The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-05 00:00:00

: .ng his works on the Rapidan ! Such, in brief, are
are the salient points in the news now
brought to us as indicative of the actual
situation. The combatants, here at Charleston,
there at Knoxville, had still their weapons crossed
and ringing in fierce encounter. Along the line
of the Rapidan, at the chief scene of interest, the
main armies of the belligerents confronted each
other from the opposite banks, breathing deadly
hatred, preparing for a yet more fierce and despe-
rate conflict than any in which they had hitherto
been engaged.

It is a step in the right directionthdaisgtaracheck
i
has been put on the dangerous and
nmcee dp Lib's;
epor
na
scitdi ceer
aobfl
eomnibus
nr
cane i nbga
s. bFe
eonr
esomer
itei
the prevalence of this custom, and the far-sighted
have entertained serious apprehensions regarding
their own and others safety. Still it is very hard
work to make a sufficient number take up a case
so strongly as to enforce attention to it on the
part of the authorities, more especially when it
does not especially concern some one's immediate
interests. The case that was brought forward in
the Queen's Bench on Wednesday is one of the
most painful character, and may well engage the
sympathy, and awaken the indignation of all
hearers. A young gentleman, full of life and
energy, has fallen a victim to the blameable con-
duct of these racing drivers. In 1862 he was
travelling in the North, and was conveyed by
omnibus from Buxton to Whaley Bridge, whence
they were to take the rail for Manchester. Most
unfortunately for him a mail started almost at the
same time, and the drivers commenced racing.
Both drove very rapidly, and occasionally passed
each other. As may be expected from such reck-
less conduct, a very serious casualty occurred. As
they approached an embankment, with a slope on
one side, aid a stone wall at the end, the vehicles
were close together, and some one exclaimed to the
driver to take care and avoid a collision. In the
hurry of the moment he pulled sharply to the side,
and the wheel of the omnibus went on to an uneven
part of the embankment. The plaintiff was
thrown next to the wall, and picked up insensible.
There seems to have been some mismanagement
in his moving about too soon, but at any rate the
consequences now are that he is afflicted with a
serious and "incurable injury to the brain and
spine," end there is every probability that it will
terminate in palsy and the entire loss of memory.
Most truly did the learned counsel say that no
money could compensate for such an accident, and
that although in this instance the sufferer was re-
moved from want, still he would have been decidedly
in a far better position had he been penniless, and
had the prospect of a career before him, with good
health, than to be as he now is, possessed of a
competency with such suffering. The young man
was able to appear himself, and appeared to be much
afflicted. Various other statements were heard, all
tending to confirm the sad story in all its particu-
lars. To add to the gross negligence of the case
on the part of the driver, the omnibus was net ar-
ranged in so secure a manner as to justify the reck-
less driving he indulged in in the slightest degree.
There was no footboard, and the rail was only high
enough to keep the cushion in its place. Some
physcians gave their evidence; and Dr. ROBERTS,
who had been his father's medical attendant, and
had known the plaintiff for years, considered that
the case was quite hopeless; the same opinion was
concurred in by the medical gentlemen present.
The Lord Chief Justice summed up under feelings
of great emotion, and said that this was one of the
most distressing cases that he had ever heard of, or
had seen brought forward in a court of justice.
His lordship most impressively described the
sad state of the plaintiff as a young
man in the bloom of youth and the vigour
of health, who was now rendered helpless by the
negligent conduct of a driver. His future existence
would be a blank. There was great truth in his
lordship's concluding remark, that had his days been
ended by this untoward affair his friends would
have suffered less than by beholding him this wreck
of mind and body. Finally, the damages were given
for £2,000. The sum in itself is not sufficient
to mark the sense of the jury.regarding the accident,
but doubtless they were led to temporise in conse
quenae of the plaintiff's being removed from want.
Surely the distressing circumstances of this affair,
and the peculiar painful position of the sufferer,
will have some effect in putting a stop to the cruel
practice that still prevails in many quarters. It is
useless to wait for the parties themselves to take it
up; the passengers ought to make common cause
against it, and report any very flagrant case to
the proper authorities. The police ought to be
directed to take strenuous measures to prevent such
a nuisance being continued. It is true that this
accident to Mr. FRANKEL occurred out of town, but
still there is every probability of its being repeated
in a different form with the same results, when the
fact is considered that so many- drivers will persist
in entertaining themselves in this fashion. The
very reprehensible custom that prevailed of " run.
ning" omnibuses of rival companies caused Brea
confusion, and one man's life was sacrificed a shot

time back in the excitement of the race. But people
soon forget these fatal events, and it is only when
a worse evil occurs that they pause and consider.
Here is a young man doomed to a living death.
For a few minutes carelessness he has to endure
years of torture, and his life is wasted. If anything
could impress the mind it must be a case of this
class ; and, if any one can speak from experience of
the horrors that ensue from such recklessness,
surely there has been a witness brought forward
who ought to startle the careless, inform the
ignorant, and convince the unbelieving, as fully and
entirely as if he rose from the dead. It is well that
such warnings should not be disregarded, and mea-
sures adopted before the evil spreads. A worse
thing could not have occurred to any one than has
awaita beftatut
this hapless sufferer, but the same misery
taken to prevent
more if care and precaution are not
Ptevent the occurrence of similar
accidents.

The gale that-'l-1 during the last week been
tremlis, blowing down chiru-
sweeping over thuep
unalflictitig considerable
ghtOolotfhelipfee'rilhs
nevs, tearing
?"—etatreeee:
lre
damage, and in one
aBofBUthge.
gested to most of us a thee
sea and the risk incurred by those
that
their business in great waters:, 4ud occupy
such reflec-
tions are not without cause. It is a
% melancholy
end mortifying fact that none of our
science or skill appear to have any eff:uejiae"deiert:in
nishieg the number of wrecks that year
b;
year play out their tragedy On Our coasts,
Year by year our trade and commence increases,
and year by year in dismal ratio the wrecks increase
too. With unfailing progression the figures move
on until in the brief space of three years they have
gone up nearly a thousand. Their total is some-
thing startling, as may be seen from the statement
published at the beginning of the current week, to
the effect that in the week preceding this no less
than sixty-one wrecks bad been reported, making
a total during the eleven months of 1863 of 2,957.
When the tale of December is told and its losses
added to the catalogue, theree is too much reason to
fear from the violence of th
gales, that' there will