The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-30 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

Yesterday the first annual fête of the London
Gymnastic Society was held at Sydenhans. This aneociatios
owes its existence to a. German body of a similar character
which was established MOW lew years ago is Loodoe,
node: the name of the Tuners/via, soda which the •nasal
gatherings at the Crystal Palace are already favourably
known to the public. This society having purrs to such
unwieldy dimensions that an amicable secession became
necessary, • section of the English mambas formed
themselves into • sew meociasico, which held a
fete of its own last year. Since then it
has been remodelled under its present name,
and it her takes. up is quarters in St. Mania's-Lae. It
already numbsm about 250 members. Yesterday thirty
oompititors preseated themselves—a very small proportion
of dices who had entered their names ; bat it would
appear that some feeling of modesty deterred • large number
from making their debut in public. The first prize, • elver
cup, was awarded to Mr. Henry Brooks, of Loodoo, who
bad made 69 points ; the mooed, • silver medal, to Mr. H.
Ahreaa, of Bremen. who bad made 67.1 poises ; and the
third, • silver medal, to Mr. Cooper, of Birmingham, who
had made 65.5;points. Them prime ware open to all cowers.
A fourth prim, also a silver medal, open to members
only, was awarded to Mr. Richards, of Loedos, who hied
made 56.3 palate. Certificates of honour were also presented
to Mr. Robert Rogers, cf London, for minim a querter of
a mile is 55 seconds ; to Mr. Brooke, fora high tears of
72 ischee; to Mr. Ahrens, for a long Impel 15 feet 5 inches;
to Mr. C. M. Cooper, of Birmingham, for climbing • rope
to the height of 85 feet ; to Mr. Cole, of Loudon, for slow
movements, and to Mr. Lee, of Manchester, for rapid move-
ments upon the horizontal bar. The certificate for per-
formances on the parallel bars was given to Mr. Greenman,
of Interlaken. The competitors displayed a most credit-
able proficiency on the part of the members of the society,
and went far to show that the youth of our large towns
have so ineptitude for athletic sports. It should be stated
that several gentlemen besides those who actually cat-
tended for the prime took part ia the exercises.
Mr. Wazal, jun., in particular, performed some really
surprising feats upon the horizontal bar. There
was a vary coosiderable atteadaacs of visitors,
the management having liberally granted admiasion to
those who had taken tickets for the FOrleillre fête last
week, but who bad not been able to use them on account of
the unfavourable Mate of the weather. Them was a good
sprinkling of officials wearing soarer and other bodges of
the order—not to speak of at !east two peewee who were
arrayed in Lincoln green, sad who where provided with ar-
rows and bugles tad other attributes of the " merrle grease
wood." There were also excursionists from Calais and

Boulogne who contributed a few Free& uniforms .so the
crowd ; and the band of the Fire Brigade of Bt. Pierre les
Wale gars a coated in the greed orchestra. There was a
balloon ascent of Mr. Cos well, and a grand display of the
whole series of the fountalaa. Altogether the attraotioes
were of an nnueuelly varied character; sad the weat►er
being coos more tine sad bright, the fate pawed off is the
mei pima{ raw.