The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-10-14 00:00:00

Central Nebits.

INTIRRNATIONAL EXITIBITION.—Mr. Benson has an
attractive piece of plate; chief among the objects is a
dinner set of elaborate workrnanship, on part of which
is depicted the "Triumph of Bacchus," the god being
seated on a tigress, distributing the product of the
vine. The candelabra, tray, and dish covers at% beau-
tifully finished works of art, well sustaining the
deserved popularity of the producers."—City Press. June
1862. J. W. Benson, prize medallist, No. 6,605,
International Exhibition, 1862. has just published a
most elaborate and oomplete catelogne of his manufac-
tures, both in Argentine and silver plate. It consists
of po pp Imperial Bvo., and includes a full and care-
fully arranged prioe list, and iipwards of 300 engravings
of articles of various kinds. It will be sent post-free
by enclosing six stamps to J. W. Benson, 48 and 47,
Cornhill, London, E.C.
The Lord Mayor of London has refused the Guildhall
for a meeting of sympathy with Garibaldi. Since the
Italian patriot is free Mr. Cubitt thinks there is no
occasion for any further sympathy with him, but the
chief reason which induced him apparently not to give
the use of their Guildhall to the people of London
teems io have been a dread lest anything offensive
should have been spoken against Mr. Disraeli's friend,
the Emperor of the French, in connection with the
discussion of the Roman question. His lordship
professes a hearty admiration for Garibaldi.
The Irish Roman Catholics of Birkenhead have been
distinguishing themselves by attempting to prevent
their fellow-townsmen from expressing sympathy with
Garibaldi. They had recourse to the usual arguments
of the friends of his Holiness the Pope, viz., stones
and bludgeons, and they succeeded in breaking a large
quantity of glass in a building held as the meeting
place of the Parliamentary Debating Society, and a
church.

THE ACCIEEHT to THE GREAT EASTEIII7.—The
mammoth ship still lies in Pushing Bay, where the
damage sustained by running oh a rock o# Montan]
Point, on her last trip to this port, is being repaired.
We learn that the reports of experienced divers show
that the ship's bottom was opened by the rock along
a single line of her outer plate for a distance of several
feet. The inner " akini" or hull of the ship, was not
touched; and remains as dry as on the day of launching,
and the vessel could proceed on her voyage across the
ocean to-day with more safety than can any vessel
having but a single hull. Nevertheless, her officers and
agents are pushing forward her repair by a very simple
method, tried once before in Milford Haven with entire
success. and which has the entire approbation of dis-
tinguished American engineers. The mode is curious,
and interesting as it is simple. A large scow, with sides
of proper height, is preparing to be used as a coffer-
dam. It is made to fit the bottom of the vessel at the
point of fracture, and its edges are padded so as to fit
perfectly over any inequalities that may be found upon
the hull. At the side of the scow ere two shafts
or man-holes, which will pass up the sides of the ship,
reaching above the water's edge when it shall have been
adjusted to its place. The scow when sufficiently
sunken will be floated under the ship's hull, and
fastened securely in position by chains hove taut. This
done, pumps inserted in the man-holes will free the
scow of water, and admit the men and materials to
repair the damage. It is believed there will be no
difficulty in making the vessel just as perfect as before
she touched the rock. A few days more will give us
the result of the experiment—if that cat be called
such w:iich has already been once successfully accom-
plished. In the meantime advantage is being taken
of the opportunity to thoroughly overhaul, paint, and
refurnish the Great Eastern from stem to stern.—New
York Timeai September 24.
_

The Aiesadger de Bo yonne gives an account of an
extraordinary effect of electrieity produced in the
village of St. Esteve, near Perpignan. About one in
the morning, while M. Golly, the Mayor, and his
family. were in bed, they were aroused from their sleep
by a tremendous clap of thunder accompanied by heavy
rain. The lightning had fallen in the garden of a house
about 800 yards from them, but, as the storm did not
appear to have touched their house, and had soon after-
wards passed away, they again composed themselves to
sleep. On getting up in the Morning, however, they
were astonished at the effects which had been produced
by the lightning. All the doors and windows, both on
the ground and first floors, that of the dining-room,
which led into the garden, and of the kitchen, which
open,cl ibto the street, were covered with patches of a
substance like meltsd tin or silver, and round all the
edges were shining streaks of the seine kind.

Last year the expense of vagrants in counties paid by
treasurers amounted to £1,232 17s.
According to an official document just issued, the
payments to coroners in England and Wales for the
year ending Michaelmas as C 53,106 Bs. 4d.
The followirg statement of the relative proportions of
the war and merchant navies of Europe is given in a
new work entitled "Puissance Compares des Divers
Etats de l'Europe :—" 1,000 tons of the merchant navy
are protected, on the average, by 3.17 guns in Portugal;
2.70 in Denmark, 2.15 in Holland, 2.10 in Austria, 2 in
France. 1.40 in England, L 25 in Spain, 0.99 in Prussia,
and 0.08 in Greece."
AN HONVir otlirnhi. Ag a man named Watrin,
belonging to the band of the 7th Regiment of the Line,
now in garrison at Brussels, was going through the
street two evenings ago, he picked up a pocket-book
containing forty-five notes of I,ooof. each. The soldier
immediately deposited the money with the commissary
of police, where it was soon after claimed by the loser,
A postman. The latter was desirous of rewarding the
tinder, but he had pot the means ready, and he there-
fore proposed to lAratriti to call on him every month for
one year with sf. each time. The soldier refused,
telling the postman that the money would do more good
to his family than it would to him, and that he wanted
no reward for doing his duty.

ABSOLUTION UNDER SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.—
The Abbe Pariscoet, of Plomel (Ceptes-du-Nord,) M. le
Brie, of the same place, and a young divinity student
bathed Duval, were walking on the banks of the reservoir
of Corron, a few days ago, When M. le Eris, who was a
good swimmer, resolved to bathe. De had not been
long in the water before he suddenly di,appeared, on
which the abbe, hastily throwing off his clothes, plunged
in to save him. At the moment that he reached M. Is
Brig, that gentleman seized him convulsively by both
arms; the abbe entreated him to loose his hold, or they
would both perish, and added, "Recommend your soul
to God, I give you absoltitiem," and the moment after
they both disappeared. M. Dowd, who was a witness
to this melancholy scene, then devoted himself to save
his friends, and succeeded in bringing the inanimate
body of the abbe to land, where he shortly after re-
covered. The body of M. Is Eris was only found an
hdur mitten