The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-31 00:00:00

SHIPPING—This Day.

LONDON, Aug. 31.—Wind this day at noon—South-
Westerly; strong breeze, and cloudy weather, with
showers.

PLYMOUTH, Monday Morning.
liis Prussian Majesty's gunboat Basilisk, Capt. Schan,
from Dantzic, last from Lowestoft, for the Mediterranean,
put into the Sound this morning short of fuel.

(BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVSEND, Monday Morning.
Arrived, Aug. 30—Magnet, from Dantzic ; Der Ecluchs,
from Onega ; Leat, from Quebec; Gem, from Antwerp;
Gloriana, from Riga; Medkurring, from Tornea ; Newton,
from Gefle ; Glen, from Ghent; Rainbow, from Cronstadt;
Elizabeth Mary, from Dantzb; Caunder, from Dantzic ;
Swan, from Dantzic ; Adagio, from Colberg ; Esq, steamer,
from Guernsey.
Arrived, Aug. 31—Diadem, from Cronstadt; Commo-
dore, from Calcutta ; Atalanta, from Quebec; Comet, from
Droback ; Harburgen, from Archangel.
DEAL, Monday Morning.
Passed, Aug. 30 —Ageneria, screw-steamer, from Lon-
don, for Bordo ;_Adler, Prussian steamer, from Yarmouth,
for Plymouth ; Blitz gunboat steamer, from Yarmouth! for
Plymouth; Carl 15112, from London, for Rio Janeiro;
.I.len.rsty, from London, for St. John's; East, from London,
for Bombay ; Caster of Scarborough, from west, for north.
oailed.—Western Emperor and Amada, for Liverpool, in
tow; and all the outward bound on the 30th.

Preparations are making for a grand choral
gatheting at 'York Minster. on October 13, somewhat simi-
lar to that at Peterborough.
SUNDAY EXCURSION TO THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

—The second and last Sunday excursion this season of
members of the Crystal Palace Share Clubs took place yes •
terday to the Palace, and was attended by 7,000 artisans
and their families.

THE AMERICAN MAILS,—The extra Cunard
steamship Hecla, from New York on the 19th inst.,
passed the harbour of Queenstown yesterday afternoon.
She brings 83,200 dols, in specie, and 90 passengers, four
of whom she landed. Her news had been anticipated by
the Arabia, via Halifax. The royal mail steamship Scotia
arrived at Queenstown at 6 a.m. yesterday. She embarked
mails, passengers, and the latest telegrams, and proceeded
for New York at 4 p.m. All well.
A twine spinner in Devonport dockyard attempted
suicide by hanging himself in the ropery en Friday. He
was, however, discovered, and cut down before life was ex-
tinct. The unfortunate man had just received intelligence
that his son, who was employed in the ropehouse, had been
detected stealing lead.

NARROW ESCAPE OF AN EXPRESS TAAIN.---lohn
Allbuary, a butcher, living at Agnes-place,
Plum-
stead, was summoned before Mr. Maude, at Woolwich, for
endangering the safety of the pae.:,.enrs on the North Kent
Railway. ns.. crevenb opreared. for the prob,tion, on be-
half of the South-Eastern Railway Company. Wm. Agate
said-1 am a platelayer on the North Kent line, and live at
66, Orchard-street, Plumstead. On the 12th icst., just be-

fore 2 o'clock, I was on the line, a quarter of a mile above
Abbeywood station, and saw the defendant in the lane, with
a horse and cart at the crossing. I was a quarter of a mile
from him, and I could see a train coming np to the Abbey-
wood station. I saw the defendant open the gate and bring
the horse and cart on the line. He walked behind the cart,
and closed the downside gate after him. He then walked
across the lane, and opened the gate on the up side, leaving
the horse and cart standing on the railway. While he was
opening the gate, the horse, which appeared frightened,
turned round with his head towards Abbey-wood station.
Whilst bringing the horse round the gate blew to him, and
the defendant opened it a second time. The driver of the
approaching train blew his whistle and turned off the steam,
put on the break, and was only 90 yards off when the de-
fendant got his cart off the line. Joseph Bashford, foreman
of platelayers, living at East Wickham, said—l noticed the
horse and cart on the line. I held up my hands to give
the 'driver of the train the " danger signal" and heard the
driver blow his whistle as the train passed through the sta-
tion. As soon as the train had passed and the dust dis-
appeared, I proceeded to the spot and obtained defendant's
name. I said he ought not to have come on the line when a
train was in sight, and he said he could not see the train
because his sight was bad. At the crossing the line is straight
and a person can see a mileand a half. Fredk. Wilton, engine-
driver, said it was an express from Dartford to Woolwich
Arsenal, and not appointed to call at Abbey-wood and other
intervening stations. On approaching the Abbeywood Sta-
tion within 200 yards, the train was going 23 miles an hour.
He observed a horse and cart on the line about a quarter of
a mile beyond the station, and immediately shut off the
steam, and the fireman put his break on. The speed was
reduced to 20 miles an hour, and when within 00 er 90 yard
of the accommodation crossing, defendant had got his horse
and cart clear off the line. Had he nt seen the platelayer's
signal and reduced the speed, the train would have been on
the cart before it was oft the line. The defendant said, "My
eyesight is bad, and I did net
,see the train or hear it coming
until I went to pull the horses head round." Mr. Maude
said it was too serious a case for him to deal with. He would
adjourn the case till Wednesday, in order that the deposi-
tions might be laid before tha railway company, and if they
insieted upon it, he would commit the defendant for trial,