The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-12-02 00:00:00

FATAL ACCIDENTS ON THE RIVER.

On Vriciay last *6 were visited on 6 Of the densest
fogs that has been experienced for some years. The streets,
in the morning, were almost impassable by vehicles, and
on the river navigation was rendered extremely hazardous.
The fog continued over Saturday and Sunday, but was not
so dense. On Friday, the Rock Ferry and Tranmere
boats did not run at all, and the Woodside boats only
crossed at intervals, crowded with passengers. The river,
providentially, was almost bare of shipping. The Sea-
combo boats only ran till midday, and the Egremont ones
ceased running at 3, p.m. The steam tender Satellite
came into collision with the Helen, bound with emigrants
to Australia, but the report that she experienced con-
siderable damage is incorrect. The Rock Ferry steamer
got ashore at Seacombe, but without injury. At a few
minutes past ten, the steam-tug Independence left the
Seacombe slip with the cabin passengers, &c. for the City
of Pittsburg, and in a short time afterwards made the
ship on the starboard side, but not being able to make
fact, owing to a schooner being alongside, dropped astern
to get on the larboard side. When just under the counter
of the City of Pittsburgh, the Independence was hailed
from the vessel with " look out, here's a steamer coming
under our side." In a moment the Seacombe boat was
in sight and a collision seemed inevitable, but both steers-
men hearing the wheels herd-a-port, the results that might
have followed were probably greatly mitigated. As it
was, the wheel-box of the Thomas Wilson came in contact
with the paddle-beam of the Independence—a crash fol-
lowed—and in another moment, so dense was the fog, the
steamboat was invisible. One faint voice was heard for
"help," on which Captain Stotesbury followed the track
of the vessel. After about half an hour's search, she was
found perfectly disabled, and was immediately towed to
the landing stage. There were nearly 200 persons on
board the ferryboat, and had it not been for judicious
management, the consequences might have been most
serious, for had she come stem on, it is doubtful whether
she would not have sunk. Towards six in the evening,
a slight breeze sprung up, and the fog was not quite so
thick as during the daytime. The railway boat, which
ought to have arrived at the landing-stage at half-past six
o'clock, did not arrive till nearly seven ; and then she pre-
sented a rather dilapidated appearance, having been in
collision with a barque lying opposite Woodside, and suf-
fered the loss of her stanchions and bulwarks. The bell
opposite the Baths k.nd that on the Woodside Pier were
rung incessantly the whole of the day, and were of
great utility in guiding the steamers to their respective
landing places. The mist on the Landing-stage and
in Cheshire froze as soon as it reached the ground,
which was more than usually slippery in consequence. In
the evening, about half-past seven o'clock, a soldier, named
Robert Hill, belonging to the 7th Fusiliers, whilst going on
board the steamer Trafalgar, with some companions, bound
for Dublin, lost his footing, and, falling into the dock, was
drowned. The accident is attributed to thefog. On Satur-
day night Captain Ybagaray, of the barque Felifa, load-
ing in George's Dock, for Guayaquil, whilst on the way
to his vessel, which has an outside berth, tripped over a
rope and fell into the dock. He was taken out in about
ten minutes afterwards, and the usual restoratives were
applied, but without avail. It is supposed that he must
have struck against something in his fall. The night was
very'dark, and a thick fog prevailed at the time. The
same evening a man, named James Gallaher, fell into the
lock at the south end of Prince's Dock and narrowly
escaped a watery grave. He so far recovered, however,
as to able to walk home.

PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

PERFORMANCE OP "ST. PAUL

The performance of Mendelssohn's splendid oratorio of
" St. Paul," on Tuesday evening, was graced by the at-
tendance of a much larger audience than has been seen in
the Philharmonic Hall, either before or since the Jenny
Lind Concerts. " St. Paul" was first performed at Dus-
seldorf in May, 1836, and was first heard in Liverpool at
the festival in October of the same year. On the latter
occasion it was very indifferently performed. The Phil-
harmonic Society have had it on their list for performance
for a long time past, but lacked either the opportunity or
the courage to bring it forward until now. If the delay
has added to the care with which the work has been re-
hearsed, it cannot be regretted •, and certainly the manner
in which it was performed on Tuesday evening gave evi-
dence of careful study on the part of the band and chorus.
The band was excellently up to its work, and as to the
labours of the chorus, it would be difficult to speak in
terms of too high praise. Unlike their conduct in most
oratorios recently entrusted to them, in " St. Paul" they
shelved every confidence in their conductor, took up the
cues with a precision which could not be surpassed, and
threw themselves with spirit into all the chorusses. This
was so uniformly the case, and their treatment of the
whole of the music was so excellent, that it is difficult to
select any for especial commendation. We may, how-
ever mention the chorusses, " Now this man," " Stone
him to death," " Rise up, arise," " 0 great is the
depth," " Is this he ?" " This is Jehovah's temple,"
and "Not only unto him," as specimens of admirable and
spirited chorus-singing ; while " Happy and blest are
they," " How lovely are the messengers', (encored), and
the chorale, " To thee, 0 Lord !" beautiful specimens of
devotional music, were finely rendered. Another chorale,
" Sleepers awake," was also admirably sung. In fact,
the chorus of the Society have quite achieved a triumph
in thus rendering this fine oratorio. Mr. Hermann has
had the chorus under rehearsal for several weeks past.

The chorus are entitled to the foremost place in this
notice, in consequence of their having had the bulk of the
work to perform, and we have accordingly awarded it. We
now turn to the artistes -engaged—Mr. Henry Phillips,
Mr. Lockey, Mr. Armstrong, Miss Birch, and Miss *Wil-
liams. Mr. Phillips, who sang the parts allotted to St.
Paul, was a complete failure. Throughout the perform-
ance, his voice was quite unequal to the part. It was once
a fine organ, but (we say it with regret) it has lost its
strength. Independently of this, Mr. Phillips was most
irregular as to time, and once or twice was at variance
with the band. We are sorry to have to complain too of
Miss Birch, who sang her music, almost without any ex-
ception, dreadfully flat, and dragged the time so heavily
as to mar the effect. This is a great pity, and the same
fault was found with her when last here, but she does not
appear to have amended in the least, which is the more to
be regretted, as she has a fine voice, and might have
rendered her part of St. Paul very effectively. It was no-
ticeable that both Mr. Phillips and Miss Birch took fre-
quent liberties with the text—a most reprehensible prac-
tice, as emendations of a great composer's work are very
seldom improvements. It is pleasing to turn from the
task of finding fault, to praise the singing of Miss Wil-
liams and Mr. Lockey, both of whom did full justice to the
music. It is positively a treat treat to hear Miss Wil-
liams render Mendelssohn's music. Her voice, so admi-
rably fitted for devotional music, in which Mendelssohn's
writings are so rich, is unequalled by that of any other
artiste that we have heard. In the arioso, " But the
Lord is mindful of his own"—a sweet and most devo-
tional composition—her rich voice was heard to peculiar
advantage ; and as Miss Williams avoids most scrupulously
any tampering with the composer's text, as well as all or-
nament as incompatible with devotional music, the effect
produced may be considered as the nearest approximation
to the intentions of the composer that can well be ob-
tained.

Of the instrumentalists on this occasion, none were
Prominently brought forward with the exception of Mr.
Lidel, whose beautiful violoncello accompaniments in one
or two parts were very much admired. Mr. Hirst's ac-
companiment on the organ was, throughout, careful and
tasteful.

Of the oratorio itself it would be. at present, premature
to speak. One hearing is quite insufficient to enable ns
to appreciate it fully. But it is a work which we should
think would improve upon acquaintance, though the sub-
ject naturally unfits it for comparison in dramatic interest
with " Elijah." It is to be hoped that, while the chorus
and band have it at their fingers' ends, the committee
will order a re-performance of it, and open the hall to
the public at low prices. We see they are about to act
on our suggestion, and are to have a selection of chorusses
from the " Messiah," " Stabat Mater," " Elijah," &c.,
next month, at low prices, and open to the public. This
is a step in the right direction, and we trust that it
will prove so encouraging as to induce them to continue
the experiment.