The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-14 00:00:00

CREMORNE GARDENS.

THE THIRD SAFE PARACHUTE DESCENT BY
MADAME POITEVIN, AND ASCENT OF THE
LARGEST BALLOON EVER CONSTRUCTED.

The name of Poitevin has been brought before the
public rather invidiously during the past week, at all
events it now stands pre-eminent in the annals of
aeronautics; for not only has M. Poitevin produced
the largest and the handsomest balloon in the world,
but he has also rendered easy and safe that which has
hitherto been considered difficult, indeed, impossible
and dangerous. The inflation of this immense machine
(which requires only the ball and cross to render it
a very correct representation of the dome of St.
Paul's) commenced at half-past seven o'clock on
Sunday morning, and at five o'clock last evening had
taken about 120,000 feet of gas. Some idea may
be formed of its extraordinary ascending power
when it is known that, in addition to the aid of 40
men, it requires nearly two tons of sand, distributed
through 200 bags, to prevent its ascent till the ap-
pointed time, which was to have been six o'clock,
but owing to the number of gentlemen anxious to
accompany the adventurous and scientific proprietor,
and the difficulty of making the English assistants
understand the French directions, the ascent did not
take place till half an hour after that time, which, it
must be admitted, was a trial to the patience of the
immense number of spectators assembled, but when
it did take place the simultaneous burst of applause
from the assembled thousands, the cheers, waving of
banners, and distribution of bouquets from the aris-
tocratic party who had purchased their transit to the
clouds,, marked the gratification they one and
all entertained of the grandeur and splen-
dour of the ascent. In about five minutes
the parachute began to expand, another mi-
nute passed and the elegant little machine was seen
gradually descending, followed for some time by its
immense partner, no doubt managed by M. Poitevin
to give his party a good opportunity of watching the
descent, till, without oscillation or apparent risk, it
landed its intrepid occupant in a garden in the neigh-
bourhood of Clapham-common, from whence she was
driven through cheering multitudes back to the gar-
dens, to receive upon her presentation at the theatre,
within forty minutes, the warmest welcome. The party
of twenty-five ladies and gentlemen who occupied the
car descended in safety in the grounds of Mr. Good.
child, of Beckenham, and made their appearance at the
gardens by ten o'clock, and testified in very warm
terms the delight they had experienced in their trip,
and the high sense they entertained of the superior
aeronautic knowledge and talent .of M. Poitevin. The
next ascent will take place on Thursday. The gardens
were densely crowded.

LECTURE ON SHAKSPERE.
Last evening a lecture was delivered by Madame
Steinberg, on the Genius of Shakspere, in the theatre
attached to the Western Literary Institution in
Leicester-square. The subject being one which has
almost been exhausted by writers, as well as lecturers,
the lady attracted but a small audience, though her
merits are of no mean order, and certainly deserved
a little more encouragement. Her language is ele-
gant, perspicuous, and scrupulously correct, and her
mode of delivery easy and emphatic. One great fault,
however, she had, if in a lady it can be properly so
termed. She is a little too much inclined to
hero worship. Shakspere is her idol, and all
who vesture to insinuate an imperfection in his
works or his life are actuated by spleen, jealousy, or
vindictiveness. Throughout his whole productions
there is not a blemish, error, or defect—they may be
read by all with profit and by the most innocent
maiden without a blush. Where others find the poet
at fault she discovers a beauty, and from every ob-
scure sentence or expression she evolves a wide stream
of light. According, in fact, to her definition, he is
not only the paragon of poets, but an imperishable
and perfect model of truth, morality, and wisdom.
Of course, none dispute the genius of our im-
mortal bard, but there is a limit beyond
which praise defeats its own purpose as well as de-
traction. A great portion of the lecture consisted
of a refutation of an article recently published in
Chambers's Journal, in which it was stated that
Shakspere was not the author of the plays passing
under his name, but that they were the production of
some poor half-starved student from a foreign country, I
who was kept locked up by Shakspere, and the
emanations from whose transcendent intellect he ap-
propriated to himself. The fair lecturer was mightily
indignant at so sweeping an accusation, but the ap-
pearance of a solitary article of this description, when
anything in the shape of novelty is so eagerly seized
upon, was scarcely of sufficient importance to justify
so lengthened a reference to it before a public audience,
especially as the authorship has rem ained undisputed
for more than two centuries.

---
EDUCATION IN DRAWING.—The Committee of
Privy Council for Education have recently issued circulars to
the inspectors of schools directing them to aid, by every
means in their power, the system proposed by the Depart-
ment of Practical Art for causing elementary drawing to
become a part of national education. It is intended to teach
the very simplest elements of drawing in all schools willing
to bear a small proportion of the necessary expense, and
then admit the qualified scholars to study in a central draw-
ing school in every town. The importance of the new
scheme thus set on foot will be fully appreciated when it is
remembered that until the public ignorance in such matters
is removed no expensive or successful effort caul:lib:sou (l madelAroNntDos
raise the standard of taste in design amoung our manufac-
turers.—Times.
t urers. Times.
THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE BRISTOL
EXETER RAILWAY.—The second fatal result has
the accident to the express train on Wednesday last at
Creech, near Taunton. The engine-driver, Eaton,' who had
on Friday, and mortification set in.nOl: light on was
sy
amputated (Monday)
sustained severe injury of the wrist, (Illieicslayaersntierd,
ws
ta Taunton
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it Hospital.uiro
off the line.
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and has loft a wife, bill n 9 e Was 34 years cif age,
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