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210 ffi|j£ &*«&£*? [Saturday,
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ST. MARTIN'S HALL. A concert, under the ...
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NEW MUSIC. Tears, Idle Tears. Cavatina. ...
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V — THE WATER QUESTION. As the public wi...
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Animal Magnetics.—Baron Reichenbach, for...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Reappearance Of Fllezzolinl. At Her Maje...
improved in the interim , and will now take the very highest rank . She has everything in her favour—a fine form ; handsome and expressive features ; and a voice which is not only good in itself , but which has been most carefully cultivated , « o as to be perfectly under control in all circumstances . The quality is charming , especially in the upper notes—C being taken and firmly maintained . There was a prettiness in the style of Madame Frezzolini ' s singing during the earliest portion of the character which made us doubtful of her possessing the tragic power requisite for the presentation of " Lucrezia Borgia " ; but she warmed up into enthusiasm as the opera proceeded , and , in the last act especially , was impressive and true to the feeling of art . Madame Frezzolini is a great acquisition to this theatre .
Baucarde was very favourably received as " Gennaro " ; yet he left much to be desired in his version of this difficult part . He does not look it well ; and though he sings it very much better than he looks it , we live in hope that he will live to sing it still better . Mademoiselle Ida Bertrand was a gay and accomplished " Orsini , " and gave the ' * Segreto per esser felice" so spiritedly , that the audience committed the usual absurdity—that is , they encored a composition which comes all over again in the course of the scene , if they will only let things alone . Lablache's " Don Alfonso" is , as everybody knows , one of his finest performances .
210 Ffi|J£ &*«&£*? [Saturday,
210 ffi | j £ &*«& £ *? [ Saturday ,
St. Martin's Hall. A Concert, Under The ...
ST . MARTIN'S HALL . A concert , under the direction of Mr . Hullah , was given in the large room of this splendid new building on Wednesday evening . Miss Deakin , Mrs . Noble , Mr . Lockey , and Mr . W . H . Seguin were the solosingers , and the chorus consisted of the members of Mr . Hullah ' s upper singing-schools . The first part of the concert consisted of Mendelssohn ' s cantata , " Lauda Sion , " and of Beethoven ' s Symphony in D .
The second part opened with Mr . Henry Leslie ' s Festival Anthem , " Let God Arise , " which , as the work of an amateur , is really a most remarkable production . It is full of original thoughts , and carried out with the mastery of an accomplished and experienced writer . A selection from Obcron concluded the performance . The execution of all the music was generally very good , and was greeted with continued and hearty applause by a crowded audience . We wish Mr . Hullah every success in his new location .
New Music. Tears, Idle Tears. Cavatina. ...
NEW MUSIC . Tears , Idle Tears . Cavatina . Poetry from Tennyson ' s " Princess . " River that Holiest . Song . Poetry by Lord Byron . The Dying Lover to his Mistress . Ballad . Words paraphrased from Beranger . All composed by S . Drury . J . and J . Hopkiuson . Had Mr . Drury attempted less in these compositions he would have accomplished more . In the Cavat . ina Tears , Idle I ' ears , the voice is needlessly distressed by a most restless accompaniment , which obstinately refuses rrpose for an instant ; and in the second song , River that rollest , the constant tendency to harmonize every note of the voice-parr , is wearisome in the extreme . In the Dying hover to his Mistress , the voice is al ' owed a few passing notes and appoggiaturas ; and this is , in consequence , by far the bi st song of the three . As Mr . Drury selects good poetry , and aims at escaping from the musical puerilities of the day , we are the more anxious to warn him against the common error of supposing that good harmony can ever compensate for the want of good melody ; and , as a point of theory , we would especially direct hisi attention to the very unpleasant consecutive fifths which occur in the cavatina , p . 4 , between the treble and bass of the accompaniment , bars 1 and 2 of the second line . Warren ' s Psalmody . Parts 1 , 2 , and 3 . R . Cocks and Co . A cheap and well-arranged collection of psalm and hymn tunes , which we recommend to all who are interested in the preservation of these melodies in their original purity .
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V — The Water Question. As The Public Wi...
V — THE WATER QUESTION . As the public will soon l ) o called on to judge the merits of various plans for supplying London with pure water , this will be a proper time to lay before our readers the present state of the question . It will not be necessary for us to contrast ourselves with the Romans , or with any nation whatever of ancient times . The northern countries have all been well supplied by nature , and art has been made unnecessary by the possession of due water supply . But we have to compare our own social habits generally with the state of our supply in large towns . Cleanliness has become of late years , within a century chiefly , such an important point both for individuals and towns , that , we cannot now bo contented with a supply running through the streets , or an abundance in the public baths and wasbing places as in . Home . Water in England is supplied abundantly ; but in towns we must have it
in the soil , and if ordinary care is taken , his supply is good . In London the water falls on the streets , and mixed with mud , we are glad to get rid of it by running it into the gutters . Or it falls on the roofs of houses , and becomes black and unwholesome by soot and dust . We are , therefore , deprived of the supply that falls on our own heads , and must look elsewhere for it . Wells have been
so supplied as to suit the gregarious habits of the people , flocking in enormous numbers into one place , and able to drink up more than even a moist climate is capable of supplying . At a country house a man digs a well in his garden , and the drainage of a small piece of ground is enough for him ; the water undergoes its ordinary purification
sunk , and some of them give pure water ; even n that water be only what has fallen on the streets , it has become filtered and is wholesome . But these cases are rare ; such wells are generally bad beyond endurance , and would be better entirely shut up . Other wells have been dug , artesian wells , bringing the supply by a natural and underground channel from the neighbourhood of the town .
These wells deliver very good water , not such as is very pleasant to drink , but such as , if it could be sufficiently supplied , would be with difficulty superseded , as the case against it could not be made out sufficiently strong . It has , however , been shown , that a supply from this source is not to be had ; that the expense would be too great , and the quantity questionable .
In 1834 , Mr . Telford proposed to bring water from the Wan die at Beddington ; it was proposed by Kendel to bring it by extending the supply from the river Lea ; and the river Colne was also proposed . The plan of bringing it from Henley has been before the public , and has been rejected in Parliament ; and that from the Chalk Springs of Watford has shared the same fate . It has been proposed to bring it from the Thames at Maple Durham , and also from the same river at Maidenhead . Others have advised the Kent district , bringing it from the river Medway .
From most of these places clear water can be got ; and one or other would have been adopted had it not been for the curious facts brought out by Professor Clark , of Aberdeen , as to the nature of water having lime in it , or hard water . He has shown that hard water is exceedingly expensive ; in the first place , consuming a great amount of labour in washing , and destroying a large amount of soap , which is lost in the process , and does not
contribute to the washing , but is spent merely m counteracting the hardness of the water . He has proposed that this lime should be precipitated in the reservoirs before bringing the water into the towns . This , then , is a great objection to the very purest water from the Thames ; and it is an equal objection to every other scheme yet proposed , except , perhaps , the plan of bringing it from the Medway , which is somewhat softer .
The present objections to the water now supplied to London are such as to strike the public mind forcibly . The water is so full of extraneous matter that , even when filtered , it cannot be allowed to stand long without depositing a large amount of impure matter : it is not right , then , to trust to the appearance merely . The matter which is in it causes it to have a vapid taste , and people are prevented from drinking it because it is simply not agreeable to drink . This point is very important at a time when all society is agreed as to the
advantage of drinking less exciting liquids than some years ago was customary . It becomes , from this fact , important that water without this nauseous matter should be supplied . This could be got by going high up the Thames ; but the lime in it will be just as great and the evils of hard water will not be repaired . When we do change our supply , therefore , it will be wiser for us to seek some district where the water will be soft by nature , where it does not soak through chalk , and where it can be obtained without the necessity of undergoing a sort of
manufacturing process in reservoirs before being delivered into the houses . Such is the present state of the question as to the quality of the water ; as to the quantity , this is an evil so great that we might almost say , that in many places people have none but what they beg or steal , consequently they use as little as possible , and inquiries have shown that the taste of water is quite unknown to a large portion of the population of London . The supply even to such houses as pay for it is only occasional ; the water must be kept in cisterns , where it becomes impure ; and if a man cannot pay for a cistern neither can he have water . The great thing
for the public to demand as to quantity is , that it shall be continually on in the pipes , and that the only trouble shall be to turn it on the house whenever it is wanted . These few facts contain probably the whole question . There are many particulars which are worthy of attention , and are curious both for scientific and practical men . Here is the dilemma stated , we must have pure water
and it must be soft . Whoever can show how this is to be got , ha . s solved the problem ; and we think that even water companies themselves will not show any opposition , when water having these two characteristics is offered to Lon don a nd the grievances of many generations of Londoners by a simple remedy be redressed . It has been said that the Government plan secures these advantages , and that the water which they intend to bring shall be pure , clean , brilliant , and soft .
The great novelty is the softness ; and it is not generally known of what use it is , although most people can use the term soft water . Manufacturers find that hard water covers the boilers with a crust , that the water then will not boil without a great excess of coal , and that the boilers are burnt out in the process . Kettles are in the same condition , and are sometimes choked up . Tea is bad wh e
made with hard water , and the quantity of the plant wanted is several times greater than with soft water . Meat and vegetables are not so good when cooked with it , and are not so easily digested . It is not so wholesome to drink , and hurts delicate stomachs to a great extent , strong stomachs to a less extent , and is no doubt a cause of illness in many cases where it has not been suspected .
We shall suppose , then , that it is agreed that the supply from the Thames near London is to be rejected ; the next question will be , is the hard water also to be rejected from whatever source . If this answer be in the affirmative , every scheme must give way to the one soft water supply .
Animal Magnetics.—Baron Reichenbach, For...
Animal Magnetics . —Baron Reichenbach , formerly known as a very accurate chemist , now known as an investigator into the marvellous doctrines of the animal magnetists , says : — " The adhesion of a living member to a magnet is a fact totally unknown both in physics and physiology , and few persons have satisfied themselves on the point by inspection ; it is necessary , therefore to examine and elucidate it in some measure in this place . When the sick Miss Nowoty lay unconscious and motionless in a cataleptic condition , but free from spasms , and a horseshoe magnet , capable of sustaining about 22 lbs . was brought near her hand , this adhered to it in such a manner that when the magnet was raised , or
moved sideways , backwards , or in any position , the hand remained constantly attached to it , as if it had been a piece of iron cleaving to it . The patient remained perfectly unconscious all the while ; but the attraction was so strong that when the magnet was drawn down in the direction of the feet , beyond the reach of the patient ' s arm , she not only did not leave it , but in an unconscious state rose up in the bed and followed the magnet with her hand as long as it was within her reach . Finally , when the magnet was removed beyond its distance of attraction , she was indeed compelled to leave it , but then remained unalterable and unmoveable in the position in which she had been placed , according to the well-known manner of
cataleptic patients . Another well-selected test was un « dertaken by M . Baumgartner , well known in his former capacity of Professor of Physics , at a visit for his own satisfaction . When the phenomena with the magnets had been exhibited to him , and their strange effects upon the patient repeated one after another before his eyes , he took from his pocket a horseshoe magnet of his own , which he told the bystanders , in the presence of the patient , was the most remarkable of all the magnets in his collection of apparatus , and that which had always proved itself the strongest ; he was desirous , therefore , of knowing the astonish
strength of the action on the patient . To our - ment , however , Miss Nowoty declared she could not confirm this ; on the contrary , she not only found it much weaker than any , even than the weakest present , but it seemed almost without influence : she did not smell it , she did not taste it , it did not make her hot , and it did not attract her hand at all . M . Baumgartner laughed at our astonishment , and now told us that the horseshoe magnet , which was , indeed , his best magnet , had been deprived of its magnetism before he left , and , therefore , its power had been reduced almost to nothing , and it was , therefore , little else than a mere plain piece of iron . "
Drath of Gay Lussac . —We have read in the papers of last week the death of Gay Lussac , at the age of 71 . Hia age we should have imagined to be greater , so long has he been before the world . We have read in early youth , his wonderful ascents in balloons , and his poetic as well as scientific descriptions of what ho saw and felt ; we have heard of his name as a well-tried searcher into nature , reposing for a Jong time on his laurels ; and we have seen his pupils rising into distinction . Among these may be counted Professor Liebig . The history of his intellectual life would be the history of modern chemistry , and the history of his external life would be the history of the rising power of scientific men . He *""}" self was a peer of France , but he did not forget that hifl calling was to be a student of nature .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 25, 1850, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_25051850/page/18/
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