The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-07 00:00:00

VJA'PER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

Tw DAY LmortihaF,t, 40 min. after 3 i Evening 1 min aler 4
22 akin. alter 4 !Evening 45 mm 4:Ler 4

THE WEATIIFIR—Eni OFFICE, APR L 7.

ren SeIEADR.

51—r:ic.;host unze via
.)e;tA

36 —loweet this triorr,:aut and during the night.
45 —tWs day, at noot.

BAEOII.-THP., 30.23.

WIND N.N.E.—sharp breeze and dall weather.

DADA WEATHER. TABLE.

State of the Wind and Weather at each of the following
places at Nine o'clock yesterday morning.—The stations
are arranged in order of latitude.
PORT:MOUTH—Wind E., gentle breeze-impartially cloudy.
Man.:Noe—Wind N.E., fresh breeze—cloudless.
Sournaarros—Wind NAV., strong breeze--overcast.
Po:Jur-gra:gm—Wind N.E., gentle breeze--partially cloudy.
TIINBIODGE—Wind N.E., gentle breeze—cloudless.
GREENWICH—Wind N.E., gentle breeze—overcast.
STROOD Wind N.E., calm—cloudy.
DIGHTON—Wind N.E., calm--overcast.
COLCHESTKIL—Wind N.W., strong breeze—overcast.
CA.T.lnkinc...E—Wind E., gentle breeze—overcast.
The returns from the following places indicate the state of
the wind and weather on Monday morning at nine
o'clock

tarEntax—Wind S.E., calm—clondlesa.
CARLOW—Wind S.W., hard wind—partially cloudy.
Muumumn—Wind S.E., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
HOLYHEAD —Wind E., gentle breeze - fine.
LANCASTER—W ind S., calm—principally clear.
SHE—tit ind S.E., calm—principally clear.
Bne.Trocs—Wind S.E., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.

At the Royal Observatory, Ureenwich, the mean daily
reading of the barometer was above 30 in. on the last
two days of the week ; the mean of the week was 29.686 in.
The mean temperature of the week was 43 s°, which is
slightly below the average of the same week in ten years.
The mean daily temperature rose from 39.8°.0n Sunday,
which, is 3•6" below the average cf corresponding days, to
46.9 Q and .;0•1° on Monday and Tuesday, which are re-
spectively 3.3 Q and 6.3° above the averages. It then con-
tinued falling till Friday, when it was again 39.9°, or 4.4 Q
below the average. The wind blew chiefly from the north-
east. Rain fell on Monday evening and on the morning of
Tuesday.

t_..,;,,,,,..___,4 „..„ •
5,-,..i.
,17
il
_ 6.*?„ -•'''
..' '' - 11
?.!, r,...
4, I
~..-
r • wt co ', Alton • ,
ht :E'...7%11: ??,7•71 4 it ' k -

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1652.

Scarcely have the more poignant regrets excited
by the loss of the Amazon become mitigated in some
measure by the lapse of time, when the public mind

is again horrified by the intelligence of the total de

struction of the Birkenhead. Unhappily, in the in-
stance of the Amazon, the anguish caused by that
very dreadful calamity was considerably enhanced
by the uncertainty as to whether there might not
possibly be yet more survivors, by that hardly less
terrible as to origin of the entire disaster, and by the
frightful testimony afforded on all hands of the want
of discipline displayed by the crew, leading to a most
unnecessary destruction of life among themselves
ancl among the passengers. Fortunately—if such a
word can be regarded as applicable to any circum-
stance connected with s) melancholy a catastrophe—
in the instance of the Birkenhead, no doubt whatever
is entertained as to the CZll3e of the calamity, while
accurate information has already been received as to
those who have been saved from the disaster, the most
reliable and well corroborated testimony, evidential;,
moreover, on the part of the ill.f t d men destroyed
the noblest self-possession, and the most Illagnani"
MOW self- forgetfulness.

The incidents connected with
occurrence may be, nlasl only too b •
this cal,lmi tou 3
For the rapidity with which the .rtefly recounted.
place is not the least startling fact
thoble disaster took
acle of
minutes
characterised. Within an interval of twenty which
it
was
from its commencement, the whole s2:etlitY
steamers),vesed, the
wreck had terminated. The luckless the
Birkenhead (ono of her MAJESTY'S
only a few hours before going to pieces left
had
Bay, on the southern coast of Africa, with 63gEnsmf8
souls
on board. With the intention
of abbre-
viating as much as was practicable the passage
of his ship to Algoa Bay, the officer in
command, Captain SALMOND, appears to have resolved
rather rashly, at the moment of starting, to keep as
near the shore as possible—and hence the whole
catastrophe. For, early in the morning, namely,
about 2 o'clock, A.at,, on the 26th of February, the
Birkenhead struck upon a sunken reef of rocks off
Feint Danger—name of evil omen enough, it must
be acknowledged ! At the moment of striking the
vessel was going through smooth water, and under a
tranquil sky,at the rate of 81 knots—a speed sufficient,
of course, under the circumstances, not only to make
her destruction inevitable, but to render it in a dreadful
manner expeditious. After little more than a quarter
of an hour had elapsed the Birkenhead had dis-
appeared, with the exception of a few scattered spars
and fragments—her bow breaking short off at the
foremast, her bowsprit flying up in the air towards
the foretopmast, the hull parting next abaft the
engine-room, and thd stern going down almost im-
mediately afterwards. It will be remembered that
the Birkenhead was proceeding to the Cape with
draughts from the regiments, numbering up a
dozen officera and 472 privates. From the
first instant the bravo fellows revealed
a courage, a coolness, and a discipline most honour-
able to thee as soldiers and as Englishmen. Those
who were not drowned in their hammocks, by the rush
of water into the lower troop deck, were promptly
mustered by their officers on the after-deck, when,
according to the evidence volunteered by Captain
they fell into place
`ARIGHT O,f the 91st Regiment,
with a coolness such
instead of as they might rave displayed if,
Wing to the bottom, ' they were
merely undergoing the process
of embarkation !
Several of them sent in
relief parties to the the reupou
obain-umus end others
.u.i
to the paddlebox-boats, '
Pry exertion, how-
ever, proved ineffectual. Th,,„ at the chain-rumps
on the lower after-deck Speedily
k,,epiog the s'oi
ofbility P above viftri the impossi-
t the tackles of the paddleboxbog.
.er, while those
a
gangway, provi3ion
been crushed by the falling funnel. After
to have
r the horses
bad been pitched cut of the port
was made for the safety of the twenty-five
and thirty • erv. children, tutu hid been coil women
e'tttVto.-
gether under the
were all conveyed away
poop owning. From their
perilous situation they
the charge of Mr. Rxcasaj,,
in the cutter under