouth Castle she fell in with a great
quantity of wreck and timber and deals floating
about in the sea. The nights have been dark and
foggy during the week, and several minor colli-
sions, such as carrying away yards and masts, are
reported.