The Sun.
London, England, 1837-09-22 00:00:00

CHRI ST'S HOSPITAL.

Yesterday, according to long custom, the annual speeches
were delivered at Christ's Hospital by the senior scholars.
The sermon, previous to the speeches, was preached by the
Rev. Mr. Dale ; it was a very eloquent and im-
pressive address. By twelve o'clock the great Hall of
the building (a room of the largest dimensions) was
almost filled with expectant auditors ; every scat, except
those reserved for the Lord Mayor, the City authorities,
t•ie Clergy, &c., wls occupied. The whole appearance of
the immense congregation was most animating, and, from
the great number of elegant females who were present,
presented one of the finest spectacles of the sort ever wit-
nessed within the walls of Christ's Hospital or elsewhere.
It was nearly two o'clock before all the boys of the esta-
blishment had taken their seats in a gallery at the end of
the Hall in which the organ is placed. The gallery ap•
ppared to have been erected for their accommodation, and
the effect of their being all collected together and placed
in such a way as to be seen by every person present was
very good. At two o'clock the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs,
Aldermen Farebrother, Cowan, Lucas, &c., and many of
the leading merchants of the City, attended by the civic
officers and by almost all the persons connected with the
Corporation who could be spared from the Central Criminal
Court, entered the Hall and took their seats. The Hall
was at this time so completely thronged, that with the ex-
ception of a comparatively narrow avenue in the middle of
it, in front of his Lordship, there was not a spot without an
occupant; nearly five thousand persons, upon a rough
calculation, were present. As soon as the Lord Mayor
had seated himself, the platform from which the
orations are delivered was wheeled round in front
of him, and the more immediate business of the day cons
menced. The Latin oration, on the benefits of the Royal
Hospitals was spoken by Charles Henry Middleton, third
Grecian. This young gentleman, who is about to leave
the place of his education, and whose progress, from the
specimen exhibited yesterday, is very creditable both to
himself and Mr. Rice, and the assistant masters in the
hospital, and proceed to Oxford, acquitted himself admi-
rably. There was a natural cadence in the tones of his
voice, and no monotony either of gesticulation or utterance.
The oration itself was a 2ood specimen of Latin style, con-
taining fewer common-places than such thiegs generally do,
and not abounding with inflated and vapid epithets. The
English oration, which succeeded, was also on the benefits
of the Royal Hospitals. It was delivered by Edward
Humirreys Parry (second Grecian) who is about to proceed
to the University of Cambridge. It contained an apt illu-
sion to the virtues of William IV., to his condescension and
affability of manner, his support of the institution, and his
kindness of demeanour on occasions of the annual presen-
tation of the scholars of the Hospital at his Court, and con-
eluded with a hope, from the condescension, benevolence,
and kindness of her present Majesty, that she would imi-
tate the example of her predecessor. The Greek Od• 'o
the
,Queen was spoken by Frederick Nash (fourth Gre-
cian.) It was eulogistic of her virtues, and was deli-
vered with great felicity of pronunciation, accent,
and emphasis, by the youthful speaker. The Latin ode to
the Queen, delivered in a very eloquent manner by Ethe-
ridge Minchin (fifth Grecian), was also eulogistic of the
virtues of the Sovereign. It had something Horatian about
it, and without being a plagiarism of the words of the Ro-
man bard, made good use of his hints and his manner.
Wolsey's soliloquy and address to Cromwell, and a transla
Lion, necessarily paraphrastic, of it into Latin hexameters,
was given by. Robert Andrews (sixth Grecian), who spoke
with considerable pathos. William Roberts, (first Gre-
cian), who is shortly to proceed to the University of Oxford,
closed the orations of the day by speaking the English poem
on the Royal Hospitals, which he did with great success.
A collection, in accordance with old custom was then mock
for the scholars by the company, and if a judgment may be
formed from the jingling of the money into the gloves
which were handed about as recipients, it was a large one.
This is the largest meeting which has taken place for some
years in the great hall on the anniversaries. The orations
were of a high character, and show very satisfactorily that
classic literature still flourishes, and is likely long to flourish
within the walls of the edifice. It was a considerable time
before the company could depart, so great was the number,
though some additional facilities were afforded for their
egress.

AN AFRICAN THIEF DETECTED.—I have ever
found the natives peaceable and well-disposed, and, with the
exception of their pilfering propensities, easily managed.
Stealing I have never overlooked, and, during the time we
were aground, I flogged above a score of them for theft,
both masters and slaves. One fellow was caught so neatly
in the very act, that I cannot forbear re!ating the circum-
stance. Dr. Briggs was lying on one of the sofas in the
cabin, reading, when a woolly head made its appearance at
one of the side ports, and a black paw seized upon my
dressine,box, which was lying within reach from the window.
The Doctor made a spring, caught the fellow by the ears,
and called out lustily for assistance. As the fellow's com-
panions in the canoe were hauling him down by his legs,
one of the men jumped down to the cabin to relieve the
Doctor, and two of my Kroomen stepped into the canoe
and gave the culprit thus caught in fiagrante dclicto three
dozen lashes in a style that would not have disgraced any
boatswain's mate in his Majesty's service. I never found
that this severity did any harm ; in fact, it was always
applauded by the natives, who, thieves themselves, think,
in common with their more civilised brethren, that the dis
grace lies not in the act, but in the detection of_the theft.—
Laird's Narrative of the Last Krpedition into Central Africa.
On Monday the passengers by the Umpire coach,
from Leeds to Manchester, witnessed two of the most dis-
tressing accidents which we remember to have heard of for
a considerable time. When the coach had passed Delph
about a mile, and during its progress up a hill, the passen-
gers were alarmed by a cry from a child of " Oh, my
mother! my mother!" The coachman immediately pulled
up, and a boy, apparently about 12 years of age, was found
lying close to one of the hind wheels, blood running from
him in a stream, and his left leg wrenched off by the knee.
It appeared from the statement of the unfortunate little
sufferer that he had been clinging to the coach for the pur-
pose of riding (a very dangerous practice, to which boys
are much addicted), and his leg becoming entangled in the
wheel the above dreadful result was produced. On the boy
!reing discovered in that situation the passengers imme-
diately alighted, and humanely directed every possible assis-
tance to an alleviation of his sufferings. While they were
so engaged a young man who had remained on the top of
the coach swooned away at the melancholy sight before him,
and fell with great force from the vehicle, the front part
of his head coming in contact with the ground. The blood
gushed from him profusely. He was at first thought to be
dead, the pulse having wholly ceased, and every sign of life
being entirely gone. He continued in this state for some
time, when at length re-animation took place, and after a
short interval he was placed inside the coach, and conveyed
to Oldham, at which place he was left in the hands of a
surgeon. His left collar-bone was found to be broken, his
head much lacerated, and it was feared the skull was frac-
tured. He is recovering.

A New CoAcll.-----There is now in course of
building, at a coachmaker's in the metropolis, a coach of a
description at once novel, elegant,.and safe. It is the in-
vention of a scientific gentleman, named Stafford, who has
secured a patent for the same. Before we give a descrip-
tion of the vehicle, it may be proper to state that, on the
suggestion of the superintendent of the royal mails, a si-
milar coach, intended for the country, was built, in order
that its mechanical construction might be fully and prac.
tically tried and tested. Accordingly a public trial of
one built at Nottingham was made, in presence of several
hundreds of the most respectable inhabitants of that
town. Frisby, an experienced and well-knt wu whip,
took the reins ; the coach was drawn by f Jur spirited
horses, and had, inside and out, the full compleme it of pas-
sengers. In descending the hill to New Radford it was se
veral times intentionally, when running at the top of speed,
suddenly swerved offthe road,the near wheeTs working upon a
bank three feet high, and the off wheels in the drain. In
each emergency the coach retained its vertical position like
a mariner's compass, so much so that the gentlemen who
composed the inside passengers were altogether insensible
of their (to others) apparently perilous situation. So con •
vinced were the mayor, magistrates, and aldermen of Not-
tingham, of its safety, and on the score of humanity, that
they, together with 500 of the most respectable inhabitants
of the place, signed a requisition to the coach-proprietors
and contractors of that division of the county, praying
that all coaches might be built on Mr. Stafford's principle.
After sundry trials, all of which were successful, a meeting
of the chief coach-proprietors of London and the provinces
took place at Northampton, when it was unanimously re-
solved that another coach should be built on the same
plan. The builder applied to refused, on the alleged
ground that if he did so the public would insist
upon all coaches being constructed on the safety prin-
ciple, and thereby occasion the calling in or altering
of the coaches lie had out, ho himself being a contractor.
The body of the new coach, instead of resting, as is usually
the case, upon springs below, is poised upon two upright
supporters rising from the beds and axles, and passing up
between the body and the boots. The tops of theso sup-
porters are surmounted by elliptic springs, on which the
body is so suspended that on meeting inequalities on the
road the centre of gravity of the vehicle is freely adjusted,
and the liability to overturn is completely conquered. A
public trial of the coach now building will be given shortly
before a number of scientific individuals and Members s'
Parliament, who, with a laudable desire to piTycoi as far
as possible the recurrence of coach as.cliLots, are interested
in seeing the present yf..114-.la start fair. Several influential
Membets of the House of Commons, at the opening of the
ensuing session, will direct the attention of the Government
to the subject,

THE WRECK OF THE APOLLO

STEAM-SEIIP.

The following information raspectiag the mains that arc
being employed for raising the wreck of the Apollo steam'
vessel
and observations made on board the Water IVitch steon-
vessel sunk off Grays was yesterday obtained from inquirte
tug, in which is the apparatus used for the porilase. lla
On the first ebb-tide next after the sinking of the
the top of her mast was just visible at low water, but we.
then no portion of her has been seen, and it was ascertained_
by the divers that on the succeeding flood she fell over.
one side, and since then has repeatedly shifted her posittoa.
and now lies nearly keel uppermost, a position which Met
terially increases the difficulty of weighing her. The div
regularly descends every time of low water, even at night'_
unless it be more than usually dark and boisterous.
wears a dress somewhat similar to that invented by Mt.,.
Dean. It is air-tight in all its parts; the head-piece is
stout white metal, with a glass front, and has an air-Pir,
through which a constant stream of fresh air is supplied
the pump in the vessel ahote. The diver
generally eon"'
nues under water for about two hours, but the extreme
ing
muddiness of the water prevents him from seeing anyth
distinctly. His business is to ascertain what changes hava
been produced in the condition of the wreck by the fluc-
tuations of tides and weather, the state of the tackle pre-
viously fixed, and to adjust whatever fresh apparatus may
he lowered to him.
The vessel lies in a bed of blue adhesive clay, the suc-
tion of which is very unfavourable to the operation. The,
buoy fixed by the Trinity Company, which had drifted
away half a mile, has been replaced.
On Wednesday an accident occurred which in a moment
destroyed all that had before been done towards weighl"2"
the vessel. The chain that was made secure around the
midship of the wreck, and to which the two huge buoyantt
air cones were attached, suddenly, from the strain of al
cones on it, snapped in two, and the released cones sprung
upwards with such force, that they nearly bounded sit'
gather out of the water. Yesterday afternoon, when the
reporter was on board, the cones remained unattached t°
the wreck, and were floating on the surface of the water
close by the Water Witch. A third cone had been
fisted and was lying by their side. There are five other
cones on board the Water Witch, that, if necessary, can •
soon filled with air and brought into service, but in the opi-
nion of Captain Bush, who hasthe • 1
operations, the three already inflated will be sufficient
raise the wreck. The cones are made of double eanval
with an internal lining of India-rubber, and are strengthened
by stout cordage bracing them in every direction on the out
superintent ence of the
side. These cones, when fully charged with air, arc of an
immense size, and are estimated to be able to raise 35 on:
each. A strong new chain has been provided, which la
was intended, if possible, to make secure round the swcll.
at low water last night, and if this can be accomPlished'
and the three cones sunk and made secure to the chnin,
hopes are entertained that the wreck may be sPe,n":ll,
raised. ,Having once got her out of the adhesive mud' '—
task, it is said, will be comparatively easy of moving her'
through midwater, towards the Kent shore, on the beach
of which it is proposed to place her. The depth of water
in which she is now lying is I 11 fathoms, equal to 69 feet.
The means adopted by Captain Bush in the present in"
stance are the same as under his superintendence have Pre:
viously been successful in raising two vessels. The first wai:
a Prussian galliot, the Blucher, of 200 tons register, tvh,ic,
was sunk in four fathoms depth of water off Harwich, being
at the time deeply laden with corn. She was raised by
means of a chain slung round her, to which five air een:s
were attached. The next was the Nimble smack, of usd
tons, sunk off Lowestoff, in four fathoms water ; raalseaa
her, on the same principla, with three air 'cones. ":":
Apollo, which he is now attempting to raise, is of .12°,tet1;
register, but has no cargo on board, and the only vinlg"--
to be raised beyond that of the wreck itself are those of the
engine and boiler.
The coal brig William, which was sunk off Gravesend., is
a property abanoned by the owners, and the processes
now going on by means of air tanks for raising her are 14
a contract with the Lord Mayor, who in his official capacity
of Conservator of the River has taken upon himself the ta..k
of removing the obstruction to the free navigation of the
river caused by the wreck. The contract is to entirely
raise and remove the wreck for a fixed sum of money,
the
materials raised to be surrendered to the Lord Mayor, 11
whom they will be sold as salvage to defray the expenses
incurred. The vessel is described as of 200 tons register,
and laden with coals.