The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-26 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

The fine weather, combined with an attractive
programme and increased railway facilities, brought
together an immense number of visitors, who
amused themselves by strolling about the pleasure-
grounds, sailing on the lake, inspecting the various
courts and the Victoria Cross Gallery, containing
upwards of 50 pictures painted by Mr. W. L.
Desanges, which %ill be removed immediately after
Easter, the collection having been parch ,sed by a
gentleman at Leeds, so that an early visit must be
paid by those who wish to have the opportunity of
viewing these interesting pictures, illustrating the
acts of heroism which won for the principal charac-
ters the distinguished reward of the Victoria Cross
presented by her Majesty. At an early hour the
floor of the great transept and the first tier of gal.
leries opposite the orchestra were densely crowded,
and long before the commencement of the concert
the reserved seats were completely filled. The con-
cert, which was very ably conducted by Mr. Manns,
was opened by an organ performance by Mr. James
Coward, consisting of selections from Mendelssohn,
Spohr, Costa, Mozart, and Handel. This was fol-
lowed by selections from Handel, Mendelssohn,
Rossini, and Costa, admirably played by the band
of the Coldstream Guards, under the direction
of Mr. A. F. Godfrey—the " Dead March" in
" Saul," and the chorus and march " See the
conquering hero comes," being honoured with an
encore. The Old Hundredth Psalm, in which the
visitors cordially joined, having been sung, the
Quis eat homo" was given by Miss Cecilia West-
brook and Miss Whyteck. Mr. Sims Reeves on
presenting himself received a hearty and cordial
welcome, but was for some minutes unable to pro-
ceed in consequence, of the interruption caused by a
large number of the audience on the ground floor,
who called upon him to " come for ward"—a request
with which he eventually complied, considerably to
the annoyance of the occupiers of the reserved
seats. On advancing to the front row of the
orchestra he was loudly cheered by the mass
in front of him, and then in his usual style of ex-
cellence gave the recitative and air from the
" Messiah," " Comfort ye my people." Madame
Rudersdorff, who declined to "come forward," as
Mr. Sims Reeves had done, was imperfectly heard,
owing to the noise occasioned by the movements of
the crowd and the conversation that was carried
on. Those who were in her immediate neighbour-
hood, however, were highly gratified by the style
in which she sang the aria, " luflammatus et
accensus." Mr. Patey, in the aria, " Pro
peccatis," and Mr. Weiss, in the recitative
and air from the "Messiah," " Behold, I tell
you a mystery," were loudly cheered. The Even-
ing Hymn was next sung by the assembly. This
was followed by the recitative and air from
" Ye people, rend your hearts" (Mr. Sims
Reeves) ; duet, frcm "Israel in Egypt," "The Lord
is a man of war" (Mr. Weiss and Mr. Patey) ; air,
" I will extol thee, 0 Lord (Madame Rudersdorff),
who, to the great delight of the majority of the
audience, voluntarily took her station in the front
row; air from "Israel in Egypt, " The enemy said,
I will pursue" (Mr. Sims Reeves) ; and the air from
"Samson," " Let the bright Seraphim" (Madame
Rudersdorff. with an admirable trumpet obligato
by Mr. Harper.) The Prayer from " Mobe in
Egitto" was given by the chorus, the united bands
and the grand organ ; and the vocal part of the en-
tertainment terminated with the National Anthem,
in which the audience joined with great enthusiasm.
Several pieces were then played by the band of the
Coldstream Guards, and Mr. Coward concluded the
concert by performing another excellent selection
on the organ.
The number of visitors was over 53,000.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

IHE NAVY.

Captain Sherard Osborn has been appointed to the COMO
mend of the B,oyal Sovereign cupola ship.
On Tuesday and Wednesday some firing at armour-
plates took place at Portsmouth, French as well as English.
manufactured plates being under trial. Tuesday's firing was
confined to the common 95cwt smooth-bore 8-inch gun,
with solid cast-iron shot and a 1611) charge of powder. The
result of this day's firing, which was merely to classify the
plates in their order of merit according to the Admiralty
regulations, was as follows :-1, a 6-inch plate from Messrs.
Beardmore, of Glasgow, a sample plate, hammered down to
12 inches, and finished under the milers to six ; 2, a 41-inch.
plate from Messrs. Petin, Gaudet, and Co., France, rolled ;
3, two 6-inch plates from the Millwall Ironworks and Ship-
building Company, for the'Bellerophon. rolled ; 4, a 41-inch
plate from Me: ors. Beale, of Parkgato Works, Sheffield for
the Pallas, rolled ; and 5, a 41• inch plate from Messrs. Patine
Geudet, and Co., France, rolled. On Wednesday the 9'22
inch gun, smooth-bore, commonly termed the 100-pounder
Armstrong, was tested against the plates with steel shot.
The first shot was fired with a charge of 301 b. of powder and
directed against one of the Millwall 6-inch plates at its left,
and where it had received no shots from the 8-inch gun in
the previous day's firing. This shot was made by Firth
and Son, Sheffield. It struck the plate 12 inches above the
lower ertge, and stopped, partially buried in the ship's side
and partially is the plate, the outer surfacs of the shot being
not more than half an inch outside the plate's outer surface.
A second steel shot, manufactured by John Brown and Co.,
of Sheffield, was next sent against the plate, and struck oa
the same end. It also remained partially buried in the plate
and partially in the ship's side. In this instance the outer
surface of the shot and the plate were flash. In both cases
the whole of the plate's back near the shot-hole was broken
up. Penetration into the ship was not effected, and the
plates had apparently done their duty in repelling such draw
gerous missiles as steel spherical shoteven at the cost of their
own destruction. Oa inspecting the inside of the ship, the
damage done to the side at the back of the plate was found
to be very serious. A space 16ft. in length by 4ft. ill
breadth was started, and bulged inwards from 4 to I
inches ; the whole was fearfully shaken. Indeed, 00
touch was it shaken that probably one more steel shot,
and certainly two more, would have sent this 1611. 1.1
d't of the ship's side with its armour plate prostrate on the
frigate's gundeck. A steel shot was next fired at Must's'
Beardmore's plate. It struck the plate's centre and pro-
jected 2 inches from the plate's outer surface. There were
uc cracks, nor was any damage done to the inside of the
ship at the plate's back. A shot was next sent at the second
plate of the Company, hut it flattened up in en°
ing the plate, projected 2 inches, and its further prog.l:'ol
was stopped. This finished the practice with the 9'22 Tron
gun, and a closing shot was fired at the Norwegian ' ty
plate
up
o a ter ts'ruormfactheebBeiningc4hingeahne.s
deep cracks on the plate's lower edge. No damage r'
be
caused to the ship's side by this shot, as far as COu
ascertained from the gundeck.
Thisoutside
plates.in the eopp: teedl

THE FRENCH TRANSLATOR AND COMMENTATOR
OF GOExf3F, M. rorchat, died a short time ago at Geneva