New-York tribune., 1902-02-21
LONDON NOTES.
ropoNATION SEATS AND CLOTHES
rurATRICAL RUSSIAN DRAMA AT
THE GLOBE-sHERLoCK HOLMES
4 GOOD EUROPEAN.

bs westminster
,bbey will not be dissimilar to those Of the
TrbiIee service in 1887. The seating accommo-
s.t,on will not be increased, for. while the plat
.o-ns with rising tiers may be more sclentif-
..lv constructed. there will be no gallery above
,be Confessors Chapel. and the royal box ad-
,,inIng the tomb Of Queen Anne of Cleves will
~ the only gallery looking directly into the
escrarium. The peers and peeresses will re-
.uire the full use Of both transepts, and their
ans and daughters will he crowded out into
,smoter sections More than one-half Of the
,serages are Of recent creation and date from
Ne Victorian reign. and the number is now so
sree that both Jransepts will be reserved for
,bsn. The special embassies and representa-
lives Of reigning families the colonial prenaiers
he Judges and highest officials of State will
complete the number Of privileged spectators
having direct and immediate view of the
coronation spectacle The nave will be reserved
for less privileged spectators. but every foot Of
suaee viii be brought into use. Some of the gal
leres AT the Jubilee service We're from fifty 10
seventy feet high, and these will again be
crowded, and the triforium as we'll The or
chestra and chors viii be accommodated on the
organ screen and in galleries on either side.
The officials are not providing seats for more
than seven thousand spectators, but the pressure
upon them IS so overwhelming that they may
endeavor to increase the accommodations ny
throwing open the chapeIs eastward from the
sararium They are already threatening to
reiuce the average space for a spectator to six
tsn inches.
Al descriptions Of the last coronation. Dean
sEnley's conspicuously among them, lay more
stress upon the small figure Of the Queen with
her retinue in crimson and silver behind her
than upon the array Of gorgeously dressed spec
TFa cfrl liSh che
entrance Of the Abbey and clasping her hands
rs she slowly passed on 10 her place beside the
altar appealed with potent fascination TO the
Imagination Of every witness; and with the
glamour Of royal romance hanging about her
she left a permanent impression upon every
memory. The next coronation viii lack the
unique irnpressiveuess of the last but II will be
more brilliantly jewelled and costumed and viii
rival in magnifcence Of color and decorative
effect the coronation of George ". the most
ornate Of the series since the time of the Nor
man Conquest The coronation dresses have
been regulated by court circular. modified and
revised by amended orders FROM the Earl Mar
shsrs Office and illustrated by a small working
model; but there is much uncertainty respect
ing the details. Apparently the whole Of the
underdress for peeresses will be white. with
trimming left individual taste as in the
cremation clothes Of the Victorian ceremonial;
and crimson velvet mantes trimmed with min
iver win be worn over it. White and delicate
pink are practically the only coors which can
be worn harmoniously in connection with these
stately miniver capes and crimson manrles but
the material and the embroideries are left to
Individual taste or 10 dressmakers' ingenuity
Peeresses are privileged to have both tiara and
coronet They will probably acquire by practice
the art Of poising q coronet upon a crown Of
iswes, even when the tiara is several inches
high. Heraldic devices on coronation dresses
we're strongly favored by some of the court
officials. but this requirement has apparently
been dispensed with. The dresses worn by the
peeresses at the Abbey are not likely to be laid
away for another coronation, but will be
adapted for use on less ceremonious occasions
The robes. or mantles. will be treasured as fam
iy heirloons and never worn again.
The cynical theory that London playgoers If
they cannot have musical comedy. prefer stir
ring melodrama 10 anything else. has been fully
supported at the Globe Theatre. Miss Julia
Nelson and Mr.. Fred Terry after exhausting
the resources Of Sweet Nell Of Old Drury."
have found a substitute for that popular drama
in "The Heel Of Achilles" in which there is
enough action TO keep everybody wide awake
until the fall Of the curtain. 1t is theatrical
-nelodrama, with the time worn motives of Rus
sian aggression on the borders Of India the be-
trayal Of a State secret of momentous impoT-
iance to unsuspecting England, the ambitions Of
z favorite al court and the Vaccinations Of the
police. The title is suggested by the assumed
Tulnerability Of the British Empire at a remote
district where q menace Of attack Is screened
nom observation. The secret that Russian
troops are massed for sudden swoop upon the
unprotected region is betrayed 10 an English
man who has gone TO St. Petersburg TO marry
fascinating English woman. He sends his sec
retary to Berlin with a sealed dispatch 10 be
ielegraphed to London hut the message is capt
ured on the way by the secret police, with the
aid Of a female accomplice. The Englishman
decides 70 defer his wedding and to go TO Ber-
lin himself. but is entrapped by his Russian
rival and exposed 10 arrest as a spy and to i'm
prisonment in Siberia. From this fate he IS
rescued by his bride, who consents 10 marry the
prince after receiving a promise that her lover
shal be allowed 70 20 to Berlin and to warn the
British Government Of the impending danger Of
war England is saved by this act Of self-sacri-
foe' and the prince on his wedding night is put
out Of the way IN the nick Of time for happy
ending. The story is unconvincing and arti-
hcial. lacking the essential element OF plausi-
hlity' but theatrical as IS the play, il pleases,
and promises TO have a prosperous run. The
hrst night audience awaited the final scene with
preathless interest. and was most emphatic and
enthusiastic in expressing approval
One explanation Of the success Of 4 meo-
drama with an incredible maze Of inherent i'm
probabilities is the management of the scheme
OF private vengeance. This exhibits several in
eenious devices. In the prologue the Russian
Prince is disclosed as the seducer Of the daugh-
Ter Of an elderly student. The father without
inspecting his friend. the prince, VOWS that he
VII track down and Kill the man who has foully
Nronged him. and when the daughter disap-
Pears the TWO men return 10 ST Petersburg in