The Express.
London, England, 1864-10-21 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY MANIFESTATIONS.

Having, when viewing the performance of the
Davenport Brothers, expressed considerable scepticism and
an utter contempt for the paltriness of an exhibition for
which was claimed the character of " manifestatioe," I was
invited on Tuesday night to the resideoos of • gentleman in
Eoclastonequare, to see • professional conjuror, Mr. Tolle-
Ellinpie.
Mr. Tollemarque, in a speech more ingenious and gentle-
manlike than a stump oration I had heard at the other ex.
hibition, explained his moots for wishing to expose the
Moore Davenport. Be then submitted to be bound to a
chair. This was done by • gentleman who on • previous
occasion had tied one of the Davenports • and as
he had been jeered by his Meads for not peopery wearing
that person, he took good care that in the parent instance
they should not nuke • similar accusation. Mr. Tolle-
marque wee therefore unmistakeably secure. A Tondos
arose whether the lights should be put out, but es they
were oil imps sod not gas, and therefore difficult to relight,
it wee agreed that the seance should be continued in the
light. A screen was then placed before Mr. Tollemarque,
sod in shout half • minute the jingling of the tamboannes
and the diseordant striking of the guitars commenced, and
the "pmt hand ^ was seen above the screen. The tam
botwines came flying about the room, the guitars followed,
and in about three minutes Mr. Tollemarque requested the
screen to be removed, when he stood before the audience
;abated.

He requested to be tied wain ; and the writer, who had
• theory about pinioning, proceeded to bind him in a way
which was deemed perfectly secure. The weep was again
put up. The same Davenport row ensued. excepting that
Mr. Tollemarque n3l being able to play on the fiddle, he
could not treat us to that ODD Digger melody with which
the " spirite" seem always to delight themselves. A friend
of mine has attended the Davenports three times, and he ham
always heard the mime Inns.
The result in this mae, as in the former, was that Mr.
Tollemarque walked out free and unfettered. He sub-
mitted to be fastened for a third time, and on this occasion
it was done by oar host. There could be no question that
he was perfectly secure. The screen had warmly been pat
up when Mr. Tollemarque exclaimed, "I am tied so
tightly, will anyone give me my instruments? You will
I not : then take my cost !" and the coat came dying over
the screen among the audience. Mr. Tollemarque immeda.
stely appeared unbound in his shirt sleeves.
The delight among the empties, arising from this
iUmtra-
tips of ponies agency', can easily be imagined. One gentle-
man present, somewhat of a believer is "the spirits," would
not acknowledge his conviction that Mr. Tollemarque had
tied himself up sow. This he did twice in as short a
' specs of time as he took to untie himself, if not shorter.
Between the acts Mr. Tollemarque exhibited some clever
tricks of sleight of hood, the art which he honestly pro-
j fames; and, as a last and crushing act for the poor
sprits, be showed us Mr. Foster's trick of " the writing
on the arm in characters of Mood.' Mr. Toilsenarque bad
' previously explained to ODD of the gentlemen present how
all these things were done. I did not mak for a solution.
Mr. Tollemarque professes to amuse. He honestly states
that he is a conjuror ; and, while he only exercises his abi-
lities ea such, it is not for me to promulgate the secrets of
his art. But I hold it is the duty of every limiest mind to
denounce an attempt to establish • character for possessing
divine or miraculous gifts by the exhibition of power' that
after all are only meant to extract guineas from the
of the credulous and lb! superstitious. F. k 7.17!

We are able to vouch (oi:the good faith of the writ., of
this commuoicatica, which gore wholly to confirm our as
sertions of last week. W• may hope that coo out-crop of a
widely-spread delusion has heels cut Mi.—Builder.

COLLISION OFF THE MERSEY.—Yesterday a col-
lision occurred between the Isle of Man steamer Soudan
and the Canadian mail steamer Hibernian outside the
Mersey. The Seaga was on her pesrge, and the Hibernian
outward bound, and when in the Crosby Channel both
steamers CAMe into collision. The Suasfell was damaged
about the bow, but the Hibernian proceeded on her voyage.
THE ERITH EXPLOSION.—From negotiations
which have taken place between a committee appointed by
the inhabitanta of Erith and various insurance companies,
it is believed that the direct refusal of such compel:lies to
entertain any claim for damages mused by the late explo-
aims will be considerably modified, and that a satisfactory
compromise will be effected. An adjourned meeting of the
inhabitants is to be bald on Monday next, to receive a esprit
on the subject. At the time of the explosioo, a consider.
able sum, amounting to about 601. in gold, was in the drawer
of a looking-slam in Haynes's house, which wee reduced to
ruins. Mrs. Rayner, who is now in Guy's Hospital, gave
information of Hai, fact, and in accordance with an order
from the chief commissioner, a detachment of police
carefully guarded the ruins for several days,
and the money wee ultimately found in the
drawer nearly at the base of the ruins.
It is • singular fact that ten days after the explosion, • cat
was extricated from the ruins, of course in a starving coodi-
tioo, but otherwise entirely uninjured. Present appear-
moon indicate that the government will propose some alter'.
tioos of a more stringent nature in the existing act relating
to the storage and carriage of gunpowder. By direction of
the Home Secretary and the coaimissioren of metropolitan
polies, a return is now being made by the superintendents
and inspectors of the several divisions as to the number and
description of the powder magasines, the amount of barrels
in store, and the regulations in existence at such establish-
meets within the metropolitan polio* district.
THE ONTARIO (S.S.).—GREAT YARMOUTH, OCT.
30.—The splendid acme-steamer Ontario, Captaia Brook-
lyn, 3..200 to burden, while oa her first voyage from
Shields to Alemadria, laden with coals and iron, was
caught on the Hasborough Sands on Seedily morning last.
The vestal, which belongs to the National Steam Nevis's.
tiou Company, wee valued at from 80,0001. to 1000001., and
she was intended ultimately to trade between Liverpool
and New York. At the time she struck on these dangerotia
sands; which are about ten miles from the shore and
twenty from Yarmouth, she was steaming at about ten
knots an hour. The weather wee hazy. It was stated that
the woman wee out of order. Three steam tug. and the
Caistor lifeboat proceeded to her assistance, and although
almost at all timer, there is a heavy sea on these sands, it
wee hoped that., as the weather wee comparatively favour.
able, after throwing her cargo overboard, she would be again
got off. Is addition to the crew of the steamer, from fifty
toasty men were engaged to lighten the vessel ; and several
hundreds of tone of coal were throws overboard. Every
effort wee made at high water to get the steamer off, but in
vale. Next day additional men and steamers went off
with the same result, and to-day the vessel is expected to
become a total wreck. The crew had not been rescued up
to the time our parcel was despatched.—Our Liverpool cor-
respondent writes under date of yesterday :—" We under-
stand that this 'teenier hen been abandoned, and all hopes
Of saving the Tassel were given up,"