Evening star., 1870-03-02

Office.
COMMANDER j. G. WALKER, of the U. s.
steamer Sabine, reports to the Navy Depart
ment that he left Genoa on the 18th of January,
and touched at Spezzia, where he was detained
by bad weather until the Sd of February, when
he sailed from there, and arrived at Naples,
Italy, on the 10th OF February; all well OIL
board.
GONE Down WITH THE ONEIDA-Amono
those who were on board the Inflated steamer
Oneida, which was recently sunk near Yokoha-
ma, Japan, and whose names do not appear in
the list OF survivors, are Paymaster Thomas L.
Tullock, Jr., of the Oneida, and son of Hon.
Thomas l.. Tullock, of this city, and acting
Second Assistant Engineer John L. Smith, a
resident of East Washington, who being ordered
home wrote to his mother that he would take
passage on the Oneida. Ensign Chas. A. Copp,
brother of Professor COpp, of the Washington
Business College, is also reported to have been
on board; but it is hardly probable, as he was
attached to the flagship Delaware, which, it is
said, is on her way home. First Assistant and
acting Chief Engineer n. B. Littig, who does
not appear on the list of the saved, Is native
OF Baltimore, and is well known in this city
Second Assistant Engineer John Torrance, of
the Oneida, is well known in Alexandria, where
The officers at the Navy Department place no
confidence in the detailed account of the sinking
of the Oneida, brought by the ship Benefactress
to San Francisco, and published elsewhere i'm
our paper. They hold that ii contradicts itself
throughout. Thus it it states that Surgeon Sud-
dards, with crew Of fifteen in one Of the life
boats, started for shore after pulling about the
scene Of the wreck without being able to dis
cover any one floating, although a cutter con-
tanning thlrty-nine OF the survivors was subse-
quently picked up. 1t would have been
impossible for the cutter to have been there and
not have been discovered by the boats crew of
fifteen with Surgeon Suddards, especially il they
were looking 10 find it.
The Bombay, which is an immense iron steam
er, might have struck the Oneida on her stern,
it is stated, and passed on, and the passeI-
gers ON the former might not have known any-
thing of it, the ship being SO powerful that the
collision would hardly have caused a jar. 1t
would, however, be impossible for the officers
of the Bombay to remain in ignorance of the
collision, as some of them must have been on
the lookout, and could not help seeing that they
had struck a ship, even if a dense fog had been
prevailing at the time Officers and passengers
however, must both have heard the guns of the
oneida.
partment containing an account of the disaster.
The officers at the Department do not believe
that the officers of the Bombay could have pos
sibly acted in such an inhuman manner as rep
resented unless they were all intoxicated, which
is not probable. Inquiries from anxious friends
Of the officers and crew OF the Oneida are pour
information is received it will be promulgated.
The CAREER OF A PGIMA DONNA.-Few
who attend the opera this week and note the ap-
parent ease with which the stout, handsome
sunny-faced prima donna executes her wonder
full feats of yocalization have probably any idea
of the right down hard work necessary to enable
the cantatrice, however gifted, to attain great
eminence. Parepa Rosa was born in Edinburg
III ,a<l,
siderable rcpute, sister of Edward Seguin, the
renowned bassO, and her father was Wal
lachian baror, Georgiardes de Boyesku. Pa
repa showed musical genius almost from the
cradle, and when two years and a half old was
able to sing such airs as the rondo of Amina in
.SOnnambula' and showed a wonderful faculty
for retaining in the memory every melody and
theme which fell upon her ears. Although her
mother resisted for some years the temptation to
tit her promising daughter for the stage, she did
not neglect her musical education, and when at
the age OF fifteen it decided to bring her out
as an operate soprano, she was made to undergo
a course OF vocal gymnastics before which most
Of our sopranos who sing with Verdure Clad
and "Uno Toce, at our amateur concerts or
even many who travel abont the country with
their " Luce di quesf' and their "Coming Thro'
the Rye'' would quail in abject terrer. For
eight months previous to studying her operate
repertory she was allowed to sing no note of any
thing but exercises-exercises-ex and
before she made her debut she had acquired
(memorized) the melodies Of forty operas
She made her debut in Malta i'm 1S55-fOurteen
years agO--as Amina, in SOmnambula," and.
oddly enough, she is described as at that time
lean, thin girl, with a straight bust, and en-
barrassed by such extreme bashfulness that it
was necessary to push her upon the stage. But
however deficient in physique and self-pOsses-
sion, her voice showed itself pure, fully-de-
velOped soprano, and her debut was great tri-
umph. From that time her success was as
sured. She sang for some seasons in various
continental cities in Italian opera with great
ecl0t, but in 1860 was induced to appear in Eng
lish opera in London, under the Pyne s. Har-
rison administration. In 1868 she married Capt.
Corvill, an officer Of the East India service, of
considerable distinction, just retired. lie lost
his own money and his wlfe's 10 the extent Of
800 900 in some mining speculatiOns, and died
i'm 1865. Afterwards Mr.. Bateman secured her
for an American concert tour, and Carl Rosa
well-knOwn vi0linist, and James Levy, the
celebrated player OF the coraef-a-piston. were
Immensely immense W successful, @ % and Papa" % pIBSseS Bsse
man would willingly have continued it, but
there were European engagements to be nlled.
too, and in 1867, after the completion OF the
concert season, the twain were made one fesh
and very R harry % match It has proved; Since %
constantly increasing reputation, eliminating
In her performances at the Boston Peace Jubi-
lee last summer, when the great prima donna
the mighty volume of her voice the vast shell of
Coliseum, and by rendering those grandest
airs, Let the Bright Seraphim, J" The Mar
yellOus Work" and the " Infammatus," !" from
Rossini's .Stabat Mater, with such breadth of
conception and such largeness of style as beftted
the occasion, and as no other living artist could
have attained.
In September last she organized the English
Opera Troupe now performing with such sue
cess at the National. She organized 1t on a
scale Of expensivencss and completeness un-
heard OF in English Opera, and q colossal fail
ure was predicted for her; but thus far the ven
ture has been deservedly successful, Tin Boston
the enterprise cleared SO, 600 in three weeks,)
and il is to be hoped the brave, large-hearted