The Press. — London, England, 1854-04-08 00:00:00

APRIL 8, 1854. general. Colonel Mountain earned distinction where ever he went, whether in camp, quarters, or the field, being alike distinguished for gentleness, assiduity m the performance of his duties, and gallantry. He was a son of the late and brother of the present Lord Bishop of Quebec. ADMIRAL WENYSS--1010, as Captain Wemyss, M.P. for Fifeshire, was so long a noted and popular man in Parliament—died, on the afternoon of Monday, at his seat of Wemyss Castle. Admiral Wemyss was born in 1780, entered the navy at a very early age, and served a great deal upon foreign stations, espe cially in the Chinese seas. E DEATH OF LIEUT.-GENERAL DOUGLAS MERCER HENDERSON took place at Naples on the 21st ult. This event places another colonelcy (that of the 88th Light Infantry) at the disposal of Lord Har dinge. General Henderson entered the army in 1803 ; served on the expedition to Hanover in 1805, throughout the principal portions of the Peninsular war, and in the campaign of 1815 ; and at Waterloo commanded the 3rd Foot Guards during the latter part of the action. VISCOUNTESS GOAT died in Ireland on Wednesday, after a long and painful illness. The deceased viscountess was eldest daughter of the Right Honour able Standish O'Grady, first Viscount Guillamore, and was married to the present Viscount Gort in the year 1814. Her ladyship leaves a large family. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. A FURTHER report on railway accidents presented by the Board of Trade contains some observations and suggestions made by Captain Galton on the cases ascribable to " undue economy, an inefficient system, and a defective state of discipline." Upon the first head he remarks : Under this head may he classed a reduction of the num ber of servants below what was required for the efficient working of the line, the postponement of the requisite repairs, alterations, or additions to works, &c., and the overworking of the carrying stock. When the servants have been reduced in number below what the efficient working of the line has required, the remaining servants have been overworked. This practice involves considerable danger, because the safe working of a railway depends upon the servants being always on the alert. The signalmen and pointsmen must always be on the look out for trains, and attend carefully to their signals and points ; whilst the guards, engine -drivers, and firemen should, whilst on the road, have their attention continually directed to the safety of the train ; and it is utterly impos sible for men, however strong they may be, to keep a proper look out if their energies are paralysed by fatigue Yet, amongst the accidents which occurred last year, it will be found that in one case men who came on duty at six am. were sent out with a train after having worked to between ten and eleven p.m.; and in another, men who were sent out with a train in the middle of one day were continually on duty till the evening of the next day. The reduction in the number of servants has also contributed to accidents, by causing engine-drivers and firemen, un acquainted with the road, to be sent with trains. Several of the accidents occured from the permanent way on some lines having been allowed to become very much deteriorated. In other cases the results were attribu table to the insufficiency of the siding accommodation, the inadequacy of the signals at newly-constructed sidings, and to the servants of the company not having been supplied with a means of measuring time. In many accidents to which unpunctuality has been a contributing cause, this unpunctuality can be traced to undue economy. In some cases the supply of engines has been limited, and the trains have been worked upon a system which entailed that the unpunctuality of a train in one direction affected that of the corresponding train in the opposite direction. In other cases heavy trains have been forwarded with an insufficient supply of guards and of breaks, &c. It has been the practice on some lines to effect a saving in the working expenses by contracting with engine-drivers for working the trains, and in others by giving to engine drivers a direct premium for reducing the consumption of coke below an average amount. These practices, unless guarded by very carefully-framed provisions, contain im portant elements of danger. Respecting the catastrophes arising from a bad system of management, or the lack of discipline amongst the working staff of the railway, Captain Galton says : On some lines of railway, in an efficient state of repair, accidents have occurred which were due either to the de fective system under which the lines were worked, or to the rules not having been strictly enforced. In some of the cases it would appear that the regal* tions have been such that the inferior servants of the com pany have great difficulty in complying with them, under even the ordinary exigencies of the traffic ; and other ac cidents have arisen from a violation of riles, which would appear to have been permitted on previous occasions with out rebuke from the superior officers. In many cases the rules have been inoperative from the responsibility of carrying them into effect not being clearly fixed upon particular individuals. In other instances accidents have occurred owing to the system of issuing regulations having been loose and neg ligent. Of the accidents which have been classed as those due to the management of railways, a very large proportion have occurred to trains following each other upon the same line of rails. THE PRESS. If the trains had been always punctual, and if no train had been allowed to start without the driver having been furnished with carefully-framed timetables, to be rigidly adhered to, these accidents would probably not have occurred; under such circumstances the use of signals would be of leas importance, and they would occupy the position of being auxiliaries to safety ; but the reports on accidents show, that on some railways mineral trains, and even occasional goods trains, have been allowed to run, without the engine-driver having been furnished with any instructions as to the time at which he was to pus or stop at the several stations; and on other railways where carefully-framed time-tables have been published regularly for the mineral and other trains, these time-tables have been allowed to be practically disregarded. The effects of unpunctuality might in some cases have been remedied to a considerable extent, had a very much more extended use been made of the electric telegraph in conducting and or ganising the traffic. It will be found that in the ordinary condition of railways at the present time punctuality is not sufficiently attended to, and that in order to secure a suffi cient interval between trains lines are practically worked to a very great extent by signals. It will, however, be found that in nearly one-half of the cases of collisions between trains following each other on the same line of rails, the lines do not appear to have been worked under a proper system for ensuring a sufficient in terval between trains ; and an examination of the cases of this class of accidents will show that the method which has been adopted on almost all lines of exhibiting at sta tions a signal for a specified time after the passage of a train has been in some cases insufficient for the purposes of safety. This subject is a most important one as re gards the traffic upon lines of railway where the trains are numerous and travel at different rates of speed. On some lines of railway immunity from this class of accident has been secured by the use of the electric tele graph. According to this system the line is divided into portions, the length being determined according to the amount of traffic and the frequency of trains ; a signalman is placed at the extremity of each portion, with a simple de scription of telegraphic instrument, and no train is allowed to enter any one of these portions until the preceding train haspassed off that portion. A special telegraphic wire must be appointed to this service. This system is in use on almost all railways for working the traffic through tunnels. Accidents from collision between trains following each other on the same line of rails have been attended in some cases with very serious results in consequence of the com panies not having enforced the plan of placing a break-van in the rear of the train. The accidents on single lines appear to have been nu merous during the past year, and to have been due to in sufficient regulations. A single line to be worked safely requires to be worked under very special regulations, and those regulations are such as to be incompatible with run ning a large number of trains. As a general conclusion the writer reports his opi nion that a careful consideration of the several accidents will show that many have arisen from the want of individual respon sibility. In many cases the responsibility has not been clearly defined in the rules, and in other cases it has not been practically enforced, and hence, in many accidents, evidently due to positive errors, the blame cannot be fixed upon individuals. In the case of two accidents which occurred last year, attended with fatal results, the coroners' juries returned verdicts of " Manslaughter " against the superior officers of the companies ; but in neither of the cases were these verdicts sustained in the courts of law. Eniintsitg itttilignta. CAMBRIDGE. THE Bri.r. SCHOLARSIIIPS have been adjudged to the following gentlemen:—Third year, J. B. Pearson, St. John's ; first year, G. Platt, Trinity, and T. Walton, Pem broke. THE following gentlemen have been elected Fellows of St. John's College ;—Peter liamnet Mason, M.A., Charles John Newbery, BA., Henry John Roby, 8.A., Samuel Hawksley Burbnry, 8.A., Hammond Roberson Bailey, B.A. TER STUDIES' SYNDICATE have issued some new amend ments respecting law studies and law degrees. The follow ing is a brief summary of the proposed reform : " That candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Laws be subject to the same conditions with regard to standing and residence in the University as candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and to have the same status and privileges. " That a new degree be established to be interposed between that of Bachelor of Laws and Doctor of Laws ; that this new degree be called Master of Laws (LL.M.), to which a Bachelor may he admitted after the lapse of the same period from the completion of his degree as is required to elapse before a Bachelor of Arta can be admitted to the degree of Master of Arta, and which shall entitle him to become a member of the Senate, and to have the same status and privileges as a Master of Arts. That a Master of Laws may be admitted to the degree of Doctor of Laws after five years from the completion of his degree. " That the subjects of examination be portions of the Roman civil law, the constitutional and general law of England, international law, and general jurisprudence. " That the examination be conducted according to a scheme formed by the Board of Legal Studies. " That the names of those students who pass with credit be placed in three honour classes according to merit, and that there be a fourth class placed alphabetically." ETON. THE EXAXINATION FOR TEE NEwcssnz SCROIARRREF commenced on Monday week, and terminated on Friday 333 evening. There were thirty candidates. The result was announced on Saturday last by the head master. Went, scholar ; Warner, medallist. Select, in alphabetical order : Churton, K.S.; Coldham, K.S.; Morton, K.S. ; Pryor ; Witt, K.S.; Wodehouse, Yorke. go gamt WAR-OFFICE, Arm S. 26th Regiment of Foot—Major-General Philip Bs* bridge, C. 8., to be Colonel, vice 'Lieutenant-General Lard Seaton, G.C.8., removed to the 2nd Regiment of Lib Guards. WAR-OFFICE, Apart. 7. (From Last Night's (Janette.) 6th Regiment of Dragoon Guards—Lieutenant Richard Temple Godman to be Adjutant, vice Elliot, who resigns the Adjutancy only ; David Woods, Gent., to be Assistant- Surgeon, vice D'Arcey, appointed to the Staff. 13th Light Dragoons—William Dumbreck, Gent., to be Assistant-Surgeon, vice Woodman, promoted on the Staff. et Regiment of Foot—First Lieutenant John Alex ander Campbell, from the Ceylon Regiment, to be Lieu tenant, vice W. F. Scott, appointed Paymaster 77th Foot. 3rd Foot—Mojor Daniel Gardiner Freer, from half-pay Unattached, to be Major, vice James Talbot Airy, wise exchanges ; Captain C. W. Green to be M ajor, b chase, vice Freer, who retiree ; Lieutenant gr. . for to be Captain, by purchase, vim Gases; Emig° James Bullen Dennis to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Taylor ; Frederick Archibald Macreight, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Dennis. 17th Foot—Lieutenant George Tito Brice to be Ca ptai n, by purchase,re vice Dickson, who tires ; Ensign Swire to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Brice ; Second Lieutenant George Stephen Butler, from the 23rd Foot, to be Ensign, vice Swire. 21st Foot—Lieutenant John Hart Dunne, from the 6241 Foot, to be First Lieutenant, vice H. W. Clerke, who ex changes ; Surgeon David Reid Mackinnon, from the Rifle Brigade, to be Surgeon, vice Fraser, appointed to the Rile Brigade. 26th Foot—Lieutenanant Richard Wollaston Clerks to be Captain, by purchase, vice Nicholson, who retires; En sign Thomas Wm. H. Hutchinson to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Clerke • Living Sherwood King, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Hutchinson. 27th Foot—Brevet-Major David Fitzgerald Longwood', ' from half-pay Unattached, to be Captain, vice Watson, who exchanges; Lieutenant William Douglas Phelips to be Captain, by purchase, vice Longworth, who retires; Ensign Nathaniel Barnardiston to be Lieutenant, by pur chase, vice Phelips ; Second Lieutenant Edward Ham mond King, from the Ceylon Regiment, to be Ensign, vim o Kingscote, Gent., to be Eas4p, by purchase, vioe Every, promoted. 49th Foot—James Hannan, Gent., to be Surgeon, vice Weld, promoted in the 47th Foot. 60th Foot—Lieutenant Randolph Ralph Adderley, the 79th Foot, to be First Lieutenant, vice Mum, exchanges. 62nd Foot—Lieutenant Robert Allan Cox to be Capede, without purchase, vice Hopkinson, deceased ; Emig" Bradney Todd Gilpin to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Cox • First Lieutenant Holt Waring Clerk*, from the ilat Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Duane, who exchanges ; Gentleman Cadet William Bromley D from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign: T = l ;li purchase, Vice Gilpin. 68th Foot—Lieutenant Frederick Stuckley Savage to be Captain, by purchase, vice Cassidy, whose promotion by purchase, on the 10th March, has been cancelled. 75th Foot—Lieutenant Charles Augustus Daniell, from the 94th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Friaulx, who ex changes. 79th Foot—First Lieutenant William Mure, from the 60th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Adderley, who exchanges; Henry George Monk, Gent, to be Ensign, by parching, vice Randal Percy Otway, Lord Louth, who retires. 94th Foot—Lieutenant Oswald de Lanoey Primal; from the 75th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Daniell, who ex changes. 95th Foot—Quartermaster-Sergeant John be Quartermaster, vice William Bolt, who half pay. Rifle Brigade—Second Lieutenant William Markham to be First Lieutenant, by paraboic, Knight, who retires ; Surgeon John Fraser, M.D., the 21st Foot, to be Surgeon, vice Mackinnon, appointed to the 21st Foot. The Depot Battalion at Parkhurst Barracks—Contstit John Chester ' i from the 85th Foot, to be Adjutant • Pc- , master Hugh Baillie Mackenzie, from half-pay 70th Foot, to be Paymaster; Quartermaster John Cowell, nom the 12th Foot, to be Quartermaster ; Star Suiten d dm. Second Class James Townsend Oswald Johnston, 11. D., *e be Surgeon. Depot Battalion at Walmer--Lieutenant-Colonel Beni Eyre, from half-pay Unattached, to be Lieutenant-Coloind Major William I ieveneali Lleverell, from half-pay Unlit* tached, to be Major; Captain Alexander Aliercro son, from half-pay Unattached, to be Adjutant; master Thomas Williamson, from the 114th Quartermaster. Depot Battalion at Winchester--Lieut•Colonel Howl Phipps Raymond, from half-pay Unattached, to be Limit.- Colonel; Captain William H. Fits Gerald, half-pay Cans dian Rise Regiment, to be Adjutant ; Quarto: meter Alexander Hendry, from the 19th Foot, to be Quarter" 41st F master. Depot Battalion at Fermoy—Brevet Lient.-Colonel Ogle Van&lsar Croatia, tam baltpoy Unettaebed, te be Major Capt. Joha Han Gloat, halfpey tiatlocbod, to Wad' jutant. i F