The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-28 00:00:00

ALHAMBRA PALACE.

Last night a new " sensation" artiste appeared here in
the person of Olmar, whose advent to London has for the
last month been moat mysteriously announced. Olmar is
a young man apparently about 26 years of age, and for
some time past he has been the " star" at the Cirque Im-
peratrice, where he has acquired the reputation of being
the first gymnast in the world. The performance takes
place on a series of ropes, with horizontal bars attached, all
of which are placed at an elevation of 80 feet from the floor
of the building, and consists of flying leaps and other won-
derful feats, all of which he performs with the utmost grace
and precision. Olmar is most certainly a miracle in the art
of balancing, and such power, agility, and suppleness could
only have been attained after years of incessant practice.
During the time occupied by his performance he appeared
perfectly self-possessed, and never attempted anything in
which ho did not thoroughly succeed—indeed the chief
characteristic of his exhibition is that a feeling of perfect
safety seems to pervade the audience. It is to be hoped
that during his stay in London he will not let applause
tempt him to execute unpractised novelties—for in that
lies the danger of his performance. As it is, it is a perfect
wonder, and quite enough to satisfy the most enthusiastic
in the gymnastic art.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—The second of the
five supplemental nights of the Italian Opera season at the
" old house," was marked yesternight by a good attendance,
and the excellent performance of Tietjens as Lucia, in Doni-
zetti's well-known opera. Giuglini, as Edgardo, sung the
despairing victim of the Scottish feud with delightful
sweetness and expression, if not pathos. Badiali was ener-
getic and artistic in the ungracious part of Enrico, and the
orchestra under Arditi was well led, though often too loud
in its accompaniments. The remainder of the cast does not
call for comment.

ST. JAMES'S HALL.—The concert of national
melodies announced to take place on Tuesday evening next,
will give an opportunity to the large number of visitors
now in London, to hear some of the moat popular and truly
national melodies of the United Kingdom, performed by a
chorus of 400 voices, and accompanied by a band of 20
harps, by the most eminent performers in the metropo-
lis. Madame Rudersdorff, Madame Laura Baxter, Miss
Palmer, and Mr. T. Lawler are the principal vocalists.
A NEW ORATORIO.—We understand that Mr.
John Francis Barnett, the pianist, has just completed his
oratorio of "Lazarus," and competent judges, it is said,
speak highly of its merits. We some time ago copied from
the German papers most flattering notices of a portion of
the work which was performed at Leipzig, but we shall no
doubt have an early opportunity of forming a personal
opinion with regard to it, as the Sacred Harmonic Society
will probably introduce it to its friends in the metropolis.
SOUTH KENSINGTON 'MUSEUM.--During the week
ending Oct. 25th the visitors have been as follows :—On
Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, free days, open from 10
a.m. to 10 p.m., 38,883 ; on Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday, students' days (admission to the public 6d.), open
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5,413 ; total, 44,296. From the
opening of the museum, 3,494,446.
THE LAST NOVELTY RECEIVED IN THE EXlllBl-
TloN.—Yesterday an important addition to the fire extin-
guishing apparatus at the disposal of the firemen in the
Great International Exhibition was made in the form of a
new patent steam fire-engine, placed near the Cromwell.,
road entrance. This engine, which is by Shand and Mason,
of Upper Ground street, Blackfriars-road, is similar to one
belonging to the London Fire Brigade, that was worked
before the Jury (Class Bth) on the Ist of July last—the
report of the jury lately published summing up as follows:
—" The steam pressure was well sustained, and the engine
continued working the entire day without accident, con-
cluding in the evening by throwing a good vertical jet."
Upon looking at the official fire reports at Watling-street,
the head station of the fire brigade, it will be found that
this engine has worked most successfully at all the large
fires that have since occurred. Messrs. Shand and Mason
have, since the trial in Hyde-park, made great improve-
ments in the boiler of this machine, so that in the engine
now in the exhibition, steam of 501bs. pressure can be
readily obtained in 12 minutes from lighting the fire, cold
water being used, and at this pressure effective work can
be done—the fall working pressure being from 801 b. to
100 lb. on the square inch, when 200 gallons per minute is
pumped through an inch jet pipe to the height of 150 feet.
The weight of this engine does not exceed 33 cwt., and this,
with the hose and firemen, is conveyed rapidly to a fire by
two horses. It is to be hoped that this engine will not be
called into requisition during the short stay it is to remain
in the Exhibition, as the most dangerous period with regard
to fire will be when the packing and removing of the goods
is going on. Captain Bent and the firemen under him are
to be congratulated at having such a powerful agent at
their disposal.
MORE CAPTURES BY THE CONFEDERATE STEAMER
ALABAMA.—LIVERPOOL, OCt. 27.—The ship Tonowanda,
from Philadelphia, which arrived to-day, reports that on the
9th of October, at 4 p.m., in lat. 41, long. 55, she was
captured by the steamer Alabama (290). Captain Julius
was taken on board, and found there Captain Harmon and
crew, of the late bark Wave Crest, from New York for
Cardiff, and Captain Johnson and crew, of the late brig
Dunkirk, from New York for Lisbon, all prisoners and in
irons on deck, their vessels having been burnt two days
previous. The next day the prisoners were transferred to
the Tonowanda, and Captain Julius alone remained on
board the Alabama as hostage. On the 11th of October
they captured and burnt the ship Manchester, from New
IYork for Liverpool. Her captain and crew were also put
I on board the Tonowanda, which Captain Julius was now
I informed was a cartel.. No more prizes were taken till the
evening of the 13th, and there being every appearance of
thick weather, Captain Julius was put on board the Tono-
wanda and allowed to proceed, after having given a ransom
bond. All the captains, officers, and crews are paroled
prisoners of war.
LAUNCH OF A NEW IRON-CLAD.—On Thursday,
October 9, another floating battery or iron-clad vessel, of
the Monitor class, was launched at a yard near New York.
This one—the Montauk—is 200 feet long, 45 feet wide, 12
i feet 6 inches deep, 11 feet draft in fighting trim, and of
11800 tons. Her turret is 21 feet in diameter in the inside,
and it is made of 11 plates of iron, each one inch thick—
three inches more than are on the turret of the original
Monitor. it is designed to have within it two 15-inch guns,
which are already made and ready for service. Her anchor
is carried in a well forward, so that it can be dropped or
raised without exposing the men. The vessel is bulkheaded,
and framed more strongly perhaps than any craft afloat;
( and her deck beams, which are exceedingly heavy, give
I 19 inches thickness of nearly solid timber, which has a
shell-proof covering of iron one inch thick. The sides of
the hull are covered with five inches of iron-plate—half an
inch more than protect the Warrior; and it has for backing
the entire width of the deck timbers which extended below
the part of the hull which can be reached when the
vessel is in action, The rudder and propeller, as in the
original Monitor, are not where they can be reached by the
enemy. The screw is 12 feet in diameter, has 20 feet
pitch, and two boilers provided with a surface condenser
furnish the steam to propel the engines, the cylinders of
which are 40 inches in diameter, and 40 feet stroke. This is
the fourth of the nine which the Government contracted
for after the fight between the Monitor and the Merrimac,
that are now afloat, One was launched in this harbour
two or three weeks ago, one a' Boston, and another at
Wilmington, Delaware, since October 1. All these will
be ready for service by the middle or latter part of Nov.,
and the remaining four are so far advanced that they will
probably be finished by January 1. These, with the Mo-
nitor, which is undergoing repairs at the Washington
Navyyard, the little Naugatuck, which has just been re-
fitted and equipped with a 15.) -pounder Parrott at this
port, the Galena, and the frigate Ironsides, which are off
Fortress Monroe, will place at the disposal of the Go-
vernment by the end of the present year no less than 13
formidable iron-clads.—Correspondent of Manchester
Examiner.
Importing Tea without colour on the leaf pre-
vents the Chinese passing off inferior leaves as in the
usual kinds- Horniman's Tea is uncoloured, therefore,
always good alike. Sold in packets by 2:280 Agents