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

ii
og his works on the Rapidan ! Such, in brief, are
are the salient points in tho news now
brought to us as indicative of the actual
sitnation. The combatants, here at Charleston,
tb ere at Knoxville, had still their weapons crossed
nd ringing in fierce encounter. Along the line
o f the Rapidan, at the chief scene of interest, the
3 lain armies of the belligerents confronted each

o ther from the opposite banks, breathing deadly
h atred, preparing for a yet more fierce and despe-
r ate conflict than any in which they had hitherto

b aen engaged.

It is a step in the right direction that a check
:/.a as been ?ut on the dangerous and disgraceful
F cractice of omnibus racing. For some time past
c considerable annoyance has been experienced by
ti its prevalence of this custom, and the far-sighted
h v e entertained serious apprehensions regarding
the3ir own and others safety. Still it is very hard
svo rk 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," tsnd 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 Br. 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 metheal 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 ho 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. Th© 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•
clavicle 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 Mi. 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 is this fashion. The
very reprehensible custom that prevailed of " run-
ning" omnibuses of rival companies caused great
confusion, and one man's life was sacrificed a short
time back in the excitement of the race. But people
soon forget these fatal eaents, and it is only when
a worse evil occurs that they pause and consider.
Hero 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
beftillen this hapiess sufferer, but the same misery
"'tits many more if care and precaution are not
taken
to prevent the occurrence of similar
accidents.

The g%ii

swee 'e that has during the last week been
p in „"
. metropolis, blowing down chim-
neys, tearing v e
bp
trees, inflicting considerable
damage, and in one
ea
se even loss of life, has sug-
gested to most of us thought'
of the perils of the
y those that " occupy
sea and the risk incurred b
their business in great waters;, And such reficc-
tions are not without cause. ,t
is a melancholy
and
en tner
our advances in
cceor ti l
sill appear fact that nous of
uppear to have any
science
effect : i dimi-
nishing the number of wrecks that year
ar by
y
year play out their tragedy on our coasts.
Year by year our trade and comrner,2o ;
Lnereuses,
and year by year in dismal ratio the wrecks increase
too. With unfailing progression the figures nmve
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 had been reported, making
a total during the eleven months of 1863 of 2,257.
When the tale of December is told and its losses
added to the catalogue, there is too much reason to
fear from the violence of the gales, that there will ,