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

Zopissa, Encaustic, and Iron Cement.

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, IVellington-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 oaten 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 the 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. Sic-
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 he had composed 33 years ago, entitled " The
Maid of Judah," and which she did most effectively. But
the pi incipal atit action 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 wo 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
prima donna of the Oxford, undertook the part of Wilhel-
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 tho 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 balls 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 the 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 Polytechn;.c 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 putout fire ; not as ever I shrll forgot what 'appened
to me 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 a I felt
something peculiar like burnin', and when I went back if
the lid of the copper 'wasn't a-smoulder:re like mad. I
takes it off, and see Cie 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'.:al
for it When we got away from that there was a
crowd a-standin' round a table like as had brass nobs
a-stiekin' up, as some parties put their 'ands on and others
wouldn't, a-sayin' as it give 'em shocks. Mary Ann went
on quite 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 umbraller, and ketches hold on the brass nob, when,
law bless you, the feelin' 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 manlier 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 rheuma-
tics theinelyes.—Fun.

~{A...

E, T.-- -
tiorrt _ ~,,,,,, Cantu

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.