The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-10 00:00:00

gottibtats anb Offnun.

THREE COLLISIONS, of such SEAMS character as to
result in the total loos of as many vessels, occurred
during the gale of Saturday last. Of these, two took
place in the British Channel and one at the mouth of
the Thames--the crew in every instance effecting a
happy and very narrow escape. The most serious of
the three occurred Home miles off Dungeness light.
A tine Greek barque, the Despina, Gird commander,
from Ilarionople to Antwerp, having put in at Fal-
mouth for orders, was making her way up el tau mel when
she came in fearful contact with the East India trader
Cambridge, 'Mr. Wilson captain, bound to Calcutta
from London. The shock was terribly severe. It
was quickly ascertained that the Lupins was rapidly
tilling, and that there was no chance of saving her.
Every effort wait then directed to the preservation of
the crew, and the Cambridge was promptly brought
to, on board of which the whole of the unfortunate
fellows belonging to the barque were eventually got.
That was scarcely accomplished, however, before she
foundered in deep water. The Cambridge appeared
to have sustained but little if any damage. A lugger
that was cruising by was hailed, and took off the
shipwrecked crew, and on the following morning they
were landed at Deal. The Cambridge proceeded on
her voyage.—The second disaster happened on the
same evening, rether later, lower down the channel,
off lleachy Head. The llenerokat brig, of Ply-
mouth, bound to Hamburg from Cardiff, was pursuing
her way up channel through the squally weather,
when she was run into by a brig the name of which
could not be ascertained. The crew had most sharp
work to save themselves, as the vessel went down a
few minutes after she was struck. There was just time
for them to launch the beat and get away before she
foundered ; the hands, who were down below asleep,
and who had a most marvellous escape, not being able
to snatch up any clothing to cover their nakedness.
After several hours' Nitrating about in the boat. they
were fortunately picked up by the Hope lugger, of I ical,
and landed in an exhnusteti and very distressed eon-
tilt ion.—T he third ill-fated craftwhieh suffered was the
Rapid, of I larwich, laden with stones. Sine was making
her way up to London, when she came in collision
with a light collier brig bound north, which is repro-
mented to have gone on without neutering the least
assistance. The crew had barely time bigot the boat
oil' and preserve themselves before she sunk in several
fathoms.
lionomln MOT. INQVIIIY AT BIRMINGHAM
has been proomting daily during the week. The
commissioners, it is said, intend thoroughly to inves-
tigate the general discipline of the establishment.,
the nature of the work, the punishments tinforeed,
anti the effect of the whole system on persons sub-
jected to its influence. It is expeeted that on these
quest s several of the visiting justices will give evi-
dence, and the ofileers anti hooks of the prison un-
dergo a rigid scrutiny. At the conclusion of the
inquiry the commissioners will proceed to lAticester,
to undertake a similar investigation in reference to
the gaol of that. county.
Tue DiteAerti, Loss nv FIRM of the British ship
Xenobla, in the harbour of St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica,
was announced a few days since. Site had received
on board a full cargo of :104) hogsheads of
sugar, 1111 puncheons of nun, ten bags of pimento,
besides large quantities of coffee and other articles,
and was preparing to take her departure for London,
when the appearance of smoke from the main hutch
way apprised those on board that her cargo was on
tire. Captain Eye applied every means in his power
to extinguish the flames, le n did not. succeed, notwith -
shuttling many hours' exertions. As the lastresource
to save the ship front total destruction, she was scut-
tled anti run ashore on a nuelloank. On the next

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day, however (the 29th of duly), the flames gained
the pmeheons of nun, which exploded with tremen-
dous fume, and in tut instant the ship was in a blaze.
Happily the captain and crew had left her some time,
the dense smoke preventing them front remaining
longer on her deck, and in two hours after the ship was •
burnt to the waters edge. The origin of the tire is
not explained. The ships loss and cargo is calculated
at 10,0011/.
IN AN EXCIIRRION TRAIN which left. Taunton for
Western-super-Maud: last week, conveying 2,t M) per-
sons, so much confusion prevailed that one child was
toshlett to death and a man's leg broken.
THE SIIIPWRE(*Ii of the Rebecca, a Sydney trader,
followed by the hiss of many lives, has been reported
to Lloyd's. The fatal event took place on the 215th
of April last, on the west coast of Van Diemen's hand.
The Rebecca left ttravesend in December last, with
is crew of thirty hands, under Capt. Sheppard, who
was accompanied on the voyage by his wife. They
encountered some heavy gales at- various points, but
had made the western coast of Van Diemen'. Land,
when, about half-past nine in the evening of April
29, the vessel struck on f ofrocks, and within tut
hour was thrown on lteris ulsitle, the sea washing
completely over her. A imoat was lowered, and the
betund saw, Mr,. *licreitrd, with it hitl, and b04:11

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