The Press. — London, England, 1857-04-25 00:00:00

APRIL 25, 1857. soiree at the Hotel de Vile, races in the Bois de Boulogne, a hunt at Fontainebleau, and a review at the Champ de Mars. The Prince will leave Paris on the 113th of May for Bordeaux, and after seeing the town will embark for Nice on board the Imperial yacht the Reine Hortense. The Legislative Session of France will be prolonged from the 16th to the 31st of May, in order to intro duce and carry some important financial measures. AUSTRIA AND SARDINIA. A letter from Piacenza of the 11th, in the Fourier° of Oneglia, says : Sixty pieces of cannon hayearrived, partly from Crema and partly from Pavia. Ido n t know whether they are to remain here or proceed to Bologna, as some say. What is positive, however, is that Marshal Count Giulay has sent orders to put the fortifications which have just been completed outside the Antonio gate (t )wards the Pied montese frontier) in a state of defence. Two regiments of cavalry, the regiment Furstenwerther, and the hulans of Count Grum, are expected here. The preparations for the journey of the Emperor through Hungary continue to be pressed forward. The Imperial visit is postponed until the second fortnight in May. The difference between Austria and Montenegro appears in a fair way of settlement. Prince Danilo has released a prisoner, and Austria, as a recognition of this friendly proceeding, has ordered that the Montenegrin refugees shall be removed to the interior. Field-Marshal Count Paar is reported to have left Vienna on a special mission to Paris. A letter from Vienna gives us some information regarding the proposed reorganisation of the em pire : Baron Pach's vast plan of communal organisation for all the empire, which has been fur acme time under the examinatim. of the Supreme Council of State, is, it is raid, considered too liberal by that body ; and it has been sent back to him, it is said, with a request that it may be so modified as to be placed in conformity with the enactments in vigour before the invasion of liberal ideas in 1848. The 111i3ister, who devoted great labour to the drawing up of his scheme, is said to be profoundly discouraged by this step of the Council, and his resignation is consequently talked of. Baron Bach was formerly a simple adeocate, and belongs to the middle class cr' society. He was carried to power by the events of 1844, and has since displayed remarkable administrative genius. He is con- sidered one of the most zealous promoters of the plan fur amalgamating the provinces of the empire into one great whole, DENMARK. The Cabinet is being reconstituted slowly. The cause is the difficulty of bestowing the portfolio of Foreign Affairs and that of Holstein, left vacant by the retirement of M. Scheele. M. Andrae, Minister of Finance, will carry off the Presidency of the Council over M. Hall, Minister of Public Worship. Still, with the exception of M. Scheele, the reten tion of the former Cabinet is no longer doubtful. SPAIN. The difficulties between Spain and Mexico may be considered as nearly settled, owing to the favourable diplomatic influences of Paris. Orders, it is said, have already been telegraphed to the Spanish ports to suspend the military preparations. The Queen of Spain is once more enciente. Serious quarrels between her Majesty and her Royal Consort are reported in letters from Ma4rid. THE EAST. From the Constantinople journals of the oth, the affair of the bank does not appear to be going on so favourably as was at first expected. The Porte has, it is said, sent a telegraphic despatch to M. Musurus, the Turkish Ambassador in London, order ing him to request a categorical answer from the company, as to their acceptance or non-acceptance of the concession. A delay of one week was granted for them to come to a decision, and if a positive answer was not given at the expiration of that period, the affair would he considered at an end. The question of the Principaiities was still upper most in the public mind in the Turkish cauital, and the partisans of the union were increasing in number. ltedschid Pacha is said to have declared himself decidedly iu favour of that measure. The. Teheran Gazette of the 25th Feb. contained a higLly coloured report of the battle of Khooshab. AMERICA. fP The usual mails from New York, with dates to the 9th, bring some intelligence of interest respect ing the line of conduct the American Government propose to pursue in the Chinese war. The Washington correspondent of the New York Courier and Enquirer states : It is understood that the Government has settled upon a line of policy to be pursued in regard to China affairs, and that in very recent conferences between the Secretary of State and the British Minister the latter has expressed his entire satisfaction with the course which is to be pur sued. The American merchants, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Ap pleton, and others interested in the (liana trade, have also, after receiving explanations from the Government, become convinced that it is neither politic nor necessary that we THE PRESS. should cooperate with the Western powers in their pro. posed crusade against China and their joint efforts to extinguish or limit Russian as:entlancy in that quarter ; but tha. the Government will secure every important or desirable end by taking measures for the protection of the persons and property of our citizens, and fur the enforce. rnent of the privileges which are sec•zred to us by the existing treaty, acting independently of any alliance with powers engaged in hostilities against Chins. The Govern• meat will augment the naval force in the China Seas, and send as an envoy to China some man of high political standing and character, who will be instructed to revert to the aid of the naval force, in case of hostile proceedings against our citizens. The envoy will also be instructed to procure some modifications of the treaty and an improve ment of our commercial relations with China. It will be observed that the United States is at peace with the Chinese empire, and that we have no motive for waging war against it, either single-handed or in alliance with England and France. The position of Walker, notwithstanding his re ported recent victory, is really believed to be most critical. THE ATLANTIC SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH• As the time approaches to carry out the attempt to unite the Old and New Worlds by an electric chain, great interest is felt on both sides of the Atlantic. A recent writer on the subject in the Times, after ex plaining details, condemns the principle of con struction, and almost prophesies failure : The Atlantic cable, of the construction and ultimate destination of which we have thus given an outline, is beyond all doubt a beautiful specimen of manufacturing skill. It possesses several essential requisites. Its cost, we believe, is only 1001. per mile ; its weight only oce ton per mile. It is contracted for to bear a strain of three tons two cwt.,but it is stated to stand four tons with safety. Its specific gravity is between three and four, its diameter is small, and it is as flexible as an ordinary rope. These are great advantages, but the sets off on the other side are numerous and most important. In the first place, there is no wire for the return current, and the conducting wire itself is ridiculously small (1.16 th of an inch in diameter), when it is considered that it is intended to carry a current for nearly 3,000 miles. The latter is a most serious fault ; so also is covering the outside with so fine a description of wires that three months' rust will entirely destroy them. But the greatest fault of all is that, in oar judgment, the whole cable is constructed on a wrong principle. In previous article on the subject of submarine telegraphic communication we pointed out the errors which have already led to the destruction of so many cables, and the simple manner in which they are remedied by Mr. Allen's patents. This Atlantic cable, though with regard to light. ness and cheapness a step in the right direction, is still not in the right path. Whenever a cable is constructed with spiral wires round a soft core any severe strain in paying it out must, by stretching the outside wires, either attenuate or break the copper conductor or injure its ittau• lation. This is a simple fact which those least conversant with mechanic, can easily understand. At the lowest computation the Atlantic cable will stretch two feet per mile. At the deepest parts where it must be laid six miles will be suspended at one time. What becomes of the conducting wire during this elongation of twelve feet? It must either break or become attenuated. The latter accident, we believe, will he as bad as the former, for at present it will be most difficult to ;et the current through 3,000 miles of I.lBth ..f an inch wire, and quite impossible if either strain or pressure reduce it in any part to 1-24th or 1.32nd of an inch diameter, as in electricity the weakest part becomes the standard of the whole. Why is not the new patent adopted, which, by the use of a large conductor, makes the core of the cable its strength, and does away altogether with the necessity for outside spiral wires ? By this patent cheapness, lightness, increased conductibility, and therefore certainty ofelectric action, are insured. In conclusion, we may mention that it is intended to work the cable with Smee's batteries—a most costly and trouble• some plan. Morse's recording telegraph. once a very valuable instrument, though now behind many recent inventions, is to be used. A CANADIAN RAILWAY ACCIDENT. ONE of the few persons, a Mr. W. R. Marshall, who survived the dreadful accident at the Desjardins bridge, on the railway near Hamilton, Canada West, where nearly one hundred of his fellow-passengers were killed, has written the following narrative of the horrible occurrence : There were nu incidents of a striking nature on the trip from Toronto to the junction with the main line near Hamilton. When within sight of the Hamilton station, I looked at my watch and it was a quarter to six. About this time the train began to go slower. Needy half a minute afterwards I perceived quite a consternation in the cars, passengers running to and fro, apparently much excited. At the same time I felt a strange sensation as if caused by something impeding the motion of the train. It was not a shock, but at the same time every one seemed to think that something was wrong. As I was not aware of the dangerous character of the place we were approach ing I retained my seat, and advised others to do the same. A slight pause ensiled, myself and those sitting with me remaining still, but anxiously waiting the result, when, with one jerk, we were precipitated into the yawning abyss below. While descending I retained perfect consciousness, and felt we were going down some awful precipice; not a voice was heard in the descent. On reaching the bottom there was one general crash, after which 1 found myself in 403 total darkness, hemmed in on every side ; and crushed almost to suffocation by human bodies and broken seats. 'f he blood oozed from my mouth, and it seemed as if every breath I drew would be the last. The next few minutes were the most awful I ever witnessed, oh! that it may not be my lot to experience the same again. Some prayed, others called upon the saints, others swore fearful oaths, and all seemed writhing in the deepest agony. I can only liken the place to a slaughter-house. The blood streamed down over my face and clothes as if some huge beast had been slain above me. In this fearful situation were placed eighty or ninety human beings, who a few moments before rejoiced in excellent health and spirits, their minds occu pied with worldly cares or pleasures. We remained in the position above described for about ten minutes, during which time I spoke to several around me, advising them to be patient and wait for help. The top of the car was then knocked in, giving us light and air, and enabling us to breathe more freely. At this instant a crowbar, or something of the kind from without, grazed my temple, and the blow was about to be repeated, when by a sudden effort I grasped the instrument, and called upon the petson holding it to desist or he would kill me. Imrnediately afterwards, a hand (from the size I should think it was a woman's) was placed completely over my mouth so as to nearly suffocate me. With great exertion I removed it, and shortly afterwards was relieved from the wreck and reached the edge of the canal, whence I was raised to the top b 3 a chain fastened under my shoulders. On arriving there, I was carried to the switchman's house, and re ceived much kindness from the doctors in attendance and the company's servants. Shortly after. I was removed with several others, in a car to the Hamilton station, and thence taken to the house of a friend, where I am now fast recovering from the effects of this fearful accident. AMERICAN STEAM FRIGATES. A CONSIDERABLE discussion has arisen in naval circles as to the relative Oficiency in war between heavyarmed steam frigates and screw line-of-battle ships. The question is as much one of speed as of armament. The Americans are building enormous heavy-armed steam frigates. We devote our energies to the construction more of leviathan liners, swifter, it is true, but with guns of less range. The point raised is, whether we should not also build steam frigates at least to match, if not to excel, any afloat. The Merrimac, when at Spithead a short time since, attracted the attention of our naval authorities. She was the first of that fleet of heavy-armed steam frigates which our recent demonstration in the American seas has created. A second, the Niagara, about to be employed in laying down the Atlantic submarine telegraph, wiU soon be over here. The following description of her is taken from the American papers : The hull is of live oak, varying in width and thickness from 22 inches by 14 near the keel to 11 by 8 on deck. The keel is 320 feet long •, length on deck, 345 feet; breadth of beam over all, 55 feet; depth of hold, 31 feet 8 inches. Four boilers and three horizontal engines of 1,000-horse power, built by Pease and Murphy, constitute her propelling power. The cylinders are 72 inches in diameter and 8 feet stroke. All of this machinery, weighing over 500 tons, is applied to turn a single propeller of 18 feet diameter. To protect the machinery from shot in action it is all inclosed by immense iron coal-bunkers, overarching and descending many feet below the water-line. He chimneys are telescopic, and while she is under sail or in battle may be lowe ed almost out of sight. The engine and fire rooms are perfect iu their way, and, being well supplied with ample ventiliito.rs, will probably be as cool and comfortable as can be desired. The Niagara will rely for speed mainly on her siding abilities, and although the fires will always be kept b. dded, and everything in readiness for getting up steam at short notice whenever required, she will, unless in calms and on extraordinary occasions, be only a clipper frigate. Her model is that of a mammoth clipper, with shallow forefoot, sharp, high bow, and hollow water•lines. View her as we will, not a single straight line is presented. Ever where she curves fluent and free, challenging the admiration of the most critical by her vast yet perfectly symn etrical proportions. She sits on the sea " like a th ng of life," and when careering before a twelve-knot I reeze one would feel on her as though he were astride a fleet, high•mettled courser, bounding along on the wil go of the wind. When under full sail she will spread about 14,000 running yards or 7,000 square yards of canvas, a d it is anticipated that her speed tinder canvas will be lb or 16 knots, and under steam 11 or 12 knots an hour. Her mainmast is 1•4 feet above deck, 111 feet in e treme height, 371 inches in diameter; foremast. 74 fe• t above deck, 101 feet in extreme height, and 3.5 1 , i hes in diameter; mizenmast. 8.5 feet in height, and SO inches in diameter. Her mainyard is 106 feet in length, and her foreyard 94 feet. Her armament will comist of 12 great guns of 11 inches bore, 12 feet in length, and capable of throwing shot of 170 pounds and shells of 130 pounds weight. These guns were all cast at the West Point Foundry, but will not be put on bawd until after she has finished her peaceful task of laying the great sub marine cable. One great feature in this vessel is her high and airy decks. Between the bottom or orlop and terth decks the height is 6 feet 6 inches ; between the lower and main decks, 8 feet 8 inches; between the main and spar decks, 7 feet 3 inches. The main deck, on which the officers and most of the men live, is admirably lig htel by a multitude of dead-lights, and thoroughly esatilat4.l