The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-19 00:00:00

BRISTOL A SAFE PORT.

( From the Bristol Mirror.)
In drawing the attention of our readers to a letter, in answer
to some remarks which, copied from the Times, arc going the
rounds of the general press, by which it is made to appear that
our pride, the Great Western, had not to contend against such
bad weather as that which, at the same time, forced the Liver-
pool back, we cannot resist the opportunity afforded us by the
extracts from the Great Western's logs, of compwing, on the
score of safely alone, steam ships with sailing ships of the best
construction. No less than three splendid liners having been
at the same time driven on shore within short distances of each
other, to the sacrifice of scores of human beings, affords us ad-
ditional reason for considering, and example for grappling with
the subject.
It appears, then, by the logs of the Great Western, that in
the heaviest gales, dead against her, she could always keep up
a certain speed, seldom less than four knots, no matter how
high the sea, through the aid of her machinery. Provided,
then, that her machinery met with no injury, it follows that she
could not be driven on a lee-shore. The whole of the vessels
wrecked off Liverpool, were caught by a sudden shift of wind,
and driven on a lee-shore. We infer from the examples be.
fore us, that any steamer as powerful as the Great Western,
as sound, strong, and well built as to model, would have
cleared herself and gained an offing at the rate of from three
to four miles an hour. The foregoing brings us to the con-
sideration of the safety of Bristol as a port.
Regularly once, and frequently twice a year, Liverpool,
Plymouth, Falmouth, and other ports, suffer dreadfully from
shipvrrecks, while we, at Bristol, rarely hear of a wreck under
any circumstances as to weather. This is entirely to be attri-
buted to the comparative safety of our channel and Kingroad.
Something must, to be sure, be allowed for the difference in the
numbers of vessels which make a start on any shift of wind,
after having been any time wind-bound ; but taking Newport.
Cardiff, Chepstow, Gloucester, and Bristol together, it not
unfiequently happens, that from two to three hundred vessels
start on the same tide from above the Holmes, and if they
aro met by a sudden shift, however violent, the whole are
enabled to, and constantly do, put back at any time of night,
and reach Pennarth, Kingroad, or some other place of safety.
If the weather is so dreadful as not to allow them to ride at
anchor, and they either run or are driven on shore at the coast,
on either side of the Avon entrance, they are never wrecked or
seldom injured, but lay upright in soft mud, against which the
surf does nct break violently or dangerously. On the other
hand, if a ship from Liverpool decs not get a good offing,
and a sudden shift of wind comes on, so as to place her on a
lee
.shore, the chances are ninety to one against her during the
night, and her case is not much mended during the day, un-
less the weather is clear, unless the pilot has not left her, or
another by good luck is at hand, and able to board her. The
same series of dangers that bar a return to port after leaving
it, exist in making a port on a homeward voyage. Truly,
Bristol the
turh
poarmt
Lordoli o
th the
frg
Transatlanticate Inconstant,
t nt, Navigation.hadron f
oI
rf
, in
my
Kingroad, instead of Plymouth, he might have landed at
Lamplighter's Hall at any moment he pleased after anchoring;
while at Plymouth, with the wind S. S. W., there was no
communication with the Inconstant for three clear days.

DRAYTON MANOR, TUESDAY,--Sir Robert and
Lady Peel are receiving a select party at this elegant
seat. His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, and the Ladies
Pelham Clinton, have arrived from Clumher Park, Notting-
hamshire. Viscount Villiers, M.P., and Mr Packe, M.P.
are among the guests. Lord Ellenborough has joined the
circle from Southam, his seat near Cheltenham. The Right
Hon. Baronet and family will return to town at the close of
the month. .

The bodies of Grant the dentist, and M'lntosh, the
two individuals whose deaths were announced in last week'spaper as having occurred under circumstances of a peculiar
nature, underwent a strict post modem examination by two
medical gentlemen of Nairn ; and it has been ascertained
that the death of these unfortunate men was caused by ex-
cessive drinking.—lnverness Herald.
Dr. Ireland, Dean of Westminster, who is a native
of Ashburton. in this county (Devon), has intimated to the
vicar, that helms bequeathed at his death the sum of 2,0001.
to build a school ; and he also has invested the sum of
1,0001., the proceeds to be, annually given to six poor house-
keepers of that place.—Exeter Flying Post.
On Wednesday morning a fire, attended with loss of
named Hodges, who had been
out at work, returned to breakfast, and, on knocking at his
cottage, was unable to get in. He procured assistance, and
nine o'clock
o f Lampton, near Hounslow.
burst it open, on which a dense volume of smoke burst out.
When it had in some degree subsided they entered the
life,
Aboutbrokiene out
o,cliona theavillage
building, and found the bed room in flames. Water was
instantly procured and the fire extinguished, when a me-
lancholy spectacle presented Itself, Mrs. Hodges being found
dead on the floor, nurnt..i i
to a cinder, and in one of the
corners of the room her. child, n a ;trite of stoperietion from
the smoke, with a considerable portion of its clothes burnt
off. The child, it is hoped, will recover. How the ire
occurred is qu'te a mystery.