The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-31 00:00:00

AUGUST 31, 1 54)

METRGI'pLITAN RAILWAY.

GUN-BOATS.

531 91

LO..SS OF THE STEAM/ R MINER VA IX
THE CHANNEL.

We regret to announce the -loss of the fine steamer
Kinerva, trading between Liverpool and C•rk, un TiLe
day off the Skerries: From all the pai•ticulars we
cairl;ather, it appearatlrat the Minerva., Capt. Rochtort,
started yesterd•ly afternoon, at L3O for Cork, and at a
quarter past six o'eh•ck, when off the Skerries, the .1\
iu
was blowing a smart breeze, aid thkk weather was
• coining on. The captain thee: cb-,erved that the steamer
was a litt!e too near the Skerries Buoy, and altered her
course, and in less than ten minutes aft:N.Wa.rds she
struck bow on' the Victoria Rack, near the Sherries.
and went over on 11;:r sPe. She shortly afterwards re-
covered, hut the water began to run into her hold, ex
tinguishing the fireu, and' she beau to fill rap:dly.
The boats were immediately lowered, and the captain:
and cabin .passen,,ers got into one, which immediatelyput off, and was seen .no• more. She carried blue lights, but the remaining boats had only the bin-
nacle lamp in one of them. When they left the
ship she was still afloat, and could be seen by them,
until three of the boats were taken up by the screw•
steamer Mail, Captain Cooper, which happened to piss
at the time ; and the attention of the captain, -who was
on the look-out, being attracted by the shouts in one of
the boats, reversed:his engines; and took in all he could
find on board. The boats were separated in the dark-
ness, notwithstanding-that Captain Cooper remained in
the vicinity for two hours. One of the last four boats,
as well as that in which the captain was, could not be
discovered, but hopes are entertained that both boats
may as• fely reach the Welsh coast. She had upwards of
100 persons, between passengers and crew, when she
• sailed, of which about 70 were saved. It is thought that
the number of passengers in the captain's blat, many of
whom were ladies, would be from 25 to 30. She was
much crowded, as was also the other missing boat. The
Minerva had a most valuable cargo, and many of the
;passengers have suffered heavy loss, none of either them
or the crew, with one exception, saved anything besides
what was about their persons at the time of the accident.

REPORTED LOSS OF NEARLY EIGHT
HUNDRED LIVES.

_ -
The recent overland mail-has brought intelligence
which has led to a 'general belief that two very appalling
. . shipwrecks have taken. place in the Indian seas,
both of which it is feared were attended by a dreadful
sacrifice of life. One -of the unfortunate_ vessels is
. known to have been a large sized brig called the
aygeia, of above 450 tons, which had been bought
.up. by some speculators for the purpose of using her as
. . .a Chinese passenger or emigrant ship to California. It
I.; appears that she was formerly under the Danish flag,
. and • bore a different name. • She had been lying at
Whampoa the last two .or three years, and on her
purchase she was sent to Hong Kong in order to be
... fitted as a pasienger ship, and to be surveyed his. the En-
... glish flag, •She was rejected by the emigration agent, and
.. she then left, as was understood, for Macao.' Whether
she went there has not been clearly ascertained; but on
the 31st of May she received on board 508 souls, some-
where near the 'Green Island, and proceeded on her
voyage to San Francisco, her crew consisting of eleven
bands, under the command of Mr. Dribble, the captain.
Nothing more was heard of the movements of the brig.
Last mail brought news of a Chinese emigrant ship,
called the Topaz, having been wrecked upon a reef
known as Pratas sandbank, midway between Formesa
and Hong Kong, and, although many of the pas-
sengers were saved, yet they were cast upon a wild, bar-
ren, and uninhabited island. Tidings were received
at the swine time of another vessel having bee,.
sofn up n the island, but ni cle,cription or account
of her c .uld be given. •On the loss of the Topaz ben,g
Made known, and the position of her passengers and
crew, a small schooner cifle I the Victoria, belonging
to Mr. Roberts, shipwright, of Hong Kong, Was
deSpatchool to, the island on the 15th of June. Sht.
returned to Hong Kung thig3J, and reported that
the second vessel which had been seen on the rocks was
the brig Hygeia, and that no feWer than 390 had been
left to perish on the wreck. It•aeemed that the Hy-
gem, after beating about the coast for some days, encoun-
tered a heavy gale fronythe eastward, and on the night
of Satui day, the 13th, she. struck upon a reef and be-
came a wreck. Capt. Dribble, with some of the crew and
passengers then left the brig, and havirbes reached the
island, found upon it a number of those who had escaped
. from the wreck of the Topaz.. Some others on board the
Hygeia succeeded after great difficulty in gaining the
land, but twenty-nine poor creatures, who had taken to a
.raft, were carried out to sea, •and no doubt perished. On
the schooner reaching the •island she took on board all
she could, 147 persons. She had only half a dozen casks
of. water to supply such a. large number of 'famished
creatures ; her provisions were almost as' scanty.
However, she did the best. under the circumstances
to save the greatest amount of life, bnt the melancholy
fact, is to be told that when the Victoria left 390
of the.emigrants were to be seen on the broadside of the
.hull of the wreck under a burningsuni. without a particle
.of food or a drop of water to sustain life. On the autho-
rities at Hong Kong beinginformed of the catastrophe aps . plication was made to the agent of one of the large steam
navigation comoanies for the despatch of a steamer to the
island, and although several were 'in the harbour none
. were forwarded. 'lt is said that the moderate sum of
1,000/, was demanded before a vessel would be allowed
to leave. By the last accounts, the poor creatures were
still left on the wreck ; but little bad been done to save
them, and it is feared that the next mail will bring tidings
of.their having been starved to death.
...The second 'melancholy loss is supposed to be that
of. .the British ship Lady. Nugent, Captain Banner.
.man,. chartered by the Governor of Madras, for the
conveyance' of the staff and head-quarters of the
25th Regiment 'of * Madras Native Infantry for
Rangoon. ' The ship sailed from Madras on the
10th of May, having on board .the following officers
and.men :--Lieutentint-Cielonel Johnson, Lieutenant and.
Adjutant Daley, Lieutenant and Quartermaster Xing,
Lieutenant Rumford, Assistant-Surgeon Simpson, 1 war-
rant nfficer, 6 native commanding.staff officers, 247 rank
and.file, 33. public officers, and 56 followers. The Bri-
gadier,General • Sir S. .W.• • Steel,- K.C.8., was to
have.accompanied the troops out, but he sailed in the
Oriental. steamer, and has • since- arrived at Rangoon.
The. Lady Nugent hari, been- overdue for a considerable
time, .and it is known that she must have encountered
a ...terrific monsoon three • . weeks after her depar-
ture- . Other ships .which have' since sailed from-
Madras with troops for . Rangoon have reached
that port, and it is feared that the Lady Nugent
has ..foundered with all on board. Later dates from
Rangoon mention• that the • Government authorities
had. despatched steamers from that port, as also from
Calcutta, in quest of the missing ship, but nothing had
been .seen or heard of her.

. VICEREGAL CounT.— His Excellency the Lord Lieu-
tenant and the C thilfess St. Germins entertained the
.tollownig party At dinner on Saturday, at the Viceregal
Lodge, . Phcenix-park f';—Colonel Ferrara Loftus, West
:York Militia, and Mrs, and Miss Ferrara Loftus ; Lieut.-
trnett, West. ork. M ; Captain Prothero;
,West Yolk 'Militia, an i Mrs. Prothero ;Dan of Leigh-
lin, Mr. Everard, 54th Regiment ; Maio. Ponsonv,
Mr. Bagot, Mr. Everard, .Conte Hutchinson, Capt.
Fraser, A.D.C. The Countess St. Germans and suite left
the Viceleital Lodge, Phoenix park; on Monday, at half.
past 12 o'clock,' proceeded by. railway to' Kingstown,
an l embarked in the Royal Mail packet for Holyhead,
tn.route.for Port Elliot, St. Germans.

MONUMENT TO D. JENNER.
Prince Albert has —11:4 Royal Highness
given a donation of 251. towards the
subscription list for the purpose of, erecting a colossal
bronze statue, to be placed in a polio situation in
.the
metropolis, to commemorate the vat-liable labours and
discovery of theabOve celebrated physician for the pre-
vention of the s:+read of that destructive disease—sinall
pox. . The model of the statue has been designed-by
W. Calder Marshall R.A.
FIRE AT ALL SOULS COLLEGE, OXFORD.
Tues-
day
night, soon after 10 o!clock, flames were—seeO)
'from the servants' . room window attached tfi,rstbquad.
pair of stairs room of No. 5 staircase,
inthe
ef
the Hon.
ra.ugle, which are now in the occupationbtween the ser-
Charles Wrottealey. The pmnelling untisesuoinn.g
as the wainscoting next the staircasde
it
v4nte
,room and Mr. Wrottesloy's sittiannged-room,wainsdwovbel..l
not fortunately
:frame; was considerably burnt.
been in flames-the servants' room, which
t t beipg completely
been soon diseOVered the whole staircase ww:us:edmlpiatvye,
with the excep.tiqn of. the ff 01- Wfiraoriginated from a
sin i.oundeci with-woodwoi k.
candle being
1 the wainscoting.
left burning in aTchuepboard, which igsited

• DISCOVERY OF ' ' HIIMAN BODY AT THE ST. ALBAN'S
1 HGTEI. morning; y morn 4, Its the workmen Were en-
gaged in pulling d,wn I the St. Alban's! Hotel, St.Alban's
place, Charles-street, St. 'Tames s, they discovered the
dead body of a child in an old closet of the back-room on
the second floor. It must have been secreted there for
a very long time, as all appearances of flesh were oblite,
rated, and it crumbled beneath the. touch. Mr. Fraser,
of 41, Great Marlborough-kreet;• surgeon, was sent for,
but after examining the body, he was unable to discover
anything at all likely to elucidate the cause of death, as
the remains were in the.last stage of decay. The late
proprietor of the hotel was in equal igr,orance. Informa-
tion bad been sent to Mr. Bedford; the coroner for
Westmi
sesnster—, l'4o hAlbaotel, along with six of the adjoin
hou in St. n's•plaw,
,auedating. rain (0,0d,t0
make way for the new clubhouse of the United Servico
Club. The conjectures are that the body was deposited there prebably 20 year), ego.
1 i

The half-yearly meeting' ot the proprietors of this pro- 1 The gun boat; posed railway was held yesterday at the Company's Northfleet, will draw sii feet six inches water, with guns,
recently launched by Mr. Pitcher of
Office, 27, Great George-street, Parliament-street. I •shot, shells and all store& oomplete. She is to be
poirt OS,
W. Melees Es Chairman of the directors preeided. armed with two guns of 95 cwt. each, capable of throwing
The SECRETARY having read the report, - ' solid shot of eight inches diameter. These guns and shot
1
-The CHAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, availed hina'sete I are as large as those
carried by the Arrow and the other
of the opportunity of explaining the present position eel despatch gun-boats recently built,
Which draw between 11
the company. They 'had obtained two acts of Parlia- and 12 feet water. We still require in the Baltic, as every
thent, one authorising their line to begin at the Edgware- child in the empire by this time knows, boats carrying gnus
road, and terminateat King's-cross, where it was thought of a large 'calibre capable of throwing
that the City RailWa,y pla,a would begin. When, how- the greatest possible distance, and drawing at the",ot;_sa
time the lea heavy shot andshemlles
ever, the city plan was withdrawn the Metropolitan
- Th.
Campany altered their original plan ;and their second toast possible quantity of actor that.theataislay be
enabled to take up the most ettiveartgiceetuA p Wan. la
Act, of Parliament authorised extensiqns Of their line, was insisted on months ago in" mit iomaeilt awl. in other
Tbeginning, on .the one part, at the Great' Western journals, and at' 'the end of 'Augur aseltily seven menthe
erminus, at Paddington, and traversing! to the EJg. after all hope of peace was at atettilitra'ntl more than seven
ware-road Station, and on the other at King'secross months after preparations had been begs to send a fleet
Station, and passing through Clerkenwell and Smith. to the Baltic, the first gan-boat".ereely'•=b be efficient for
field to the GenetalsPost-office.. The company's first the purposes required is la.unched."'Sheis built, too, be it
Act of Parliament authorised them to appoint six remembered, in a merchant's yard. Surely it is not too
directors, but by their second Act they were ern- much to expect, with our immensely well-provided and
powered to appoint twelve,. one-third of whom the Great well-paid dockyards, with our vast staff cf foremen, assis-
Western Railway Company would have the right to tants,
&master shipwrights, surveyors, Lords of the Admi-
apPoint until the line be completed, after which they
ratty; and all the appliances of the merchants'
would relinquish their right to appoint any. The
meeting would now appoint two directors, one of whom yards at their command, that something more should be
was a director of the Geeat Northern Railway Company, done than prepare one efficient gun-boat in seven months.
and,the other a director of the Eastern Counties Com- Something more has in fact been done. Six despatch
pang, and thus the company would he connecting its inter- gun-boats have been built, and some of them-are almost
eats with those great Companies. The accounts were not ready, but they are not'efficient, by reason of their drawin
g ; between 11 and 12 feet water. We supposed that Sirg
at present in a shape to be' laid before the meeting
but 10 per cent., or three-fourths of the capital were Baldwin Walker, the Surveyor of the Navy, the res
already in the bands of the Aceinnitant-General, and was Bible person for every ship built for her Majesty, wia3Z
invested in Consols and Exchequer bills, and now hearing
practical man; but it is impossible to read the descriptiona
interest at a source of profit. With regard tie the pay-
of his six despatch eunboats, drawing • dr from 11 to
ment of interest upon calls, he might state that the dirge of
feet water, "elegante specimensofetitluhre, cruisers,"
tors would not make any demand until they saw that
with the "fine lines of the wholesome •sea-going yacht"—
they cleared their way -for -going to' work, when they
would make a call of 10 per centefor three months, and "long, low, and sweeping"—" masts tall and well-propor-
they would subsequetitly stipulate to make 5 per cent. tioned and raking"—" rig that of a three-mast schooner,"
interest from the time of -their railway being made. "giving a saucy character to the handsome craft"—" the
Mr. ACTON AMON, • depateechairman, seconded the cavalry of the fleet ;" and it is impossible to look at one
resolution. "
-- ' of theta without being convinced that the despatch gun-
The motion was carried unanimously. •
boats are a terrible mistake. Are they built to run away ?
Thanks having been awarded' to the chairman and di-
Why,-there is no enemy to run from. Boats to carry de-
rectdrs, the meeting separated.
spatches are already abundant, and it is not necessary to
arm them with guns each weighing 95 cwt. Gun-boats
*to move very quickly are not wanted—moving batteries
are required; and the combination in the despatch boats
ef a heavy armament with velocity, a battery
ith a yacht,
.coal-b -rese with a Gravesend passenger boat, is the
.;neatest, and at present—when the power, property, and
reputation of the nation are staked on a great contest
Aid' they are to be instruments for carrying on—the
eost afflicting incongruity that ever even our Ailudrally
eerpetratee. If Sir lleldwiii Walker, settling his son in
life, instead of directing hissechoice of a wife on some dis-
leet uedileti, with every probability of l er bloornieg jute
sterdy inetlon, should ally him with sonic, flaring demi-
ep—and we can find no better symbol of this Admiralty
Blander—he would not commit a more incongruous and
reprehensible blunder than now to build gun-heats like
despatch yachts, and arm them with great guns. The na-
tion needs batteries, and he gives it show boats.
For the 'tithing screw batteries that might breach So-
hastopol or Cronstadt, we have stated that their top sides
should be protected against the enemy's shot, and that they
should show nothing whatever above the neck but an en-
sign staff to display the untarnished flag of Britain. The
despatch gfin-boats, with their tall masts rigged like
schooners, with yards and sails, will be excellent targets
for the enemy easilyto hit. Their decks will be encum-
bered by ropese the action of the artillerymen and the bat-
tery will be impeded, and the men will be exposed to great
danger from the tumbling down of the spars, yards, and
rigging, when' exposed to an enemy's fire. From the same
cause the guns may be disabled. Thus the whole plan of
building gunboats for the Baltic to move quick: and look
smart like yachts, carrying masts and sails, is a great error,
not to say an absurdity. It sets at defiance all practical
wisdom and all common sense.
A kind of partizan and puffing feeling has been suffered
to creep into the question, and some persons have been
diligent only in comparing the gun-boats built by the Ad- '
miralty with some built byalessrs. Scott, Russell and Co.
for the Russian Government, which has turned the atten-
from what gun-boats ought to be to what Mr. Scott Rus-
tell has built. A kind of rivalry between his plan and
other plans has been got up under which the merits of the
question have been buried. An estimable weekly contem-
porary, ten days ago said there was a misunderstanding of
the gnu-boat question, and he referred the misunderstand-
ing generally to the fact that the Government had built
their boats of wood, and Messrs. Russell and Co. had
built theirs tithe line of flotation of iron. Other things
being equal, the different weight of the material of which
the bottom of the boat is built could not make a difference
of between six and seven feet in the draught. A few
itiehesi we believe, is snore likely to be the amount of the
F difference. In fact, the boat built by Mr. Pitcher, which
we presume is built of wood, as he is not a builder of iron
vessels, draws only 6 feet 6 inches. The employment of dif-
ferent materials forms no part of the great question. Vessels
of wood, of equal capacity by modern modes of lading, can
be built almost as light as iron vessels. The form not the ma-
terial deterrninesthedaught of water. Mr. Pitcher's gunboat
is to be lugger-rigged. She is not to be a mere battery
moved by a screw. Being lugger-rigged, we may be sure,
without having walked under her while she was on the '
stocks, that, to enable her to stand up under her canvas
when afloat, she has something of the form of asailing ship.
She, too, has something of the yacht about her—a combi-
nation of a barge and a pleasure boat. It seems to be im-
possible to get the potion out of the heads of the ship-
builders that vessels used 'exclusively as gun batteries and
to bo moved by steam should have-the form of sailing
ships. Mr. Scott Russell's boats are built for velocity as
well as force. They, we believe, too, are rigged. Neither
form, therefore, is proper for steam-moved gun-batteries;
anti the public mind has been puzzled as if there were no
j other choke than betwecu Mr. Scott Russell and Sir
Baldwin Walker.
Mr. Pitcher's boat is said to have a flat fiber. The Dutch
vei-self now, and most English vessels now, and moat Eng-
lish vessels formerly, had flat floors. The sharp deep run
now given' is exclusively to secure speed. Our gunboats
,are not wanted to run away. Theyvhould be built, there-
fore, as flat, or of a form as much approximating to flat-
ness, as is consistent with their being able to pass over the
ocean in safety with their armament. No' form of vessel
sent to sea is easier than is a round flat and shallow Dutch
logger. She never, even with a heavy cargo, strains a rope
yarn. It is not requisite, therefore, to enable screw gun
batteries to traverse the ocean in safety, loaded with their
armament, that they should in their form approximate in
any deg:oe to clippers. Not approximating to clippers,
they may be constructed of any length, breadth, and
height the builder pleases, or the purposes for which they
they are intended may require. With duo attention to
these circumstances, it is probahlo that gunboats carrying
the same armament as the Pelter might be constructer] to
draw not more than 'three or four feet water, and carry
their armament in perfect safety across the North Sea.
The builders of sailing ships, bred up in the fixed idea of
a ship impelled by the resistance to wind, cannot con-
ceive apparently the most appropriate form for a vessel
impelled by paddle-wheels or screws, and they persist in
giving to every steamer the inherited form of the sailing
ship. Till they conquer this prejudice the most suitable
gunboats will not be built. The Pelter may be better
than the Arrow, but she is far removed from the perfection
which art could now give to a heavy floating battery
perfectly under command by a powerful screw. We can-
not exonerate -the admiralty from great negligence or great
indifference in this matter. Had we an effective, zealous
administration, the immense resources of this country, ,
publici and ;private, would by this time have placed one
hundred efficient ganbortiosin the Baltic, and have battered
St. Petersburg about -the ears of the Czar. We are no
lovers of the horrid thing, War, and therefore we protest
against our rulers playing at it as if ft 'Were an amusing
game. -
3.`1
We will venture to make another remark as to the shot
and shell practice of the Arrow on ytdnesday. Only one
of the six 'shot or shell fired went in The direction it was
expected to go, aiid.Wes seen to 1411i,into the sea. The
length of range, 5,000 yards, waarwaesply proved. One
great object therefore is gained. .The mechanical and
chemical skill. of the, nation, which the Admiralty was
bound to call into action, has secured for us the means of
sending shot and shells such a distance mato enable us to
destroy the :enemy's forts, while his
.shote will not reach
ourgunhosts; But there seems a difficulty in
adireeting
these shot. They are oval, and if made equally oval, so
many influential and incalculable circumstances may come
to bear on each shot in its flight as to prevent any reliance
on its direction. This circumstance may be remedied; we
believe, by giving a certain small bias to- the oval shot.
effects of which could be calculated, might enable the
it must not be equally oval. A small and certain hies
ythreastee:htuhtewlainthg
range
meubechtinar
atltaniCaYead:
note
ttlihea
a artillerymenro u nd shot.
.t o
As send
the long shot withuis.recisiee,
gentlemen conversant. with such matters gui
the means of directing
`,he Admiralty must yet build screw Lett • and
-Daily News. batteries to fire them,

Gross-examinati,,n continued—l know Mr. Oswald,
l.mt have never authorised him to act as my secretary-,
Ile wanted me to sing after the Saturday, but .1 declined.
I said that my healtliwould licit permit me to continue
singing, but I disi not say I was going to recruit it on
the Contincnt. I never consented to be a partner, or a
directress, in the management of Drury-lane, nor ever
authorised Mr. Oswald to pledge me in any way in that
capacity, or to give goy orders. I may have said that
the bills ought to annoauce a new management, but that
was said merely in conversation with Mr. Jarratt,
Oswald, and others.
_ _

r Mr. Henry—lt is a common practice with performers
to express a wish respecting the mode of printing the
'bills in which they are announced. Is it aditted that
Mine. Caradori was apprehended and lodged in the
sponging house, without previous notice being given to
her of the defendant's claim ?
mon
Defendant's attorney—Yes ,• but that is a very oom.
occurrence, And necessarily so. -
Mr. Ilenry—l am very sorry to hear it. .
Mr. Lewis—There are occasions=audthis is one o
.them—when a combination of circumstances would
render that course of proceeding inevitable. I have more
to•do with foreigners in my practice • than any attorney
in London, and 'in this case 'were to occur again to-
morrow I should advise the adoption of the same course.
I shall call,WitneSses to shoW that the theatre was regu-
larly taken by Madame Caradori and §ignor Pavesi, and
the company was enga"ged by them.
whenM r niiper an rcyt i cree,
of the sudden apprehension of a personhafodrhae
pneoalt.nads 'attmatag• neither in: his experience
with-
out previous notice of the claim ; and he couldnsoutec.°
_deevbetr heard
snake la
bat day, at,the
witnesses could not be all examined t
course justifiable. However, it was obvious that the

ease must therefore stand over to another day. In the
_ .

meantime he strongly advised the defendant to endea-
vour to effect a settlement.
The inquiry was accordingly adjourr ed.

EXPLOSION OF GAS AND .F.-. 11:: IN Tian CITY.
Shortly before twelve o'cl,cli yest,rGay iniorning an
explo-Ton of gas, which created great alarm -in the Oily,
occurred 011 the premises of Mr. Arm,diq,. :fin' ,=,+
-__ ~
in :ill extensive way of business, at 7, Throgmr.ttoil-stmet
Sey(i-al persons were pasiiing at the taftello accieeni
enough, °tak-e—n.
ocuurred, and ono or two. su,tained. some ir,juries. A.
gentleman named Hamilton was blown with violence
site for safety.
against the wall on the opposite. side of tno w
psocwa
scattered
icensa°l;directions. It is
hands being torn ; while another gentleman haY, was
struck down by the shock was, curiously
ianr ttfroarddeGwuans
Mr. A:mictio's shop front Was blown Our and his *alu.
feared that his loss will be severe
in: tsitilo3ckD
Immediately after
the explosion the back of the house*
eng,inemen, who were quickly
took fire, but the
subdued it. on the spot, speedily
LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY .
_The
steam-
ship, built at Glasgow for .
new screw
phia Steam Packet Company,
Philadelphia this afternoon, with a full
complement of passe
She was command angers, and a large cargo on freight.
city of e by
Capt. Robert Leitch, late of the
Manchester. The ship
Constance, Captain Chris-
ti-W.belOrtgiii4 to M e
8111. line of Austr._
,_ssq. James Bains; and Co's Black
allan-paCketS,toellier departure same
time for Melbourne, with 840 passengers, and a full
cargo of Yaluable merclaandiee •u board.