The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-03 00:00:00

ADELPHI THEATRE.
Spauish plots seem at present to be in the ascen-
dant in the dramatic, as well as in the political world,
and accordingly we find that a new Spanish drama
was produced here last evening, under the tiVe of
Sidonia di Molina. The action takes place during the
war of
P T
the Succession, which was terminated by the
eace of Utrecht, and the hero of the piece is the
Duke de Saavedra (Mr. Hudson), who, although
nominally a partisan of the Archduke, the Austrian
candidate for the throne, is in reality a partisan of the
Duke of Anjou, the French candidate, son of Louis
X, IV., and who ultimately, as King Philip, ascended
the Spanish throne. At the opening of the play
Saavedra is on the point of marriage with a daughter
cf a neighbouring grandee, but the match is broken
,•
on account of his profligate character. Just at
pis juncture the Baron de Madly (Mr. Selby), a
reach officer, enters and informs Saavedra
that his intrigues have been discovered, that
the Archduke has ordered his arrest, and that his
°nly chance of saving his estates is to settle them im-
ITlediately on his wife. A wife is consequently wanted,
end his Steward, Nunoz (Mr. Wright), provides him
with one in the person of Sidonia di Molina (Madame
Celeste), a poor girl who has been brought lip in a
neighbouring4 convent, and who consents to the match
4•0 save the life of her father, a prisoner in the hands of
Saavedra. There is barely time to sign the marriage
contract and the settlement of the estates, when an
.
from enters, arrests Saavedra by virtue of a warrant
Pal the Archduke, and conveys him a prisoner to
4adrid. The castle is sacked, and Sidonia, disguised
as
a Franciscan friar, flies under the protection of
Munoz. They fall into the hands of a party of French
the
commanded by the Baron de Madly, and in
La
e Baron, Sidonia recognises a young officer with '
Wham she had fallen desperately in love some time
before. He discovers that the pretended friar is a
'vealan, and the woman whom he adores, but his suit
rejected, for her marriage with Saavedra is an
feeaPerable obstacle. Saavedra, who has escaped
le.arn Madrid, arrives in the French camp just as the
learns
is about to sally forth on a reconnaisance. He
earns from the Baron that he is in love, and bets
blm 10,000 pistoles that he discovers and wins the Y
in three months. The pretended Franciscan is
brought to Saavedra's tent, and subjected to all sorts
,e...fiinsults. We must protest against the introduction
into this part of the piece a scene of " prayers far
hope as Saavedra profanely calls it, which will, we
,°l3e, be omitted in all future representations. In a
flamatic point of view it may, perhaps, be not inef-
fective, but it is in very bad taste, and is calculated to
'at,"oel k 'the prejudices—if you will—of a numerous
it'Lttss) who are at present not inclined to regard dra-
atie amusements with an unfavourable eye, and
Ivile'se good-will it is policy to conciliate. It is not
accessary for the conduct of the plot, and the piece
not go the worse for its entire omission. All
811e.11 parodies of religious ceremonies are highly
03 enters, ,Jeetionable. The Baron and then Saavedra
~.'snovers that the friar, whom he has insulted, is now
"other than the lady whom he has undertaken to
Win. A
it lapse of some months intervene between
e second and third acts. In the third act
,
find Philip on the throne of Spain, and
Queeninstalled as Camerara Mayor to the
ueen at the Palace of Buen Retiro. The
rnn, raised to the dignity of a grandee of Spain, is
anxious to form an alliance with the all-powerful
„araerara. Saavedra has just returned from an em-
"a
hi'aY to Rome, where he has procured a divorce from
wife, which only awaits her signature to have
:nt, and on the strength of which he also is making
e to the Camerara. By chance he meets with
~anoz, and offers him a rich reward to discover his
4, hoping, by means of a bribe, to induce her to
,g3lloent to the divorce. He hands the divorce to
dnnia, to convince her that he shall soon be free ;
Qii
aiezes it, signs it, and gives her hand to the Baron
hiavedra, discovering, too late, that the Camerara is
iii4l3,Wn Duchess, losing, at the same time, his wife,
ad 6 bet, and his reward to Nunoz. The piece was
• inirably 'acted by Madame Celeste, Hudson, and
zel
'Wright, as the Steward, was irresistibly,
Bed-
ford, and Miss Woolgar, as his wife, and Paul Bed-
r as a drunken French dragoon, made a great deal
to two rather insignificant parts. On the announce-
4t:nt of the piece for repetition there was a slight
ii;flTit at opposition, which was, however, imme-
i;‘etY overruled, and the piece may be considered as
4rarnnagobfeen completely successful. The admirable,
buries the Mysterious Stranger followed,' and the
taintriqUe of Norma concluded the evening s enter-
andienent, amidst the hearty laughter of a numerous
es.

bttj, A
CHOLY ACCIDENT—FOUR
Yest rd
ame net-a-bal3re LIVES LOST.
a l
morning, between six and seven o'clock,
guide mine accident took place in the drift-way, or
Townhe tunnel at present forming under
the
New,
, in connexion with the Edinburgh,
Leith, and Granton Railway, which, we regret to say,
lU'nved fatal to no fewer than four of the workmen.
The tunnel is about two-thirds of a mile in length,
and runs in a straight line from Canal-street, beneath
g
btl'i'Andrew's-street and sq_uare, Duke-street, and
,lin-street, to the foot of Scotland-street, where it
gihhrns into the Mill Haugh at the back of Canonmills.
•-e drift-way of the tunnel, which was about
eelliz„,f,eat sq
suare, was all completed, with the ex-
tiraon of a mall barrier about midway near
foot of Duke-street. In order to remove
thill;B' and to let off the water which was known
to have
mulated in the upper portion of the mine, work-
len
have been employed for upwards of a week past.
appears, however, that in consequence of some in-
-.celllraey in
running the drift mines of the tunnel, the
uth
ern and northern portions passed each other at
the Paint where they should have met; and hence the
f6eulty of joining the two—the workmen not being
:are of this deviation. On Thursday, they began
titieutve an idea that the two were not exactly oppo-
from seeing veral small ets of water issui
:al the west side of the minej ; and some alarmng
tbr„ even then entertained by the workmen that.
ite 1, would be flooded. The flow from this
eelLe,e, however, soon stopped, and the men pro-
lete-' with the work, which is carried on without
lieu mission day and night, one set of men being re.-
cle et'l every few hours by another. When the aeci-
tjlee-t°2carred (which was about a quarter past six),
IV' night shiftmen, John Blair and James
the Ts, Were still working, though it was beyond
othei,;4lla a that they ought to have been relieved, the
tath. two having, fortunately for themselves, been
140 er later than usual in coming to their work that
to ilitping. Mr. Peter Mitchell, brother of one of the
sly-;aettrs, and Mr. Thomas Erskine, ganger, had
te.° I,t gone down to see how the work was getting
he The former went down from mere curiosity.
Nver",, the accident occurred is not known, as all who
It jn the tunnel at the moment have perished ; but
la th-UPPosed that the water, which had accumulated
Itad e upper mine, had suddenly broken in upon them,
Tilliwept them all away in the torrent.
the e first notice which was given to those above
e.grts3'
calnd that something had gone wrong, was
hhaft`;', named Jack, who had just gone down the
whet 411
Dublin-street (about seventy yards below
teriZthe barrier was), and who, hearing a fearful
'watering noise like thunder, and suspecting that the
,Laad burst, instantly gave the signal to be pulled
sarec""jell was promptley obeyed, and he reached the
taea-e just in time to escape in safety, for in a mo-
allot afterwards the water came rushing up the
eith tremendous violence, striking the roof
and -"ivooden shed which covers the opening,
aixt;e:ning down the street. This shaft is about
Inerri'eet deep. Nor was this all, for in another
Way 'het a second rush of water was seen forcing its
farth,;,.Pwards through the street, about 150 yards
Pied down, and flooding the area of the shop occu-
sPot the Mr. D. Bruce, spirit-dealer there. At this
after re had formerly been a shaft sunk, which was
%ruin aras covered up, which accounts for the water
Th g ul3 in that direction.
Were e bodies of Thomas Erskine and John Blair
One holding
discovered near the bottom of the shaft, the
Wer °l:cling the other by the foot ; but the other two
the et
found till between two and four o'clock in
d0w,,,--rnoon, having been carried much further
They were all married men in the prime of
tier and have left wives and families to lament their
mely loss.
()
rv( ee;05:::
beene of nit for the large body of water, it must be
bag._ stood that the ground through which the tunnel
of springs in all directions, and there
no workmen employed in the upper
Water had
the mine for a considerable time past, the
frunl the engineer of the tunnel, that no ground for
lu-euder apprehension exists, the works being unin-
dot.r_ and the body of water nearly removed. Crowds
spots
were yesterday collected at the different
410
~here the effects of the accident were visible,
tiuLttle event created great excitement in every
"Kter ee
the e'ty.
r. Il e Mack,
* Dymock, Procurator Fiscal, and
the spot, tog, superintendent of police, were early on
investigate the circumstances connected
nVri.,t..llo the accident and several witnesses have been
gnosced on the subject.--Scotsman of Saturday.

---••-•
O"2:2;eRRISE OF OFFICERS IN THE INDIAN ARMY.—
4;', for S will be sent out by the next Overland Mail to In-
the appointment the lappointmentIappointment of an additional captain to each i
Niznent of infantry. The Governor-General had autlio-
tttY to this effect when he was appointed ; but in the
"'ent of his not having done so, he has been directed to
iett_l7 it into immediate operation. This measure gives
tT additional three appointments to each Director; and we
tollr?erely hope the sons of a few distinguished and meri-
,eil us officers may be provided for. We continue to re-
many extreme cases of a total want of consideration
eitat° the sons of officers who have done some service to the
,/,. _
,i.' --Atonal and Military Gazette.
~.."I'M CIIIMGH IN DANGER.—The new church of
bu.eLawrence, about which so many pathetic appeals have
4;1 made to the public regarding its unfinished tower
4d Ma
anconamenced spire, is already, it appears, falling
"J a state of dilapidation.—Hampshire Independent.