The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-05 00:00:00

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// fi WEST INDIA MAIL
_ _.B).LA/THA.MPTON, WEDNESDAY.
,/ /f/1-- /2/ The West Mail steam-ship Magdalena,
. • 1•.; 4 I /
'which has now been overdue three days, and by .
which the homeward portion of the above mail
should have reached Southampton, has, from short-
ness of coal, occasioned by the very strong head
winds which she encountered whilst crossing the
Atlantic, been obliged to put into Weymouth, from
which place her mails reached here via Dorchester,
at three o'clock this afternoon. Unfortunately,
however, the greater portion of the newspaper
dispatches were left behind, and will not reach
until the ship arrives, which, we presume, will be
some time in the later part of to-morrow.
Some of her dates are as follow :—Trinidad, Dec.
10 ; Jamaica, 11 ; Havannah, 11 ; Barbadoes, 12.
She has brought 51 passengers, specie to the
$
amount of $1,919,327, besides 97,662 in gold
dust, and a usual cargo.
There is no account received of any monies for
the Mexican dividends.
From Jamaica we learn there is no news of any
importance.
At the island of Nevis the cholera was reported
to have made its appearance on or about the sth
ult. It is stated that as many as 40 cases had oc-
curred, of which 10 deaths had taken place. It
seemed to have been occasioned by an emigrant
vessel which had put in there.
At Antigua, the country presented cheering ap-
pearances, and hopes were entertained that the
coming crop would be more than usually produc-
tive. The weather was fair and some good showers
had fallen.
At British Guiana, although some heavy rains
had fallen, they bad not apparently retarded the
progress of the crops. The indications of next
year's crops were reported to be cheering.
Signs of improvement were exhibiting themselves
at Barbadoes. Vessels were mooring themselves
In large numbers for the purpose of awaiting the
removal of the large quantities of sugar, which it
is anticipated will be for freight.
At Tortola, the trials of the insurrectionists
were proceeding.
The Magdalena had experienced during her -
homeward voyage strong head winds, which has
considerably delayed her. The weather at Wey-,
mouth is reported as being exceedingly bad last
night, and from the difficulty which this ship will
&pefience in providing herself with coals, it is
hardly probable she will arrive before to-morrow
evening.

CORONER'S INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGIN.
Yesterday Mr. W. Payne, the coroner for the city of
London, held an inquiry at the Red Lion Tavern, New
Cannon-street, City, before a jury of merchants, into
the circumstances attending the recent conflagration in
Bread-street, Cheapside. The proceedings excited con-
siderable interest, and the principals of most of the large
firms in the neighbourhood of the fire were present.
The evidence adduced extended to some length, but
the subjoined narrative will be found to contain the
whole facts. About a quarter-past 10 on Saturday night
City police-constable Roberts, 475, who had a short time
before seen Messrs. Townend's warehouseman close and
leave the premises, perceived a strong glare of light in
the ground-floor of the building. He quickly found that
the place was on fire, and gave the usual alarm. The
fire brigade, from Watling-street, arrived within 10
minutes, and on the door being broken of Messrs. Town-
end's department the whole shop was discovered to be
filled with flames. They were extending to the upper
floor, and so through the entire depth and breadth of the
building. The firemen, in the course of 5 minutes or so,
discovered that some premises at the rear of Mr. May's
house (No. 4), adjoining Messrs. Townend's, occupied
by Messrs. Follett and Greenlees, Scotch shawl agents,
had ignited, and, as before reported, were destroyed. It
was evident that the fire had originated ha one of
these two houses. Both warehouses had skylights,
and 4 wall nine inches thick divided Messrs, Town.
end's shop from the portion of the building of Messrs.
Follett and Greenlees, which had no frontage in Bread-
street. Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent of the fire
brigade, and Bridges, the engineer, who were early at
the scene, declared their inability to state positively in
whioh of the two buildings the fire firm kiudlede
were so much destroyed that they could not say whether
it originated on one side or the other. Frederick Webb,
warehouseman at Messrs. Townend's, said that he left
the premises at ten minutes past 10 on Saturday night.
He had occasion to go to the back part just before he
quitted, and there was not the least indication of a fire
existing about the place. There was a kiln stove in the
warehouse, which was let into the wall ; it was covered
with iron, and was put out half an hour before he left.
Pays turned the gas off. There were seven bags of
shellac, which were used in the manufacture of hats.
They were stowed near the door, and far away from
the rear of the building. Mr. Phillips, private secre-
tary to the Lord Mayor, who accompanied his lord-
ship to the vicinity of the fire shortly after the
outbreak, deposed to seeing the entire property of
Messrs. Townend in flames within a brief period of
the alarm being raised ; but nothing material was
elicited in his testimony. The porters to Messrs. Follett
and Greenlees stated that when they left the warehouse,
at half-past four on Saturday afternoon, all seemed
in perfect security. The gas was turned off at the
meter, and the place safely locked up. It transpired
that some months ago a fire occurred in the cellars of
this firm, and the jury closely interrogated the witnesses
with the view of ascertaing whether there was any pro-
bability of this conflagration having originated in like
way, but there was nothing in the least to confirm that
inference. Mr. Townend was examined, and he ex-
pressed his belief that it did not occur on his premises
and he explained the possibility of the fire communi-
cating from the adjoining property, through the sky-
light, with his shop, which from the quantity of
woodwork and paper therein, coupled with the peculiar
character of the materials used in the manufacture of
hats would readily ignite. On the other hand, Mr.
Greenlees pointed out what care was taken with his
place. His stock was insured for 8,0001. in the Impe-
rial, and another 8,0001. in the Sun ; he had also effected
a time policy for 3,0001.. which would expire in March.
He had had, however, more than 16,000/. of property on
the premises. Mrs. Grant, who resides at No. 2,
Bread-street, and her servant, Agnes Kettle, who wit-
nessed the outbreak at an early stage, were also ex-
amined, but they failed in affordinganymore satisfactory
information as the origin of the fire. There being no
other witnesses,
The Coroner inquired of Mr. Braidwood whether
he could render any more information in respect to the
cause.

The Superintendent said he could not ; both places
seemed to have been on fire at the same time.

The Coroner then summed up, and the jury returned
a verdict to the effect that there was no evidence to show
how and where the fire originated.
The foreman then expressed the thanks of the jury to
the coroner for instituting the inquiry, and the great
good that was likely to result from such investigation.

THE MASSACRE AT SINOPE.-THE DESTRUC-
TION OF THE BRITISH VESSEL HO WARD.

The following letter has been addressed to the editor
of the Morning Herald :

" Sir—As part-owner of the merchant vessel destroyed
at Sinope, I wish to put you and your readers in pos-
session of the following particular :
* * * "The brigantine Howard, of Bideford, Captain
Thomas Taverner, sailed from Liverpool with a cargo of
coals for Constantinople. On reaching Constantinople
the captain wrote to say he had re-chartered the vessel
to carry the same cargo to Sinope for an additional
freight, and also chartered her back to England with a
cargo of grain. Subsequently we received a letter from
him from Sinope, stating he had arrived there, and
hoped to get away by the 22d of November. We
heard nothing further until we received a letter,
dated Constantinople, December 11, 1853: in that he
states, on the 30th ult. (November 30), he was
lying at anchor, the Turkish squadron being also
at anchor in the bay. The Russian fleet, taking
advantage of the thick weather, ran in with a strong
breeze from the E.S.E., and were not more than a mile
and a quarter distant when first seen ; and in fifteen
minutes from that time an engagement took place, with-
out giving any notice to him to remove his vessel to get
away. He used every exertion to slip the cable, which
it was impossible to accomplish, before continual showers
of shot and shell were striking the hull, masts, and rig-
ging of the Howard, directed from the Russian ships of
war. The Howard, with the whole of the Turkish
squadron, were in a short time involved in flames. Tho
Howard was partially blown up abaft, when one of the
Turkish frigates drifted foul of her. The remaining
Turkish crew, about 100 in number, jumped on board
the Howard, and with axes, chissels, &c., cut and slipped
the Howard's cable ; both the vessels drove together,
when the fire having reached the powder-magazine of
the Turkish frigate, an explosion took place, and what
was left of both vessels was blown to pieces.
"He then states :the loss of the Turkish fleet,
&c., and ends by saying 'that every thing was de-
stroyed ; he had only the things he stood upright
in. That he, after reaching the shore, was attacked
by robbers, who were plundering the town, and
they stripped him of everything, leaving him only
his shirt and drawers. He then made for the woods,
and remained there in a large tree all night, with the
remainder of the crew, two of whom were missing—
one (the steward) having jumped overboard in a state of
insanity, produced by fright. On the following even-
ing he made for the town, and finding the Austrian
consul, he placed himself and crew under his protec-
tion, from whom he received the greatest kindness, and
to whom he and the remainder of his crew are indebted
for the preservation of their lives, and who took care of
them until the 6th, when her Majesty's steam-frigatet
Retribution took him and his crew to Constantinople.
" From this statement it must be admitted that a
wanton and unjustifiable outrage has been committed by
the Russians on us as British subjects, and on a defence-
less vessel and her crew, without any provocation what-
ever,
on our part.
" You can make what use you please of this state-
ment, but it appears to be a matter that not only con-
cerns the owners of this vessel, but which also involves
the interests of the whole mercantile community of
Great Britain ; for if such a grievance is allowed to pass
unredressed, then farewell to the security of British pro-
perty abroad.—l am, sir, your ,obedient servant,
" Weymouth, Jan. 2, 1854. " JAMES BOWEN.

THE SCOTCH COAL MINERS.—A meeting of the coal
miners of Fife has been held at Crossgates, to petition
Parliament for an eight hours labour bill, and for an
extension to Scotland of the law of coroners' inquests as
in England, connected with coal workings.— Edinburgh
Courant,

THE COAL AND IRON TRADE.--The coal-trade main-
tains unabated vigour, and if the frost continues, the
canals will soon become impassable, which will inter-
fere materially with the water trade, and also put a stop
to those ironworks which depend for a supply from pits
at a distance ; as not only coal, but limestone, and the
various iron ores, are transmitted by canal. The demand
for manufactured iron is still unprecedentedly large, and
the masters refuse to take orders to any extent till.the
price is more firmly settled. Pig iron continues in great
request, and the price is advancing. Good hot-blast
mine pigs are selling at 5/. per ton, and cold-blast from
5/. 10s. to 51.
.15s. If this continues, it will end in
another rise upon manufactured iron. Good ironstone
is realising 20s. per ton and upwards, and is very scarce
which gives a further impetus to the iron trade, as re-
gards price. The labour market still keeps good, and
the general state of the district remains very peaceable.—
, Wolverhampton Herald.