The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-02 00:00:00

HOLYHEAD HARBOUR.

The gigantic works carried on in the constructive
of this important harbour, originally- under the
superintendence of the late Mr. Mendel, but during
the last seven years under the direction of Mr. John
Hawkshaw, as engineer•in.chief, are approaching
to a close; and within the next or following year
will, as far as the great northern breakwater is con-
cerned, be fully completed. When finished the
harbour will rank amongst the finest displays of
engineering and mechanical skill in the kingdom.
In the early progress of the harbour discussions
frequently took place in Parliament in reference to
the outlay incurred in the prosecution of the works ;
but, on Mr. Hawkshaw's appointment as chief engi-
neer, some modifications of former designs were
adopted, by which the general effectiveness of the
harbour was fully maintained. For several years
about 1,500 hands were employed in the great un-
dertaking, the larger number in quarrying stone
from Holyhead Mountain, and the remainder in
forming the breakwater. This number, i❑ the last
year or two, has been greatly reduced, and at the
present time not more than 200 are employed.
An improvement of very great importance will
immediately be added to the harbour. The floating

light moored of the extremity of the northern
break water is about to be removed, and in its stead
a fixed light is intended to be placed in the solid
stone of that great protective work, as near to its
extremity as possible. This will materially
increase the efficiency of the harbour in
gales of wind, inasmuch as the floating
light owing to the length of cable neces•
miry to moor it in 10 fathom water, with a high
range of tide, rendered it necessary for vessels enter•
ing to give it a wide berth to escape the danger of
being driven on the opposite coast.
The transformation of Holyhead Harbour from
what it IN as a few years ago to what it now is, and
its leviathan proportions, can be viewed only with
wonder and admiration by those who can recollect
its fume'. insignificance. Some important addi-
tions are still, however, desirable. The pier accom.
modations for passengers to and from Ireland,
although well designed, conveniently placed, and
being strengthened and improved, are, after all, only
temporary expedients, which will require
extensive yearly repairs to maintain, and
can last only a short time. Mr. Hawkshaw, tome

time ago, designed-stone-packet piers of a permanent
character, which would render the accommodation
as perfect as it is possible to be. These are at pre-
selt in abeyance, but there is a general feeling that
they could be carried out; and there can be no doubt
that the exigencies of the postal service will before
long necessitate their construction.

In addition to the works which the Government
are completing at Holyhead, the London and North
Western Railway Company are materially increas-
ing their accommodation for goods traffic. The old
harbour is being very much improved at their ex-
pense, and under the sanction of the Government.
The harbour is being deepened, and a long length of
vertical sea walling, with water frontage, is being
erected, reclaiming and enclosing an area upon which
a large goods shed is to be bailt. 'This shed will be
fixed so that goods can be taken immediately from
the steamer and placed under shelter.

The Disaster on the Erie Railway.

From the imperfect accounts as yet received re-
specting the late terrible collision on the Erie Rail-
road, we extrc.ct the following :—" At Port Jervis
the doable track of the Erie Railroad ends, and for
the next 24 or 25 miles the road is but a single track
to Lackawaxen Junction, with occasional lengths of
double track where the nature of the road permits.
Throughout the whole of this distance, and for
some miles further on, the railroad runs up the val-
ley of the Delaware, and is full of sharp curves and
awkward turns, along which it is often impossible
for the engine-driver to see more than 50 or 60 yards
in advance. It was along this piece of the road,
about two miles from Shohola, and when turning
a point of one of the abutting hills, that the train of
18 emigrant cars, with the freight of 968 souls,
running at the rate of 25 miles an hour, met a
coal train of 50 cars, with each a load of 12 tons,
that came thundering down the incline from Lacka-
waxen. Wheu the trains came in sight of each
other they could not have been much more than 100
yards apart, the drivers not having time even to
reverse their engines and jump off before death was
upon them ; the driver of the passenger train, named
William Ingram, and his fireman, named Tuttle
being both taken off the engine dead, as was the
fireman of the coal engine, named Philo Prentiss.
The shock was tremendous end its results awful,

hough fortunately neither of the engines left the
ine. The tender of the passenger engine was

urned up on end, the wood for fuel boing thrown

in front, and burying the driver and fireman before
named. The first car, of course, was utterly de•
stroyed, being jammed, as a spectator describes it,
into a space less than 6ft., while, to complete its
demolition, the tender that hed been tipped on end
fell back on its roof. It contained 37 men, some of
whom were on the platform at the time of the col-
lision, and from its wreck 36 were taken out dead,
only one man escaping with his life by falling be-
tween the platforms to the earth. Three of the cars
in all were totally destroyed, and seven or eight of
them so much broken as to be entirely useless, and
it was in these cars that the greatest loss of life
occurred, for when the collision took place two
Union soldiers were placed as sentinels at each door
on the platforms of each car, which were also oc-
cupied by some of the rebels beguiling the way by
conversation with the sentry. Of the men thus
standing all were immediately killed save one or
two. The scene is described by those who escaped
as most appalling—the road blocked up with debris,
car piled upon car in the most indescribable confu-
sion, the bodies of those thrown from them covering
the road at every step, the flying dust and blinding
smoke from the quenching fires, the noise of the
escaping steam, and, above all, the fearful groans
and heartrending cries of the injured and expiring
will never be forgotten. Some of the corpses were
shockingly mutilated, heads completely crushed,
bodies transfixed, impaled on timbers or iron roads,
or smashed between the colliding beams,"

A MAN CRUSHED TO PIECES.-0° Saturday a
shocking accident befel a man nismed Samuel
Daw
son, a carder, of Todmorden, employed at the Bark Island
Mills, near Halifax. Dawson was attempting to throw the
strap off a carding machine, when his clothes were caught
hold of by the strap ; he was taken round the shaft, and in
an instant he was RD dreadfnlly broken to pieces that his
limbs dropped on the floor. His body wos frightfully muti-
lated, and had to be picked up piecemeal. Deceased was
about 40 years of age, and has left a wife and family.
THE PLYMOUTH FORTIFICATIONS.—The masons
at the north-eastern defences of Plymouth are now
on strike, and the masons' labourers are consequently
obliged to be idle also. It is note question of wages, time
of working, or of any ordinary right and privileges of the
body, bat is a stand made against an arrangement volun-
tarily entered into by the whole body of men, and from
which the masters derive no benefit whatever. It was re-
solved by the workmen employed on the fortifications that,
as they had come from all parts of the country and had no
provision for their attendance in caso of sickness, a medical
club should be started among them, the members of which
paid 3d. per fortnight for advice during illness. This was
unanimously agreed to; but it being found that there was
some irregularity in the payments, it was resolved that the
contractors be requested to render such payment compul-
sory. To this they acceded. The masons, however, or
rather the masons' society's officers, have taken offence at
the use of the word "shall," and have called off all tht
society men, on the ground that the dignity of the men
has been injured, and they must not work under any
such stipulation. Whether the medical society thus est;
blished is the best possible form in which the men ma
be bentfitted is wholly beside the question at issue. Th,
rule was made at the request of the men, and the masters
, can derive no benefit from its operation.