The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-11 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

The announcement that yesterday was set apart for the
benefit of Blondin was, of course, sufficient to attract an
immense gathering at the Crystal Palace. A splendid day
gave a full opportunity of witnessing the autumnal glories
of the park and grounds; but for those few of the thousands
of visitors had an eye. It was Blondin's benefit, and they
we re there to see Blondin. They cared for nothing else,
and little else was provided. It was Blondin first, Blondin
second, and Blondin throughout. There was nothing 'very
novel in the feats which he was expected to perform, for he
had done the same feats before; but then, he was to do in
one day what had before been spread over many days, and
it was no wonder that 20,000 sightseers should pay their
shilling to witness such an aggregation of his achievements.
At 1 o'clock Blondin made his appearance, and at once
commenced his " low rope entertainment," the low rope
being stretched across the front of the orchestra some seven
feet from the ground. His wooden shoe dance, his stilt per-
formance, his grand evolutions with balance pole, were all
rapturously applauded; while his " thrilling chair f'at,"
sitting, standing, and dancing upon the chair while resting
upon the rope, and his backward somersaults, foot to foot,
over burning candles, were successes of a still more de-
cided character,, notwithstanding the fact that in somer-
saulting over the candles he nearly came to grief, losing his
foothold as he came back to the rope, but coming to the
ground with a grace worthy of himself. Of course he re-
peated the attempt, and succeeded. Then, on the same low
rope, he gave his flag dance—his " Tours de Chapeau"—a
serio-comic performance in a cocked hat—his grand violin
feat—turning back somersaults while playing a popular
valse. The finale of this part of his programme was
his " wonderful drum feat," in which he threw a suc-
cession of somersaults while playing the drum polka.
Then followed an interval of rest, and at three o'clock
he ascended to the high rope over the fountains, run.
ning from the centre to the southern mast—a distance
of 200 yards—and returning blindfold, and with his
head and body enveloped in a sack. Divesting himself of
these somewhat inconvenient appendages, he proceeded to
the northern mast, sometimes standing on one leg, once
standing on his head, several times lying down and turning
over, concluding his high rope performance by wheeling
Punch over in a barrow. Although there was nothing in
this which Blondin had not often done before, the specta-
tors cheered him vociferously, and it was curious to mark
the eager way in which many gentlemen rushed forward
to shake hands with the hero of the town, as if it were an
honour not to be lightly esteemed or easily forgotten.
Another brief interval of rest, and Blondin appeared upon
the high rope in the centre transept of the palace, running
from one end to the other as if he had been upon solid
ground ; returning with his feet secured in huge baskets,
and his wrists with manacles, he next carried out a table
and a chair, and took luncheon on the rope, then, getting
rid of his table he sat and stood upright upon his chair
while it rested on the rope with one leg only, to the intense
delight and wonder of his audience. But the great sensa-
tion feat of the day was yet to come. Dropping down a rope
hand over hand from the top gallery, he entered a small
pavilion, from which a stout rope had beeen securely
stretched along the transept to the orchestra opposite, about
loft. from the floor. It was known that he would carry his
wife across this rope, a "great feat," it was announced,
which he " had repeatedly performed abroad on the high
rope, but he adopted the low rope on this occasion, that his
thousands of friends and patrol a in this country might wit-
ness it in perfect confidence." 'Some minutes of suspense,
and then up rose the curtained front of the avilion where,
the Blondins—husband and wife—stood hand in hand, and
looking quite charming in their light and gauzy costume.
Madame mounted lightly on her husband's back, and there
she stood, or seemed to stand, with one arm on his shoulder
and the other lightly twining around his forehead, So on
they came—he with firm step and balance-pole extended,
and she like a floated Ariel ; whether borne by or sustained
above him by some invisible influence, it must have been
difficult for the more distant portion of the audience to say.
On they came, and at every step the enthusiasm of the mul-
titude increased, until they stood, like a group cut from the
marble, over the middle of the transept, when it rose to a
perfect furore. Some clapped, some cheered, some literally
shouted, more, perhaps, in honour of Madame titan of her
husband—the hero of a hundred such feata ; and this to a..
pest of applause was renewed when, having descenekd from
the rope and gained the front of the orchestra, illondin led
forward his partner to acknowledge the b,onour of their
cordial reception. Finally, after dark, Mond in
re-crossed the high rope over t.he fountains, which
up, to the gleaming of the rising
amid the blaze of
blue and red fire, and the brilliancy of a pyrotechnical dis-
play, worthy of the old days of the now defunct-and-being-
built-upon Vauxhall.

MAYORALTY APPOINTMENTS.—The Lord Mayor-
Elect (Mr. Alderman Rose) has appointed the Rev. James
Lupton, M.A., Rector of St. Michael's, Queenhithe, and
Minor Canon of Westminster, as his chaplain during his
year of dace.
Lancashire Mr. Gibbs, one of the secretaries to the
Fund, Will discharge the duties of secretary to
his lordship
Messrs. Laurie and Marner, of Oxford-street,
have the order for the statb carriage ; Messrs. Rand and
Beckley, of 297, Oxford-street, are to make the harness;
and Messrs. M'Callan and Gould, of 5, St. James's-street,
the state liveries and hats. Messrs. Staples, of the Albion,
have the contract for supplying the Mansion-house ban-
quets during the ensuing year.—City Tress.

THE DISEASE IN SHEEP.—Reports from Wiltshire
state that the serious malady which recently attacked the
and in
n
towns in Wilts,
flocks is disappearing, no new cases having been discovered
forw thev
measures are,
er
,
paststilllBbedinasgy observed precautionary
d ; d
Somerset, and Dorset an inspector of flocks has been ap-
pointed. pointed. It is stated that another strange disease has made
its appearance in a district of North Wilts—namely,
diphtheria—among the pigs, several animals having died
from this malady in and around the village of Lacook, near
,Chippe4lo,m,

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