The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-14 00:00:00

MR. RFZIDEL, C.E.-ENGINEERING OPERA.
TIONS IN AND AROUND HAMBURG.

HAMBURG, Aram 10.
I have to-day to report the arrival of the celebrated
civil engineer, Mr. J. M. Bendel, from England,
whose visit is one of the greatest importance for the
future weal or woe of the commerce of Hamburg.
For many years the navigable channel between this
port and the mouth of the Elbe has been gradually
growing narrower and shallower every year, until It
threatens to preclude altogether the arrival of loaded
vessels. As it is, a bar or sand-bank has been formed
at Schulau, about ten miles down the river, which
has not more than 14 feet water on it at high tide,
and from three-quarters flood to a quarter ebb will
not admit any large sea-going vessels to cross it at
ali. This impediment to the navigation is very severely
felt, for the vessels must drop their anchor and wait
for the rise of the tide, which is of course attended
with great delay, expense, and even danger, if it
should come on to blow hard, and the ships dragged
their anchors, for the channel there is very narrow.
And not only that, but all the larger class of vessels,
such as East India and Chinamen, emigrant ships,
&0., are obliged to drop down the river below the bar
whet loaded up to 14 feet, to take in there the rest
of their cargo sent down after them in lifiers, and
on arriving from abroad to discharge into • hters till
their draught of water does not erased 14 t.
Our authorities are fully aware of all these draw-
'backs to our navigation, and have for some years had
a steam dredging machine at work, to prevent, at
least, the channel from becoming more choked up,
and thus to neutralise the action of the current in de.l
positing sand at this particular spot. Hamburg is
entirely left in this respect to her own resources, for
neither Hanover nor Denmark are inclined to stir an
inch or spend a farthing in the improvement of the
navigation of the river. On the contrary, they
would be delighted to see the trade of Hamburg
ruined, particularly Denmark, which would then
attract all the trade to the Baltic provinces and in-
airier of Germany to the Sound, whilst Hanover
would then find a plausible pretext for executing her
losteherished plan of making a navigable ship-
canal from Stade up to Hamburg direct, so u to evade
altogether having to pass by Hamburg.
litany long years have been passed in discussing I
ithe steps to be taken in this emergency, and all
sorts of plans have been made to overcome the dif- I
flculties, but without leading to any. result. Com-
missions have been formed, and foreign and nett,*
hydraulic engineers been consulted, but their repot',
and recommendations are so widely at variance, that
our many-headed authorities, divided amongst thew
selves, and secretly favouring this or that plan, bawl
ciaS
never been able to decide on what to do. Am I
the proposals made, those sent in respectively 1
Mr. Lindley, and the Hamburg inspector of hydra
works, Mr. Hfibbe, have excited the greatest appro-
bation ; but as they both had their supporters, no
final decision has been arrived at. Under there oir-

oumstanoes, it was proposed to take the professional
advice of Mr. RendeL All the different plans and
projects were sent over to him for his inspection and
examination, and he has now oome over himself to
examine the channel and the state of the navigation
with his own eyes before giving in his final decision
as to the plan he would recommend for adoption.
i There s also another project of equal importance
that will be submitted to Mr. Randal for his advice.
Your readers will have still fresh in their recollec-
tion the doleful accounts of the damage done to this
city from the frightful inundations with which this
neighbourhood was visited last New Year's-day,
and which it was my unpleasant duty to report
to the Daily News. These inundations have occurred
more or less for centuries. As soon as they take
place a great cry is raised of the necessity of taking
steps to prevent their recurrence in future, and to
allow the inhabitants of the cellar and basement
stories of the houses in the lower parts of the city to
sleep quietly in their beds, without the feu of being
aroused from their peaceful slumbers by the signal
guns, to save their lives and property from being lost
by the sudden rush of waters. But as soon as the
danger is past the cry cease*, and no one thinks any
more about it. To remedy this unpleaeing state of
things many. projects have been started for guarding
the city vaunt similar misfortunes in future by build-
ing kola and massive embankments on the river
side; but all these plans were considered impracti-
cable, se they would interfere with the inland navi-
gation, for one-half of Hamburg is as much iota:-
seated by canals as Veaioe or Amsterdam, and these
canals are the great highways of our commerce in
enabling our merchants to bring their goods and
merchandise at a trifling expense, in flat-bottomed
lighters, from the ships in the harbour to their own
warehouses.
It is, however, to be hoped that some mode can
be discovered in these days of scientific ittventions,
by which on one band to guard the city in future
from such disasters as those to which we are now
daily exposed, and which did so much havoc on life
and property only three months ago ; and on the
other by the judicious application of dock gates in
the right place, and of the proper height and force
to allow the free and uninterrupted intercourse be-
tween the canals and the port. It is reserved for the
genius of a Bendel to overcome all the engineering
and other technical difficulties of the case; and the
reputation he enjoys in England is security to us for
his power of mastering ail the obstructions in his
way. •

GERMAN EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
THE HAGUE, Aram 11.
The Netherlands Chamber of Commerce sad
Manufactures have prepared an address to the States-
General, praying the legislature to embody a series
of regulations for the improvement of the condition
of em!grants while staying on transits' in Rolland.
It is indeed disgraceful to the authorities that this
matter his not been attended to ere this. As soon
u the Rhine boats arrive their emigrant passenger;
are pounced upon by a set of touters, the most Wee.
Latins cheats in existence, who, knowing the inability
of their poor victims—" unfriended and nokoown"—
to make any complaints in quarters where they can
be redreseed, dreg them to lodgings in pothouses,
swarming with vermin sad filth, and then take ad.
vantage of the confidence placed in them on account
of their being able to stammer a few words of the
language of the fatherland, to rob them of
their little cash, and to pilfer their articles of clothing,
ending but too frequently b 7 insulting them or
ill treating them for their simplicity. In coneequate
of these villanous practices the Germac papers ma.
taro from time to time official intimations to intending
emigrant', that unless they have particular partiality
for being swindled and cajoled, and at last sent on
board flamed and penniless, to be landed as beggar. fa
America, they must not proceed via Holland. This
fey indeed, a grave charge to be made officially, wins
that it is so generalised that it might be concluded
that this cruel and disreputable system, or rather total
want of system, exists under the auspices of the State,
sines it is evidently the duty of the State to see that
each things are rectified ; and with States, u with in.
dividuals, duties omitted are sins committed. But this
elate of things is is impolitic as disgraceful. So far
ae locality is concerned Holland is, to a large
majority of emigrants, the most convenient
for embarking. But Bremen encourages emigrants
by t them well when they arrive ; and this is
an ample set-off fora
.geographioal incon-
venience. Thus but few American vessels come to
Holland ; for in 18.54 only 4,000 emigrants embarked
here, while at Bremen 75,000 embarked. These
vessels imported goode from America at a compare.
lively nominal freight, for their return freights more
thanindemnified their loss. 41,000 casks of Whom
alone were imported into Bremen, in 1854, by
those emigrant vessels, while only 9,600 casks
were imported into Holland, but at a con.
adorably higher freight. Thus Holland is effee•
Melly driving from herself a market which is enrich.
ing other states, bat which she herself might elm*
exclusively enjoy. When will statesmen become men
of the State, and see in its welfare a charm more
potent than in holding in paralysed hands the coveted
reins of power?

PREPARATIONS FOR THE DEFENCE OF
BT. PETERSBURG.

CRACOW, A 7. PRIL
The Clas contains the following improbable account
taken from a private letter of the 2nd inst. from St.
Petersburg :—" The whole of the bridges on the Lower
Neva, built of granite, have been demolished and
thrown into the bed of the river to render it imps.
sable for large ships of war. The Russian fleet is
fully armed, manned, and victualled. Two divisions
are at Cronstadt, and the third at Sweaborg and
Revel Great exertions are being made to fit out the
light flotilla, consisting of 300 gunboats. Fearful of
a landing at Rigs, which is only defended by two
small fortresses, Narva and Jamburg, and defencelees
towards Oatschioa, the Russians have concentrated
in the Baltic provinces and round St. Petersburg an
army of 120,000 men, composed of a part of the
corps of grenadiers, a part of the first army corps, of
the infantry of the guard, and irregular cavalry,
which will be distributed en echelons along the coast,
whilst entrenched camps will be formed at the most
important points."

The Danube of Vienna lays :—" Intelligence has
been received here from the Crimea to the 30th alt.
On the 29th a combat of cavalry took place, in which
the Russians lost 200 horses and 400 men."

NAVAL AND MILITARY.

WOOLWICH, APRIL 13.

Her Majesty's government have sinetioned sa
augmentation to the Royal Regiment of Artillery, fret
April 1, 1866, of one battalion to be numbered the 14th,
land to eonsist of the following establishment :
Staff.-1 colonel commandant, 2 colonels, 3 lieutenant-

colonels, 1 lieutenent-oolonel on major's piy, 1 adjutant,
I quartermaster, 1 sergeant major, 1 Tartan:later sergeant.
1 repository sergeant, 8 companies, 8 captains, 8 second esp.
t ins, 24 lieutenants, 8 company sergeants, 40 sergeants, 40
emporia, 40 bombardiers, 1,008 gunners and drivers,
18 trumpeters.