The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-19 00:00:00

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for Woolwich.

The Tartar, 20 gun, screw corvette, of, 250 horse-
power, and 1,296 tons, Captain J. M. Hayes, having
completed her complement or 250 officers and men,
is shortly expected to sail for China. The following
officers have been appointed to this vessel :--Lienta.
W. A. de V. Brownlow, C. 13. Powell, and B. S.
Hamilton ; Master J. E. Chappte, Surgeon, G.
Mason, M.D., A§Sist-Surg. W. E, Dillon, Pay-
master T. W. Have) field, Clerk F. Sneter, Masters'

PRICE 4D. STAMPED.

INUNDATION OF THE hIIONE

The following details, published in a Swiss paper,
of the recent inundation of the valley of the Ithone
in the Valais are interesting . • .
"At 7 o'clock on the 1.4 of September the tele-
graph of Brigue informed the authorities at Sion
that the Saltine had overflowed its banks during
the night, and that an avalanche of stones and peb-
bles had swept away the bridge of Brigue. half
an hour later it announced the carrying away of
the bridge of Nat ers by the Rhone, and already the
water reached us black and thick--a sinister herald
of an inundation. The Naves rose higher and
higher during the entire morning. At 10 o'clock
all the barriers were under water, and towards noon
the ever-increasing masses of water rushed past with
a roar like thunder. The inundation had already
reached the left bank on the Champ-See and Chan-
dolene near Sion, and a breach was being made above
the bridge of the Rhone. In a few minutes all that
bank of the river was a vast lake, under which the
crops disappeared. The Rhone continued its terrific
ascension during the afternoon, and towards evening
the waters reached the parapet of the bridge, against
which beat pele-mele timber which had been floated
along the river—sleepers of the railway, beams be•
longing to the bridge, the woodwork of dwelling-
houses, and an enormous mass of other materials,
with entire trees, which threatened to break down
the bridge. The bed of the river was covered with
field crops and 'spoils of every kind. It was a
lamentable sight, particularly for an exclusively
agricultural country, and of which the most neces-
sary resources were thus lost in the waters. The
entire valid population, assembled by the beating of
Oamms, stiuggled With unheard of efforts at the
Places of the disaster, but uselessly. Towards eight
at night two enormous breaches were opened along
the gardens on the right bank, and shortly after-
wards vast masses of water had covered the culti-
vated grounds of the.plain ; the waves descended
nearly to the foot of the railway terminus, and,
the earthworks of the railway in the Champs
Nees having been swept away like sand,
the inundation extended even to the high road
opposite Corbussieres. From that moment the
plain disappeared entirely under the waters of the
invading river, and night enveloped the valley of
the Rhone amid the roaring of the flood. The
railway train was able to arrive with great diffi-
culty as far as Ardon, and the entire line is since
interrupted—we are isolated. Since daylight this
morning. people are occupied in saving the unfor-
tunate • persons who took refuge on trees during
the night. Their cries of distress could be heard
at Sion from all parts of the country. They had
passed hours there in deadly terror, end daybreak
revealed to them the river flowing over the spot
where lately had stood their humble dwelling and j
their ravaged field. A poor woman has just been
saved who succeeded in reaching the lowest
branches of a tree with her baby at hei breast, and
who passed the entire night in that desperate po-
sition. At 50 paces from the bridge of the Rhone
two coachmen found safety on a willow tree, while
their two teams of horses were drowned g its foot.
The disaster, in fact, is incalculable ; all the Indian

Assistant •T. J. llurglies, C4ild Engineer. J. .T,
O'Bree, Assist.. Engineers M. Silt; G. Paul, attar.
Russell. •

corn and all the potatoes, which are the principal
support of our population, are lost, and the earth
is carried away over a considerable extent of
country down to the very gravel. Nothing has
been seen so terrific during the present generation,
and even the great inundation of 1834 was less
disastrous. The weather continues to be threaten-

ing, and, although the waters have somewhat sub.
sided to-day, we feel great anxiety for to-night
The torrents to the north have not sensibly swollen

but those of the left bank, such as the Borgue, the
Ilgrab, and the Saltine, was enormous. The inun-
dation is attributed to the lust rains and to the hot

wind, which continues to blow over the glaciers,
and to melt the masses of snow on the high Alps."

TIGHT ROPE WALKING OVER
NIAGARA FALLS.

The Buffalo Courier gives the following account
of the last act of foolhardiness performed upon a
rope at Niagara FaPs by one William Hunt, other-
wise known as Signor Farini :—" About 4 o'clock,
as per advertisement, Farini appeared in the en-
closure. On either side of the river perhaps 2,000
persons awaited the spectacle. He was dressed in
tights, as usual, but had on mocassins instead of
rubbers. Some pounded rosin served to keep them
from slipping on the rope. Before venturing on the
great feat Farini went out a few hundred feet on
the cable and examined it and its guys carefully.
About an hour was occupied in tightening it and
putting weights on the guys. Since we were down
last the end on the American side has been raised
some eight feet, so that the balancing pole is not
so apt to catch in the side ropes. This, however, has
added to the steepness of the declivity, and the rope,
sooth to say, when all was ready, seemed very slack
and unsteady, and sagged frightfully. The insane
person who was about to trust his life on Farini's
back lounged about in the enclosure while the pre-
parations were being made with the most supreme
unconcern. He is a Canadian, from Bowmansville,
M'Millan by name, a head taller than the acrobat,
long-necked and lank, and with a quiet sangfroid
in his manner which speaks pluck. A few minutes
after five all was ready, and M'Millan hoisted his
legs into a sort of truss which hung from Farini's
shoulders, and the march began. The excitement
at this moment was intense, and bets were even as
to the successful issue of the strange expedition.
The limbs of the ropewalker trembled visibly be-
neath the weight he carried, a burden of 2 cwt.
(counting pole and man) being no feather to bear
along such a pathway. It evidently went hard,
and Farini picked his steps down the manilla
steep with death-and-life precision. About 50 feet
out the peril seemed to increase. His pole again
caught in the guys, and he laboured with it fear-
fully. M'Millan slid from his back, and like one
to the manner born, walked step for step behind
his master, steadying himself by his hold on
Farini's shoulders. This duet they kept up for
some distance, M'Millan apparently being as cool
as a cucumber, looking round and taking observa-
tions. About one-fourth of the way out both sat
down astride of the rope and held a tete- a-tete,
M'Millan, the only one who had a cap, waving it
at his friends on the bank. Another walk in the
same perilous Indian file brought them nearly to
the middle of the rope. Here another rest was
taken, and Farini swung himself under his neigh-
bour and took position ahead, facing back toward
the American side again. Three-fourths of the
homeward journey Farini accomplished according
to programme. Several times he let the man off,
and M'Millan came along for a short distance in
rear of his pilot as before. Slowly and steadily
the load was borne up the ascent to the platform,
and the two landed amid the cheers .of
..not
.th
crowd. Farini perspired freely, but did
miminan
appear to be particularly fatigued.
quenched his thirst with a glass of lager, put_eodn
his coat, and looked as if nothing had haVPe" •
He disclaimed having felt the slig t fear. ' The
clrinr'eserisivelayl
Buffalo Express gives a sketch
oohofieißs:_ion„
performance on the same aftern
at 4 o'clock the Frenchman made his appearance,
and ran out upon his rope.
dH eaving proceeded per-
hapsseries of gymnastic
exercises that we venture
200 feet he commeneet
o say no other man in
the world would dare to
attempt.
First,ea
ahenularaybaert
full length upon the rope; then thheen hehun tgurnby
both feet ;
then by one
crookedhead.
ath t
Thesethe
of back somersaults; then
foot; tehsetnood p
by
uonoen his
legba
knee joint; then h
feats were performed with amazing rapidity—a ra-
pidity that was fearful_to witness, or would have
been but for the perfect self-possession that was ap-
every motion. Having reached the centre
parent in
of his rope, Blondin laid aside his balance-pole,
placed his stomach upon the
cable, and went
through the motions of swimming' after which he
descended the swing, Which is a permanent fixture
at that point. This swing hangs about 30 fret be-
low the cable. Here he began whirling, making
18 revolutions in about as many seconds, and per-
formed various other surprising feats, concluding
and climaxing the whole by hanging to the swing
with his head downward. He then ascended to the
cable, picked up his pole and trotted to the Canada
side. The time occupied in the whole journey was
a little over 15 minutes. After a delay of about half
an hour, which was mainly occupied in adjusting
the guys, M. Blondin made his appearance on the
Canada end of the cable, bearing his agent, Mr.
Harry Colcord, on his back. Considering the fact
that Mr. Colcord weighs 1451 b., and that Blondin
himself weighs but 1251 b., it may be imagined that
he had a pretty good load to carry. It was per-
fectly wonderful to witness the ease with which
Blondin accomplished this most difficult and dan-
gerous undertaking. Colcord left his perch—we
cannot think of a better word—but twice during
the entire walk, and then merely stood upon the
rope for a half. minute or so, for the purpose of
straightening out.' In exactly 14 minutes from
the time they left the Canada shore they were re-
ceived upon the American side,_ with the hearty
phytulitri 94 the assembled multitude."