The Express.
London, England, 1847-11-29 00:00:00

SCOTLAND.

EDIII3ITRON, NOT 27
Notwithstanding several recent complaints of dul-
ness in the iron trade, the minerals on the estate of
Kase, on the banks of Doan, Ayrshire, have been let
to an English company, who are to commence opera-
tions in January next. The iron works at Dalmel-
lington in the same county will soon be working,
the engines being now in process of construction.
A flagrant instance of the operation of the entail
law has recently transpired. About twenty years
ago, a border proprietor whose rental was 7,0001. per
annum, became bankrupt, signed a trust deed, left the
country, and has not since returned. Being entailed,
the creditors could not touch the estate, and have
never received one farthing. The estate itself is going
to ruin, as the nominal proprietor can do nothing for it.
The North British Mail publishes a list of closed
mills, seven in number, which have thrown 2,670
hands out of employment. Almost all the Glasgow
mills that are going are still on short time.

DEATH•SCENI AT DUNDES.—AR Irish family, consisting
of six individuals, were recovering from a seven and linger-
ing ferer, to which the father had fallen a victim ; and, as
their condition was that of extreme poverty, and all being in
a weakly state, the people in the neighbourhood had sub-
scribed to pay for a nurse till some of them became stronger,
or, at least, until the last offices were paid to the departed.
The nurse entered en her duties on Wednesday, and late at
night was seen in apparently good health. As neither she
nor any of the family were seen abroad in the morning,
and, u there was no sound of any one stirring about
the house, the neighbours, towards the forenoon, be-
gan to suspect that all was not right inside. At length
some of them made their way into the miserable abode.
They found the nurse dead, the grandmother (a eery old
woman), the mother, and four of the family, lying on the floor,
deprived of the power of moving a limb or even uttering an
inarticulate sound.—Adoerturr. They were all con- ,
veyed to the infirmary. [We (Courier) understand
that the above melancholy occurrence Knee from the
noxious vapour emitted by a quantity of gas cinders, with
which the nurse had kindled a fire, and the want of ventila-
tion to ounteract its influence. The individuals carried to
the infirmary recovered the use of their speech on Friday, so
as to be able to give an account of what led to the death' of
their attendant, and their own alarming illness. They are
now rapidly recovering.
MR. JOHN DVNCAN,the African traveller, is now at state-
boasts, of which place he is a native, oa a visit to his mother
and sister.—Dumfries t'it' andard.
LANARKSHIRE AND LYTHIANS.—The North British Mail
understands that an immediate and final dividend of ss. or
ss. Id. per share will be made. The committee have effected
reductions on the claims against the company to the extent
of 23 per cent.
ANOTRER STEEPLE-CLIMBING FRAT.--liir. Wright, the
celebrated, steeple climber, made his second debut in Perth,
on Friday, by mounting to the vane of St. John's Church,
in presence of thousands of wondering and not a little
alarmed spectators. The feat on this occasion, although in
our opinion not involving quite so fearful a risk as that of his
ascent to St. Paul's, was still eminently perilous. The ele
vation of his kite to convey a rope over or about the vane,
as in the case of St. Paul's, failed here too. It got entan-
/led about the rigging of the West Church, and was torn to
pieces. Mr. Wright would, however, be up, and the
following is the method by which he accomplished the
ascent. He obtained five rods, each about fifteen feet ,
long, so as on being joined together they would reach
front the bartisin to the summit. 'I hey were no
thicker than the butt end of a common fishing-
rod. The first he placed against the steeple, and with no
other than the precarious footing afforded by the Livings d
the lead, and with the rod as his only hold by his book be
climbed; up so far as to be enabled to nail and lea the ter I
of it to the steeple. Getting it steadied and secured thus, he
pulled up a second rod by means of a cord, lashed it to the
sop of the first, mounted it also, fastened its top, palled up a
third, and so on until he reached the spire, where holding
out his band in token of triumph, he was rested a burst
of applause from the multitude below. H 4101111111.1114 up sad
secured his tackle, and was soon safely eiela wt-betisan. Altogether few would credit the prsadeskWty of lbw
undertakings if they did not witness them. Men may be
found to ascend to any altitude by means of scaffolding ; but
to climb up steeples nearly perpendicular, 170 feet in
height, by means of nails, little bite of twine, and tender
sticks appears altegetber incomprehensible. Mr. Wright,
of course, professes n• fear. On his giddy eminences he is
evidently as much at ease as a crest lamplighter is upon his
ladder when lighting a lamp. Yet he has cool, ekilltil, deli-
berate, and calculating qualities which counterbalance his
extreme daring. He wants no more than one chance in a
hundred to get to the top, and if he discover that chance he
will make the task out. Both his undertakinp in Perth are
evidences of this; for we (Porta Courier) heard one of our
most daring and skilful slaters affirm that there were ninety-
nine chances against his life out of the hundred in his
secant, especially to St. Paul's, and that probably not another
man in the kingdom could do the same thing. We may
mention that Mr. Wright has replaced the vane on St. Paul's,
regilded it, and pointed the steeple down to the dial plate, to
the satisfaction of the inspector appointed by the town-
council.