Star.
London, England, 1828-02-29 00:00:00

DREADFUL CALAMITY
AT TUE NEW BRUNSWICK THEATRE.

In addition to what II e stated yesterday, we have this
day collected every pat titular that we possibly could of
the unfortunate acLides.t which occurred that day at the
New Bronswick Theatre. Our 'traders are aware that
the Theatre had been opened for the first time since its
election on Monday night; it was then crowded by the
most respectable part of the inhabitants of the East-
end of the town, and the performances received with
a hearty welcome, which almost insured its future suc-
cess. It was not then complete, and the wot Innen during
the day time were employed on it.
The Piece fit st brought out. was "The Nlermaiden's
Well," founded on a tale of Sir Walter Scott's; this
did not please, and a new Piece, suited more to the
taste of the audience, was in preparation, and its fist
rehearsal was appointed to take place yesterday morn-
ing. It was rf an operatic character—a new version of
" Guy Mannering "—and the entire strength (", f the
company were engaged in it; and not alone these, but
o,e chorus singers and the figulatites, who ate neces-
ty to the iticidental ball: t, were present.
The Company of Actors having thus assembled at
eleven o'clock, for the purpose' of rehearsal, while the
bossiness was
.soing forward on the stage, the roof of the
Theatre fell elf with a dreadful et ash. The witole of the
side of the Theatre which was in a lune with Well street,
parallel toiliellclose-squate,was completelyand instantly
demolished ; and a number of persons of dilferent ages
and -.exec, and professions, buried under the ruins. We
are indebted to the kind politeness of Thomas, Esq.
the Steward of the Tower, for the most copious and ac-
curate details upon every part of the subjecr,as well as for
the most correct list of the pers,,fts w ho have been taken
oust dead or wounded, lit who ate yet missing. The
following is- an exact copy- of NII. Tlit,mas's list, at half
p tst eight o'clock last nigiv:
DlAL—Davit Sampson Maurice. Esq. proprietor ; Edward
Gilbert, performer; two labourers, names yet unknown; Miss
Mary Ann Feron, aged seventeen years, youngest sister of Mrs.
Glossop, or es she is more commonly called Madame Fermi; and
Mies Freeman. one of the Corps de Ballet.
Mr. lieu:lce. who lay dead in a room adjoining that in which
we copied the above list, left his house yesterday morning about
eleven o'clock. its company with his wife. and after patting with
her proceeded to the Theatre. within an hour he lay a man-
gled corpse in the street, but a short distance from his own house.
Having endeavoured to males his escape from the falling ruins,
he had passed to the very extreme line to which the fragments
of the building were dashed, when he was struck obliquely on
the head by some bricks, which threw him prostrate upon the
pavement, and he was immediately after covered by an im-
menw mass of rubbish. A Mr. Campbell, one of the performers
who had escaped the terrible fate of his fellows, having
cccl-
dentally come to the spot where Mr. Maurice had been over-
whelmed, saw sticking out of the rubbish a foot, which he
knew to be that of the proprietor of the Theatre. A num-
ber of men were immediately set to work upon that .part of
the colas, and they succeeded, after some time, in extracting
the body of the unhappy Gentleman; but every symptom of life
had vanished. The agony of his wife, on learning his untimely
fate, may well be imagined. It was with great dillcuky that she
could be prevented from rushing iate the midst of the confusion
which prevailed in the neighbourhood where her husband's body
lay. Some of her friends applied to Mr. Thomas, the &sward
and-Coroner of the Tower, for leave to remove the body to the
house of the deceased, in Great Present-street, Goodnsan's-ilelds.
That Gentleman having the body ie charge, in a view to the in-
quest which is to be holden, was obliged to refuse the request, but
very kindly offered to accommodate in his apartments,at the Court
House. any of Mr. Mautice's friends, who should think right to
core and spend the night in that place. The person of Miss Feroo
Incision shockingly mangled—one half of her bead was left in the'
raise.
The following is a correct list of the wounded persons who have
bees rescued from their dreadful condition, and who have been
Injured with diferent degrees of severity :
Mt. Carruthers, who ie joint proprietor with Mr. Maurice, of
the Theatre. This Gentleman's legs are dreadfully bruised, as is
hat body; he is not, however, considered in extreme daager....
Joseph Si:intake. the property man, dislocated spine. This
Gentleman died in an hour after the list had been made eat.
.eliodges, a state mason, cut bead. Harris, the stage door-
keeper, has fractured his leg. Clarke. a brass founder, has been
similarly initired. itchellot plasterer.wounded is the head. Horne,
a carpenter. ditto. Roberts. a blacksmith, slightly wounded ;
Seencet, a bricklayer, dislocated shoulder; Abbott, a carpenter, a
compound fracture of the leg (very bad); Miles, a carpenter, ge-
neral contusion all over the body. Women wounded--Footer.
a comb maker's widow, slightly wounded ; Hallo' servant, bro-
ken thigh (nor expected to live); Shaw, a carpenter's wife, slightly
wassailed.
It thus appears, that at eight o'clock last night, the ascertained
-sesenbee of the dead was seven—namely, Mr. Maurice, Mr. Gilbert,
two labourers; Miss Fee= Miss Freeman. and Joseph Namara
The number of the wounded at the same hour was thirtena-
ten men and three women. All the wounded, accept Mr.
Cu mitten, the proprietor, and Mr. Harris, a performer. were
sttendauts and workmen. The manager, Mr. Percy Ferret]
escaped with a slight contusion, and bas been able to attend
the scene of damnation during the greater part of the day.
air. Fearen, the leader, was not much injured; but, in ad.
dition to the addicting death of one of his sisters, another was
very severely injured : the comb which the wore was driven
into her head, and an operation was necessary to remove it. A
third sister was also slightly wounded. The circumstances attend-
ing the escape of some of the performers were most extraordinary.
A lir. Goldsmith, wise was on the stage a minute before the falling
In of the roof, observed the chandelier to shake. and the general
crash having almost immediately succeeded to this appearances be
jumped into the stage box, where a large beam which lad
been forced down by the incumbent weight of the galleries,
fa in such a manner as to preserve him from beinf crushed
by the descendiug ruin. In this situation, the beans forming
a complete defence against the weight, which would other-
Wile have crushed hint to atoms, he saw the roof sink with
dreadful noise and confusion, and beheld the destruction of his
friends and companions. Several labourers who had been taken
to a state of insensibility to the shop of Or. Bruton, in Wellciose-
square, were bled by bins, and eaabled, in conscqiience of the ho-
me& which they derived, to proceed home. Those who had been
most severely wounded were conveyed to London Hospital, where
a great number of Medial Gentlemen wore in attendance, and be-
stewed' I'mm the enfottunate sufferers every kindness and assist-
ance which their condition required. Of the dead, Miss Peron
sad Miss Freeman lay at the engine-house Weliclose-square ;
Mr.Mautice was taken to the Court-house, and the others public
Anuses in the neighbourhood. At eight o'clock, Mr. Thomas issued
an order for seven shells, in which to deposit the dead bodies, until
the Coroner's Inquest can sit upon them. The crowd by which the
neighbourhood of the theatre bad bees all day beset, increased at
might to an alarming extent. Between twenty and thirty thieves
were taken up in the, course of the day. Many wretches bad the
audacity, in open light, to seize upon whatever came within their
grup, of the dresses, decorations, and other property, which had
been brought in safety out of the ruins ; and one wretch, of meet
horrible and disgusting stoney-heartedaess, attempted to drag a
reticule of the arm of one of the actresses, at the moment when
she was being extracted from the rubbish.
'lb' conduct of a detachment of the VU Regiment, sent from the
Tower, by Major Bethpage was extremely proper and praise-
weetby. They resisted the efforts of the mob with great effect.
but with perfect coolness ; and the passages committed to their
ewe were perfectly tranquil. Sir. Theme, the Steward et the
Tower, dreading the consequence of leaving the neiekbeewhwed
unpestected to the ravages of the enormous crowd of thieves and
piellpeckets by which the place was infested, applied early in the
evening to the Commanding OGcer, to request that dise soviet*
al the military might be continued until morning ; and it wee settled
that a part of the soldiers then on duty should continue to aid the
civil power through the night. About seven o'clock. all the per.
farmers who had been supposed to be present when thereof fell in,
and had escaped unhurt, called on Md. Thomas, at the Cow-
boom, whets a long conversation took place open the cause sod ch.-
curnstaitcos of the catastrophe. air. Thomas inquired wbetbee they
weld give any authentic account of the persons who were in the
house when the rout fell in?
Mr. Campbell, one of the performers, said that the rehearsal
way only of the music. It was only a telsearsal of one piece, and
obit only one half of the company bad been summoned to attend.
There was therefore a less than usual number of the performers
present, but a very great number of carpenters. As, however, it
was usual with the performers to drop in at rehearsal time, even
wbcp they had nothing to rehearse, on that day it was probable
that several of the corrs eerie present besides those who had been
expressly summoned.
Mr. Thomas inquired if the Gentlemen bad say recommendation

Mama