The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-09-02
IN.
The Captain and Steward of Schooner
VOlant Drowned.

VOIant Drowned.
| The schooner Volant, Capt. Balloon, left this
port Thursday afternoon for Annapolis, N. s..
with small cargo of flour. The vessel is u
! tons burden, and owned at Bear River, N. s
She had crew consisting of captain, mate
steward and two men, and two passengers, one
a young man, a bricklayer, bound for Halifax,
and the other an Indian. About 10 p. M,
when off Seguin, with lights burning and
good lookout, a large three-masted schooner
was seen, bearing down on the Volant a few
hundred yards distant. The strange schooner
was hailed and every effort made to avoid a
collision, but in vain. The three-master,
which was going at the rate of six knots an
hour. struck the Volant on the starboard SIDE,
little aft of midships, glancing blow, cut
ting down all the railing and carrying away
the main-mast and rigging. At the same time
the jib-boom raked the group standing at the
wheel of the Volant, consisting of the captain,
the Indian and the steward who was at the
helm, knocking them overheard. The mate
crawled on his hands and knees to the lookout
in the bow, expecting every minute to be struck
by the falling spars
As the vessel collided the other hand and the
bricklayer ran up from below, and the latter
threw line overheard, and then jumped into
the chains of the strange vessel, assisting them
to cut away from the wreck. Some of the
strangers lowered boat and picked up the In
dian and took him on board their vessel, but
as soon as the captain had cut his craft free he
compelled the bricklayer and Indian to return
to their own vessel and then filed away. the
only damage his vessel had received being the
loss of the jib.boom.
The captain and steward were heard but
moment after they were knocked overheard.
The captain was As years of age and leaves two
children at Bear River. The steward, George
Isles. was married man also, belonging in the
same place.
The Volant managed to keep off shore until
10 O'Clock Friday morning, when the Dread
naught met her and towed her to Portland.
She is now at Union. wharf and is sight to be-
hold. There are different opinions as to who
was to blame in the matter. Some marine
men say that the Volant did wrong in running
across the bows of the unknown schooner,
while others take the opposite view. If the
Volant was not leaking and it is not claimed
she was, the officers of the unknown schooner
did right in compelling the crew and passen-
gers on board of her to help work her.
1t was thought that the three-master was
named Kimball and that she was bound to
Boston with ice.
The Two Orphans.
oe
mentable separation and happy reunion, were
rehearsed at the Portland Theatre Saturday
evening. The play is familiar to Portland
audiences, for it has been given here half
hundred times, and we have before seen Miss
Claxton in the celebrated part she has "created"
for the American stage. that of the blind girl
Much repetition has not, apparently, made the
famous melodrama less acceptable; for the
large audience applauded the "Chevalier's"
honest dignation-which leads him to smash
glass-and "Heuriette's' search and sMar-
anne's' sacrifice, and the lie of the "Matron
of La Salpetriere' and the sufferings of
Louise" with as much fervor as overland,
according to the old bad custom, laughed at
the brutalities of Jacques" and his bag of a
mother. One is unable to see why these people
provoke applause; but it is a fact that the
beating of "Louise'' always calls out much
laughter.
Miss Claxton's acting is scarcely open to
criticism now. She has made the part of
sLouise" her own. 1t is the standard BY
which all other performances of the character
are judged; and it is certainly notably fine
remarkable for its delicacy of
treatment, is artistic reserve, and its genuine
pathos. Q representation may have gained
nothing by repetition, but it has certainly lost
nothing Other npersonstions are stronger,
perhaps in parts, but as whole this has a
power, consistency, and finish, wanting
elsewhere As for the pure business of the
piece, Miss Claxton has no equal Throughout
she is an embodied shiver.
The support was not strong. Portland has
been favored with too many good casts of this
play to regard that given Saturday evening
with appreciation. Miss Gone deserves praise
for her careful and conscientious rendering of
"Henriette." But there was a crudeness
about her acting which her sincerity and honest
effort could not overcome. She has evidently
been carefully and skillfully trained. She is
well-nigh perfect in the business of the part,
but there is an evident affectation about her
acting that destroys its effect. Her voice, un-
usually well trained, seeks to initiate Kate
Claxton. 1t succeeds in reproducing Lille
Eldredge. The "Mother Frochard" of the
play was the worst ever given on Portland
boards. 1t was made a comic character, and
would have been thought an excellent bur
lesque had travesty of the play been adver-
tised. As it was the audience were left in
great doubt whether the part was undertaken
by man or woman. Mr.. Lehingwelps
jacques" was very good in parts. He is a
successful heavy actor, and succeeded in con-
veying the ferocious aspects of the character;
but there was wanting the savagely gaillard
nature of the dandy of the thieves den. Mr..
Davidge was over-weighted in the part of
"Pierre," was weak and inadequate, and only
the wonderful strength of the piece, the mar
velous coup de theatre in the closing act, re-
deemed his effort from the imputation of utter
failure. Mr.. Gillette was conventionslly
good "Chevalier,' but did not look the gallant
young nobleman that the play indicates. Mr..
Liston was 'woodeny" in both his parts, the
Marquis and the Doctor. Mr.. Bowser's
"Picard" failed in the chief requisite-it was
not amusing. Mr.. Sanford was fair "Count
de Linieres,' though he wore beard of a
fashion that did not obtain until many years
after the time in which the action of the play
is supposed to take place. The lady who
assumed the part of the Countess gave a
better rendition than we usually see, and in
the trying scenes of the third act happily
escaped rant. Miss Wyatt was pleasing
Marianne"
The Gary Concert.
The following is the programme of the Cary
concert which comes off this evening:
Marthd-Act III.
Lady Henrietta. Miss Marie Stone
Nancy ,.,,..,,... .,,,.,.........M Miss A. l.. Cary
Lionel ....,,,,,,,,,,,,.,.... Mr.. Tom Karl
Mr. Mnno