The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-17 00:00:00

TO TIIE EDITOR or TIIE SUN:

SIR,—In anticipation of the approaching hot rummer
days, the Committee of the Metropolitan Free Drrinking
Fountains Association beg to inform the public the lt funds
are urgently needed to enable the society to centintne those
exertions which have hitherto been attended wit, h such
great success. Through the instrumentality of the a ssocia-
tion upwards of 80 fountains have been already erected, at
which it is computed not less than a quarter of a million
people drink daily during the heat of the year. It is the
desire of the society to extend the boon as far as pool zible to
every corner of the metropolis, so that the thirsty w ayfarer
may not be forded into the necessity of repairing to the
public-houses.

The committees are overwhelmed with applications for
new fountains, but are unable to erect fresh ones fro m want
of funds; and for the same reason the provision nt ade for
the relief of the sufferings of cattle and dogs from i thinit
tails short of what is required. All the fountains; of the
association are under constant supervision, and qualified
workmen are employed to keep them in an efficen t state,
but several of those erected by private benevolence have
become dilapidated and even dry. If the public will afford
the means, the committee propose offering to undertake the
supervision of all the fountains in London, and ithereby to
secure for each the necessary attention.
I shall be happy to receive contributions in aid of those
objects, or subscriptions may be paid at the office of the
association, 1, Shorter's-court, Throgmorton-street, E.C.,
where any further information may be obtained.—l am, Sce•
SAMUEL GURNEY, Chairman.
25, Prince's-gate, S.IV,, May 16, 1861.

ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERY MAN [BOTH IN
ARMY AND NATY] TO DO HIS DUTY, and it seeing
likely that our soldiers will very soon be provid ed with a
Hide book, telling them in simple language what their
duty is I

TELEGRAPH To AMERICA.—The necestia ry sr'
rangements for another attempt to lay a su )marine
telegraph between Ireland and North America ha ve been
made, and the Atlantic Telegraph Company are snore soh:
guine than ever that the experiment to be undertaken 111
the spring of 1365 will bo a complete sucess. By •the dine
that the Atlantic Telegraph Company is ready for its grand
enterprise, a second and entirely different line of tel egraploe
communication between Europe and America will Lepproaell9
if not reach, its completion. This is the line running across
Siberia, thence connecting with Russian America, thole°
passing through British Columbia, and ultimately reaching
our Pacific States. The most difficult portion of this tele-
graph, that through Siberia, is now, according to a recea'
despatch, completed as far as Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern
Siberia. Mr. Collins, a citizen of the United States, to
whom the Russian Government has given for a p eriod of
36 years the exclusive right of working this telegraph through
the Russian dominions, has now obtained from the British
Government the right of way through British Columbia'
The Western Union Telegraph Company of the United
States are prepared to assume the construction of the Uric'
and capitalists are ready to supply the money for carrylvs
out the undertaking. It is intended to continue the tele-
graph northward along the western coast of British America
to Behring's Straits, which will be crossed by a submarine
cable 40 miles long, thence along the coast of Arctic IlAkssr
, to the mouth of the Amoor River, at which point the 111•1';
sian Government have agreed to meet the line and conl'ec
it with their own. The new line will be not far from 4/200
a:
miles in extent, and, when completed, it will unite Eurl;
Asia, and America, principally by land.—.NewYork 7
DESTRUCTIVE FlRE.—Late on Friday night, 0r
early on Saturday morning, a destructive fire broke
out on Weddington farm, in the parish of Ash, near .9,91'
with. The flames were first discovered by Richard PaY. '5
neighbour, about half. past 1 o'cloeg on Saturday nterl'l%;
as he was getting up to go to market. He gave the aleru' ff
William Marsh, waggoner and bailiff to Mr John Weedr°6l:
the occupier of the premises. On going to the stable Nar
found his horses dead from suffocation. The lames hAd thet, ",t
extended to the whole of the buildings, which were all but,d
to the ground before an engine could Ere procured. Ittcleti;)
if an engine could have been got, it would have be ea f
,b,
use for want of water. Four young horses, wo;th £4O rti:ot
were burnt to death in the stable. After the fire:had v'it 0-
out they presented a deplorable spectacle, their be ivelsLt.
trading as if the carcases had burst with excessive •:,,iy
The hind legs of two of the poor creatures were c0rg1716..-10
burnt off. Five breeding cows were also found in 9 Bil:aie
condition. The buildings consisting of a four. horse Oab
e:
a wheat barn, a barley barn, a fodder barn, a bullock Wcigdy
all birch-built, and thatched, were completely destrOrwo
together with their contents, which included a waggl' too
carts, and a quantity of agricultural irnplemente, e 9"
arca
straw stacks, the growth of 13 acres. From the ePP"rcopi•
of the fire when it was first discovered it must have 4. of
mcnced either at the straw stack or at the north col-lac.soli
the wheat barn. The waggoner's mate was the last pc'
out
on the premises en Friday night, and he left the s:ab,,F
10 o'clock, when all appeared quite sale. The fire 's
sub
posed to be the work of an incendiary. The da111.3.0.0
variously estimated at from £7OO to £l,OOO, bat the 10_. jo
/I tally covered by insurance.