The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-30 00:00:00

The Dublin correspondent of the Times thus writes on
Wednesday :.-" The report of another attack on a martello
tower,' which was communicated by telegraph yesterday
with no extraordinary rapidity—the event having
happened on Monday night—has served to remind the
public that the flickering fire of Fenianism has not yet
burnt out. Some rumours in connection with the scene
of the attempt to capture one of those fortresses pre-
ceded the telegraph, and broke the force of the news.
It had been stated that a gun was found spiked in Dun.
cannon Fort, which guards the entrance of Waterford
Harbour, that other guns presented traces of having been
tampered with, and that the military authorities had
ordered a general inspection of the forts and marten()
towers. Those were premonitory symptoms, it would
appear, of the outbreak on Monday night. Details of the
occurrence are still wanting, but the brief report is that
between nine and ten o'clock a party of Fenians attempted
to surprise the little tower, but that alarm signals having
been at once sent up, a reinforcement of military
was despatched from Duncannon Fort to its relief,
and that, after exchanging some shots, the Fenians, with
the discretion which has always distinguished them, took
to flight. The soldiers believe their fire must have taken
effect, although no bodies were found upon the field. A
correspondent of the Daily Express states that the attack
was undoubtedly made by an armed party on the
upper tower. At 10 p.m. the little tower and
the fort of Duncannon were startled by the firing of a
signal gun. In a few minutes the fort responded,
and a party of soldiers rushed out over the draw-
bridge, having dark lanterns with them, and proceeded
to the tower, which is situate in a field. When the sol-
diers came to the ditch they observed a party of men, all
armed, running away in an opposite direction. The sol-
diers fired, and the party returned the fire in a disorganised
manner. None of the soldiers received any injury, but
they state that one of Fenians was wounded, and was car-
ried away by his comrades. The soldiers were out patrol-
ling the country for two hours. The occurrence has natu-
rally excited apprehension in the locality, especially after
the discovery of the spiked gun in the fort. An investigation
into this matter was held yesterday,the result of which h as not
yet transpired. It is considered a very extraordinary circum-
stance that a gun could be rendered useless without some
connivance or negligence within the fort. Very strict
precautions have been adopted in Waterford, and it is
supposed that the authorities are in possession of some
information which suggested the propriety of adopting
vigilant and enersetip measumois. Bodies of police have
been posted in convenfent places, and armed patrols have
marched at night through the streets fur the purpose of
protecting the banks and other public buildings against
any rosib'e surprise. Any interest that may still be
attache 1 to Fenianism seems now to be concentrated upon
this locality. From other places but little worthy of
mention is reported."

DRAWN INTO THE TREADMILL. —ln the Middlesex
House of Correction, Coldbath-fields, about 200 prisoners
are engaged in working the two treadmills, which are
placed north and south, and 100 others in picking oakum.
On Wednesday morning, as the men on the south wheel
were being " called off " to go the chapel for prayers, a cry
was raised that a man was in the wheel, and that others
were being drawn in. For about a fortnight past the
southern wheel has been employed in raising water from a
well recently sunk, and some fresh gear had been em-
ployed for that purpose, but the " catch," or " stop " to
the cogs got out of order, and, from the men dropping off
the wheel too quickly, or from some other cause, the
wheel spun round the reverse way. It is supposed that
when the catch did not act the weight of the buckets of
water and chains caused the wheel to fly back, dragging
the men in with it. One man had a leg completely
smashed and the other injured. Another man had his
finger cut off, and seven sustained injuries which com-
pelled their removal to the infirmary.
'DEATH Or SIR EDMUND HEAD, K. 0.13.
We have to announce the death of the Right Hon. Sir
Edmund Walker Head, Bart., K.C.8., which took place
on Tuesday morning, at his residence, Eaton-square
London. He was the son of the late Rev: Sir John Head,
Bart., was born in 1805, educated at Winchester and at
Oriel College, Oxford, where he graduated as a first-class
in classics in 1827. Three years afterwards he was elected
Fellow of Merton College. In 1838 he became an Assistant
Poor-law Commissioner, and was subsequently promoted
to a Commissionership. This post he resigned in 1847, on
being appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.
He discharged the duties of this office until 1854, when he
was nominated Governor-General of Canada. He returned
to this country in 1861. In 1857 he was sworn a Privy Coun-
cillor, in 1860 he was created a K. C.B. (civil division), and in
1862 he was appointed one of the Civil Service Commis-
sioners. Sir Edmund is known as the author of " The
Handbook of Spanish Painters." He also published in
1856 a little work bearing on English grammar, entitled
" Two Chapters on Shall and Will." He was a most
accomplished scholar both in the classical and modern
languages, and no one, perhaps, of our time had a greater
mastery over English. His loss will be severely felt by a
wide circle of political and literary friends.
EXCITING SCENE TN THE AGRICULTURAL HALL.
—ln the nightly programme of performances at Sanger's
ir
Circus, in the Agricultural Hall, is set down, "The re-
nowned Professor Palmer, as the Fly Man, performin
marvellous feats of walking a glass ceiling." The pr-
fessor • has invariably walked the ceiling after fly fashion
successfully,
thbeu t amnoimgleint
:r
appalledtxro the
ago
inet;with
eannc accidente
. The
glass ceiling is composed of
a piece of plate-
glass about fifty feet long by two feet wide,
framework.
enclosed in a wooden It is fixed at a
distance of about eighty or ninety feet from the
ground, and some thirty feet below it is a net spread to
receive the performer in case of accident. On this occasion
the professor had taken his 'place on the ceiling, his feet
being bound up in what appeared to be indiarubber, and
commenced to walk, head downwards, on the glass, leaving
on the latter as he lifted each foot a mark as if some glu-
tinous substance had been applied to it. The utmost
silence prevailed in the ball as he continued his perilous
walk along the narrow glass, and all went well with
him until within a couple of feet of the end of his journey,
when, by mistake, he placed a portion of his foot upon
the wooden frame instead of on the glass.. His
body immediately trembled violently, as if suctio--
was the power which held him to the glass, and I
struggled hard to keep up the weight of his body,• which
was now suspended from the glass by only one foot. His
face, which up to this was very red, became pale, and in
an instant the audience was shocked at seeing him fall
head foremost towards the ground. The women
turned their heads, and were afraid to look again at the
spot, until a cheer reassured them. Palmer fell just on
the
border of the netting, which might well be of greater
width. He came upon the back of his head, and, having
coiled his body into the shape of a ball, wriggled himself
out of the net, and reached the ground by means of a rope
ladder. After the painful silence of the people their loud
cheers rang out, and .several gentlemen rushed from the
front and second seats in the arena, and shook hands with
the professor, who then retired. He was called out again,
and warmly applauded when he appeared in the circui
b.411254c1,42.1.4.4* his Pe49pAnce,