The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-26 00:00:00

The Fine Arts' Plasterer

The eighteenth century was far advanced before
our house-building had fallen to that most ignomi-
nious style of domestic architecture seen in Harley-
street and Weymouth-street, in which every species
of ornamentation was ruthlessiy, suppressed ; in
which the windows and doors became mere holes
cut out of a dead wall, and the roof retired from
view behind the long monotony of the parapet.
From this wretchedness John Nash and stucco
delivered us. Whatever the faults, either of the
architect or of his material, let this be recollected
to their credit. In the year 1812, the idea of
creating the Regent's Park out ot Marylebone-
fields saved that fine piece of open country from
being covered with houses in continuation of the
streets in the neighbourhood :of /the New-road;
and Nash was employed to build the terraces bor-
dering on the park. It was the commencement of
a new era in London architecture—the era ot stucco
—the age of plaster columns and compo cornices.
Regent-street, the Quadrant, the Circuses, 114 ater-
loo-place, Pall-mall East, and Carlton-house•terrace
sprang from the same ingenious brain. George
IV. is understood to have patronised the new style.
There was something in the showy, untruthful
character of Nash's grand effects very similar to
the unreality and pretence of " the first gentle-
man in Europe." Nash put a false surface
of stucco ou the face of London as George
put a false head of hair upon his baldness.
But Nash's decoration, however low in point of
art, was acceptable as a stage of transition from
worse to better. It was a step forward out of the
blank negation of Harley-street. It was art of some
sort, as distinguished from mere construction.
Meretricious as it often was—a thing of sham and
" make-believe"—it yet marked an advance beyond
the soulless utilitarianism of the reign of George 111.
It conceded the principle of beauty. And poor as
were the details of such building, the effect in mass
was sometimes extremely good. Nash understood
the art of grouping his churches and houses, with a
view to the general appearance ; and the semi-
circular sweep of the Quadrant, as it was originally
built with the colcnnade over the pavement, was
certainly the finest thing we had in London. But,
after all, Nash was a plasterer, and his productions
seemed generally to partake of the meanness of the
material in which he worked.—Saturday Review.

A. FOOLHARDY ADVENTURE.—Two adventurons
gentlemen residing in Plymouth recently engaged
the White Horse, a waterman's boat of large size for that
class of craft, and expressed their determination of making
a trip to Jersey and back in her. Having laid in a stock
of provisions they in company with Richard Roberts, the
owner of the boat, sailed from Milbay on Sunday, the 9,,h
inst., at 6 a.m. They reached the Start about 11 o'clock the
same morning, and arrived at Guernsey in the afternoon of
the following day, when they were becalmed. The arrival
at that place was welcomed by a large number of persons,
who expressed their astonishment at their perilous under-
taking On Tuesday morning, at 8 o'clock, the little party
set sail for Jersey, which place they reached early in the
afternoon, They remained on the island until the following
Friday morning, when the White Horse again got under
weigh for the homeward voyage. The boat had been at
sea several hours when very rough weather set in, and she
was driven from her course. The gallant trio, however,
made Salcombe in 24 hours after leaving Jersey. They,
finding their voyage somewhat wearisome, landed in Sal-
combe Harbour, and proceeded via Kingsbridge to Ply-
mouth by train. In consequence of contrary winds the
Waterman was obliged to remain at Salcombe for two days.
On Tuesday morning last there was still a strong breeze
blowing from the north-west; but being tired of waiting,
Roberts resolved to set out for Plymouth that day. He
accordingly did so; but the roughness of the weather soon
after carried away the sprit of his boat. No other damage
was occasioned, however, and he arrived safely in Ply-
mouth Sound in the afternoon. Roberts states that when
about five miles from Salcombe, a fish six feet in length,
known as a long-nose, was washed into his boat—a visitor
more free than welcome, seeing that his mode of entrance
was highly alarming to the solitary seaman.— Western
Morning News.
A YEAR'S RAILWAY WORK.—In the year 1862,
the enormous number of 180,429,071 passengers
travelled on the railways of the United Kingdom, besides
56,656 season-ticket holders, who of course travelled very
many times ; and besides, also, 262,334 horses, 386,864
dogs, 3,094,183 cattle, 7,800,918 sheep, and 1.989,892 pigs.
The passengers were more than in 1861 by about 7,000,000.
They paid £12,295,273 for their fares. The first-class pas-
sengers paid £3,332,380; the second-class, £1,018,221;
the third-class, £4,639,250. 12.80 in every hun-
dred weight first-class, 28.75 second-class, 53.45
third-class. The proportion of third-class passengers 18
rather increasing, and of second-class rather diminish-
ing. Thirty-five passengers were killed (9 of them owing
to their own misconduct or want of caution), and 536 were
injured. This is less than half the number who lost their
lives in 1861 by railway accidents. The passenger trains
travelled 57,541,831 miles, and the goods trains nearly as
many more. The passenger traffic supplied 47.76 Per cent.
of the total receipts of the companies, and the goods trafficall
,the larger half, 52.24 per cent. The receipts frosr the
traffic amounted to £29,128,558, being nearly £3,000,000
more than the interest of the National Debt, and an in-
crease of £563,000 over the receipts of 1861; but the
length of line open increased from 10,865 miles at
the end of 1861, to 11,551 miles at the end of 1862. The
working expenditure amounted to 49 per cent., and left
the net receipts L 14,820,694, nearly £130,000 more than in
1861. In the year 1862 the companies paid £220>970 for
law and parliamentary expenses, £158,169 as compensation
for personal injuries, £63,510 for damage and loss of goods,
£375,067 for Government duty, and £596,410 for rates and
taxes. It took £2,708,633 to maintain the way and works,
and £1,242,714 to maintain the carriages and waggons,
£3,966,005 to provide locomotive power, and -£3,987,637
to conduct the traffic. The total sum raised by shares and
loans reached £385,218,438 at the close of the year 1802.