The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-03 00:00:00

was held
correspond_
~
ST. HELEN'S CA.i.v AL AND RAILWAY.
The half-yearly meeting of this company
yesterday at Sr. Helen's, Mr. G. Greenall, up., in
the chair. The report stated, that 145,247 passen-
gers were conveyed during the half-year, being
completed as a
21,082 more than in the same period of last year,
while the weight. of coals and merchandise conveyed
has boen 231,916 tons on the canal and.244,b50 on
been
wTeihgehtpcoarrtiroinedoifntthheeline
between
the railway, together 476,266 tow, which is 21,497
it
io:ni periodo r more tolifaiiBs thel.
double line, was opened for traffic on the Ist of July ;
the necessary ballasting has still to be done on the re -
Widnes and Garston, having
maining portion, from Widnes to Warrington, before
it can be opened for traffic. The directors have con-
sidered it advisable to secure ample station room at
the Garston Dock Terminus, and to increase the dock
and railway accommodation. A large proportion of
the company's debentures having fallen due, they
have made arrangements for renewing them at 4 per
cent. in lieu of the previous rate of 5 per cent.
From the accounts it appeared that the receipt
amount to 648,1831., and the outlay to 669,5641,
leaving a balance against capital of 21,3801. The
revenue account showed that the receipts during the
half-year amounted to 19,6311., and the expenditure
to 6,9871., leaving a balance of 12,6421., out of which
the directors proposed that a dividend should be de-
clared for the past half-year of 11. per share on the
old shares 103. on the half shares, 31. 103 on the
1hi1.4141„,,,,,6,,p=:;;;;;;,,,,;...4_24,....-_ga_nn tit. .

Ference sl

iares.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the re-
port, congratulated the shareholders on the steady
increase in traffic which was taking place on the
line. Whilst the traffic both in goods and passengers
had materially increased, the working charges had
diminished from 35 to 37 per cent. Their working
stock last year was estimated at 19,0001., whereas at
the present time it was valued at 31,0501. He had
every confidence that the dock, which would give
them an independent outlet from the Mersey for coals
and other merchandise, would be a most valuable
property. He concluded by moving the adoption of
the
which having been seconded, was carried
The dividends upon the respective shares were
then declared, and the retiring directors having been
re-elected,
report,unanimously.
The meeting resolved itself into a special meeting,
for the purpose of authorising the issue of new shares
to the extent of 120,0001. in 4
,500 shares of 951. each.
Mr. HOLLAND said the area of the new dock at
Garston was six acres, and the cost of construction
was only 100,000/.
After some discussion the motion was adopted,
and the proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks
to the chairman and directors.

EXCURSION TO THE NEW WATER-
SOURC'•ES PROPOSED FOR THE SUPPLY OF
THE METROPOLIS.

On Saturdsy a party of noblemen and gentlemen
were conducted over the proposed gathering groundl, in
Surray, by Mr. F. 0. Ward, who explained on the spot
the new ramie of collecting the " hill-top" water recom-
mended by the Sanitary party instead of the " valley-
bottom" water.

Among the party we noticed Lord Ebrington, Pro-
fessor Wheatstone, Mr. Belohage, Mr. Farr, Mr. Ford,
Professor Way, Mr. Chadwick, Mr. Ilene Busk, and
several other gentlemen eminent in science, or distin-
guished as supporters of sanitary reform.
The first place visited was the town of Farnham,
which has a population of 7,000 persons, inhabiting
about 800 houses; and which is already supplied with
hill-top water of exceeding softness and parity, collected
on the new principle from a neighhonring common, and
delivered at constant pressure in unlimited abundance.
Some water drawn from a tap in One of
the houses was tested by Professor Way, in corn-
parisou with the water from a well belonging to the same
house, and the difference was most striking. The well
water, when the hardening limo was precipitated by the
test, looked like thin whitewash; whereas the pure hill-
top water, after the application of the test, ,remained
spetkiing as before with unclouded transparency. It
was extremely striking and instructive to see the two
glasses of water, one moment of apparently; equal
quality, the next presenting so strongly masked a dif-
ference. The experiment showed how loaded with dele-
terious earthy master the brightest looking weer may
be, and how much dissolved chalk we are thus betrayed
into drinking, which we should shrink from eating in the
solid form.
thetlie
pa originatoritp
Mr. Payne, an influential inhabitant of Farnham, and
idence
of the Bishop of Winchester, who afforded a most
ehdiltlo-tFoparwhahtaemr-vcioarskilse,,hthaveitit joinedcourteous reception, and bore valuable testimony to the
roofcei:tds
delicious quality and perennial flow of the hill-top water,
of which a email spring, conducted from the common
through a pipe a mile long, has served the supply of the
castle from time immemorial.
From the castle the party proceeded to Hungry-hill,
a heathy upland common, from the southern slope of
which the supply of Farnham is derived. Incredible EIS
it may seem, the whole supply of the town is derived
from the drainage of only two acres of the hill side; in-
eluding two small hollows, formerly moist cad boegy,
but Oilica the drainage perfectly dry. This little traet is
traversed by one main pipe, of ordinary burnt clay,
about six inches in diameter, into which run twenty or
thirty ramifying feeders, of about three inches capacity.
The water with which the sandy hill is saturated (of
course by the rainfall on its surface) OOZE'S through these
subterranean feeders in an unfailing flow,
the constant replenishment of the reservoir that supplies
s for
the town. The pipes themselves are of course buried
out of sight, but the tracks of the trenches made for
their reception are still visible; and they illustrated
very clearly the plan of th© capillary systemu ffi
be
yi e
which
th
the pure sue-distilled rain water is collected, immedi-
ately after natural filtration through a layer of siircioua
sand washed clean by the raiutalt of eg"' -rot
water, as Mr. F. 0. Ward explained, is ia thoPilt is,
state in vehioh it is furnished us by nature.
ra. pro.
in fact, streined, oxydised, and cooled by a natuil
cess; it is freed from objectionable impregeazaange,
I hiked from the air, and not as yet pollute racdo of
by itnputities acquired from the earth.
noty, Lot ep-
collection, advocated by the Sanit,nY c`onvanics, was
poaad as visionary by the monomi9ep
in that series of
the casual inflax of na-
described by Mr. Ward as a engineer has pro-
The natural ratidebeukEd
improvements by which the
hi
over water—removing it,
nressively extended his controore
and more fr,
0 the
Po-luti"repleced by ertifieal water
operation:Lt
ut re
Aa
lc each r successive
of
e fis
ii
chanceill
advance,
. e.f r
:71: a
Ltrearns were long g
atone or brick ; next, these NtC©
, courses hued with

After witnessing these experiments the party pro-
cetdel towards the barren upland district known as the
Ilindhend, from which the Tilford stream arises by in-
numerable slender rills. Heving inspected the water in
bulk, it appeared desirable to ascertain, by a survey of
its sources, that the capillary mode of collection prac-
tised at Farnham was equally available in this district,
which lies about ten miles more to the south, on the
outcrcp of the lower green sand. For this purpose one
of the little rills, called Silver-thread, was selected, and
traced to its origin at the Devil's Jumps, a series of
three conical Lille, from the top of which was ob-
tained a good view of the Gathering ground coun-
try—a range of high, barren moorlands, receiving
annually on each acre about 3,000 tons of water,
and extending, hill beyond bill, over more than a
hundred equate miles. Litre, ascending the highest
of the Devil's Jumps, the party dined cn the greso
sheltered by a curious rock, which juts up, pictu-
resquey enough, from the very summit of the hill;
end thought the repset was not deficient of more cordial
beverages, the " bright water-jug," filled from the
Silver-thread rill (which was flowing with a most melo-
dious sound below), wont round from hand to hand, and
was resorted to with avidity. So pure and fresh a
draught, it was agreed, might be envied by our Gracious
Queen, whose palace, amidst all its splendour, cannot
yet furnish those highest luxuries of all untainted air
and water. Nor was it less strongly felt that the sub-
stitution of such a supply for the filthy and undrinkable
water at present furnished to the metropolis would do
more than any repressive measures, or mere teetotalist
exhortations, to wean the poorer class from habits of
intemperance. The learned professors present expressed
themselves convinced by what they had seen of the
B°l,e:duets of the views advocated by Mr. F. 0. Ward
end the sanitery reformers as to the tnbttitution of hill-
top for vall”abottom water supplies; and the whole
party returned to town impressed with a lively prefer-
ence of " Silver-thread" water to the sewagraetained
waster of thexaantest
NI:VAL INTELLIGENCE.
Master ones Penn (1841), has been appointed to
the Horatio et, screw steam guard-ship, Sheerness, vice
Paul to commend the Fire Queen, steam tender, at
Portsmouth.
), has been appointed
1812
Paymaster John Thomson (
to th.c Exceilent, gunnery ship, Portsmouth, vice Ni-
cholls, retired.
Admiral the Earl of Dunandsid;G•C-13., it istreported,
has received from the Chilians 6,0001., in part nom-
penstation ;or his services; when Lard Cochrane he
fitted out and commanded their squadron. Everybody
wilt be delighted to bear that the noble and distin-
guished Admiral has received this instalment, andj we
trust those officers who served under his Lordahip are
also in a position to be felicitated. _
The Cornmandor-in-Chief of the North America and
West India station has lately received a reinforcementl
s sto his squadron in the Buzzard, 6, steam-sloop,
Com-
mander Debbie. The B a atmuzzerd arrived Halifax,
p,
On entering the hare from
Devonport, on the 17th of July. l d •
hour she struck on Point Pleasant Shoa. ,an remained
t off with damsge, and
for 28 hours, when she was go
0 dland, on the 21st of
proceeded for St. John's, N
July. Sir George Seyenoarvwfilalnalso shortly have the
om eerness,
Vestal, 26, Commacdor C. B. Hamilton, fr Sh
under his command.
(1812)
died July 28, at
Lieutenant William Reynolds
Tilehurst, in the 62d year of his age. He was on the
resern d half-pay l!st.
F.R.2.NC11 FLEET DESTINED TO TRIPOLI.--It is now
said that the destination of the French fleet is Tripoli,
where a dispute has occurred between the French Consul,
M. Pelissier, and the Regency. islt also said that the
fleet has orders to bombard Tripoli, unless full satisfac-
tion bo given to the French No doubt a
Government.
division of the British Mediterranean fleet will be also
present.—Herald.
PORTSMOUTH, AUGUST 2.--T y+ Fair y, royal yacht,
Master-Cotnmeeder Welsh, having completed her fuel,
went down to Osborne this morning.
with Captain Crispin on
The Victoria and Albert,
board, also went delve to Osborne at one P.M.
The Edinburgh, 58, steamship, Captain Hewlett,
with Capesin Chads, C. 8., Sec., on board, returned this
day to Spithead, having had a month's cruise for the
purpose et practising the gunnere while under weigh.
She left Cork Harbour on Saturday week, anti has hte
since cruising about 150 miles to the Westward of Cape
n
Clear. They have generally had fine weather, but had
ono gale of wind, when the ship behaved very Well; and
she was tried with sail, with sal and e a
ne, and with
steam alone; before the wind, with the serew going, she,
it is avid, made ten-and-a-half knots. The ceen.
g eing three deal
good deal of practice with ship-tar b `t tta
plank', with a flag-staff thereon, the ship cruising
e round
it. Some exec:lent practice as t
&c., took place, the results beingmo etevation, oietacee,
abet satisfactory. The
Edinburgh steamed is at the Needles' Passage this
metering, and at about halitheaatt twelve passed Osborne
and dressed ship, manned yards, and fired a royal salute in
coaTlicieni; to the meal standard flying from the house.
Captain Chads and
C Ie
yard about two o'clolePtain Hewlett landed at the deck-
The Edinburgh will come into
har 00111' to-morrow to
T, JULY '1 ^ the naval
eirretiEe3vrePre3R(m
ateesstp is busy
'estimed slight shown the veteran
Pont Admiral SirPl John A. 0' aenenney by the
ralty, y
b wheal the Sear tan's sailing orders were seet
dieect toy whom
Sir William Hoste, instead °f °lute--
the. Comereauder-ic-Claief. Such a breach of naval au
quette could have arisen from no other ed duty
error on the part of some one of the ofificioar
.ht
prin.
pro tem. owing to the summer cruisionghigh
a regard
hipals, as the Admiralty must have
for ehe character and d Commander-in-
tiorally offer such a slight to the
pline
officio-1
to intent
Chief. St. George flag-
The boats of the Repro
ships, have to-day brought
d and Maker, to share in
gtnhaebldee t
Drakes Wan
Regiment from ison, which at this season of the
the duties of the garrison' arduous for the whole of
veer is found to be"ic the garrison.
the troops stationeds wsatn.s..p,.
ni Captain John, I,l‘Dpu-
Elogue, 60, ionsd
steam-ship,
hero from Kingstown yesterday after-
gall' that furls.
off,
and re-co:mai dby •
se be 6.10110 Captain
noon, -heittregicienne, as a steam
guard ship at
Rim"Yd, tchatiged numbers with
this p?r., °W. Hosto
Capthot.S;,,Lyted ,Bert., early on Friday morning,
off the
Carol lighter sailed yesterday with t s ores for the
westward, and this evening the Falmouth lighter arrived
from the westward.
The convict-ship Lein Montague, which arrived hero
on Tuesday last from the eastwerd, having embarked
seventy convicts from the prisons at Dartmoor,
will sail
either to morrow or the day
following
for Van Diemen's
Laud.

•
Cornwtalie, 72, is ordered to be fitted as a store-ship
for t‘ei.iee in China.
Ve.lurus, 16, telaal•fl igate, will be commissioned at
this pTzt in the course of the coming week.

MAD) irca.—Most disastrous accounts are received
of the future prospects of Madeira. It seems not improbable
that the celebrated wine of Ikladeira will be a matter of his- 1
tory. A blight of some sort has entirely destroyed the vin-
tage for this year, and seems likely to destroy the vines
themselves. It appears in the shape of a thick white pow-
der,
which entirely covers the clusters of grapes. The in-
habitants have memorialized the Portuguese Government to
be permitted to cultivate tobacco.