970 
week a spirited match was played between the Loudon Ama- 
teur and his co-winner of the cups this season, against 
George Erwood and Mr. John Caplin. After some remarka- 
bly fine play the match was won by the latter players by 
three games to on-'. The extraordinary continuation of the 
fine weather has led to the prolongation of what is technically 
called " the season ” at this court, although the play, in fact, 
continues the year round, under the superintendence of 
George Erwood, who daily gives gratuitous instruction to 
gentlemen desirous of becoming proficients in rackets. 
(Dur (Dprn-dSlnss. 
ADSLP8I. — On Monday night, after another successful re- 
presentation of “ Monsieur Jacques,” Dance's amusing farce, 
" The Station-house,” was revived with Mr. Morris Barnett 
as the vivacious M dleficurs. It is not often that an actor 
lias his versatile powers so severely taxed as was the case 
with Mr. Barnett on this occasion, and it is but just to him 
to say he came otf triumphantly. The change from 
the poor old starving musician to the light-hearted son of 
hi beile France was wonderful ; and not alone in dress and 
appearance was the change effected, but the actor so identi- 
fied himself with the young Parisian, that it was difficult 
to believe that it was he who, a few minutes before, 
had brought tears into the eyes by his depicturing of Mon- 
sieur Jacques. In other respects tho farce was equally 
well cast. Mr. Leigh Murray sustained tho character of 
Valentine Quill— a fact which made tho part of equal inte- 
rest with that of the Frenchman. The scone in which Quill 
endeavours to got up a quarrel with M illcjlturs, who is 
nothing loth, was extremely humorous. The mistakes made 
by the lawyer's clerk, through not understanding the lan- 
guage of his volatile adversary, kept the house in constant 
roars of laughter. Miss Wyndlmm — uu addition to the 
Adelphi company this season was tho Fanny Paddle ; and 
the spirit and eprightliness with which she acquitted herself 
give promise of her attaining a high position in her profes- 
sion. — On Thursday evening another revival took place — 
that of Lunn's farce “Capers aud Coronets Mr. Morris 
Barnett sustaining his original character, the Marquis de 
Grandville , in which ho was a very Turvcydrop for deport- 
ment, and gave a lively portraiture of the ci-devant danseur, 
endeavouring to be tho great marquis, and yet still unable 
to divest himself entirely of the recollection of his former 
saltant occupation. The fear and anguish which he exhibits 
lest Lady Menton, to whom he is betrothed, should discover 
that he has been but a dancer, were given with an inten- 
sity and dramatic power which raised them far above the level 
of mere farce acting. At the conclusion, Mr. Barnett was 
called before the curtain. The French opera-dancer 
Madamoiselle Flore, ns rendered by Mrs. Keeley, was a feature 
in the piece; her French was unexceptionable, her acting 
fuAl of life and exuberance of spirit. An imitation of La 
Nena, the Spanish danseuse, which she introduced, took the 
Lou Be by storm ; her very first pose elicited a round of ap- 
plau se, and a hearty encore, followed the dance. Mrs. Leigh 
Mur ray enacted Lady Meriton with that elegance and repose 
which are necessary to its impersonation, and which served 
to form a striking contrast to the other characters. The 
Honourable Frank Hirers was allotted to Miss Mary Keeley ; 
and a dashing little honourable she made, showing wonder- 
ful improvement, as well as uumistakeable signs of becoming 
a worthy successor to her talented mother. The Marquis’s 
servant, James, was humorously filled by Mr. Rogers, 
whose awkward imitation of the dancing scene raised a 
hearty laugh. The house on both occasions was crowded. 
Mr. Morris* Barnett has announced his benefit for Monday 
night, with a programme containing five of the most attrac- 
tive pieces presented here ; these, with his own legitimate 
claims upon the public, will secure him a bumper house. 
The new drama by Tom Parry, Esq., is announced for Tues- 
day evening. The title is “ The Summer’s Storm.” The story 
is well told, and the cast of characters embraces all the 
members of th-e company. A new farce by W. Brough, Esq., 
is in re-hearsal, so that tho little theatre is truly “ all alive, 
oh.” 
Marylebonf. Theatre. — W ith Shakspoare's play of “ As 
You Like It,” Mr. W. Wallack commenced a second season at 
this theatre on Saturday evening. The play was in every 
respect done justice to, and the numerous audience who as- 
sembled on the occasion testified, by their judicious applause, 
that Shakspeare is fully appreciated in this quarter of the 
metropolis. Mr. Wallack sustained the part of the melan- 
choly Jacques with care, and in some instances originality. 
Although full effect was given to the cynical nature of the 
attendant on the banished duke, the actor at the same time 
allowed in his bye-play some glimpses of a better mind to 
creep in, which made Jacques something more than the 
snarling satirical personage we have been used to behold 
i him. Mrs. Wallack was a dashing aud vivacious Rosalind, 
lacking remarkably well in the “ doublet aud hose ; ” Touch- 
gin ne found a humorous representative iq Mr. Shalders, 
ana Mr. G. Cook's A da m was a fine and feeling performance. 
The songster Amiens was sustained by Mr. Edwards, in 
whom —not a little to our surprise, it must be coufessed — 
we rect 'guided Mr. Edward Murray, a brother of the talented 
comedia n > Leigh Murray. In Amiens, Mr. Murray sung 
the deb gbtful music with a simplicity and clearness 
of intons tion materially aiding its effects ; the singer 
possesses a voice of a good quality, aud in the manage- 
ment of it he evinces that ho lias profited by good 
education. C >De distinguishing point about Mr. Murray’s 
singing worth} ^ especial notice is, that every word ho siugB 
is clearly and i B^tinctly enunciated. The manner in which 
the vocalist acqu *^ted himself in the charming ballad “ Blow, 
blow, thou winte. ’ w md, gained for him the marked appro- 
bation of his auu itorH * ' i ho l>hy has been tastefully and 
effectively put upoi 1 tbo sta b' u > both as regards dresses and 
scenery. 
p ROVINCIAL. 
THE DISASTROUS i 7IKE AND LOSS OF LIFE AT 
jjk WCASTLE. 
( From Ou Fifth Kditi tJOuXtmaOt Oironielt.) 
Since Saturday night tho nvcr engines and hose from the 
water-pipes have played iuct ssantly upon the fires at. both 
sides of the river, ami have been effectual in keeping it 
down. The greatest excitemci * "till continues. The prin- 
cipal thoroughfares are guard* 1 b 7 soldiers and policemen, 
a step which was rendered ue0* sa, T b >’ tbe b' reat illHux of 
strangers into the town. Tho ti " U,1H which came from all 
parts were crowded with passeng crH > H,, d Dean-street, the 
Tyne and High-Level Bridges, the i Sand-hill uud the streets 
in Gateshead, were thronged with people who were con- 
THE FIELD. 
tinually blocking up the way, aud obliging the police to use 
all their efforts to keep them moving. 
The direction of the wind changed in the morning, and, 
driving the smoke from Hillgatc, enubled the workmen to 
enter, and remove 6ome portion of the debris. Newcastle 
streets were filled with a suffocating smoke, which was felt 
as far as the edge of the Moor, and while Gateshead was 
comparatively clear. Another body, that of a young mnu, 
named Mosley, was found in tbe morning, and about noon 
a charred and crumbling mass was discovered, without the 
most remote resemblance of humanity. A pieoe of the coat 
and a bunch of keys lying close by it have led to itR iden- 
tification. aud placed it beyond a doubt that it is the remains 
of the son of John Dobson Esq., architect, in this town. 
Other three bodies have also been recovered, and are enume- 
rated below. 
In every church aud chapel ou Sunday special reference 
was made to the dreadful calamity, and collections were 
made in aid of the sufferers. At one o’clock an alarm of 
fire was given at the head of Dean-street, aud a fireman 
proceeded at once into the warehouse of Mr. Origoni, from 
whence the smoke issued. A bundle of smoking rags 
was found in the room, and a rumour that two barrels 
of gunpowder were placed near it raised the excitement 
to an intense height. The barrels were, however, carefully 
removed, and a few buckets of water extiuquished the burn- 
ing rags. 
Besides the four bodies recovered from the ruins on Sun- 
day, the remains of other two — a man and a woman — 
an- known to be lying close to the end of Mr. Davidson’s 
mill. A fall of stones above them prevented their being got 
out. It is thought that if the passage-way were cleared 
between the mill and Mr. Dunn’s property, all the bodies of 
the victims of the explosion will be found. This, however, 
will require a great amount of labour; and there appears to 
be some difficulty in finding men for the work. 
At the west end of the quay, and at the custom-house, 
strong barriers have been erected to prevent the passage of 
the crowd, and soldiers and policemen guard the entrances. 
Workmen are busily employed in carting away the rubbish. 
There now appears little danger of any further outbreak. 
In the neighbourhood of George’s-stairs the fire is quite 
extinguished. 
Lord Palmerston, in compliance with the request for- 
warded by the Mayor and corporation of Gateshead, has 
appointed Captain Ducaue, of the Ordnance, to superintend 
the investigation into the cause of the late catastrophe. 
Captain Ducane has arrived. 
Bodies recovered in Hillgate yesterday. — Mr. Mosley, smith, 
Gateshead ; Alex. Dobson, 28, architect, Newcastle ; Thomas 
Sharp, Gateshead (found in two parts, aud identified by a 
gold watch, and two dog- whistles, discovered in his pockets); 
Martin Hall, slater, Newcastle, one of the North British Fire 
Brigade. 
The last two bodies, remaining at the Gateshead police- 
station, have now been identified. The names of the de- 
ceased are : — William Battersby Scott, aged 24, blacksmith, 
Gateshead ; Peter May, aged 18, labourer. 
The Infirmary. — There are now fifty-nine patients lying in 
the Infirmary. Altogether seven have died here, four of 
them since Saturday. We have obtained the names of three 
of these — viz., John Humble, 38, painter ; Mary Carse, 21 ; 
John Young. The name of the other is not known. A 
number are in a hopeless state. 
We have a list of about fifty cases treated by Mr. Craster, 
of the Gateshead Dispensary ; but there was a number of 
others whom he attended to in the streets, or in some house 
where he found them, which it has been impossible to re- 
cord. 
INQUEST ON THE SUFFERERS AT GATESHEAD. 
On Saturday forenoon, Mr. Favell, coroner for North 
Durham, opened an inquest on the bodies of the sufferers, 
in the Police-court, Town Hall. Mr. Bush appeared to watch 
the case for Mr. Sisson, the proprietor of the warehouses. 
H. G. Liddell, Esq., M.P. was on the bench. 
The following are the names of the jury : — Mr. John 
Greene, foreman ; Mr. Bryan John Prockter, Mr. Matthew 
Thompson, Mr. Samuel Neville, Mr. John Sowerby, Mr. 
Henry E. Muuro, Mr. Wm. Lishman, Mr. John Golightly, 
Mr. Joseph Abbot Hymers, Mr. Robt. Coulthard, Mr. John 
Vickers, Sir. Geo. Richd. Cox, Mr. Joseph Fenwick, and Mr. 
Edward Bruce. 
The Coroner observed that he had given orders for the 
removal of most of the bodies, as it was distressing to the 
surviving relatives to have them detained here. Having 
taken evidence as to the explosion having caused the death 
of these parties, the next thing would be to consider what 
caused the fire and the explosion. As he knew there was a 
strong feeling in the borough on the subject, he was anxious 
to receive all the evidence that could be offered, from what- 
ever quarter. 
Mr. Greene, the foreman of the jury, said that he had been 
anxious to take part in this inquiry ; for he wished to cor- 
rect an opinion of certain parties, who, knowing his firm 
were large dealers in explosive substances, supposed that 
this explosion had been caused by their gunpowder. He 
wished to deny that either there, or in any other place not 
sanctioned by law, had they any gunpowder. He did not 
wish to be understood as saying that this explosion was 
caused by gunpowder at all ; but he would do his best in 
endeavouring to find out what had caused it. 
William Henry Schorey, the police superintendent of 
Gateshead, was sworn, and gave the following testimony : — I 
was at homo, and the report came to me of the fire at the 
worsted manufactory, at lmlf-past twelve o’clock, on Thursday 
night. Thomas Scott, a policeman, was on duty at the fire, 
and 1 sent him, by direction of the mayor, with an order to 
the barracks for soldiers. Several soldiers came. The fire 
was confined to the worsted manufactory when I first saw it. 
Joiners appeared to have been making alterations in the 
boilers. The great bulk of the fire was on the side of the 
factory n«Kb to Mr. Sisson’s warehouse. It continued to rage 
there violently till about two o’clock, when it issued iu com- 
plete volumes through the windows of Mr. Sisson’s ware- 
house. I had left that part to go into Mr. Wilson’s skinnery, 
aud had just got os far as the vinegar manufactory when the 
explosion took place in Mr. Sisson’s. This was ten minutes 
or a quarter-past three. There was such a crash that I 
thought everything was coming down. It was dead darkness 
in a moment. After recovering from the shock, I was pre- 
paring to come out when I heard a tremendous crash of 
falling buildings. I then came up tbe Church-walk, and 
found houses there blown down, the soldiers bleeding, and 
women and children half-buried in the ruins, and screaming 
for help. We helped them out as best we could. Two of 
the officers were bleeding very much in the head, and the 
soldiers were helping their comrades. We forwarded tho 
wounded in Mr. B arras’s carts to the infirmary, and the dead 
bodies to the police-station. There would be fur on to a 
score of wounded, and three carts were going. Among tho 
dead was Thomas Scott ; he was twenty -seven years of age. 
The coroner here read over the following list of the dead 
Robert Pattinaon, aged 38, tanner and town councillor •' 
Charles Hamilton, aged 53, hair-dresser ; Cranmer Hastings 
Payutor, aged 19, ensign in her Majesty’s 26th Regiment- 
John Stephenson, lance-corporal, ditto ; Anthony Willis 
skinner, about GO, of Gateshead ; Charles Duke, aged 12 a 
bricklayer's apprentice ; Charles Duke, father of the above 
bricklayer; Frank Conway, aged 6, bou of Daniel Conway, 
blacksmith, killed in his own house by the roof falling; a 
man named M ‘Kenny, a labourer ; and another man unknown. 
The above were mostly got out of the rubbish, aud were 
apparently killed by the explosion. There are others miss- 
ing, viz. : —Mr. Charles Bertram, a magistrate ; Mr. William 
Davison, jun., miller ; Mr. Henry Harrison, cooper, of Dean- 
street, Newcastle ; besides a female uud two firemen. 
Robert Sloan, sergeant iu her Majesty’s 2Gth Regiment 
being sworn, said — On Friday morning, between two and 
three o'clock, we were ordered out with the fire-engine. A 
party of fifty men fell in, uud brought the engine to Gates- 
head. There was u sergeant and officer besides. Cranmer 
H. Payntcr was on ensign in our regiment. About three 
o’clock he came with au order to me to halt to see where we 
could get water to work the engine. He was not in uniform, 
but I knew him to be au officer. We halted, but shortly 
after got au order to go to the rear of the building on fire. 
When we were taking tho hose to put on the suction pipe, 
Mr. Payutor was there giving directions. Captain Hussey 
and others had broken the windows to get the pipe through. 
Just after that the explosion took place. The ground was 
shaken aud the place was darkened with the dust and smoke. 
Mr. Paynter was afterwards found quite dead among the 
rubbish. I have no doubt the explosion was the cause of his 
death. John Stephenson, lance-corporal, was with the en- 
gine. He was at the same place when the explosion occurred 
He was struck on the side of the head with some large mis- 
sile. He was not covered with the rubbish. The house 
was blown over upon us on the Church-walk. Another was 
reported dead, but is supposed to be recovering. I have 
seen a fort blown up on the Whampoa river in China. It 
was the enemy’s powder that blew up. As far as I can 
judge this was a similar explosion. I know nothing of the 
cause of this explosion. By a Juror : I know the smell of 
gunpowder quite well. I do not think it was that smell. It 
was something like the smell of sulphur or saltpetre. I was 
under the rubbish. I had my wits about me. I was afraid 
of something falling, and had presence of mind to crouch 
near a wall with my hands behind my head. It strikes me 
there was a second explosion, but it was nothing like the 
other. There was a sudden lighting up of the darkness, 
which lasted some time. 
Robert Harrison Wilson, surgeon to the police force and 
the board of guardians, was then sworn. He said, I believe 
the list of killed read over to be correct, as far as I can judge. 
I believe the immense fall of material, the immense quantity 
of sulphurous acid iu the atmosphere, and the fire all com- 
bined to cause their death. Must of them were killed by 
blows ; and the sulphurous acid would kill the remainder. 
There was so much sulphurous acid formed by the combus- 
tion of sulphur that that alone was sufficient to kill them. 
The body of Ensign Paynter was much bruised, aud a large 
quantity of blood was coming from the mouth and nose. I 
suppose there must have been internal injury. Corporal 
Stephenson suffered extensive compound fracture of the 
skull, which was. I think, sufficient to cause death. Charles 
Duke, sen., had nearly the whole of the lower extremities 
burnt off, and the other parts of the body very much charred. 
The right foot of Charles Duke, the younger, was burnt off 
and the lower part of the leg much burnt. The body 
of M ‘Kenny was much burnt ; the skull of Frank Conway 
was fractured. The body of Thomas Scott, policeman, was 
marked all over with severe bruises. It had a wound on 
the head, but no fracture. He probably died of suffocation 
or some internal injury. The body of a man unknown, sup- 
posed to be W. Scott is much bruised. The body of Robert 
Pattinson was much bruised, but when discovered he was 
completely covered by stones and rubbish, so that I think 
he must have died from suffocation. The body of Charles 
Hamilton was also much bruised about the head aud chest ; 
the right fore arm was fractured and dislocated about the 
elbow. The body of Anthony Willis was much bruised 
about the head and chest, and there was bleeding from the 
ears and nose. I have no doubt they were all killed by the 
explosion. 
Percival Smith, a keeper of the bonded warehouse from 
whence the explosion proceeded, being sworn, said he was 
employed by Mr. George Sisson, to keep the premises which 
exploded on Friday morning. In the lower part of the 
warehouse were stored 200 tons of iron, 800 tons of lead, 70 
tons of manganese, 130 tons of nitrate of soda, 300 tuns of 
brimstone, 80 tons of guano, aud about 10 tons of alum in 
lump and cask. The nitrate of soda was in bags and in three 
different apartments, on the lower flat. The sulphur was 
loose, and he believed there would be more than he first 
stated ; he thought the full quantity might he stated at 
from 300 to 500 tons. He kept a book in which he 
entered all that was stored, and all that left the house. 
That book he now produced. After the entry is made the 
book is sent to Mr. Sisson. On the second flat about 400 
tons of sulphur in bulk were stored. Witness had previously 
omitted to mention a small quantity of Roman cement iu the 
first flat. In the second flat were 40 tons of ochre, 10 tons 
of peat ash, 5 tons of arsenic, between 200 and 300 tons of 
guano in bags, 107 tons of manganese in casks, 5 tons of alum 
iu casks, about a ton and a half of tar in three barrels, 
half a ton of zinc in cases, one case of yellow metal weighing 
about five cwt., 20 tons of pumice-stone, and 30 tons of 
copperas. On the third flat were 10 tons of pumice-stone, 
500 tons of brimstone, 5 tons of tin in boxes, aud 85 tons of 
bone ashes. Ou the fourth flat, 170 tons of salt in hulk, 
500 tuna of sulphur, and 17 tons of pumice stone. Ou the 
fifth flat, 70 tons of salt, aud ISO tons of sulphur. The 
sixth flat contained 50 tons of manure, and the seventh was 
empty. The total amount of sulphur on tbe premises 
witness calculated at 3,000 tons, the nitrate of soda 130, 
the salt 240, alum 15 tons, aud the peat ash in hulk 10 tons. 
There was no gunpowder on that night in the warehouse that 
he was conscious of, nor was there any charcoal or saltpetre. It 
was impossible to put gunpowder in the premises without 
his knowledge. He could not account for the explosion. 
Has no reason to believe that gunpowder was ever intro- 
duced into the warehouse under any other name. The 
manganese casks he had occasionally sorted. He had seen 
one of the cement casks broken. The pumice-stone wa« 
