LONDON CHAT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 129, 28 November 1906, Page 3

LONDON CHAT.

COMMENTS ON RAILWAY CATASTROPHES. MUNICIPAL VISIT TO FRANCE. CONCERT AND OPERA SEASONS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 19th October. Those catastrophics on English railways which have horrified the whole kingdom during the past three months, namely, the accidents at Salisbury and Grantham respectively, still remain unexplained, and apparently inexplicable. Tho Board of Trade Inspector, Major Pringle, has reported very ably and at great length upon the earlier disaster, but with the sole result of leaving the matter a greater puzzle than ever. That the engine simply fell over on its side through overbalancing while rounding a sharp curve at excessive speed is clear enough, and to superficial readers that may seem to settle the whole question. Unfortunately it only raises a number of problems much more abstruse in character. Why did the driver round the curve at that excessive speed when there was no necessity or inducement foT him to do so? He is dead, and cannot say. Why did not his fireman check the speed of the train, which he had the power of doing, and in tho circumstances was | bound to do? He, too, is dead, and cannot answer. Why did not the guard use the means placed in his hands ior reducing what he confessed to have considered dangerous speed? This is not cleared up. All we know is that he told two discordant stories, and that Major Pringle rejects his testimony as untrustworthy. But, apart from these points, why did the locomotive capsize at that ! point, which was not at the bad curve, but considerably previous, and where Major Pringle considers that the train ought to have passed in safety? All these riddles are left unsolved, and the only outcome has been a general reduction of speed on that line in various wholly irrelevant localities. •- As for the Grantham accident, which I fully described in an earlier letter, only the coroner's inquest has yet taken place, at which the jury confessed themselves, as also did the railway authorities, frankly unable to suggest the slightest probable explanation of the fact that the train Tan at full speed past a station at which it was booked to stop, and then became derailed through running on to a curved branch where it had no business to be. Sudden insanity on the part of the driver or fireman, or both, is the only offered solution which seems even possible. But that is wildly improbable, and here again we aTe faced with the subsidiary problem : Why did not either of the guards use the power with, which he was entrusted of stopping or checking tho train, even against the full power of tho engine, were the latter in steam, which appears not to have been the case? It is a mystery, and will, I fear, remain so, as do the previous mishaps at. Salisbury, Loughor, Witham, Cudworth, and Slough, all of which have occurred, with fatal consequences, during the past very few years. The Lord Mayor and Corporation of the City of London returned last night from their visit to France, after experiencing a veritable triumphant progress through the whole of their five days' stay. Nothing could possibly exceed the cordiality of their reception by the French, of all classes. But indeed the key to the whole proceeding may be found in the speech of greeting delivered by th,e French President during the reception at the Elysee. President Faillieres said : "'My dear Lord Mayor, — It is with the liveliest pleasure that I greet in your person the Chief Magistrate of the illustrious City of London. The Parisians have always given a cordial welcome to the representatives of yoirr great city. A paiticularly sympathetic reception has been given you to-day because they desire above all things to express the affectionate sentiments which not only they, but the whole of France, feel for their friends on the other side of the Channel. It is for me a great pleasure to attest the sincerity of those sentiments, and I am sure that you will bear testimony thereto among your fel-low-countrymen when to our regret you return home." Nothing could have been more happily expressed, and our Lord Mayor's reply was equally felicitous. At the special request of the French, hosts, all the gorgeous robes and State carnages and other magnificent parapheflalia of London's Civio dignity were bodily transported across the Channel for this memorable occasion, and were employed with effect in the processions which ensued. The Parisians, who turned out in hundreds of thousands, simply went wild with delight over such a display as they had never before seen in their streets. Some of the theories as to the use and meaning of the various articles, such as the Mace, the State Sword, the Cap of Maintenance, etc., were highly diverting, and of course wildly wide/ of the truth, but the various robes of scarlet or mazarine blue respectively, with the profuse display of ornamentation, were comprehensible by everybody, and the cheering was enthusiastic to a degree. Oddly , enough, however, the item which, excited most vociferousadmiration was the Lord MayoT's coachman, whose stupendous dimensions, enormous rotundity, and gorgeous attire, simply converted all Paris into a congregation of worshippers. Naturally, Sir Walter Vaughan Williams could do no less than follow the example set so recently by the chairman of the London County Council; he paid an official visit to the Halles, or Great Market, of Paris, when two of the prettiest market ''queens" presented themselves to be formally kissed. The Lord Mayor, notwithstanding his more than three score and ten years, was manifestly a little shy about performing this ceremony. The first of the two kissed girls was a lovely blonde, whom Sir Walter kissed on her right cheek; the second was an equally beautiful brunette, whose charms evidently appealed to the susceptibility of London's Chief Magistrate, who, after kissing her on the right cheek, turned her round and repeated the process on the left side, whereupon her blonde predecessor instantly cried out, "You only gave me one!" But having once warmed to his task, "Le Lor Maire was not found wanting. He promptly | drew the girl to him ana kissed her other cheek. And so everybody was happy ! Music is with us once more. The, autumn concert and opera seasons axe in ' full swing. As regards the opera, which is purely' ltalian, at any rate in language, Melba is tho "bright particular star" as soprano soloist, and so far a relatively new Italian tenor, Zenatello, has carried off chief honours in that department,, while in Sammarco, Coyent Garden has a very strong solo baritone representative. Hitherto Vertfi't "Rigol«tto" and "Aida," Gounod's "Faust," and Puccini's "Tosca and "Boheme" have been the principal works given, and all have received noteworthy interpretations. Among the multitude of concerts I can notice | but few. The promenade concerts, under | Henry Wqod, at the Queen's Hall, are running their usual triumphant course. Sarosatc, the marvellous and almost tooperfect violin virtuoso, has reappeared in London after several years' absence, playing as exquisitely as ever. Clara Butt and her husband, Mr... Kcnnerlyi

Rumford, have attracted a large audience to their concert at the Albert Hall, in which the popular contralto made her reappearance after a lengthened absence, and displayed her usual merits and faults. And a new juvenile prodigy has appeared. I need not reiterate my oft-express-ed loathing of this unhappy type of human monstrosity, but every rule has its exception. One of these is provided by Vivien Chartres, the amazing girl violin- : ist,_ but she is Teally too perfect an ! artist and musician for her mere age to be taken into account at all, while of the newcomer, who is of the other sex, the same thing may with justice be said. His instrument is the piano, -.chich he does not play in the slightest degree like a prodigy, buc which he manipulates as * mature and finished musician. His name is Pepito Arriola; his birthplace is Spain. More will yet be heard of him, I fancy. ;