The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-16 00:00:00

Zopissa, Encaustic, and Iron Cemen'

Yesterday a private view of an exhibition in-
tended to illustrate the application of zopissa,
cement, and other processes to materials employed
in the building arts and in various branches of manu-
facture, took place at the works of Mr. N. C.
Szerelmey, the inventor, Wellington-road, Batter-
sea-bridge. The preparations made with a view to
familiarise the spectators with all the peculiarities
of this most ingenious discovery were of the most
satisfactory kind, and it is not too much to say that
the public are not often invited to witness an inven-
tion suggesting so little ground for scepticism or
mistrust. The processes introduced by Mr. Szerel-
mey are of various kinds, but in each a novel and
remarkable species of cement is employed, which is
at once adhesive and apparently indestructible. By
saturating successive layers of coarse paper with
one of these preparations solid substances are pro-
duced of whatever thickness required, and these are
capable of being used for building purposes, or for
gas and water pipes, gunpowder cases, coffins, and
for many other objects which now demand the use
of iron, wood, &c. In many respects the result of
the process is well calculated to supersede iron,
wood, and stone, and amongst the numerous
advantages to be derived from it should be
mentioned tht fact that panels for coaches are one
of its products, and these are much stronger and far
less likely to suffer from a collision than those

formed of wood. Another preparation, which ap-
pears to be called iron-cement, is used in uniting
two substances together, and this is accomplished
with such success that, whatever the materials may
be—whether iron, wood, glass, stone, or brick—no
amount of strength can break them asunder ; for
instance, two bricks with flat sides are caused to
adhere together by means of the cement, and on
being thrown violently upon a stone floor the bricks
themselves are damaged, but the cement is not re-
moved. This was tested yesterday in a manner
which showed that a long row of bricks, cohering
through the same means, is capable of bearing seve-
ral tons weight, although unsupported except at
each end. Two Memel deals 3 inches thick and 9
inches deep, placed on bearings 17 feet apart, were
cemented together without bolts of any kind, and
were loaded in the centre with Szerelmey's prepara-
tion. A strain of 9,0001 b. was applied to them, and
they were found to resist it ; whereas at Woolwich
arsenal on a former occasion two deals of the same
dimensions were bolted together by iron, and they
yielded to a strain of 6,8001 b. These are only a
few of the numerous illustrations affoaded by Mr.
Szerelmey of the undoubted utility and value of an
invention which appears so well calculated to be of
service to the public, that, even on the score of
economy alone, it amply merits the attention of
those who, in these times of practical improvements
have the power and the will to promote the advance-
ment of science.

CANTERBURY HALL.—Mr. Morton, ever ready
to lend a hand to a fellow traveller and assist him
as he journeys o'er the rough road of life, placed the Can-
terbury Hall and its talented company at the disposal of
Mr. Charles Sloman, who took a benefit there last night.
Although the prices were doubled, the Hall was crowded
with the friends and supporters of this old favourite.
The programmme might justly be styled a " monster
one," as every member of the profession of any note
in London came forward to assist one who has been above
50 years before the public. During the evening Mr, sio_
man came upon the stage and thanked the audience for
the patronage they had bestowed upon him in a very
appropriate speech, and then introduced Miss Hayes to sing
a song which ho had composed 33 years ago, entitled " The
Maid of Judith," and which she did most effectively. But
theprincipalattraction of the evening was the representation
for the first time in any Music-hall of Dibdin's musical
farce of the " Waterman," with the slightest of alterations
by Mr. Vandervell, to enable it to be played in one scene.
Mr. St. Albyn was the Tom Tug, and we never remember
to have seen a better; he sang the songs of the "Jolly
Young Waterman," "Farewell my trim-built Wherry,"
and the "Bay of Biscay," and obtained encores for
each. Mr. Monceau made a respectable Bundle, and
introduced the song of "When a Man Weds ;"
while Mr. William Stacey played the love-sick
Robin capitally, and convulsed the audience with laughter
at his " Cherries and plums." Mrs. Randall played the
termagant, Mrs. Bundle, to perfection, and Miss Russell, the
prints donna of the Oxford, undertook the part of Withal-
mina, and most charmingly she played ; indeed, we were
quite surprised to find this lady had become an actress.
She introduced the songs of "Cherry Ripe" and " Wap-
ping Old Stairs," and, it is scarcely necessary to add, de-
lighted the audience with her fine voice. Harry Kelley, the
champion sculler of the world, attended by all the celebrated
watermen of the day, came upon the stage, and the curtain
fell amidst thunders of applause. The farce was exceed-
ingly well played, and would no doubt be an immense at-
traction to the frequenters of music halls ; but owing to
the state of the law it will not be repeated for the present.
We do not think that any theatre in London would have
done such justice to Dibdin's farce as was rendered to it
at the Canterbury Hall on the occasion of Charles Slo-
man's benefit.

LADIES' GALLERY IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.—
Before the next Session of Parliament commences,
says a lady correspondent of the Times, I intreat you to
,persuade Lord John Manners and Dr. Percy to assuage the
sufferings which we women are made to undergo in the
little, hot, ill-ventilated dens which are assigned to us in
the House of Commons during debates. My husband, sir, is
an eloquent member, and naturally wishes his wife to be
the witness of his many triumphs. My brother is a mem-
ber, too, and often speaks. I have four cousins, besides a
large circle of friends, who are members, and all of whom
are kind enough to ballot for sittings for me, and desire my
presence ; so that I spend a good deal of time during the
season in the very uncomfortable little holes from which
we look down upon the floor of the house. During many
evenings last session, when the thermometer stood at 80
deg., my sufferings were hardly bearable. The heat
ascends to our gallery, and the only ventilation we can
obtain is by throwing open the doors ; but this is a dan-
gerous proceeding, for it oftentime happens that we are in
evening dress, on our way to bills and at homes, and the
draught is then severe. I was twice laid up during the
season with the influenza owing to this persecution. Hon-
ourable members can persuade Dr. Percy to give each one
the exact dose of hot or cold air wanted, and I am told that
the Speaker himself can turn on a cool draught to his head
and a hot one to his feet. With such applications of science
handy, is it not barbarous to place us women in little dun-
geons like the Black Hole of Calcutta ? If there is to be
a Ladies' Gallery, do pray help the First Commissioner of
Works to render it a healthy and a decently-comfortable
one, and you will receive tha gratitude of many wives of
members.

MRS. BROWN VISITS THE POLYTECHNIC.—In come
young Trueman, as is a civil engineer, and a more so I
never met with, and says as he should like to take Mary
Ann to the Polytechnic for to improve her mind. So I
says, "And very proper too," for I'm sure the ignorance of
some people is downright surprisin', for if that very young
Trueman didn't try and stand me out as water wouldn't
always put out fire ; not as ever I shall forget w hat 'appened
to mo through a-lightin' the copper once and forgettin' to
put in the water, I went into the front kitchen to look for
something as I couldn't find easy, and -thought as I felt

something peculiar like burnin', and when I went back i

the lid of the copper wasn't a-smoulderin'• like mad. I
takes it off, and see the copper red-hot, so ups with a pail
of water and dashes it in. I never did sich a bang as it
give, sent me a-flying through the door, and tore all the
brickwork away from the copper, as spun round like a tee

totum in the middle of the washus ; no doubt it was some-
thing in the copper as went off by itself, 'cos, of course, the
water wouldn' never 'ave exploded like that, as isn't nat'ral
for it When we got away from that there was a
crowd a-standin' round a table like as had brass nobs
a-stickin' up, as some parties put their 'ands on and others
wouldn't, a-sayin' as it give 'em shocks. Mary Ann wont
on quito foolish, bein' afeard to do it. So I says, " Rub-

bish ! whatever is there to be afeard on ?" " That's spoke
like a sensible woman," says a gent as stood by ; " now you
try it." I says, "In course I will," and gives Trueman

my umbreller, and ketches hold on the brass nob, when,
law bless you, the feeliu' as come through me was down-

right awful, pins and needles a-shootin' up my arms like

mad,

I tries to take my hands off, bless you, they was

stuck fast. Didn't I hollar and plunge, and kick out be-

hind as sent one or two as was grinnin"owling with pain.
At last I got free, .and if it hadn't been as young Trueman
held me back I'd 'ave laid my umbreller over the fellow's
. _

----„
back as persuaded me for to lay hold on them brass nobs,
as is a downright shameful trick, and then to tell me as
it was good for rheumatics, as is quite as bad as rlieuma-

icy theirselve§.—,Fw4.

_ I?,
P- la
(fun yet
ern! In

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Aug. 15.
The Queen drove out yesterday afternoon with
Princess Louise, and walked in the grounds this
morning with her Royal Highness.
Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice went out
also.

The Prince of Wales at High Pore-.
A beautiful district, where a prince may fitly
sojourn, is that of High Force, Middleton-in-Tees-
dale, whether the royal party have repaired to spend
the opening week of the grouse shooting season.
Far removed from the smoky atmosphere of manu-
factories or trading towns, and as yet remote even
from any railway, it seems like a very Paradise in
the midst of the " wild and trackless moors," and
indeed so enchanting is the varied scenery that to
look upon it is to admire." On the prince arriving at
the High Force Inn, where he is now the guest of
Gen. Hall, his royal highness visited the waterfall
from whence the place takes its name, and expressed
himself well pleased with what he saw. Long before
you come to the Force you may hear the roar of the
water like that of distant thunder, and entering a
pretty grove you are led by a winding path towards
the Tees, which rapidly flows along far down below.
Here and there are rustic seats, which look tempting
enough with their newly-painted white coats. A
little way down is a little bridge over one of the
" becks" which rush merrily down from the moors.
Then passing down a flight or two of rude stone
steps you reach the bed of the river, and on emerg-
ing from the shade of the trees you gain a full view a,
the High Force. This alone is quite worth coming
miles to see. On three sides are steep high, crags, part
of which are overhung with shrubs, and slightly re-
lieved by patches of mosses and lichens. It is down
one of the precipices thus formed that the river gushes
through a contracted opening and falls dashing and
foaming a depth of nearly 60f., forming a cataract,
the beauty of which is enhanced as the sunlight
dazes the foam and spray which rise from the boil-
ing waters in the chasm below. Even the amber hue
with which the falling water is tinged tends to
heighten the effect produced, for when the light
shines upon it the foaming torrent seems to be
made up of golden clouds. The water below looks
almost black, and seems to defy any fathoming of
its darkening depths. The rocky sides of the river
bear traces of the force with which the waters dash •
against them, and, fretted with hundreds of
smoothly fashioned crevices, they seem to echo the
truth, " The waters wear the stones." The inn is the
property of the Duke of Cleveland, who holds the
right of shooting over the moors on the Durham
side of the Tees, and it is a very tolerable place too.
Lately it appears to have been enlarged, in common
with all his grace's houses here ; it has a very
cleanly appearance, wearing an air of respectability
as well as of comfort. At present, of course, the
whole house is occupied by the distinguished guests
of General Hall, who rents the shooting of the
moors on the Yorkshire side, belonging to Mr.
Bowes. It may be mentioned that the river Tees
here forms the boundary of the two counties. Ac-
companying his Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales are his Royal Highness the Duke of Cam-
bridge, Lord Huntingfield, Lord Colville, Colonel
Macdonald, Major Teesdale, and the Hon. Mr. De
Grey.

L The morning of the 13th of August broke most
gloriously, and the promise it gave for fine weather
for this, the first day of .grouse shooting of '66, has
been fully realised. The royal party left the inn
about ten o'clock in the forenoon, and the Prince of
Wales " led off" the first " drive," which was 3
most successful one. His royal highness is a keen
sportsman, and there is no doubt of the enjoyment
which his day's occupation has afforded him. He
is reported to be a capital shot, and certainly be
handles his gun in a truly sportsmanlike style. And,
judging from the movements of the whole com-
pany of sportsmen on the moors to-day, there
could not be much doubt of its being composed of
most ardent lovers of the sport. The grouse seemed
at all events in readiness for the royal sportsmen;
and that a good opportunity was not thrown away
may be gathered from the fact that before two
o'clock the panniered ponies had returned with their
rirst load of game, which consisted of 113 brace,
many of which were said to have been " brought
down" by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
The royal party continued their sport with unabated
vigour until between seven and eight o'clock in the
evening, by which time it is stated that 585 brace
of birds, many of them in very fine condition, bad
succumbed to the power of powder and shot.
The Prince of Wales is very popular here, and
the villagers, in their own way, heartily manifested
their loyalty'as he passed through on Sunday even-
ing. One or two rather amusing incidents of mis-
taken identity are told. Several simple-hearted
people, knowing that the prince was to arrive
that evening, went out to meet him ; but, after
passing an omnibus in which there was " a young
gentleman dressed in a round hat and brown coat,
and some other folks," as theysaid, theystill trudged
on for miles before they could be persuaded that the
prince and his Royal Highness the Duke of Cam-
bridge, with other distinguished personages, were
amongst the " gentlemen and folks" they had seen.
Another country farmer seemed perfectly perplexed
to think that, after all, the prince should look pretty
much like other people.
Although High Force is at present 13 or 14 miles
from the nearest railway station, there is a proba-
bility of the distance being lessened by at least one .
half, as a new branch line is being constructed UP
the valley to Middleton.

It is expected that his royal highness will remain
at High Force until Saturday next, when he Will
join her royal highness the princess, together with
the royal children, at Darlington, and they will at
once proceed to Scotland.--Correspondent of Sheffield.
Daily Telegraph.

The Garter vacant by the death of the Marquis
Camden will be given to the Duke of Rutland.
We have much pleasure in announcing that her
Majesty has been pleased to confer the honour of knight-
hood upon Mr. Baker, the African traveller, and that of
Commander of the Bath upon Captain Grant, of the Bom-
bay Army, the companion of Speke in his African expecli"
tion.

DR. LANICEpTER ON CHILD MURDER.—Yesterday
afternoon Dr. Lankester held an inquest at the Ele-
nfpohauani
and
at
daanebcaloduCt
ian2sotlAme,l
eCn aur rnt_t
esdstertneoe- tlt,o
owtnelg,o
econknt tsnh
Pas
aabtruko body ya,b,yyo
afmapo
rocuibiieni led;
last. The evidence of Mr. Edward Mahony' assistant"
medical officer at St. Pancras Workhouse, showed that the
deceased child was neatly dressed, had been well nourished,
and when found had been dead for two or three hours.
There was no doubt that death had been caused by suffo-
cation. The child was about two monthS old. The coro-
ner suggested that the inquiry should be adjourned, and
that the vestry of the parish be requested to issue pla-
caids offering a reward for the discovery of- the perPe;
trator or perpetrators of the. crime. He had been blamed
in many quarters for the statements he had made respect
ing the prevalence of child-murder, and was charged bY:,
some of.the journals as "a libeller of his countrywomen.
The facts and the deductions therefrom were these: in one
year he held inquests on 80 children found dead in the
streets, and he believed he would be justified in assuming
that there was an equal number of children bidden and
their corpses not discovered. This would be 160 murder;
in his own district, while there were two other districts M
ion
as metropolis, each probably bearing an equal prePert°ll
as regarded infanticide. This would make 480 child mut_,
ders in London in ono year ; but in order to be on the
lowest side, he would take it for granted that the numbetor
would be 400 only. The mothers who were discovered
be guilty of the murders of their children were found to be
on an average 20 years of age ; and as the expectancy f
life of a young woman of that age was 60 years, or 40 years
of additional life, he multiplied the 400 by 40, and
startling deduction was that there were in London iir°nu:
is
16,000 women who had murdered their offspring.
was based on the assumption that the same woman
only
But
i
once imbued her hands in the blood cf the child.
abominable crime of child murder now not only nclud
ed
infants newly born ; he was grieved to say it
the
was eX'tle
ing to children of several months old, andl
at
case he felt convinced there must be accomplices, orleast
persons who would miss the child, and who might
coin
The Jeri
forward if they had a chance of giving evidenee • a r
agreed to request the vestry of St. Pancras to offer
ward, and the inquiry was adjourned for PE Nitnight tntae;
in

.t her
light-
hat of
Boni-
cpecli-