The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-09 00:00:00

COLLISION IN THE CHANNEL.

The General Steam Navigation Company's screw
steam-ship Propontis, Captain Glover, commander,
which brought the disastrous news from the Cape of
Good Hope of the loss of the Birkenhead steamer,
has just reached Gravesend on her way up the river,
and reports having been in serious collision with a
Dutch merchantman while coming up Channel from
Plymouth, which ended in the foundering of the
vessel and the somewhat narrow escape of the crew.
It appears that after the Propontis had landed her
mails on Tuesday, and had made the usual stoppage at
the above port, she resumed her voyage up Channel
for the Thames. The Start-point was made between
six and seven o'clock, and it would appear that the
ste4rner hoisted the u.ual-coloured lights in con-
formity with the Admiralty regulations. About
half-past 9 o'clock, when some 24 miles from the
Start Light, the look-out man reported a vessel ahead
on the port bow. At that time the Propontis could
scarcely be going more than seven miles an hour,
having to contend against a strong tide and easterly
wind. Her helm was ported—the proper course
when two vessels are approaching—and her speed
reduced, and it was anticipated that the sail in view
would have also put her helm sport, which would
have directed both vessels far away from each other.
From some misunderstanding or other, however, it
was put astirboard, which brou‘;ht her towards and
under the steamer's bow. A collision appearing pro-
bable, as the vessel was coming down with the tide and
wind, the Propontis was stopped, her screw reversed, and
helm put hard sport, in the hope of averting the ac-
cident. All precautions failed, however, and the two
came in fearful contact, almost bows on. The Dutch
vessel proved to be the Ann Rebecca, of Amsterdam,
bound for some port in Syria, with a cargo of sugar
and other merchandise. The force of the collision
drove in her bows and spars, and on getting
clear of the Propontis, the crew speedily ascer-
tained that she was fast filling. Their cries
brought to their aid a boat from the steamer;
and the chief officer, Mr. Hunter, perceiving
the condition of the vessel, at once took off the
master and crew (eight in all). They had scarcely
left her before she took a tremendous lurch on one
side, and went down in deep water. The crew were
put on board the steamer, and
lights
resumed the
voyage. It would:Tele m that
that the
vc
tihgehtsstafrt theh Ptrho-
pentii were rni,tfor
happen does not very easily appear, as the steamer's
look-out of the Dutch ship, though how thatycoulde
mo-
ment. The latter does not appear to have sustained
dedThaend
Eeiraolsantn.lndia Docks
red light must have been fully exposed at the
the least injury, which may in a great measure be
lir prove respective
rather heavy,es. but the vessel
attributed ship-
wrecked c r
et
wo
wereh
we her
e re taken
tconstructionheoynwtoi
ltlhoetb.
The loss of the
Dutchman
for-
wardedutßc
hi un:
tkaonw awt
st.lted to be insured.

OU(gomMiUt:liSzlaCcAoLows
yes, "a street org,4,l,e"nitsieceerteinly
C.l°o_uiltr nNaIE)R..
iii.tomper; or when one is attcranunr,
some-
thing in three fiats on a a nuisance, when
04novisexpqiruait,,ibiotnel,y" oinrctuoneec,eaalnedd
one is in a state of
the said street oTtrues.trikes up a a difficult
popular something in
three sharps.
window et this m is a regular old grinder under our
with all its might, tOintellilet' perpetrating " Lucy Neale"
_ . utter derangement of a stanza
we were aboutcompletteg, consequently we have been
cempelied to " tumble
down
to prose," and feel half
inclined to abase
the general race of itinerant music-
boze,
e, but a phantom of gratitude rises and forbids the
quarrel, for we owe some of the most pleasant hours
of our life to street organs. Occasionally we have a
half-holiday visitation trcm some half-dozen " of the
rising generation," who insist on considering us as a
"playfellow," and pay no more respect to the interesting
volume or poetic musing they may break in upon, than
they would to the intact form of a raspberry tart or
ounce of toffee. We are always expected to p'ay at
" Margery Daw," or " Aughts and Crosses" (a game,
by the by, we have played at pretty often on that large
slate—the world); or we must enter into the "Political
Biography" of Dick Whittington, or recapitulate the
horrors attending the bigamies of Bluebeard, or we must
lend a hand in making our very odd dog stand on his
hind legs for lumps of cake. This is all very fine, but
1 it is rather hard work to " keep it up," as Atlas said,
when he took the world " pick-a-back;" however, we
bear it all as well as we can, and when by chance a street
organ bursts out with a presto polka, the crowning
point of rude joy is attained; Whittington is done for,
Bluebeard is nowhere, Margery Daw is an " abandoned
young woman," and such a course of gymnastics is
instantly gone through as Orpheus himself never eli-
cited from the bulls and bears of old. Stamping, hop-
ping, jumping, leaping, and all sorts of impossible
actions are indulged in, and designated as " dancing,
ourselves not being unfrequently turned into a human
" Maypole," of some five feet three, or " Jack in the
Green,' as the fancy of the cherubic " Ballet corps" may
dictate; but we certainly have "rare fun," and it is I!
question if Adams's band ever yielded as much real
festivity as the poor ragged Italian's street organ. We
often wonder whether these active citizens of nurwsearY:
land will enjoy their elegant steps in the spacoiousn _ e
xx-
lighted ball-room in years to come, as they dtn se
house-
teuiporaneous mumular combustions ourareenge _
13 ads in fre-
hold goods, where they bring their
curamble full length
quest contact with an arm-chair, or
Ir
lace skirts and
en the hearth-rug. We wonder
of af broad sashes
white neckties will carry the charm-rkling champage and
end plaid tunics; whether the p
se; Olympian (arenas
the
delicate chickens will prove Such
of
gingerbread;
home-made orange wine,, ando "
e the ceremonies will b
whether the dainty meets;
Skye terrier flying be
as
peasant as the audsc:ouour
.edition
,_. at their
he;dr. We wenid wa,gef,hc,son,eis:kr.ol Shake ere
th-,t tbny it rerv:! , ,
Levis,on• f - ;;Inni". dances with
a distinct end grateful
ht . ,
, e, 'ph:an childhood is at
all what eeihihood oug : to be, its ;Amory imbibes a
from the buttercups Led
freeerauce . .
__ . - daisies of life, that
~i,ra bouquet in Alaturry'
the geese •-• . , 4 dress-coat, or the
rose-decked flounce on Proi rio.y's trailing-robe, can
never overpower; but we are becoming sentimental, we
fear, and se the street Organ is gone, we will do a little
music on cur own account, and reduce the heap before
u 3 into a less reproviep, siz, s.

COLONIAL AT
-- ~,ARa---- -.
El's —These markets closed last
evening (Thursday) for the Easter holidays, and re-open
next Wednesday.
TIN ER
--EST TO SAVINGS BANS.S.--Fr°M a return,
printed Within the last few days,
it appears that, from the
2 ISL of November, 1849, to the 21st of May last, the amount
credited to the truAees of savings banks in their accounts
With the National Debt Commissioners was 1,842,0661.45.7 d.
The Earl of Hardwicke has been pleased to appoint
Peter Dickson, Esq., to be his Lordship's print(' Ocretary, in
the rOODA of A. W. Blake, Esq., resigned.