The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-31 00:00:00

Mr. Trotman, in a letter to a contemporary, says :
—I beg most respectfully to bring under your notice
the following shipping casualties for one week only,
as published in the Shipping and Mercantile Gazette
of Saturday.
There have occurred 523 shipping casualties
around our own coasts ; of these no less than 190
have arisen solely through defaulting anchors and
cables.

Other serious disasters, such as collisions by rea-
son of anchors dragging and cables breaking in
crowded anchorages, like the Downs, Yarmouth
Roads, &c., may also be ascribed to one and the
same cause—viz., the fraudulent manufacture and
unchecked sale of ships' ground-tackle, which I
have unceasingly endeavoured to expose since the
loss of the Royal Charter in 1859.

It will bo remembered that at the official inquiry
which ensued it was proved the above ill-fated ship
was brought to by her light and efficient anchors,
which held her in comparative safety until her
ponderous " merchant-ship quality" cables snapped
one after the other, when the next dread moment
494 fellow-creatures and half a million of treasure
became a sacrifice. Humanly speaking, something
less than a £lO note in value as regards quality of
material would have averted a calamity so direful
in its after consequences. _ _

Subsequently the maker of these cables was exa-
mined before a select committee of the House of
Commons, and he admitted that ls. per cwt. consti-
tuted the difference of cost between " merchant-
ship quality" cables and "navy-proof." The super 111
-
intendent of the Liverpool Corporation cable-prov-
ing machine also supplied statistical official docu-
ments, giving the practical result of four years' ex-
perience, and showing that 821 per cent. of the
cables known as "merchant-ship quality," failed at
a proof-strain considerably under 11 tons to the
square inch of iron, whereas merely good iron is
equal to a tensile strain of 27 tons, and even 44
tons has been attained in some recent experiments
at the Mersey Ironworks.
The gallant member for Portsmouth, Sir James
Elphinstone, from time to time has endeavoured to
Impress upon the authorities of the Board of Trade
the necessity of remedial measures to check this
unmitigated evil and admitted cause of the great
increase of shipwreck and the consequent annual
loss of life and national wealth.

The remedy is simple as it is effective—viz., for
all cables and anchors to undergo a public proof, the
same as fireams. All guns and pistols must be
subjected to an authorised proof, and the official
impress testifying strength of construction, &c.,
before they can be legally offered for sale to the
unwary purchaser, and every anchor and cable for
the Royal Navy must under a rigid proof and in
spectioo, before being issued to au of her M4jesty'
ships.
The practical and hon. member fur Birkenhead,
Mr. Laird, gave notice last session of his intention
to bring this subject again under the notice of Par-
liament. Pray, in the meantime, aid his efforts
by the influence of your powerful pen, and thereby
subserve the interests of humanity and the cause of
the widows and fatherless children of our ship-
wrecked mariners.

FOREIGN WHEAT.—According to a public docu-
ment just published there has been an increase in the im-
portation of wheat, on which a duty of ls. per qr. is paid.
In the first ten months 7,751,301 qrs were imported, against
5,632,558 in the preceding year.
The French Mint is preparing some new
copper money on which • the Emperor is represented sur-
rounded by laurels. It is said that this design will be
adopted on all the French coins, and on the postage stamps
also.

INCREASED CONSUMPTION OF FOREIGN POTA
TOES,--From a return to Parliament just issued, it ap-
pears that in ten months of the present year 660,938 cwts.
of foreign potatoes were imported, against 229,645 ewts. in
the previous year.
FOREIGN EGGS.—Eggs are free of duty, and
large importations are made from Franco. In ten months
of 1860 the number imported was 144,837,000 ; in 1861,
175,567,800 ; and this year, 192,700,800 as appears from a
return just printed.
RISE IN THE PRICE OF PAPER. —The Superin-
intendant of ;Public Printing reports to Congress that the
expense of paper has increased 100 per cent.—Balttmore
(U.S.) Daily Gazette.
THE METROPOLITAN RAlLWAY.—Yesterday Col.
Yolland, the Government inspector of rail ways,
made another trip along the line. Messrs. Fenton, Tanner,
Johnson, and ether officials were present. The train, con-
sisting of an engine and carriage, started from Paddington
about 11.50 a.m. along the up line to Furring& n-street
station. After a careful examination of the altered signals
and the electrical indicators, which have been furnished for
the purpose of showing the position of the distant sema-
phores, the train returned along the down line of rails to
Paddington. The result of this further investigation is the
removal of all opposition on the part of the Board of Trade
to the immediate opening of the line. This is, however,
again postponed till Saturday, Jan. 10, while the inaugura-
tion banquet is expected to come off this day week, the
7th Jan.

EAST LONDON AND ROTHERHITHE RAILWAY.—
It is proposed, in order to carry this line under
the Thames from the Lovlon and Blackwall Railway
to Rot herhithe, so as to relieve London•bridge
and its approaches, and furnish railway ac-
commodation to the populous districts by the East of Lon-
don, to purchase the Thames Tunnel, and either appro-
priate it to railway purposes or stop up and discontinue it
for its present purposes. The precise route, as settled by
the engineers, will be from the terminus of the Blackwall

- .
Railway, about 50 yards on the west side of Christian-street, 1
in the parish of St. George's-in-the-East, and terminating '
n the parish of St. Mary, Rotherhithe, Surrey, on the
Deptford Lower-road. All the public thoroughfares are to
be crossed by means of flat iron-girder bridges, and traffic
facilities are to be afforded by the South Eastern, London
and Brighton, and Blackwell Railways in respect of eaten-
sion to New-cross. The Parliamentary estimate for con-
structing the line, including the purchase of the Thames
Tunnel, is £303,000, with power to borrow au additional
£95,000.
THE WINCHBURGH RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—The
Elinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company have,
we understand, arranged for the settlement of nearly all
the claims made for compensation for lesser injuries re-
ceived in the terrible collision at Winchburg in Oct. last,
by paying to the various parties damages ranging, accord-
-1 , ing to the nature of the case, from a few pounds to £2OO to
£3OO. The claim of the widow of Mr. Hosie, the manager o
I the Oakley Ironworks, which was for compensation
amounting to £lO,OOO, has been compromised for payment
of £1,250 and expenses. In the case of Mr. Hedderwick,
writer, Falkirk, who was killed on the spot, his mother
has put forward a claim of damages to the extent of £3,000,
for which a summons has been served upon the company.
The railway company, we understand, offered at an earlier
stage to compromise this claim for a considerably smaller
sum, which was refused. There are also one or two smaller
claims by the friends of Scotch parties—one, we believe,
for £4OO, and another for £l,OOO ; but these also may yet
be compromised. A number of claims are also said to be
likely brought forward by parties in business for loss sus-
tained by the death of partners or confidential servants ;
but considerable doubt is expressed as to whether the
law of Scotland would sustain such actions. So far as
the claims on account of minor injuries are concerned, the
railway company are understood to have on the whole
effected their settlement with satisfactory liberality, the
demand being in many cases, as it was natural to expect,
very unreasonable. Mr. James Shaw, clerk to the late Mr.
Hedderwick, Falkirk, who was much bruised and scalded
in the accident, and whose injuries, we regret to say, have
assumed a very serious aspect, lay at Linlithgow, in the
Star and Garter Hotel, till Saturday, when he was removed
to Falkirk.—Scotsman. _

FIRES AND Loss OF LIFE.—Yesterday afternoon,
about 4 o'clock, a fire was discovered at the house,
No. 3, Little Thames-street, Greenwich, occupied by an
aged couple, John and Sarah Keys. With the assistance of
some neighbours the fire was speedily extinguished, when
the lifeless body of Sarah Keys, shockingly burnt, was
found in the room in which the fire commenced. From
the appearance of the unfortunate woman's clothing it is
evident that she must have been sitting by the fire, and
that her dress, having become ignited, sat fire to the pre-
mises. Her husband was from home at th e, but ar-
rived while tha fire was being put out to find his wife a
corpse. The deceased was 68 years of age. Yesterday
morning, about a quarter past 7 o'clock, a fire broke out in
the premises of Mr. Atkins, boot and shoe manufacturer'
Church-street, Rotherhithe. The inmates fortunately
succeeded in effecting a safe retreat, attended the engines of the
parish and London brigade promptly. There beirig
a good supply of the Southwark Company's water obtained,
the engines were set to work under the direction of Mr.
Henderson, the chief officer of the D district, but in elite of
all exertions the flames could not be conquered until they
had passed through every portion of the house. The damage
is considerable, and at present it is unknown whether the
sufferer was insured or not. A fire also took place on the
premises of Messrs. J. T. Bellinger and Co., grocers and
tea dealers, carrying on business at Nos. 80 and 81, Ald-
gate. The discovery was made by some of the inmates,
who fortunately succeeded in extinguishing the fire before
the arrival of the engines and before it had extended beyond
themeirkflOOr.