The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-04 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES,

THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX.

The above race, which is composed of both
French and English horses, takes place in Paris to-
morrow (Sunday). It is to be hoped that the
unfortunate ill-feeling caused by Fille de rAir's
Two Thousand running will have completely passed
away when the horses are stripped at the post.
Only two or three English horses are under
orders, among whom are the winner of the Derby
and Glendu.sk. The latter is almost certain to run
into a place. Blair Athol, if none the worse for the
sea voyage, can scarcely lose. Fille de l'Air won
the Eoglish and French Oaks so easily, that it is
just possible she may defeat the Derby victor.
Bois Roussel!, the winner of the French Derby, will
have a very different class of horses to run against
than were opposed to him on that occasion. My
opinion is that the judge will have little difficulty
in placing

BLAIR ATHOL 1
My anticipations for the Ascot meeting will appear
in 71e Sun of Monday.

A FRESH MAN.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day,

CITY BETTING—Tais DAY.
ROYAL HUNT Cup.
100 to 6 agst Amelia (taken)
20 to 1 agst Odine (taken)
20 to 1 agst Trumps (taken)
20 to 1 agst Humphrey (taken)
20 t) 1 agst Turcos (taken)
20 to 1 agst Erin-go•bragh (taken)
25 to 1 agst Tajo (taken)
25 to 1 agst CairncaEtle (taken)
25 to 1 agst Exchequer (taken)
25 to 1 agst Tatoo (taken)
25 to 1 agst Evelina (taken)
25 to 1 agst Tademus (taken)
3C to 1 agst Canzonette (taken)
ASCOT STAKES,
4to 1 agst Hippolyta (taken and offered)
7to 1 agst Canary (taken)
7to 1 agst Bally Edmund (offered)
7to 1 agst Thalestris (taken)
Bto 1 agst Wandering Minstrel (taken)
10 to 1 agst Hypermnestra (offered)
10 to 1 agst Sheridan (taken)
10 to 1 agst Claxton (taken)
GOLD CUP.
3to 1 agst Little Stag (offered)
3 to 1 agst Lord Clifden (offered)
sto 1 agst Scottish Chief (taken)
7to 1 agst Queen Bertha (taken)
ST. LEGER.
3to 1 agst Blair Athol (offered)
7 to 2 agst General Peel (offtred)
Bto 1 agst Scottish Chief (offered)
GRAND PRIX.
7to 4on Blair Athol (taken)
2to 1 apt Fille d'Air (offered)
Bto 1 agst Bois Roussel (offered)

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,

MAIDSTONE RACES,-FRIDAY,

The Maiden Plate of 3 soya each, with 25 added, for three-
yr-olds and upwards. Seven furlongs.
(Jas. Nightingale) 3
Mr H. Marsh's Confederalist, 3 yrs, Got 71b
(R. I'Anson, jun.) 1
Mr H. Beard's Obedience, 3 yrs, 6st 7113 (R. Viney) 2
Mrß etti Walker'sng— D 7
t o 4
e er ho onu
Confederalist,a d,4yr s , 7s
who t 2w made all the run-
-1 b
ning, and won easily by two lengths—a bad third.
TheMembers' Stakes of 5 sovs each, with 30 added, for two-
-3r-olds; colts, Bst 101 b; fillies, Bst 7.1. b. ;.
.c.e.r.t
Cf. nu
rallow-
ances and winning penalties. About six furlongs.
MrMr C.
Littlecote,
Maid,
Mr Egerton's Sentinel, Bst 10Ib (Wilburn) 3
Betting-4 to lon Mountain Maid, who took up the run-
ning from her stable companion, Bay Littlecote, at the
distance, and won in a canter by three lengths.
The Maidstone Stakes of 3 sovs each, with 30 added, for
three-yr-olds and upwards , winners extra, and selling
allowances. One mile and three-quarters.
Mr Breary'a Telscombe, 3 yrs (£25) Est 91b
(R. I'Anson, jun.) 1
Mr Walker's Douche, 4 yrs (X 100), 9st 81b .... (Harris) 2
Mr R. Smith's Waveney, 3 yrs (£5O), 6st 10lb (Wilburn) 3
Betting—Even on Douche, 2 to 1 each agat Telscombe
and Waveney.
Douche made play to the distance, where Telscombe joined
issue, and, after a spirited finish, won by half a length ;
Waveney was a bad third. The winner was bought in for
51 guineas.
The Ladies' Plate of 3 sovs each, with 25 added, for all
ages. Once round and a distance, about one mile,

Mr York's Blanche of Lancaster, 4 yrs (£4O) Bst 111 b
(S. Hibberd) 1
Mr H. Beard's Obedience, 3 yrs (410) 7st 101b(1t.Viney) 2
Mr Egerton's Mountain Maid, 2 yrs (£4O), sst 71b (car.
sst 131 b)
The following also ran :—Waveney, Anonyma, and lda.
Botting-6 to 4 on Blanche of Lancaster, 4 to 1 agst
Waveney, 5 to 1 agst Obedience.

Blanche of Lancaster made all the running after going
half a mile, and won a good race by a short neck; three
lengths between the second and third. No advance was
offered for the winner.

The County Cup of 3 sous, With a Silver Cup offered.
Heats, one mile, over four flights of hurdles.
Mr H. Marsh's Margery, 6 yrs, 12st 91b
(14. r J. Barling) 1 1
Mr Barling's Chumley, aged, 12st 71b (car. 12st 91b )
(Owner) 3 2
Mr G. Calmey's Knock'-em-Down, aged, 12st
(Mr N. Collard) 2 0
Mr Lubbock's Lady Blanche, aged 12st 71b (Inc. 71b
ex. .......................... (Owner) 3
Betting-5 to 2on Margery, who won in a canter. The
rider of Lady Blanche fell at the distance, but wes not hurt.
Deciding Heat—Betting-5 to 1 on Margery, who won by
a length; a bad third.

The Hurdle Race of 6 soya each, with 25 added. Two
miles, over eight flights of hurdles.
Mr Breary's Telscombe, 3 yrs (440), Bst 101 h
(C. Hornsby, jun.) 1
' (R. Smith) 2
Mr Goodwin ns. Gin Sling (late Alroyd) 6 yrs (£4O)
Mt R. Smith's The Orphan, aged
lOst 101 b . ,
The
........ ' (A. Arthur) 3
Mr B. Land, jun, s, Don, aged v6O), 10st 121 b
(Owner) 4
WO) lOst 121 b
Batting-6 to 4on Telsoombe, 2to 1 agst The Orphan,
sto 1 bar two, _

Won after a capital race by a head. Gin Sling was a bad
third,

‘OFT BRADFIELD RESERVOIR."
EVIDENCE ON THE CAUSE
OF T‘ AH NE
F ANALYSISAILT
OF HE
By William Naylor. London ; Waterlow and Son'
The frightful catastrophe which so recently occurred by the
'
bursting of the reservoir at Bradfield, near Sheffield,
will
not be effaced from the memory of the
public for
many
a
long year to come; and as similar causes may lead to the
same disastrous, or even worse, results in other localities
where there are reservoirs, Mr. Naylor does the State ser-
vice in drawing attention to the subject by his brochure.
It would ill become us to step in with an opinion
where doctors disagree, on the cause of the accident,
Whether, as Mr. Rawlinson maintains, it arose from the de-
fective construction of the embankment, or, as Mr. Naylor
affirms, from a land slip, we must leave to others more
scientific to decide, but a practical moral may be drawn
from the assumption of either hypothesis. If the Govern-
ment engineer be sound in his opinion and deductions, all
reservoirs already constructed on similar principles to that
of Bradfield should be immediately carefully exa-
mined by skilled engineers, and their condition
reported on, in order to prevent mischief, ere it be
too late. If, on the other hand, M r Naylor's theory is correct,
that a landslip caused the sinking of the embankment, then
increased vigilance in watching all large reservoirs be-
comes an indispensable duty. No science, no art can
altogether exempt us from the effects of physical pheno-
mena, but a little provision may greatly mitigate or even
hinder disastrous consequences. In this case it ap-
pears from Mr Naylor's testimony, and
from the
evidence that some hours before the accident
occurred cracks and fissures had been observed on the walls
of a cottage in the vicinity and in the embankment itself,
and the probability is, that had a strict examination been
made diurnally, the slip might have been discovered earlier,
and the water let out, providing there had been, as we think
there ought to be in all such places, rapid means of carrying
off the water. It may be open to consideration how far it
is justifiable to store up such enormous volumes of water in
one spot, and whether a range of smaller reservoirs would
not obviate danger. London has lately witnessed the de-
molition of a very high and very ugly embankment of this
kind in the Hampstead-road, the bursting of which in
a densely-populated neighbourhood would have been far
worse even than at Sheffie!cl ; but there aro several
other reservoirs in and close to London—one in the
Pentonville-road, and several on the high land near High-
gate and Hampstead. It is to be hoped they may all be
subjected to the most rigid examination and test, if they
cannot, as we think they ought to be, removed from the
close proximity to a dense population. Thus out of evil
good may come, and, on account of the sad accident at
Sheffield, measures may be taken to revert the like ills in
future.
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY.—The annual meeting
of this society is fixed for t e 7th of June (next
Tuesday), at 2 o'clock, at Willis's-rooms. The Archbishop
cf Canterbury will take the chair. In accordance with the
charter of this society, only those
.who are admitted by
members' tickets wi •
be allowed to ballot for members to
serve on the committee. Among the names of the speakers
are Earl N elsoE, the Right Hon J. Napier, Mr F. S.
Powell, ALP., and the Rev W. Cadman, of St Mary lebone.
LORD HOUGHTON has in preparation a new
edition of "The Life and Letters of John Keats."—The
Reader,