The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-27 00:00:00

7ES2ING OF LOOOIIIO7IVE BOILERS.

r The Government inspector, Captain Tay!or, has
issued his report consequent on the explos en of the
engine Perseus at Paddington, on the 8 I ult., by
which the lives of three men were sacr ced. The
result of the investigation was the disc very of ex-
tensive corrosion near the line of rivets at the bot-
tom of the middle ring of the engine, and the weak-
ness produced thereby was doubtless the cause of
the explosion. The report concludes as follows :
" The present explosion is a further proof that ad-
ditional care and attention are much required in the
maintenance of the steam boilers of locomotive en-
gines. The common practice of allowing them to
run from four to seven years without any internal
examination, and without applying to them any test
which would discover weakness arising from hidden
defects, is a most dangerous one. The locomotive
superintendents on some railways are in th:e habit
of employing the simple, safe, and economical test
of hydraulic pressure up to about 1801bs. to the
square inch, and they do so judiciously; but the
greater number of locomotive superintendents, and
those of some of the principal railways, object to
such a test as being unnecessary and undesirable.
If such a test had been applied to the present boiler
a few months before it exploded, its weakness would
no doubt have been discovered. But more frequent
examinations are also necessary, at internals say of
every three years, or every 75,000 miles ; and dur-
ing these examinations any plate in which indica-
tions of furrow are observed ought to be at once
replaced by a new one, instead of being left in its
place for a further period of uncertain length. It
is, in any case, in my opinion, a most unsafe prac-
tice to allow an engine to run on without any ex-
amination of the interior of theboiler, as the Perseus
had done, at full pressure, for seven years and five
months, and for a duty of 176,000 miles."

LOSS OF THE LIFEGUARD, NEW CASTLE
AND LONDON PASSENGER SHIP.

We were informed, on Wednesday, of the loss of
the splendid screw ship Lifeguard, the finest and
fastest passenger vessel, running between the Thames
and the Tyne. She was the property of Mr. W.
D. Stephens, Newcastle, and left this town on
Saturday afternoon for London. She had on board
a full general cargo, and 32 passengers, her crew—
of sailors, engineers, firemen, steward and stew-
ardess—numbering 21 persons. She has, we deeply
regret to state, never arrived at her destination,
as she ought in the ordinary course, on Mon-
day ; and we would be only cruelly deluding the
friends of all on board if we held out the slightest
hope that she is still in safety. She was passed on
Saturday night by the Pioneer, one of the General
Steam Navigation Company's vessels, which also
left Newcastle on Saturday afternoon. The Life-
guard was seen by Mr. Harty, the master of the
Pioneer, when off Scarborough. The weather was
then extremely squally, and the sea running a tre-
mendous height. It required all Capt. Harty's
skill and attention to keep the Pioneer afloat, the
sea breaking over her feat fully. He took her to
London, however, in safety, but no tidings have
been since heard of the ill-fated Lifeguard, and the
respected owner and charterers have long ago aban-
doned all hope of her being in safety. Landsmen
were at first in hope that she had merely been
blown off the land, and would ultimately make her
way into port. The circumstances of the weather
and of the vessel, however, unfortunately negative
all such hope. Her engines were placed very far
aft, and it is generally supposed by seafaring men
that the waves had overlapped the vessel astern,
filled her engine-room, and extinguished her fires,
and that she then broached to and foundered, car-
rying all on board down with her. Even if there
were time to get out the boats they would not have
been able to live a minute in the seas that were
running. The Lifeguard was a comparatively new
vessel, having only been built by Messrs. Palmer
Brothers and Co. in 1857. The engines were of 80
horse power, and were by the same builders. Her
gross register was 490:tons, net ditto 333 tons, and
she was classed Al, nine years, at Lloyd's. Her
commander was Capt. John Barry, arid the ship
and cargo (there was no deck cargo) was valued at
£lB,OOO. The ship was covered by insurance. Since
the vessel has been overdue the scene at the London
wharf has been most painful, there being an inces-
sant crowd of anxious inqui, ers atter friends and
relatives among both passengers and crew.
Of the passengers, most of whom were proceeding
to London to spend the holidays with their friends,
a young man named Chaldicott, a clerk in one of
the offices on the Quay, and a member of the New-
castle Rifle Corps, was-well known. One of the
passengers was a young lady filling a responsible
office in one of the ladies' seminaries in this town.
Six of the passengers occupied berths in the cabin,
and seemed to be highly respectable. The re-
mainder were in the steerage ; but there were very
few if any sailors among them.
The melancholy occurrence has sent a thrill of
pain throughout the entire town.—Newcastle
Journal.

FEARFUL COLLISION ON THE GREAT
NOR7IIE.RN RA LTVAY.

A most fearful collision, involving serious injury
to several passengers, and a great loss of property,
happened on Wednesday afternoon, at the Barnet
station of the Great Northern Railway. According
to the particulars furnished us, it appears that
about four o'clock the above afternoon, a coal train
was being shunted out of the siding on to the main
line, but what precautions were taken to protect
the road while this work was being performed by
putting on the auxiliary signal has not transpired.
It would seem that the shunting was going on when
the up-express train from the north, due at King's-
cross about a quarter past four, was heard coming
up at its usual rate of speed, not having to stop at
the station. The obstruction was observed by the
driver of the engine, but the distance was not
sufficient to enable him to bring up before dashing
into the coal waggons. To add to the difficulties,
there is a descent in the line approaching Barnet
from Potter's Bar of 1 in 200, and beirig Christmas
Eve the train was unusually heavy. The shock
of the collision is described to have been one of
a fearful character. The coal waggons were
thrown high over each other across the line in a
dreadful confusion, bringing down a foot-bridge
erected over the railway, and ploughing up the per-
manent way. The speed of the passenger train
had been somewhat reduced, but the force with the
coal waggons caused the engine and tender to leave
the metals, occasioning an alarming crash among
the carriages. As may be imagined the greatest
terror seized the passengers, and on alighting se-
veral passengers were found to be much hurt. The
full extent of their injuries could not be correctly
ascertained, but the nature of the collision led to the
inference that a large number of the passengers
must have sustained some damage more or less. The
company report four passengers (two lathes) to be
hurt. Medical men were soon in attendance to
attend to those wounded.

As the coal waggons were thrown over in such
a way as to entirely block up the line, the most
prompt measures were taken to warn the approach-
ing up and down trains. Gangs of labourers were
set to work to clear the road, but it was some hours
ere the traffic could be resumed, occasioning the
greatest inconvenience to the trave;lers leaving
King's-cross and those bound to London. The in-
jured passengers were sent up to town and for•
warded to their respective homes.

Yesterday the directors were engaged in insti-
tuting an inquiry into the collision. It is stated
that the auxiliary ;signal was put on, but too late,
or rather after the train had passed. Considering
the character of the collision, it is most providential
thatit Was not attended with loss of Me. The de-
he departureeaten
of
thaen d
accident.arriva l of the trains at
as
-"35s gave rise to the most alarming reports

COMMITTAL 01,--- ----------
A- RAILWAY MANAGER FOR
Latham, general rat:::?°
NEGLECT op my,
understand that Mr. John
Railway, was on viredil:4°l the Edinburgh and Glasgow
a:Yorezamined Lefore the sheriff of
connexion with the accidetnatietoymPir3btlhe
Linlithgow, on the char
neglect of duty in
October last. Mr. Latham was admitted to
Kifiegrn, M P., chairman, of nu; l'eter Blackburn, of
4"11)031.9, becoming
caution for him.—sc,e,ra.a;a,