The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-20 00:00:00

SERIOUS COLLISION IN TILE CHANNEL.

POitTSMOCTH TrrsDAT.
A collision that resulted in the loss of a very fine
iron screw steam vessel, named the Metropolitan, occurred
In the Channel, of Beat:hey Head, on Monday morning, at
about three o'clock. The Metropolitan is a coasting vend
lashing 800 teas burden and 160 horse power, and eras ■
needy new skip, mach admired for her build and the rspid
she usually made between London and Glasgow.
nt rttu e e
t service she was employed. She was the property
of W. Sloan and Co., of Glasgow. Her captain's
Micsan, who has great experience in Channel twigs.
tins, and her mew was 22 in number.
Oa the morning an question the Metropolitan was =lug
the par age frost London to Glasgow, laden with a general
cargo, comprising hemp, oil, tallow, onion., dr.: sheen
under gleam, the three lights prescribed by the Admiralty
being properly exhibited. 'llse weather was thick and
foggy, as it had been the whole of the preceding day. At
• few minutes put 3 cm., • vessel was observed to hoist a
light in the close neighbourhood of the ateomer, end rate
lung up Channel towards ber. The man at the helm of the
latter took, it appears, the necessary precautions to avoid s
collision, Captain ll. Lean being below at the time, but he
did not suoceed in doing so, the vessel in quo.
Lion, the Prussian brig Zollverein, of 260 tong, CAI rain
Bleacher, coming in collision, and striking the steamr on
her starboard aide, just abaft the funnel. fhe brig rune
stem on to the steamer, and stove In her misheard s.,le
The *heck is deeeribed ILI terrific, throwing the capt.oo
of both tinsels oat of their beds. The injury to the steamer
was such as to cause the water to immediately find its .11
into her, and in ten minutes the fires of her engines were
extinguished, and the ship in a sinking state. Iler boats
were got out, but the water came in so fast that no pot'
lion of the cargo could be removed, the captain and clew
only succeeding in saving their clothee and a few other
things of trifling value. They were taken on board
. the brig, which remained by the scene of the disaster, Cap-
tain M' hopieg that some steamer might make its at~
poor:ince and tow the Metropolitan into the nearest har
bour. None was, however, seem, and at 6.30 3111.0 Ow „It'
tropolitan went down with the whole of her cargo. Ihe
Zollverain then made for Portsmouth, and arrived late on
Monday night at Spithead, the wrecked crew being .ext,"
shore, end the brig herself going into harbour veger"Y
(Tuesday) morning for repairs. Iler damages are the loss
of her figure-head and 'atwitter, her stem split, and bow-
sprit sprung.
The Zollverein observed the li,:hts of the 1011018 T eight
minutes before the collision, when she immediately heeded
her own. She was beating up Channel, bound from Dm.
tol, in ballast, for Dantxic or Newcastle, as the wind mier
serve. The catastrophe is thought to have been min!
accidental, arising oat of ignorance on the part of the
Prussians of the system of night lights, as earned out by
the Metropolitan, in conformity with the Admiralty 111*
struotions. Had the helm of the steamer been put the op-
posit, way to what it was when the collision took place, the
Prussian must have been run down, with a probable knoll.
loss of life.

PARATIONS FOR THE FUNERAL OF
THE DUKE OF WELLINOTON.

We pee ensbled, frm a private ource, to publish
th,. ollowieg informatoion in refevreneestn the preparation.
or the forwent of the We Duke of Wellington, in the in•
tope of tit. rsul'a Cathedral.
The works which ere just commenced are under the die
region of the Contruiwioners of Wends and Forests ; but are
retreated to Mr. Wm. ('unite, the eminent builder.
The nvontruodation fir those who are admitted into the
jeterior ut the cathedral will he rovided by means of four
puerie•—ooe running from the western entrance Wens::
viand aiale, two others in the eastern and wi stern
mid a Viird in (runt of the entrance of the chapel. This
oiteedell fur the eseltuive a comrnealstion of a very
I..ree choir. Th., gallery r inning along the centnl aloe
will be In fret in br-ight, while those on the eastern and
„,,ern triage will be upward* of sisty feet ; and the latter
...ostrautted as to form en =ninth round the
underneath the demo—in the centre of which the re-
ps,;.,, of the late Duke will be lowered to their last resting

ja, whale of the galleries will be hung with black cloth.
an: the number of persons they urn intended to contain is
upwards of 10,000.
The whole of the cornices above the galleries and round
.lithe aisles will be illeminabil by • line of gns jets, set fol.l
1aa,14: the architectural lines of the building, but tanning
a a straight row, and iminediatly under the Whispering
Gallc:y a complete ring of gas jets, two or three deep, will
be (armed. This has been thought the more necessary, es
the weather may not en the day of the funeral be very fa-
vourable, end even if it w. re, the immense surface presented
bs we black hanging, and trnnts of the galleries must ma-
t. nail, tend to absorb any light which may lied its way
iica the edifice.
The gallery avended for the choir will not be so high as
the rest. being only thirty feet, but it will be constructed se
as to contain • very eensi.lerable number; it will lea me-
m noted by the organ. the positiou of which is to be
Maaged, in order to present its front to the place of sepul-
ture. IN order to carry this out • portion of the stone work
which supports it will be removed, but this of course will be
replaced when the instrument is returned to its situation,
alter the obsequies have been reiterated.
Ia order to secure the various memements within the
catheslial from injury they will be covered with bones of
stung rlank,ng. sod this alone will require, as we ate in-
formed, upwards of :al loads of bosrds. The statues of
Net, in and lord Cornwallis will. however, be lift expand,
bring merely tainted with !dark drapery, which will tend
to bon.: into tall relict the white marble of theme exquisite
mulpturis.
In the centre of these galleries will he erected, so as to
occupy as little mum as p sable, the machinery for lower-
ing the cane, and ewe the chasm in the pavement will be
a gorgeous eatafalque. The nature of the decorations to
the canopy hate not yet been ascertained, as no orders have
as y, t la en issuid to the firm of Dowbiggin and Sun in
n-lation to it.
The width of the central aisle is npwares of 40 feet, and
of this space In feet on rad. side will be occupied by the
times of the gall, ries, leaving a width of 20 fret for the
c0!,,1e to mlvancc through. The galleries themselves will
cats ..d lock bey,. dthe >quote columns, nearly to the side
and this rat course would be a great obstruction to
the ii:ht. and will render it necessary in addition to
th,• rows of jets over brad, to establish rows •f barren
along the fronts and round the columns. The long pendant
lawns at present in the edifies will be moseyed
The ftrottare of the galleries themselves will be very
simple—all endravuort at enitullishment being dispensed
with. They will be supported by strong bees" =Mind
to heavy timbers running along the floor, and supported
by the calumet and • of the mithedril.
It is estimated that upwards of 700 waggon leads of
tether will be r.quired to complete these works, which will
occupy a month in their execution.
It is not intended (as we ere informed) to admit the
pubiie tothe Whispering Gallery, nor to the two email gal.
kri, s over the terminations of the central mate, as it would
be impossible to see from such an elevation, especially when
the rows of gas jets are lighted.
A temporary pulpit will be erected near the plate of in-
terment; bat the precise locality has not yet been decided
on. There will be • gall( ry separated by barrien hos the
rest, for these members of the 'upper and lower hew who
will attend the faiiere..
The performance of the daily service in the cathedral
his been discontinued for the present ; and it will net be
manic.' until the works are removed subsequent le dm
ceremony.

This morning printed bitty were widely circulated through-
out •bc City, Strand, and other places, giving notie• to the
public of the letting of awn sad windows to view the foot.
rat proreasios. Um Ludgate-bill and is St. Paul'. Church-
yard, West, the.. guise's are asked for oath moon.