The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-17 00:00:00

THE COMPASSES OF IRON SHIPS.

The following letter (says the Liverpool Courier)
will be read with much interest by all persons con-
nected with iron ships. It is satisfactory to know
that the compasses of iron vessels can be accurately
adjusted, and this letter will be a welcome piece of
information to all who have an interest in iron ships
and steamers, a perusal of which Mr. Gray states,
will be sufficient to show the importance of this
letter:—

Sir,—The magnetic phenomena incidental to iron
craft being a matter deeply,interesting to the scientific
world, any peculiarity that may have a tendency to
render them navigable in all parallels of latitude,
without deviation, is a desideratum " most devoutly
to be wished."

It was a source of particular gratification to me,
and must be to all deeply interested in the success of
iron ships, to be enabled to state that the compasses of
theiron screw-steamer Sarah Sands were examined
by me, on Saturday morning last, in order to ascer-
tain whether any change had taken place since I last
adjusted her; and, after swinging the ship, not the
slightest alteration was discoverable in one compass
situated almost over the screw, and in the standard
compass, about 15 feet further forward, the error was
so small that alteration of the magnets was scarcely
necessary, and this after a period of nearly six years.
It was likewise satisfactory to observe that, in lieu
of any increase in the original amount of error in the
standard, there was a diminution, which peculiarly
characterises the majority.
The extreme accuracy of this vessel is well worthy
the attention of iron ship-buildrs and machinists
generally, in showing the imperative necessity, not
only for making them strong, but also that their
motive power shall work so smoothly as to enable
them to " glide through the waters," in lieu of creating
that vibratory action so destructive to the good indi-
cation of a compass and the permanent magnetic
character of the hull itself.

This steam-ship has been a most valuable agent for
the determination of a moot point now being inves-
tigated—that is, whether iron ships undergo a very
important change after crossing the Equator or not.
For years I have entertained the opinion that, for all
practical purposes, the adjustment on Professor Airy's
principle will answer equally well in both north and
south latitudes, and which this vessel has demon-
strated beyond all doubt.
Simultaneous bearings were taken by Captain
Thompson and his chief officer in various parts of the
Straits of Magellan, and the result clearly showed that
no deviation whatever took place.
By this time the Great Britain will also have ascer-
tained this point, and the report from Captain
Matthews is most anxiously expected.—l am, Sir,
yours most obediently,
JOHN GRAY Sept.te Gray and Reece),
Strand-street, Liverpool, S 14.

ACCELERATION of the LONDON MAIL
A paragraph has appeared in some of our contempo-
raries regarding an acceleration of the London mail,
which was stated was to take effect from the Ist of Oc-
tober. That such an acceleration is in contemplation is
perfectly correct, but we are auohorised to state that the
arrangements are not in such a state as to allow it to
take effect from the Ist of October, and that no intima-
tion has yet been received as to when the charge will
take place. From the great amount of labour which
will be necessary in arrarging the branch posts
throughout Scotland to suit the time of the new arrivals
frool, and departures for, the south, some time
must yet elapse ere the proposed arrangement can come
into operation. We may state, however, in order to
show the nature of the proposed alteration, that the let-
ters leaving London at eight in the evening will be in the
course yof delivery at eleven A.M. next day, instead of,
as formerly, at two P.M., and that the letters for Lon-
don, which now leave Edinburgh at twelve at noon, will
not be dispatched until 3.15 P.M. by the night mail for
London. A similar acceleration will also take place as
regards Glasgow and the north, and the branch posts
throughout Scotland will be re-arranged to suit the alte-
rations iu the London mail, and will also receive the
benefit of the intended acceleration. It is also intended
Berwick
line. the acceleration shall take effect on the.,
line. It will thus be seen that when the above arrange-
meat
takes effect there will be a gain of three
the delivery of the London mail, which willatwaoeucrrostnoslina-
derable benefit to the community, as an
letter, posted in London the night before, can be dis-
patched by the London mail leaving
3.15 P.M.—Caledonian Mercury. Edinburgh at

ELECTRICITY : ITS INFLUENCE IN
VITAL PROCESSES.
A correspondent, "W. G." sends us (Builder) an
essay on this subject, which, however, is, in the main,
neither so new nor so conclusive as he appears to regard
it. Between some of the phenomena of life and 00_71
beautiful analogies,
of those of electricity, there are certainly stronnjogares
but there are the like a light;
amongst the phenomena of electricity, beat, andth even
and yet it cannot be decisively
.itscertainfl. Never_
these are identical, far less electricity anadnicl
light—are
theless, ,that all three—electricity,
heat'there cannot be
intimately associated with vital action
'renaarks, we give,
a doubt. With these few introductory
-0 regard as the
without farther comment, te:—" May not
strongest points in the
he anniverse—that universal
that great binding chain of t
principle, whose intensity
power—that wonder-wer
tikialessiblo diatances from the
continues the same at t!- ,--bo also the origin and
earth's surface—' flectritictlytyand
life,
both animal and
universal cans®
of vihtaich the instantaneous action of
easaywhliut ded
vegetable, and by vv
nE is telegraphed throughout the
thought and fee.ll,le-t-us inquire; and, by way of illus-
tration, we neither an acorn nor any other seed
Fillframe take as acorn and an egg. Now, it is
that l kept dry, nor will an egg produce a
vv. .-,ethee common temperature of the atmosphere
chicken at
uutr ) but both will inevitably perish
, , least in this co 3' ,
`a' ndition be not changed
wellaniimi aaklnromvvinnl
If the
if their co
acorn, .
or a gram of wheat or of any other plant, be
in
.
buried moist earth, all the requisite conditions neces-
sary to its growth are fulfilled, because we surround
the seed with the means from whence the nutriment for
the organization and construction of the plant i 3 derived;
and the electric circuit being also completed by that
simple act, such nourishment is eistrinuted by the eh-.
culating current generated as has been just pointed out;
and this elcctro-chemical process constitutes in fact the
only vitality of plants. The suspended vitality of seeds
may be regarded as analogous to the broken galvanic or
electro-telegraphic circuit in which the electrical action
1 is suspended."

The dividend due the 30th inst. on the Danish
Three per Cent. Loan of 1825 has been advertised by Messrt.
Rothichild. A notice has been issued from the office of the
Spanish Financial Commission, stating that the tenth auction
of the foreign redeemable debt will take place at Madrid on
the 30th inst., for which purpose 781,599 teals have been as-
signed by the Government.
The Earl and Countess of Tankerville have left
Hertford-street, May-fair, for the Earl of Malmesbury's seat,
Heron-court, near Christchurch, where the Noble Foreign
Secretary is fsliortlY expected to arrive from Scotland.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,
DONCASTER RACES.
WEDNESDAY'S RACES CONCLUDED.
The Sweepstakes of 10 sous. each, h ft, with 50 added,
were won by Lambton by two lengths, Audubon and
Auchinleck close together, being four or five lengths
from "Venison filly, the second; Peggy fifth, the others
beaten off.

Match, 200, h ft. Red-house in.
Lord Derby's Longbow, 3 yrs Bst 111 b (received).
Lord Glasgow's Incognita, 2 yrs,'
6st 81b (paid).
In conclusion of our notice of the "St. Leger Day,"
we have only to add to the few lines sent from the course
that the rain continued to fall steadily for some time
after the conclusion of the races, adding in no small de-.
gree to. the discomfort of the thousands who had come
from distant localities, and from the simultaneous rash
to the railway station, regardless of the " order of run-
ning" advertised by the authorities, and of the separate
provision made for the Sheffield traffic, producing an
extraordinary scene ef.confasion for several hours; for-
tunately no accident of any consequence occurred, and
of the prodigious crowds who entered the town in the
morning, only four persons were fcund to have been left
behind—and those only from their own carelessness—
on the departure of the last train. The arrangements
at the station were personalty directed by Mr. Seymour
Clarke, the general manager, and Mr. Denniston, the
superintendent of the Great Northern line.
THURSDAY'S RACES.
Handicap S leepstakes of 10 sous.
.Facii, la ft, with 50
added, for two yrs old, the secondto save his stake.
RA-house in.
Mr. Morris's Charity, 6st (Wells) 1
Mr. Shepherd na Ace of Trumps, Est 121 b (Osborne) 3
Worthington's Jacquenetta, Est 511),... (Carroll) 2
Mr.
Mr. J. Scott's Eaton, 7st 101 b ... (Flatman) 0
Mr. Wilkins'a Polly, 7st 21b
Mr. G. Barker's fby Venison, Est 1 llb ...(Charlton) 0
Mr. Mercy's Velour,
6st 91b (car. Est 111b)...(Knott) 0
Mr. hleiklam's Ada, by Poynton, 6st 91b (Aldcroft) 0
Mr. H. Lister's Luxury c, 6st 51b (Kendall) 0
Betting—G to 4 against Charity, 4to 1 agst Eaton, 4
to 1 agst Luxury colt, and 5 to 1 agst Venison filly. 2
to 1 was taken about Valour at the commencement of
the betting, and 100 to 1 offered against her at the close.
The Venison filly jumped off with the lead, and with
Charity, Valour, Luxury c., and Jacquenetta in waiting,
made play to the bend, where Charity went ahead, and,
taking the lead near the distance post, won easily by
two lengths. Run in 1 min. 14 sec.
The Scarborough Stakes of 20 sovs. each, 10 ft. One

mile.
Captain Scott's Allegro, Bst 2lb
Mr. A. Nichol's Phantom, Bst 21b (Templeman) 2
Betting-2 to lon Allegro, who won, hard held, by
half a length. Run in 1 min. 47 sec.
The Eglinton Stakes of 10 sovs. each, 5 ft, with 100
added; for two yrs old, Est 10lb; three, Bst 121 h;
fillies and geldings allowed 31b; penalties and allow-
ances; the second to receive 20 SOTS. out of the stakes,
and the winner to pay 15 sovs. to the fund. T.Y.C.
Lord Clifden's Pelion, 2 yrs, 6st 101 b (Charlton) 1
Lord Derby's Longbow, 3 yrs, Bst 121 b (F. Butler) 2
Lorr. d C
J.
Da 1 ea dwosno'rseB Verbena
Anteve
rct
go
,1 t, 2 y
2 yrs, 6
6,
sls 1b
7t
ilbo(A(dWe
reol
fl (Wells)
00
Mr. S. Hawkes's Paddy Bird's dam filly, Est 71b (Hiett) 0
Mr. Meiklaw's Stilton, 3 yrs, Sst 121 b (Templeman) 0
Sir C. Monk's Vindex, 2 yrs (Flatman) 0
Mr. J. Osborne's Exact, 2 yrs, 6st 121 b (J. Osborne) 0
Mrs J. M. Stanley's Corybantes, 6st 101b-.(Toovey) 0
Betting-2 to 1 agst Exact (t), 9to 4 agst Pelion, 5
to 2 agat Vindex, 6 to 1 agst Stilton, and 10 to 1 agat
Longbow.
In going to the post to start Vindex broke away and
()roll
duppwualrldhsimofultp. ree parts of a mile before Flatman
was, after a long delay,lt was with
off with the lead, and Witht to the post. Pelion jumped
where Longbow took the second
A nte vpelratca,e ;
t tVindex,
hs and
hal f
dis-
tance he
great difficulty that he
Verbena colt laid up, made running to the distance,
he joined Pelion, and they raced home, the young
who got 'badly off a
one winning by a head. Exact,
bad third, Anteverta fourth. Stilton and Corybantes,
who also lost start, were the last two. Run in 1 min.
43 sec.
The Cleveland Handicap of 20 soya. each, h ft, and five
only if declared, with 60 added; second to save his
stake. One mile. (22 Subs., 12 of whom declared.)
Mr. Meiklam's Evadne, 3 yrs, Tat Ilb. (Alderoft) 1
Mr. G. Noble na Brawn, 3 yrs, sst Sib (Kendall) 2
Mr. Flintoff's The Reaper, 4 yrs, 7st llb (Wells) 3
Mr J. Osborne's Lady Agnes, 6st 121 b (Osborne, jun) 4
Won by a neck.
Sweepstakes of 10 soya. each, and 50 added for two yrs
old; colts, Bst 71b; fillies, Bst 41b; winners extra;
second to receive 20 sovs. out of the stakes. T. Y. o.
(25 Subs.)
Mr. J. Osborne na Lambton (Osborne, jun.)
Mr. S. Hawke's Towton (Bumby) 2
Mr. Woffenden's The Queen (Templeman) 3
Lord Chesterfield's Begum colt (Nat) 4
Mr. Meiklam's Hatchett (Cartwright) 0
Mr. Morris's Charity (Manion) 0
Mr. J. M. Stanley's Belgravia (A. Day) 0
Won by two lengths.
The Foal Stakes of 100 sovs. each, h ft. One mile and
a half. (6 Subs.)
Lord Exeter's Stockwell walked over.
LATEST BETTING.
THE CUP.
7 to 4 agst Teddington (t) j 7 to 4 agst Kingston (t)

THE CESAREWITCH.
9to 1 eget Lady Evelyn 25 to 1 agat Vermuth
L 2 to 1 agst LS Rut. 30 to 1 agst Mrs. Birch.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE.

1,000 to 60 egst Koh-i- 12,000 to 60 agst King Pe-
noor (;) pin (t).
Paying and receiving on the St. Leger commenced this
morning, and, us far as it went, passed off quietly; many
heavy accounts, however, remain for the town settling
on Monday, so that no opinion of its issue can be given;
it promises to be tolerably harmless. The weather to-
day has been remarkably fine, and the attendance good.
DONCASTER, Frtmev MORNING.
LATEST BETTING.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
THE CUP.
11 to 8 agst Kingston 12 to 1 agst Caracara
7to 4 apt Tecidington Il2to 1 agst Harbinger.
10 to 1 agst Truth (t)
Little Harry and S
DE

tilton are scratched.
1131%
1 20 to 1 agst Umbria'.

13 to 1 agst Orestes (t)
20 to 1 agst Cheddar (r)

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Having read an article published in your
excellent paper of Saturday, the 11 th inst., upon a
subject of the utmost consequence, as it respects our
Navy, relating to the recommendation by Sir John
Ross of the adoption of a Drunkards' Mess, I feel
happy in corroborating and bearing testimony to that
most effectual means of suppressing drunkenness,
having practised the plan on board the ship I com-
manded, Hazard sloop of war, where we most
effectually established sobriety and good order, with-
out ever having recourse to flagellation. Attached
to our plan was a Drunkards' Tub, a very ugly tub
n
it was, painted dirty yellow,
in capital letters, marked thereon. The sight of
five-water
tub was most hideous to drunkards ; their
drank it
grog was mixed up in it, and the
out of an ugly member:,-at-Arma
and "Drunkards' Tub,"
blaster-at-Arms
officers
mug under the
upon the gangway, close under the Y
on the quarter-deck. What theyeh
most down was thrown overboard,
and
:brown overboard
respect-
able men allowed the entire to bedrinking out of the
eeeosuld not gulp
rather than be disgraced by
"Drunkards' Tub."
Drunkards' Mess. The
were not all members of the
considered incorrigible
members of the Tub
Drunkards'
drunkards, and their punishmentthe generally of longer
duration than those o. Allow me to add a
Plan which we practised
in the service—l mean &s-
-our second great
gtievwen the East India Dress
I were
edi 'ollfT°:ueb. checking
de-
sertion.
with our men-of-war's-men,
off the Mother Bank, their
eery
Bickerton,
Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth,
Sir R.
d r to the fleet not to grant leave to our
issued an
order
tehe India fleet were at the Mother Bank.
sailors while
leave before the order had
I bad given my men e
ship, and on meeting Sir R. Bickerton
cbroiumnocis fleelt
w-e"remusylaying
n shore he was very angry, observing
that, notwith-
standingohis order, he noticed my men with
~Hazard" on their hats. I assured him the order
had not reached us in time. "But how can you
bed our
your men, many of them strangers, drafted into
I told him my plan.
ship but the other day ?"
applicant for leave was to find two bondsmen,
;:rytrroehuusescrt
the nature of their bond being that if the applicant
did not return the bondsmen should never have leave
from the ship so long as I commanded her. Sir It.
B. liked the plan, and desired me to report to
him, which I had the pleasure of doing, that every
man returned according to his leave. I remarked to
Sir R. B. that sailors, though they may play
tricks with their officers sometimes, were generally
true to each other. I must beg further to remark, in
respect to the Drunkards' Mess that the members,
after having served their time, were restored to their
former mess,
upon the application of their former
messmatcs to the commanding officer, and a promise
of sobriety on their part.
Your obedient servant,
JNO. COOKESLEY,
Retired Rear-Admiral.
House, Portshead, Bristol,
September 15,
1852.
Rackley

CONSECRATION OF A NEW ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH AT GREENWICH.—Yesterday the Roman Catholic
new church of " Our Lady of the Sea,, ' at Croom's-hill
Greenwich, was solemnly consecrated according to the rites of
that Church. Dr. Grant, the " Bishop' of Southwark, officiated
assisted by a numerous body of the clergy. The services
commenced at seven o'clock in the
,morning, and continued
till near one. The church is the Gothic style, and one of
the finest specimens of church , architecture of modern date,
and is situate in a commancing position on the brow of
Croom's-hill. The church is free of debt with the exception
pensioners. Schools in connexion with the church
have been established. The choir is entirely self-supporting,
including the organist. The ceremony excited much in.
of
aboutabo6uOt
terest in the town and neighbourhood of Greenwich.
THE LATE 'MANSLAUGHTER IN WESTMINSTER.--.
020 0/. The congregation is a large one, including
Yesterday
.afternoon Mr. Langham, deputy coroner, held an
adjourned inquest at Westminster Hospital, on the body of
Ann Gibbons, aged seventy-three years, lately residing at 36,
Vine-street,Westminster, who died from injuries inflicted on
her by a man on the evening of Sunday week, the particu-
lars of which have already appeared. The jury, having de..
liberated for some time, returned a verdict of " Manslaughter
against some person unknown."