New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-05
Z6HpILLAEROSIA1ION:

80, yesrS The Ellsworth Zouaves have found
fans Of thousands Of eager disciples and these tens
e thousands have, in the demands Of the war, for
vouuc men of strength, agility, and endurance had
that ambition stimulated which has made the rising
generation almost race Of gymnasts
In the great cities of the country the newborn
cymuastic impulse received another stimulus from
The wonorous doings in the muscular way Of GER
ain family Of SIX modest Young men, by name col
lecdvely the Hanlon Brothers. by name irdi-
vidually and respectively Thomas William, George,
Allied, Edward. and Frederick. This family were
engaged in England and brought TO America by Mr..
James ". Nixon, as crowning attraction to the en-
rer'anmens he was then Offering to the public at
Niblos Garden, in this city.
From the night Of the first appearance Of the Han
Ions N this houfe their success was assured, their
profe ssional at;ractiyeness proved to be unprece
deu,ed They at once took their position at the head
Of the gynnasc lists, and were with one accord, adj
United to be the best, most accomplished gymnasts,
the mort varied powers at that tine before the
public in the old world or the new. All professional
gentlemen Of the gymnas'ic percussion, at once ac
/ knowedged the advent Of their superiors and the
Hanons were admitted to be muscle-kings OF
Cbrisiendom. For professional performer III the
circus or in any arena where peculiar feats Of
strength end skill ere brought in CUSTOM 10 admit
/ the unopTroachable excellence of tie IIanons, and
10 at once acknowledge their unriyaled superiority,
was, and e, no greater concession than for Alphonzo
Applecore Of the Ladies Milkanwater Magazine to
/ grant the merits Of Tennyson as a poet.
/ In the gymnastie way, the Hanlon Brothers per-
formed seeming impossbiiiies of strength, quick
ness, and daring thai had never been attempted be-
FORE and did all with graceful ease that delighted
the town, and crowded the iheater every night for
many months
About year or go sfter their appearance here,
there began 70 be heard Tumors of the great
in Europe Of young French gmnast, named
Leotard, who was achieving breakneok wonders in
Paris, and winning golden opinions, and ingots, as
the reward of Lis skill and audacity. LeotaTd was
in fact 20 certain extent eopsing the fame Of the
Hanlons, who had previously borne a~ay the palm,
and been hailed by transatlantic, az well as ois-
atlantic crowds, as the best gymnasts in the world
The affair grew serious and quired looking into.
The Hablcns were the gynnastic magnates Of the
universe so fer as heard from, and il would not do
10 have rival claim the supremacy unquestioned
and untried. From the newspaper descriptions Of
the great "Iapeze" act Of Leotard the lIanlons
were convinced that ii was identical with perform
first introduced to the public by them at ST. Pc
tersburg, in December 1857 on the occasion Of
benefit 10 William HanloD. They had the more par
tcular reason to remember this feat from The fact
that the night referred to the present Emperor Of
all the Russias present, with brilliant stah,
and especially deIoonstratiye, after the manner
Of morarchs in his applause Of this peculiar act.
However, the affair needed inquiry; if Leotard
was NO better gymnast than William Iianlon, then
lis pretensons should be at once exPosedif he cGs
the better Of the two, then there months, and
perhaps YEAR,, Of hard practice, unit the Ilanlons
should again stand at the top Of the roll for the idea
Of playing second TO any one never entered their
minds.
This Young Leotard, who is really wonderful in
his way. il tie son cf Leotard who has for many
years been proprietor of a gymnasium in Toulouse,
France and who being smart accomplished gym
nat himself, has brought bic son up to be public
performer
On the 9Th Of July last Wm HanlOn sailed on the
Persia for Europe. lie sought out Leotard, TO whom
he made proposition us follows: That VIM. Leo'ard
and WIN. Hanou should Join in a partnership and
in friendly rivalry should perform the same gym
nasiic acts nightly before the same audience, and
thus excite public curiosity which could not fail to
enure greatly to the benefit Of both the performers
Having thus visited the principal cities Of Europe in
company with Lsolsrd, Hanlons proposition was
that Leotard should come 10 America with him, and
in similar manner visit all the principal American
cities. There can be 10 doubt that such arrange
ment would have been immensely profitable to both
interested parties, but The proposition was declined
by Leo,ard Oh the plea Of previous business ar
engagements.
The return trip Of tSe Persia brought Wm Hanlon
back, and from that day TIE brothers who are now
citizens Of New-York, owning pleasant home on
the Bloominsdale Road have applied themselves to
the invention end mastery of certain new and almos
impossibly difficult feats with view TO the ultimate
asionishment Of the public. VIM. Hanlon has espe-
ciay given bis tine 10 the elaboration and perfection
Of the Leotard performance, as ii is now called
though VIM. HanIou WAS the first TO introduce it to
the public. lie has introduced new feats, never at
tempted by Leotard or any other person, and which
cannot be accurately described unless the descber Is
willing to bear the charge Of great exaggoration.
Declining the most brilliant offers Of engagements
the Hanons have, for the last year, devoted them
selves, early and late, to the hardest kind Of work.
day and night, and now prepared oappear before
the public with a series of gymDastic performances
that far eclipse all they have previously attempted.
The mysterious and elongated word "Zampill-
aeros,aon,' which has puzzled the town for the past
week, was practically translated to few gentlemen
who, on invitation Of the Hanlons visited their pri-
vate practeing room few days since. The special
object of the visit was 10 William Hanlon perform
his great feat with which he proposes TO astonsh the
city at the Academy Of Music next Monday night,