The Express.
London, England, 1859-10-29 00:00:00

ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION.

The opening meeting for the session 1858.59 took
place lest evening at the institution, 9, Conduit-street, Re-
gewroteset; Mr. Pro FOLD, the vice-president, in the chair.
The report of the proceedings of the peat eweion having
been red,
Mr. BILLINGS moved its adoption, end is doing so ad-
verted to the subject of street architecture which had beame
the feature of the age, ea one deserving the particular atten-
tion of the association. It was all eery wall in the owe of
chorale., theatre., and other public building., that the archi-
tecture should denote the purpo.e, but this should not be the
awe in street architecture. What wee required in a street

wee a style of architecture which could be appropriately ap-
plied to warehouses, shops.or private houses.
The motion was asoo d by Mr. HAT WARD, and adopted
unanimously.
Tha CHAIRMAN then read the opening addrees, which,
after congratulating the association upon the recant pro-
gress of architecture, and especially mentioning as specimens
deserving attention the Adelpht Theatre, tit. Margaret's
Church, their own Institution, and the Museum at Oxford,
referred to the designs for the new government offices, and
expeessed a predilection fee the Gothic style. Alluding then
to the unfortunate differences existing between =eters and
men in the building trade, he considered both parties in fault,
but expressed his hope that now both sides had shown that
their rights ware not to be encroached upon, an amicable ar-
rangement would be effected, that there would be a greater
:reciprocity of confidence, and that neither would be obliged
to succumb to the greater obstinacy of the other.
After some discussion, thanks were voted to the chairman
for his address, and the meeting thee separated.
Amongst the designs exhibited in the institution are some
very good specimens of the sliding gas chandelier fitted with
the invention of Mr. Hughes, of the Atlas Works, Hatton-
garden. This invention is en important addition to the
sliding chandelier, inasmuch as by the insertion of • whistle
in the throat of the tube, which is sounded by eacipiog gay
• defect is at once clearly indicated, and safety so tar secured.
la this patent, also, the three weights of the sliding chande-
lier are got rid of, and in their place a balance dieirChag the
tube is employed, adding both to the elegance end security of
the apparatus.

GLOCTSBTER ELECTION COMIIIBBION.

GLOUCESTER, FRIDAY.
This inquiry, which has extended over 24 days,
was this afternoon brought to a conclusion.
Mr. Commissioner Vaughan slid there were some
points still in dispute, and it would be necrosery to
hold one meeting in London to examine witnesses
further as to throe matters, of which notice would be
given. lie thanked the inkiabitante of Gloucester for the
forbearance they had shown during what was frequently a
very painful inquiry ; and also the spars on each side for
the &mammas they had afforded, end the authontics for the
accommodation they had provided.
Mr. D. M. W. Walker, proprietor of the Gloucester Journal,
oa the pert of the hberals, and Mr. Lovegrove fur the eon- •
earvativea, acknowledged the imputiality and ability with
which the inquiry had bean conducted, and the proceedings
terminated.

ROYAL COLLEOZ OF SURGEONS.—The following
gentlemen having undergone the neoessery examinations
for the diploma, were admitted members of the college at a
meeting of the court of eximmen on the 28th inst., viz. :
Messrs. Charles Former, King's•road, Brighton; Arthur
Bowen RiChafdS M an, anal); Anthony Getirlt• Heyday
Starks, Honitoon Devon; Throphilue William Pima,
Bridgwater; WiUlam Howse, Busford, Oxon.; Robert
Barlow, Queen's-reed, Deimos; John Sharpies Hollows,
Liverpiol; Henry Bromley, Rippingail, Luicolnehire ;
George Olive, Northampton; Dsvid Edward.. Great Rua-
sell-arreet, Covent•gsrden; William John TIM., Lt Rua
Bear Wiebsaelt • amid Autrobse, Talk-on-the-Hdl,
feedshire; Chri;topher Henry Levick, Stratford, F.airz ;
Joseph Peplaw, Gnat Rureell•street, Bloomsbury; George
Henry Jackerni, Lower Tratenhant ; Churls' Somerville.
Bloxisla, agar Walsall; Joseph Brockway Ayr.,* Tot-
teridge Barnet; Rica Williams, Wcllington..
road, Bt. John's-wood; William Stevens, Maude-grove,
Fulham-road; Edward Hoary Millis, Coventry ; Robert
Smoh Jeffs, Limon-grove; John James Regius, Loudon ;
William Butler, Cluipel-street, Islington; Thom.. Edmund
Jecobeos. tileaford, Lincolothire; Robert Fendick, Bristol;
Charles William Payne, ll.ane, Suffolk George Edwin!
Horton, Dudley; Felix Henry Kentp.ter. Buston•equare;
Joseph Webster, (lacer, near Huddersfield; John Allen
Gnat Tagttord. Cambridgeshire; and flannel
Howard Chatham, Stockport, Cheshire.
ROYAL INSTITUTS OP BRITISH ARCHITECTS.—
The semion will be applied in the new rooms of the inetitu
Conduit-street, on Monday, the 7th November, when Earl do
Orgy .ill preside, and Mr. Tito, M.P., will deliver an ad-
dress on the prevent etate and position of architecture st home
sad on the ceintinent.
DRINKING FOUNTAIN AT CANDIN-TOWN.-000
of the most beautiful structures that has as yet been erected
in the metropolis, in connexion with the public drinking
itooanwei,"liant the joint ext'pehasnee ofiaoth elm'inhaubit:Pletide and ofatthCeamPudberi;
Deleting Fountains Amocisiicie. The site relecred is the
Camden-broadway, at the entrance of the road lending to the
Ceoiden-rod-villes and the New Cottle-market.

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RIGS WAT* AT LOMIDOM SUDO&
raisigZirallt:

ship as the Royal Charter keeping that Welsh lead
close on board in the warm of weather, night coming
oa, without a pilot, in the hope of finding one, and
Ise the sake of laving a few hours at the close of an
astonishingly rapid and successful passage.

How the klat Charter ever hsd the right to get
into that atrocious Dula, Bay, where the rode%
stick up like jagged teeth, is a question quite as
easy to ask es it Is difficult to understand how t►e
Royal Charter should have ventured to pass Holy-
head in a gale without a pilot. From Holyhead to
the paint where the ship struck is all damyer; and
Seaga with the wind off the land and • pilot on
board the course for • ship bound to the Mersey
may be in shore, was it the safe course, it may be
asked, under opposite circumstances? Yet it is not
to be presumed for a moment that the common signs
of weather, or the rules for approaching land, were
deliberately set at nought, or that the weather-
glasses were not consulted, or that the tidal currents
and the notorious indraught on the Welsh coast
were forgotten or neglected by the lamented com-
m•nder of the Royal Charter and his officers, none
of whom, alas! remain to tell the story. From the
moment when it was found that the ship could not
make head agenda the hurricane and the indraught,
and that it was impossible to make the Mersey, the
late of the ship needs no explanation. Blue lights
end rockets were burnt for a pilot; but, as no one
who knows Welsh pilots will be surprised to hear,
no pilot appeared ; and, pilot or no pilot, it was now
too late. The ship was hove to, and drifting help-
Italy into Hulas Bay. Here she let go her
anchors, " keeping her screw working to ease the
" cables." One after the other the cables parted
with the strain ; at 2.30 she struck, the tide ebbing,
sad with the flood she went broadside on to the
shelving beach, literally split in two amidships, end
was smashed to pieces on the rocks. We are guilty
of no presumption in drawing one conclusion, and
that is the worse than uselessness, the absolutely
fatal mischief of the so-called " auxiliary" screw.
The Royal Charter was, it should be remem-
bered, an iron ship of 2,749 tons, " originally
" intended for a sailing vessel," bat transformed
into • screw steamer, " with engines of 300 horse
" power." The value of these screw engines to a
ship of this size and quality seems to us at least pro-
blematical ; at best it could only serve her in making
way across the " calm belts;' and as a set off to this
exceptional service, there was the dead weight of the
engines and the space they occupied, often to no pur-
pose. NYhatever may have been the use of
the auxiliary screw in calms, it is too cer-
tain that in working off a lee shore it
was not only not serviceable, bat dis-
astrous; it not only failed to claw the ship off, but
It failed to ease the cables, and when the spars
were cut away, the screw got fouled, and ceased to
work. Is it absurd or unjust to suppose that had
there been no auxiliary steam power in the Royal
Charter she would have been permitted to hag
a hie shore at night in search of a pilot, with a hurri-
cane dead on her weather bow, and • strong in-
draught to the shore ? Had she trusted to her sail-
ing powers only, would she not have consulted her
weatherglasses more anxiously, and kept well out to
sea ? We do not attempt to answer these questions,
but we ask them deferentially, sorrowfully, and
under • due sense of responsibility.
The Royal Charter, like others of her class, was
probably built for speed rather than for strength;
and it is no secret that these Australian clippers are
severely strained by "carrying on." It is
no matter of surprise, then, that the ship
"split amidships" after she struck, " letting
" her engines and passengers through," and
afterwards parted longitudinally "at the fon
" hatch." Even the Great Eastern would ha►e
been 'only tried by such aan on such a shore. Let
as draw a veil of pity over the horrors of that scene.
The poet of "The ahipwnek," with all his imagina-
tion, aided by all his terms of art, has not conceived
anything more terrible than the sudden, complete,
and indiscriminate distraction of the Royal Charter