The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-17 00:00:00

FATAL PILOT-BOAT CATASTROPHE.

_...._
A most lamentable accident occurred off Grevt Yar-
mouth, early on Tuesday morning, which resulted in the
loss of three experienced pilots. It appears that a boat,
containing five of the body, put off from the port, and
was rowed oui to sea towards Corton, on the look out
for the London coasters. On nearing that place, it
seems that the craft by some means got inside what is
termed the outer bank, which is considered a dangerous
position. Time would not permit them to extri-
cate the boat, before a heavy sea caught her
broadside, and capsized her. Two of the pilots, Ben-
jamin Holt and Richard Garwood, succeeded in reaching
the shore, although in a very exhausted condition,
but the other three were imprisoned under the boat.
Holt, the survivor, contrived, after much exertion, to
raise the boat, but the poor fellows were almost past
recovero. Otte of the sufferers, Abraham Wooden, was
first conscious enough to recognise Holt, who was seized
by the leg by the dying man. Holt having to clamber
up a cliff to save himself, begged of the unfortunate fel-
low to loosen his hold. He eventually got clear of him,
and reaching the summit of the cliff he gave the alarm.
Assistance was then obtained, and on proceeding to the
spot Wooden was found to have breathed hls last, and
the other two unfortunate men, Isaiah Leggatt and
George Fox, lying in the water, dead. They were at
once conveyed to a neighbouring public-house to await
a coroner's inquest. The deceased pilots were much
respected at the port.

ELECTORS AND POLLING PLACES.—Yesterday, a re-
am to the House of Commons was issued, from which
t appears that there are 50,170 electors for counties in
Scotland, and 133 polling places.
MARYLEBONE FREE LIBRARY.—Last night a public
meeting, emanating from the working-man's committee
appointed to conduct the movement at present on foot in
the borough of Marylebone for the establishment of a.
'free library to a successful issue, was held at 60, Pad-
dington-street ; Mr. Wilson was called to the chair.
The chairman informed the meeting that the subscrip-
tions, including those of the Bishops of London and
Durham, and several other influential promoters of the
movement, amounted to 8001. Mr. Murrough, M.P.,
Mr. Oliveira, and Mr. Macgregor, M.P., moved
and supported resolutions.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN TUNIN.—The attention of
r the Chamber of Deputies of Turin was, in its sitting of
tho 12th, called to a subject which has often engrossed
the attention of philanthropists, by an occurrence,
which although rare, is not the first of its kind. A man,
named Antonio Sismondi, 25, had been hanged for mur-
der that very morning, when, being taken down, and
carried to the cemetery, a slight cough issuing from the
body showed that life was not extinct. The grave-dig-
ger called for assistance, and the patient was taken into a
house and bled three times ; but notwithstanding all
the assistance afforded him, he died a few hours after-
wards. This matter was brought before the Chamber
the same day by M. Deviry, who moved as follows :
—" The Chamber, inviting the Ministry immediately
to provide for the reform of public capital execu-
tions, as also of the mode of execution itself, passes to
the order of the day." The Minister of Justice con-
curred in the general principle of the motion of M.
Deviry, who, he said, at the same time advocated the
restriction of the punishment of death to one single
crime ; but the ministry added that this was a matter
requiring such serious consideration, that he could not
for the present pledge himself to any course without
further inquiry. M. Brofferio, expressing his conviction
that the time was not far distant when capital punish-
ment would be done away with altogether, moved an
amendment to the motion as follows :—" The Chamber,
recommending the ministry to present a bill to correct
the present enactment of the penal code respecting the
punishment of death, passes to the order of the day."
This amendment, being accepted by the Minister of Jus-
tice, was adopted unanimously.

CONSUMPTION Or SUGAR IN THE UNITED STATES.—
The usual annual returns have been published of the
consumption of sugar in the United States during the
past year. From these it appears that the total quan-
tity of foreign and domestic (produced from the cane)
taken into use was 315,217 tons, against 288,485 tons in
1851: being an increase of about 9k per cent. About
13,0.58 tons, made from foreign molasses, and 11,600
tons, yielded from the maple tree, have to be added to
this amount, and the aggregate consumption was there-
fore 339,875 tons. Out of this total the quantity of
foreign was 196,558 tons, against 181,047 tons in 1851 ;
and it would, therefore, appear that the consumption
of the domestic production from the slave labour of
Louisiana has increased in rather greater propor-
tion than that of foreign. As regards prices, the
averages of 1850 and 1851 were almost the same—viz.,
about $5 50c. for' New Orleans descriptions, but last
tscyjuoeobn
lansrnetsiihunof
necwnet st:
il
subsequently
e dtd
prospects,
nacvt c
ei i on
dng
at
been
tedsei
sn4r
esBmvtlaecatr.
eiy,
nd
et
low,t
odh he
btqeeua
althoughotdhtyae. t ii or
a npisu_ ae
tsrt
:htiihe:yen.
of American dealers that the crops now coming forward
from nearly all the producing countries will gbe rather
above than under an average. In Louisiana and Texas,
it is said, the yield will exceed in quantity and quality
vedartabl , but frOme. Porto The
280,000 hl d Th
aalelofoournntiserfroonmesdobbeainagreelsetmatousis
faßico, Manilla, Java, and Brazil a full
from beetroot in 'Europe has also to betSti ppklyenis
for ; while the effect of the increa,sing
THEFT
this nei L'-- ' '
uctio from
EXTR.AORDINA.RY.—At a place on
inlotookaced.
oc on
Aue n
of
ac-
count.
tion had been abandoned, and
RAILWAYeWraITaRyEs
novel theft committed, a bystander saw an
gtuhueouorlirot,oowdhenerehuat si.eta:
moved, the other da
before and after the and made himself accessory bothno
felony—for he looked on,
presently venture forth and proceed
thing, and allowed the saildesteci with his boot cunning felon to retire unmolested
rat our art• • saw a fine sleek
rat peer out from bel)to a
singeni :us and
lc"
crunimsstation office, and
neath the old
iding where
stood a carriar,
" rolling be,,not at that moment
of the wheels by
stock.' Climbing up one
theomposi-
spoke% the rat reached the place where the F
to the
' tion for lubricating the is axle kept, and, . if
as
lid, and
manner born, he dexterously raised the spring
held it up with one of his fore-pa
to see if cat or hawk, or any ofi
abroad, he seemed satisfied
forth-
with plunged his nose
composed we believe of
ate with as much gout
towards the green and whiskers numbered amongst
Then looking round
and I''t
in the yellow unguent,
palm oil and tallow,
survey, and
were
which he
aldermen are said to exhibit
hhwi e
Ilatso a
vl
ofasturtle. But as circumspection
fat
whiskered thief from time to time
seemed requisite, our -
withdrew
and i
and during
thee m
se
li.s head from the grease pan to look d,
onoissanees he still held up hisaroun fore-
While exceedingly furtive and sagacious.
paw, looking
As his apprehensio • ns became allayed by the general
quiet of t
resumed
delicate the place--for no one was stirring near—he
palmy" feast,at
epicurism sated, he withdrew, and suffered the
lid to fall, and, descending by the spokes, returned to
his abode. The cool and systematic manner in which

this affair was transacted was such as to satisfy the
astonished and amused spectator that ratty had paid
more than one previous visit of the same kind. Railway
officials should be on their guard against this new and
unsuspected species of peculation committed on their
property.—Manchester'' Guardian.