Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-20 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

answer to Captain Samuel's letter res-
-oecting the ship Dreadnought, we regret that
• the absence of Captain Enright prevents his reply-
ing. :at is quite new to us that the Dreadnought
ever beat the Lightning, or in fact that they ever
hail a race at all—the more particularly as they
have never sailed in the same direction—the one
• ship always going to Australia 'and the other to
New York. Our idea of a fast ship, however, is—
the one that is the shortest time between her port
of departure and her port of destination. Now the
Dreadnought has never been in our trade, but
we have once been in her's, and the Lightning and
her sister ship the James Baines made the pas-
-sage, in 1855, from Boston, U.S., to Liverpool, port
to port, in 121 days,and 13 days 17 hours, respective-
We have yet to learn that the Dreadnought, out
of all her numerous passages across, has ever done
lit in less.—We are, sir, yours,

JiMES BAINES AND CO

NEW ACT ON LOAN SOCIETIES.—The New Act on Loan
Societies, just passed, "revive," and Continues the law
relating to them until next August.
THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTES.—In the year ended
March last, the gross iecsme of the London, Edinburgh,
and Dublin Gazettes was £27,080 63. 9.1.
THE PROROGATION.—ParIiaMeIat, it is ROW confidently
stated, will be prorogued on'Ticsday next by her Majesty
in person. Saturday neat was the day originally intended
but it has been found impossible to get through the busi-
ness by that time.
Six Joner POTTER, M .—A rumour has been prevalent
for some days, which was referred to by a correspondent in
our pnblication of ycsterday, that the resignation of Sir
John Potter had been placed in the hands of his com-
mittee. We are desired to say, on the best authority, that
the rumour is untrue, and that Sir John's health is such
that there is little or no doubt he will be able to resume
!his duties next session.—Manchester Examiner.
PUBLIC Ancrioer OF CROPS. —Oa Monday, Mr. Robert
Martin, auctioneer, CEonegall-street, set up and sold by
auction, on the lands of Mr. Lawther Burnside, Dunadry,
wheat at £l5 10s. per acre; oats at £l4 per acre; and
potatoes (white rocks) at Is. Id. per perch of two drills.
These, it will be observed, are the highest prices obtained
for crops in the North of Ireland during this seism]. It
will be seen by the above that the farmers are getting on
prispereusly.—BelfastNews Letter.
LAND SLIP ON THE Bovril YORKSHIRE RAILWAY.—
,Owing, no doubt, to the late excessive rains, an immense
mass of rock, consisting of earth and stones, fell in the
deep cutting near Warmsworth, on the South Yorkshire
Railway, on Saturday night. The greater portion of the
material dropped into the large stone quarries at the end
-of the cutting, but sufficient fell on the line to completely
block it up. Relays of labourers were kept continually
employed in clearing the line up to Sunday night. The
line was again in work on Monday, but a large projecting
point of rock, left unsupported by the slip in the cutting,
hangs over the face of the cliff at Warmsworth in a very
dangerous position.
FATAL ACCIDENT TO A MANUFACIURISR.-0a Tuesday,
Mr. 'Ferranti Dearden, coroner, held an inquest at the
Rostron Arms, Bridge Mill, Rochdale, on the body of Mr.
Daniel Butterworth, aged forty-four years, a cotton
manufacturer at that place. Oa Thurs lay the 18th inst.,
deceased was at his mill, and one of his carters was
employed in throwing trusses of hay from the hay loft.
Prior to throwing a truss down, the carter looked to see
if any one was in the way, but saw no one, so he threw
down a truss. Just at that time deceased was passing
from his counting-house under the place, when the truss
caught him o❑ the head, and injured his spine. He was
removed home. Messrs. Wood, of Rochdale, Gillespie,
aed Taylor, of that neighbourhood, all surgeons ware
called to his aid, but he died on Monday morning last. A
verdict of " Accidental death" was returned.
THREE BOYS DROWNED WHILE BATHING.—OR Sunday
afternoon, a melancholy occurrence took place at Cliffe,
near Rochester, by which three lives were los'. The
deceased la Is whose names were Alfred Burgess, aged 13
years ; Robert J sines Burgess, aged 11 ; and Thomas
liemptoo, aged 12, proceeded to a place called C.iffe
Creek, in the Adedway, for the purpose of bathing. Robert
Burgess it appeared entered the water first, ard not being
acquainted with the river was soon out of his depth. The
other two lads went to his assistance, while a fourth ran
off to some cot'age near to obtain help. On his return he
found them all struggling together in deep water, and
immediately afterwards they sank. The body of Alfred
Burgess w.is got out almost directly, and the other two
soon afterwards, but all attempts to restore animation were
o no avail.

MANSLAUGHTER f•T YOEK.-012 Monday evening, an
inquiry took place before the coroner for the eity of
York, touching the death of Margaret Burns, aged four-
teen years. Her father is an Iriehman, living in Walm•
gate, a locality much frequented by the Irish. On
Sand ty evening she was standing in the street, with
another girl, when an Irish youth, named Conway, give
B Ins some -slight provocation, which she resented. The
parties then commenced fighting, and 010 es were ex-
changa don both aides. At length Conway struck the
girl a severe blow on the breas-. ; she staggered, and fell
heavily on the footpath, and died in a quarter of an hour
or twen.y minutea. On a post mortem examination of
the body being made, a bruise was found on the breast
of the deceased, and medical evidence showed that death
had been produced by the blow inflicted .by Conway.
A verdict of manslaughter was returned against him,
and he was committed for trial.
VENTILATION BY THE EITEDI JET.—A somewhat novel
application of the steam jet for the purpose of ventilating
a coal mine has just been made by Mr. F. H. Pearce, of
the Bowling Ironworks, near Bradford. The Leeds Mer-
cury gives the following account of the application :
" The application is at present in operation in a pumping
shaft, 120 yards in depth, the ventilation of which bad
been stopped by the water rising at the bottom of the pit
during the time some alterations were being made in the
pampa The water having stopped the air-courses, the pit,
to within a few yards of the ;tor, became Lull of the gas
known to miners as black or choke damp, which appears,
to have been discharged freely from some old workings,
and thus it was rendered an impossibility for the workmen
to descend until the removal of the gas had been effected,
and a cnistant current of pure air produced in the pit.
Mr. Pearce has succeeded in maintainieg so perfect a
ventilation of the above-mentioned pit, simply by allowing
a small jet of steam to issue into the atmosphere at a few
feet from the top of the pipes through which the water is
forced up when the pumps are at work, and the pit can be
worked with perfect safety. The workmen were enabled
to descend thirty minutes after the steam had been turned
into the pipes. The principle is exceedingly simple. The
jet of steam issuing from the top of the pipes produces in
them a partial vacuum, which thaws the foul air up these
pipes, and thence out of the pit with very great velocity.
The cost of applying the steam jet into the above mat.-
ner is very trifling ; and this method of ventilation will
doubtless be found a safe and useful one in many instances,
particularly in sinking deep shafts. In addition to other
advantages, wood or any other kind of pipes may be used.
It requires little or no attention, no machinery to get out
of repair, produces a powerful current of air, and can be
regulated at pleasure. As the steam is discharged into the
atmosphere above the top of the pi', it doss nut interfere
tv th the men woe k rag in the shaft.
MR. Janne( BARKER AND THE MAINE LAW.—III
letter, slated °metres City, Isfebrselea, 18th July, 1857.
Mr. Joseph Barker denies that he ever represented the
Maine Liquor Law to be a failure, and exoresies the fol-
lowing opinion regarding that measure :—I do not know
that it will he of any use, bat as my name has been pub•
Hely used against the Maine-law men, I would like you to
send a few words on this subjeet to the Alliance paper.
It is a feet, that most of those who cry out against the
Maine law, and who represent it as powerless, are the
friends and advocates of the drinkieg system. I have met
with some sober people—some truly sensible and good
men—who have expressed themselves strongly against
legislation on the drinking system—but not many. I
think 19 20ths -of those who in this country oppose Maine
laws are really enemies to the temperance reform, or
under the iefluenee of its enemies; and I imagine—ray, it
is past doubt—that those who pronounce the Maine law
ineffieient, do sa because they know it to be the contrary.
The Maine law was not repealed in Maine by the friends
of temperance, but by its enemies. The strenuous oppo-
nents i f Maine laws in Ohio and Indiana are distillers,
brewers, liquor sellers, free drinkers, and the classes natur-
ally in alliance with them. The friends of temperance go,
with very few exceptions, in favour of prohibiting the
traffic in intox'casing drinks. As to moral suasion, I hare
never met with any Maine-law men who rppose it or
undervalue it. The temperance men all use moral suasion,
Tney try to enlighten and elevate men's minds. Their
efforts to get Maine haws passed cause a vast amount of
discassiou on the temperance question, both in print and
public assemblies, in private circles and legisla'ive halls,
and thus aid the spread of temperance truth among the
people. Thine who call for political action doint trust to
political action alone, whi'b many that decry political
action ha'e and dread all action tending to lessen the eon-
:lump hap pf itatoicigating drinks,"