The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-23 00:00:00

The Prince of Wales Theatre, Liverpool.

Amongst the many improvements that have been
introduced in this elegant theatre one of the most
important is the introduction of new arrangements
for the " Float," or foot-light, the patented inven-
tion of the Messrs. Defries, of Houndsditch. There
are many circumstances that render the new ar-
rangement of the " floats " a matter of the highest
importance, and none more so than the approach
of that peculiar season when hundreds of young
girls, clad in highly inflammable muslin, crowd the
stage in the form of fairies in the Christmas panto-
mimes. Unfortunately of late the season has never
passed over without it being our painful duty to
record the death of one if not more of these young
women, caused through their ample muslin dresses
igniting at the floats. So frequently has the cala-
mity occurred that now at all the theatres in the
metropolis means are kept at hand ready for any
emergency, but the better and wiser plan would be
to altogether remove the cause of the danger ; and
this, by the new invention of the Messrs. Defries,
can easily be effected. This most useful and meri-
torious invention consists in enclosing the jets of
gas within a box formed of a series of compart-
ments (cast in about two-foot lengths) joined togo-
ther, and the back forming a tube, with openings
at its upper part within the box. The face of the
tube or back of box which is towards the stage
slopes backward at an angle of about 45 degrees,
the branch pipes following this angle, each alter-
nate pipe rising higher than the preceding ; thus,
when the gas is lit, there are two rows of jets, one
higher than the other, the lower one being at an
angle to the stage, which will throw its light
almost horizontally ; and the other at an angle
which will throw it almost vertically, so that the
performers can stand over the float without any
fear of accident. The top of the float does not rise
more than three inches above the rake of stage, the
sheets of glass in each compartment completely en-
closing the flame on the face towards the stage, the
tube at the back carries off all the heated air from
the flame. The light is thrown equally upward and
over the stage by the different angle of the branch
pipes and height of the burners, and finally the glass
mediums by which light of all colours can bethrown
over the stage are worked from the prompter's
box, enabling him to give different mediums in each
scene, if required. The float is fixed in a position
which keeps it-from the woodwork of the orchestra
and stage, &c., the taps of each branch are beneath
the stage, and the audience have the effect of the
light without seeing any apparatus by which it is
produced. In short, this novel arrangement appears
to combine every advantage of safety, health, and
convenience, whilst the flickering of the light, so
annoying to the audience by the old principle, is
here completely dispensed with, to which, for the
satisfaction of the lessee, may be added that of
economy, as, by the method of the Messrs. Defries,
fish-tail are substituted for the expensive argand
burners hitherto used, and there are no chimney
glasses to be constantly broken.

LORD HOUGHTON will deliver an " occasional
address," at the inauguration meeting, to be held on Tues-
day, the 30th, in the New Buildings of the Cambridge
Union Society.
LORD BROUGHAM has talked with a lady who
lived in the reign of Charles 11. ; that lady was his great
grand-aunt, who died at the age of 106, in the year 179.