The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-01 00:00:00

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

DEAL, TIMIISDAY, 9 A.M.
Wind W.S.W., strong, and squally.
Passed.—American liner, from New York, for
London.

Anchored.—Vallisneria, from London, for Cape
of Good Hope.
Brig Horatio from Odessa, for Bremen, laden
with rye, got on the Goodwin Sands about 8 o'clock
last night, and has become a wreck; crew Baled,
and landed here.

Troubadour, from Shields, for Barcelona, got on
the Knock about 5 o'clock yesterday morning; was
assisted off, and anchored in the Downs, making
4 inches of water per hour.

PROPOSED NEW RAILWAY CARRIAGE.—The ex-
isting form of railway carriage is proposed to be improved
so as to accommodate a larger number of persons. The
•

carriage is to be formed of two tiers of scats instead of one,
the body being placed low so as to give the necessary head
room for the passengers in each tier, access to be given to
the upper tiers by side doors, staircases, and steps, and to
the lower, or ground tier by doors placed at the ends, the
body having a projecting platform protected by railings at
each end, to enable passengers to enter the end doors, with
a passage or thoroughfare (as in America) from end to end
of each carriage on the lower floor.
NEW FIRE ESCAPE.—A gentleman of the name
of Bate is at present exhibiting at the Polytechnic Institu-
tion en exceedingly ingenious yet very simple piece of
machinery which he has patented, and the object of which
is to save life in cases of fire. The "Escape" is neither
more nor less than a canvas tube, with vulcanised India-
rubber springs applied externally, so as to yield with a
heavy weight, such as a man's, but so tightly grasping the
tube as to prevent the heaviest weight descending with un-
safe rapidity, This tube it is proposed to encluse in a me-
Wile column which shall stand in front of buil •ings, from
the roof to the pavement ; access to the column and tube to
be provided for on each floor by iron doors, shutting with
springs ; and the egress being provided for
by a spring buffer at the bottom, on to which
the descending body falls unhurt, read in felling
opening by another spring the door at the foot of the column
into the street. There can be no question of the practica-
bility of such a contrivance as this; and the only question
is whether or not builders will think it worth their while to
go to the alight expense of adding this to the other conve-
niences of modern houses, a point about which there must
Ibe some doubt, seeing that builders are already absurdly
economical in regard to that best of all fire escapes, and
cheapest of all ornaments—front balconies, continuous
along rows of houses. But it is very likely that this ulna-
lion will attract attention among private individuals owning
the houses they live in, and among companies holding
large buildings in which there are residence.. Not the
least advantage about Mr. Bate's plan is that, in ease of
fire, " property " can be thrown down the tube first, reach-
ing the ground undamaged, and " life " can descend imme-
diately after to take care of the property.
MILITARY ANECDOTE OF THE LATE LORD SALTOUN.
—Lord &thous was with his regiment, in 1815, at Quatre
Bras, on the 16th of June, where the Guards were severely
engaged. At the crowning field Of Waterloo, on the 18th
of June, he and his fellow-countryman, Colonel Mac-
donell, commanded the all-important post of Ilougomont,
on the right of the British army, and held it all day
against the overwhelming numbers of the French host,
Colonel Macdonell within, and Lord Saltoun without.
Towards the close of that eventful day he returned to
his place in the fine, with but about one-third of the men
with whom he had gene into action. lie now took a pro-
minent part in the last celebrated charge of the Guards. One
• abort anecdote of this moment of his career will at once de-
pict the character of the man, and the regard which the
• offices, and the love which his men bore for him. Velun-
tccring to go to the front some twenty or thirty paces, while
the battalion was lying down, and the last column of the
French army, some 10,000 strong, was coming on to endea-
vour to break the British line, and retrieve the day—he
arranged that be would put his cap on his sword, es a
signal when the men were to get up and fire. Utterly re-
gardless of himself, and seeing the advantage of allowing
the French column to approach to within certain destruc•
tion, he waited till they were so neer that hie brother
officers and friends called out to him—" For any sake, come
hack Saltoun—our own men must shoot you ;" on which
there was a general cheer, from right to left, " Never fear;
we wont shoot my lord."—Edinburgh Courant.
TILE NIAGARA FALLS AND LAKE ERlE.—Profes-
sor Silliman, the eminent geologist, discredits the opinion
advanced by some, that the gradual wearing away of the
rocks of Niagara Falls may possibly result in draining Lake
Erie. In a recent lecture he remarked They will not
ahbaol tuat tt
two
hoe imr
unknown period, and probably for ever, since at this place
enutthreeytrewaitil slowly 1 yagaanidn sfourrealny
iles
the hard limestone will form both the base and top of the
sefunrtthsteart,iown b
falls, and thus stop the destruction of the rock. Some have
theught that they would finally reach Lake Erie,and that
then the lake would be completely drained. Such an event
is impossible. At the point already mentioned the torrent
will gradually wear away the surface of the limestone,
forming a rapid, and thenceforth Niagara will be one of the
lost wonders of the world."— Washington Union.
LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY.—
Return of traffic for the week ending Aug. 28, 18.53
Passengers, parcels, carriages, horses, and mails,
34,8991. ss. 11,1. • merchandise, 22,0531. 7s. Bd.; cattle,
1,5061.18511 d. Tots:l, 68,4.591. 12e. Od. Corresponding week,
1802, 53,3741. as. 10d.
LONDON AND SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY.—
Amount of traffic for the week ending Aug. 27,1853 :—Pas-
senaers, 12,3311. 9e. 615.; goods, 2,5071. 14s. 4.10. Total
11,8391. ls. 101 d.
CoRK AND BANDON RAlLWAY.—ltetnrit Of traffic
for the week ending 27th of August, 185.1:—Prosengers,
parcels, &c., 1661. 7s. 7d. ; merchandise, cattle, &0.,
351.6,. 9d. ; total, 2011. 14s. 4d. Traffic for corresponding
week last year—Passengers, parcels, itc., 1851. 12s. Od. ;
I merchandise, Setae, etc., 331, 71.2 d. ; total, 2181, 191, 2d.