The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-30 00:00:00

TIM GERMAN GYMNASTIC SOCIETY.

Last evening the members of the Deuticher '
Zurnverein, or German Gymnastic Society, gave a display
of gymnastics in their spacious and elegant ball in the
Old St. Pancras-road. The galleries and aide aisles of the
ball were crowded with spectators, among whom there ;
were a large number of ladies. The performances, which
were directed by Mr. Schweizer, commenced with wand
exercises, exercises on the parallel ban, and club emir-
neer. in all of which the gentlemen concerned exhibited a
great amount of proficiency. These were followed oy
excellent leaping, tolerable fencing, and decidedly indif.
ferent boxing. Only the boxing-muter himself and ayoung
gee :Zeman who ergaged with him appeared to be at all
proficient in what some of our 'Toning contemporaries
calf " the fistic art." A short exhibition of broad-sword
practice was followed by a more exciting entertainment,
described as vaulting at the table, in which a considerable
number of gentlemen took part, and some portions of
which called for the display of a great deal of agility,
skill. and endurance. Keay of the performers were I
warmly and deservedly applauded by their friends for the '
neatness and dexterity with which they acquitted them-
selves ; but the loudest and most general expressions of
admiration were reserved for • gentleman who out-
did his competitors by throwing a somersault whenever
It was possible to introduce one. The vaulting was
followed by exercise upon the horizontal bar, and
the entertainment was concluded according to custom
by all the performers in the previous exercises, ai,d some
other members of the society, " running a maze," • per-
formance which, except that it was unaccompanied by any
wild shrieking or dismal howling. and that those who took
put it were decently and comfortably attired in flannels,
bore cot a little resemblance to some of those mysterious
dances which we occasionally read of u being per-
formed by the savage tribes of Australasia or
Polynesia. It is impossible to deny that most
of the exercises which are encouraged by the
Zurnverein are adapted to strengthen the system,
and develop the muscles of those who take part in
them ; but some of them are occasionally carried too far ;
approach too nearly to the acrobatic feats of professional
tumbler, and if pursued with immoderate zeal may produce
anything but beneficial effects. In the course of the even-
ing Mr. K G. Ittnenstein, the president of the society
delivered an address, in which he dwelt with natural
entimsiasin upon the value of the methods of exercise
followed by the members of the institution, and referred
with aatisfaction to its prosperous condition. There are
at present more than • thousand members, and their
number is steadily increasing.

ST. OE/Enee OPERA HOUSE LANGHAM-PLACR.—
ire ..milerstand that Mr. German 'Reed is about to intro-
dere to the pnhlic Mille. I,lebbart, a concert singer of
repute, who will essay for the first time on the English
stage the principal character in Auber's opera of the Am-
frao-icirra. Mr. German Reed hes also engaged Mr.
Wilford Morgan, a new tenor of touch promise. This
revisal of Auber's most popular works will necessitate the
alternate pet fonnauce of the now opera of Thr Contrnhan.
(Iwo anal Chinn eh,nr Hi, Offenbach." extravaganza
having proved too great a success to be entirely withdrawn.
We see that in future there will be two morning repro.
eentations in a week, one on Tuesday, one on Friday,
the evening performances on these two days being aban-
doned in favour of the company, whose vocal powers would
be ;rosily overtaxed, and its efficiency imperilled by this
dyable strain being placed upon it.
EXCITING ScI:XE AT TIIE AGEWIILTCRAL-lIALL.
In the nightly programme of performances at Sanger's
l'a,us, in the Agricelturalball, is set down, "The re-
nowned Professor Palmer, as the Fly Man, performing
me...rollout' feats of walking a glass ceiling." The profes-
sor has invariably walked the ceiling after fly fashion sue-
• i=fully, but on Monday night met with an accident
-a :AA' for the moment appalled the audience. The glass
ceiling is composed of a piece of plate glaze about 50 feet
he.; by t feet wide, enclosed in a wooden framework. It
is Leal at a distance of about SO or 90 feet front the
grund, and some 30 feet below it a net is spread to receive
• pas former iu cane of accident. On Monday evening
iii' prefeesor had taken his place on the ceiling, his feet
Dena; bound up in what appeared to be indiarubber, and
ccroinenceal to walk, heed downwanla, on the glare, leaving
o.a the latter as ho lifted each foot a mark as if some glit.
tinons substance had been applied to it. The utmost I
silence prevailed iu the ball as he continued his perilous I
walk along the narrow glass, and all went well with
him until within a couple of feet of the end of his
journey, when, by mistake, he placed a portion of
Li. foot iimm the wooden frame instead of on the
glass. His busty immediately trembled violently, as
if suction was the power which held bum to the glass, mid
be straggled hard to keep up the weight of his body, which
was now suspended from the glass by only one foot. His
fa,e, which up to this was very red became pale, and iu
an instant the audience was 11110CkCil at seeing him f.. 11
Lead foremost towards the ground. The women turned
their heads, and were afraid to look again at the spot.
until a cheer re-assured them. Palmer fell just on the
border of the netting, which might well be of greater width.
Ile CAMS upon the back of his head, and having coiled his
lady into the shape of a ball, wriggled himself out of the
net. and reached the ground by means of a rope ladder.
After the painful silence of the people their loud cheers
riug out, anal several gentlemen rushed from the front
and second seats into the arena, and shook bends with the
pit falser, who then retired. He was called out again,
anal warmly applauded when he appeared in the circus,
but he did not tiuish his performance.
FATAL ACcIDENT oX THE CHAT:IND-MOM RAlL-
was.—Last evening Mr. W. J. Payne, deputy-coroner,
held an inquiry at Guy's Hoepital respecting the death of
Mee. Emily Newman. aged 33 years. The deceased was
the wife of the captain of a river stearcleat. On Tuesday
week the and her husband and two children were on the
platform of the South Eastern end Charing-eras Railway,
at Blackfrians station. There were about 200 others on
the platform at the same time ; they hail come front the
Haney The-Atte. When the 11.43 train arrived the de-
ceased attempted to get into a third-class carriage ; she
alipt and fell between the platform and the footboard,
but still remained in an upright position. While thus
placed she wan frightfully crushed ; the railway officials
state that the train was going on at the time. She
shrieked out " Oh, my baby,^ an exclamation which had
reference to an unborn child. The train had to be backed
before the poor woman could be extricated from her fright-
ful position. She was taken to the hospital, where, after
a miscarriage, she died ; her spine was fractured. Captain
Newman said that the train had stopped, and that the
deceased was opening the door to get in when the train wan
backed, and she fell. The railway witnesses, on the other
hand, said that the train. so far from being backed, had
not ceased moving on when the deceased fall in opening
the door to get in. The jury returned • verdict of " And-
dental death."
DI,TREAN AND DENTITrTION IN W.tLWORTH AND
NEWiNGTON.—A meeting, convened by Dr. Ilitf, one of the
guardians of the poor and medical officer of health for the
parish of Newington, was held in the Vestry-hall, on Tues-
day evening last, in reference to the alleged extreme die-
tress and destitution of the parish. The attendance was
large, anal consisted of the resident justice Dr. Dalby
(who was called to the chair). the churchwarilens' seven-
teen guardians of the poor, seven clergymen and dissent-
ing ministers, and other influential inhabitants. The
condition of the pariah was fairly and temperately dis-
cussed. It appeared that, though much distress existed
in some districts, it was not exceptional, but such as gene-
rally prevailed at this season of the year, and that many
agencies were in operation, in addition to that of the poor
laws, to mitigate the distress, and that there was both an
ability and willingness on the part of the inhabitants to
meet the needs of their poor neighbours. After a length-
ened discussion the following resolution was rainiest unani-
mously adopted :—" This meeting, having heard the state-
ments made, is of opinion that any destitution can be met
from sources within the parish, and that extraseous aid is
not at present necessary." The thanks of the meeting
were also given to the chairman for his courteous conduct
in the chair.
DR. DR JONGH'S LIOHT-BROWN COD LIVER OIL.—
" Where the general health is impaired, and emaciation In pro-
!reek" observes Sir Henry Marsh, Bart. Physician to her Bea-
ty in Ireland, "the reviving and reanimating edema of a
regular daily coarse of this animal 011 are highly rtlatactney.
Its favourable action on the system is ; it clucks pro-
gressive emaciation. remotes thucklklisig rebuilds, as it
were, the tottering frame, sod about a most remarkable
change is ell the vital Inaction.."- kl only is capealed bottles,
26. 6d., 4a. aid , and Os, by Dr. de Joogh's agents, Anise. Harfard,
and Os., 77, atrand, London, and cbsollsta--(AdvirtimemeatJ