The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-05 00:00:00

INGALL'S RAILWAY SIGNALS.

A private view of some inventions, by which Mr.
Ingall, of Throgmorton-street, proposes to prevent
railway accidents and collisions, was given yesterday
at the London Tavern, preparatory to exhibiting them
to the public from this day until next Tuesday. Mr.
Edmeades, of the Royal Panopticon, attends for the
purpose of explaining the principle and operation of
these inventions, of which the models are upon a large
scale, and give a very good idea of their working capa-
bilities if applied upon a railway. One of the greatest
causes of collision arises between goods and passenger
trains. The only protection now used is not to start one
train until the other has preceded it several minutes, so
that it may be assumed to be out of danger. By means
of Mr. Ingall's train-indicator the train itself is made to
register its progress, between station and station, each mile
it passes over ; so that the station-master can tell at any
minute precisely were the train is, and thus prevent all
possibility of collision. The apparatus by which this is
proposed to be effected seems simple and well adapted
to its purpose.
Another inver.tion, of reat importance to the public,
is intended to enable passengers to communicate with
the guard. In whatever compartment they may be placed
they would' have the power of throwing up a signal from
the carriage roof, while also exciting notice by means of
an air whistle worked by a piston attached to a car-
riage-wheel. Means are provided, by which the guard
on having his attention thus called to any part of the
(rain, could, in the first instance, communicate with the
passenger, and then, if necessary, by meals of a second
whistle, with the driver. By another of Mr. Ingall's inven-
tions the engine-driver has power to turn himself off front
one line of rails to another, and so prevent the accidents
that sometimes occur either from a sudden impediment to
the switch, where the switchman has no power to turn it,
or else is liable to let it slip while a train is passing, and so
turn over the carriages. Mr. Ingall has further invented
a self-acting signal-post, whereby a train will register
the time it has passed, whether five, ten, or fifteen mi-
nutes. The great object of all these inventions is to
have everything, as far as possible, self-acting, so that
too great power shall not be placed in one man's hands ;
and the extent to which the railway has now super-
seded every other mode of locomotion makes the means
by which the possibility may be lessened of accidents
occurring a matter of general interest and importance.
Without pretending to decide whether Mr. Ingall has
fully succeeded in the laudable object to which he has
devoted so much time and ingenuity, we can safely re-
commend all who feel interested in the subject to visit
the exhibition, of models and drawings at the London
Tavern, and hear the clear explanations offered by Mr.
Edmeades.

The ordinary French steam-pack et, which left Con-
stantinople on the 26th, arrived at Marseilles yester-
day (Wednesday) with despatches from the Crimea,
which will probably reach London at an early hour on
Friday morning.
The electric telegraphs lately invented by Chevalier
Bonelli for making trains communicate with each other
while they are running, and thus preventing collisions,
are now being established on the Turin and Truffarello
railway line, with a view to test the utility of the in-
vention.

GREAT WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Captain Bulkeley has
retired from the board; but not, we are glad to say,
from the service of the company. The gallant gentle-
man, whose exertions in the organisation of the excur-
sion system to the %fest are not yet forgotten, has un-
dertaken the management of the coal traffic, so that
every possible outlet on the line may be made available
for this increasing source of revenue.—Railway Times.
THE NEW TRANSFER DRATJGHTS to obviate the risk long
complained of by the importing houses of London, in
being compelled to make all duty payments at the Cus-
toms in bank-notes, will be issued by the Bank of Eng-
land on Monday next to such of the various banking
firms as may be disposed to accommodate their cus-
tomers with them. Under this system a firm having
duties to pay will be able to send a crossed check for the
amount to their bankers, who will give it for one of these
new transfer draughts on the Bank of England, payable
to the Customs only, and which will immediately be ac-
cepted by them as cash.
The Wanderer, of Vienna, relates the following anec-
dote :—" A Jewish banker, of Frankfort, while proceed-
ing to Vienna by railway, not long since, fell into con-
versation with a gentleman of very pleasing mermen,
who was in the same carriage with him, and so delighted
was the banker with his new acquaintance that he offered
to give him a letter of recommendation to his daughter,
who was well married in Vienna and might be of service
to him. The gentleman thanked him, and, with a smile,
said—' I also have one of my daughters married at
Vienna, and she has made a very tolerable match.'
' Pray, may I presume,' said the banker, 'to ask the
name of her husband ?" It is the Emperor of Austria,'
was the answer, the gentleman being Prince Maximilian
of Bavaria."

NEW YORK.—The commerialadvices from New York
yesterday contain full details of the banking failures at
San Francisco. The prexislate cause of the panic was
the news of the temporary stoppage of Page and Bacon
at St. Louis, that announcement having produced a run
on the Californian house of Page, Bacon, and Co. ; but
a crisis had evidently been coming on for several weeks,
which required only some slight occurrence for
its de-
velopment. After paying out about 100,0001. in coin,
on the 22d of February, Page, Bacon, and Co. resolved
to suspend. On the next day Adams and Co., alter pay-
Ina about 40,0001., also found it necessary to stop ; and
Wells, Fargo, and Co., the Miners' Exchange Bank, and
Robinson and Co.'s Savings Bank all followed. Subse-
quently a statement was issued by Page, Bacon, and
Co., showing liatdlities for 260,0001., and nominal assets
to the amount of 430,0001., and a proposition was made
to the depo.itors that they should accept notes at two,
four, six, and eight months, and a:low the establishment
to resume. About 41 of the various firms of the city
came f inward to guarantee these notes to the extent of
210,0001., and on the 25th of February, the day before
the steamtr sailed, the house gave notice that they bad
made arrangements to re-commence business, and hoped
to do so in three or four days. Adams and Co. had put
forth a circular, stating that they had suspended merely
for the general protection of their creditors, and that
their assets would prove sufficient to discharge their
obligation., but had not yet issued- a balance-sheet.
Wells, Fargo, and Co. showed a nominal surplus of
78,0001., and stated that they required only a few days
to dispose of a portion of their assets, when they would
be enabled to meet all claims. The probability is that
some of these'anticipations will be found to have been too
sanguine, but meanwhile they had caused a subsidence of
the panic. It appears that owing to the diminished
production of gold, from the scarcity of water during the
past two or three months, large shipments of coin as
well as of gold dust bad been made to meet payments in
the Atlantic States and elsewhere, and that a reduction
of the circulation had thus taken place, which had caused
a heavy pressure in all quarters. Regarding the state
of affairs at New York, the letters on this occasion
describe no alteration of moment. The stock-market
had continued to improve until the arrival of the Cali-
fornian news, when a slight fall took place. The ten-
dency, however, was still towards confidence, and the
prices of railway bonds were well maintained. Illinois
Central had lately advanced 5 per cent., and the New
York Central 2 per cent. Nevertheless the large specie
shipments to England consequent upon the low state of
the southern rivers having prevented the sending for-
ward of produce, coupled with the prospect that the
crisis of St. Francisco would diminish the gold arrivals
thence for the next month or two, were regarded by
cautious observers as likely soon to bring about another
temporary reaction. Cotten, was very firm, owing to
scanty arrivals from the interior, and wheat also was
well maintained, the belief being that moderately high
prices must continue until next harvest. Fires in the
pine woods of North and South Carolina are stated to
have caused a destruction of trees likely to affect in
some degree the supply of turpentine during the
ye.
THE PUBLIC DEBT.--A return just published gives an
account of all additions made to the annual charge of the
public debt by the interest of any loan or annuities created
during the last 10 years, It hence appears that in 1847
an annual charge was entailed of 270,8371., in respect
of 8,000,000/., borrowed for the service of the year (at
the rate of 891, 10s.), to 1001. capital stock; in 1848,
a total charge of 69,339/., in respect of a capital of
2,288,4341. created in Three per Cent. Consols ; in 1853,
a charge of 11,6071., in respect of a capital of 383,0981.
created in the Three per Cents. Reduced ; and one of
27,0171., in respect of a capital of 891,6621. in the Three
per Cent. Consols, and lastly a charge of 11,2441. in re-
spect of 408,9001. Exchequer-bonds created in exchange
for Exchequer-bills in 1853. All these annual charges
are authorised to be defrayed out of the Consolidated
Fund.
SMUGGLING. -- Smuggling, there is no doubt, sharpens
the wits of the dullest people. A record of the various
contrivances of smugglers would fill a volume with in-
stances of some of the subtlest efforts of human inge-
nuity. Ships seem to have been contrived on purpose
to defeat the revenue officers. The form of vessels and
the various contrivances to increase their strength afford
an immense nuniber of holes, cupboards, and recesses for
the stowing away of contraband goods. A great quan-
tity of articles are smuggled into the country inside the
lining of ships —that is, between the inner and outer
planking of the sides ; and although Custom-house offi-
cers rummage a vessel all over every time she arrives
from a foreign port, they are deceived for months and
years together. An ingenious method of smuggling
tobacco has just been discovered at one of the outposts.
A space formed by the lining -of a mail steam packet
communicated with a locker. This locker and space
were always closely scrutinised ; the space extended a
long way up the side of the ship, and it was obvious
that it gradually diminished to nothing. The longest
armed revenue officer used to grope about, and, finding
nothing within reach, was -always satisfied that all was
right. A. spring, however, had been passed through
the top of this space, far beyond the reach of the
officer's hand, and ran for several yards along the
lining of the ship, where there was only just room
for it, until it was coiled round and fastened to the
concealed end of a loose hat peg. When uncoiled,
the string, by means of a small weight dropped down
towards the locker, a quantity of tobacco was attached
to it, and it was then dragged up, with the tobacco, out
of the way of the Customs officers digits. When the
coast was clear the string was uncoiled, and down would
drop the tobacco within reach, to be taken away.
Large quantities of' spirits are now smuggled into the
country in sausage skins. Many a man goes ashore
with one of these skins full of spirits fastened straight
down the inside of each leg. These skins, containing
contraband eau-de-vie, are also coiled round the waist.
They are not completely filled then, so that when a tide-
waiter delicately feels a waist the liquid and skins give
way, and there is nothing tangible or suspicious to be
felt,