The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-09-25 00:00:00

WEYMOUTH.
THE DANGEROUS WRECK.

On or about Thursday the Admiral or whatever
authority was directing operations for the removal of the
wreck iteems to have made a determination to use
tremeniluous efforts to overcome the stubborn passive
reaistance of the water-logged soft-wooded ship. E tch
ve•ael ,d the tihannel Fleet wza ordered to furnished four
barrels of gunpowder out of magazine, gun-cotton
generally used for the torpedoes was taken out of 11.51.5.
Thenderer, and with the tremendous quantity of 10
leurela, each holding between 201) and :MO pounds of
powder. the Defence again attacked the wreck, and so far
aurrea-fid were her °parathion that on Friday the pilot
lidatn were towing large quantities into Portland Roads.
On Saturday, however, there NW sufficient left to be very
dangerone, and there was • talk of towing it out to deep
water, and there shattering the hull by more treinenduous
force than ever. The repeated explosions have at last
given H. M. iron-clad Defence with her aoiistant fleet of
steam launches a victory over the un-armed unntanteuver-
Mile wooden ship, for on Sunday morning shortly 'efors
10 the Defence, accompanied by the Trinity Ship Galatea
was steaming round the Breakwater End, with what
seemed at a distance to be a small flotilla of boata in tow.
This was made out to be the remains of the Foresta'
wreck, in three pieces, or sections, a low section, a
millthips ditto, and a nondescript part. The wreck was
towed under the lee of the large Breakwater, and 11.M.5.
Defence returned to her anchorage. The aatisfactioit felt
at the removal is very great, for several retools of
different sizas and rigs, have been endangered, amt even
one of the Jersey steamers has passed the wreck too close
to his pleasant.

THE ABBOTSBURY RAILWAY COMPANY.
A meeting of the promoters of this Company, was
held at the Royal hotel, Weymouth, on Friday last,
and although the attendance was not large, the pro.
ceedinge were very enthusiastic, and the speakers
expressed very sanguine views.
The proposal of the Company, who have obtained
their Bill, is to supply much needed Railway accomo.
dation, between the towns of Abbotabury, Werneuth,
Dorchester and other parts of the country, by a line
from Dpwey through Itioadwey, Portesham and
Abbotabury. It is contemplated that the line will
open up the rich agricultural districts to the north of
Abbotabury, and between that place and Bridport.
The general traffic it is also expected will be supple-
mentel by a very large mineral traffic. Mr. Richard
Passmore Edwards, of Clan Villa, Bath, occupied the
,hair, and he wail supported by Mr. Manfield,
Portesham, (one of the xecretaries), Mr. Burnett,
Dorchester. (secretary to the Company), Mr. C.
Andrews, Dorchester, Mr. Otter and others.
Mr. I:Amain's in opening the proceedings, con-
fessed he was extremely pleased to meet them in that
beautiful neighbourhood, on such a very tine and
auspicious day, for the purpose of what he thought
was not only a vei7 pleasant piece of business, but,
one that would ultimately prove, he ventured to hope,
a very profitable one. (Hear, hear.) No doubt, as
many of them were aware, he had been deeply engaged
with their neighbour Mr. Manuel,) for Rune consider-
able time, in ',moaning a bill for the railway to
Ablensbury. lie was happy to say that by dint of
perseverance, aided by a general feeling that the
thing wan not only feasible, but, likely to be prosperous,
all opposition had been brushed away, and they had
finally succeeded in getting their bilL (Applause.)
He need not, tell them that a bill however short,
involved a large amount of monetary expenditure;
and, being but a few individnals they were not pre-
pared to construct the line without the assistance of
their neighbours, and it was for the purpose of enlist-
ing that rise stance, that they had come there that day
to meet the people in that district, with the desire in
the first place to show what they believed to be the
prospects, and advantages of the line contemplated;
and secondly, to ask for sympathy and support from
themselves, and that they would impress such upon
those with whom they had influence. They believed
the scheme to be not only feasible, but likely to prove
in a variety of ways, a very successful enterprise. In
addition to their agricultural prompects, awl he believed
the district through which the line ran, wee • fair
average of the whole neighbourhood, they had
large catches of fish from time to time, which
had been unfortunately *Hewed to perish, which
was very deplorable in the present state of the
human food market. There ought to be nothing lost
in the way of food. That was • consideration they
should properly estimate when they ask is it likely to
be a paying concern. But, beyond that, they had
immense deporite of iron ore. It was not to be
estimated in weight or extent; but they had no doubt
it would be found in deposits, such as would be not
only a source of very large income to the people
engaged in the scheme, but for many years to come to
future generations. Now they had as men of business
taken care to ascertain that this iron ore was of con- '
siderable value, and he might tell them from indepen-
-lent sources that they had it an established fact that
with the ordinary mode of working, and the facilities
for obtaining cosh in the neighbourhood, it promised
to pay very meet butter than the average of iron ores.
The expense of taking it on the trunk line would be
very email; and if they could only find the people
ready to aid in the work, they believed it would be
ultimately a mine of gold to them. There they had
the iron ore waiting only for them to develope it.
Beyond that, however, they had a elee?ing deposit