The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-14 00:00:00

(From the Times.)

The answer of the Russian Government to the last
propositions addressed to it by the Cabinet of Vienna
has been communicated by the Austrian Ministers to
the representatives of the Western Powers, and the sub-
stance of this document has been published in the Vienna
journals. Like all the previous communications of a
similar nature, it is extremely temperate in its language;
for, though Russia never scruples to bully and insult,
even by the violence of personal outrage, those States
which she hopes to rule by intimidation, she affects an
extreme gentleness and candour in her dealings with
those German Powers which might have the power to
resist her will. A Prince Alenschikoil was her instru-
ment when she sought to overawe the Divan, and lay
• the Sultan proetrate at Iva het, A wince Dolprouki

was her envoy to the Court of Persia when, in the
month of March last, he attempted to establish the as-
cendancy of his master by giving a blow with his cane to
tne Sedr Azim, or First Minister of the Shah. But
Germany is for the present more delicately handled,
and, though the struggle for the supremacy of Russia in
the Courts of that country is carried on with as much
activity eel the struggle for domination in the East, it
wears a more civil mask and a softer disguise. In the
present instance, Russia contents herself with expressing
her surprise that Austria should have transmitted these
four propositions to St. Petersburg, unaccompanied by
the offer of any reciprocal concessions on the part of the
Western Powers ; and she eudeavours to represent her
evacuation of the Principalities as a sacrifice which en-
titles her to some return. She also expresses surprise
that Austria should have given her assent to proposi-
tions so adverse to Russia, and so much in favour of the
Western States ; and, in announcing her determination
to reject them, she declares that the Emperor abides by
his determination to withdraw behind the Pruth, to
stand upon the defensive within his own territories, and
to resist aggression, from whatever side it may come.
It is scarcely necessary for us to expose in detail the
egregious bad faith of the attempt to represent as a con-
cession to Europe the evacuation of a territory which
the Emperor of Russia had no right to seize, and which
he had not the power to hold. His official journal,
somewhat more sincere than his diplomatic agents,
has distinctly acknowledged that the Russian army is
compelled to retreat by the menacing attitude of Aus-
tria, which rendered its military position quite unten-
able ; and the attempt to make a virtue of so evident a
necessity will impose on no one but the King of Prussia.
Equally unfounded is the assumption that, in forwarding
these proposals to St. Peterburg, Austria had assumed
the functions of a mediator. She had no commission
from the Western Powers to mediate in their name, and
the terms to which she gave her consent were not con-
cessions, but demands, their object being not sCe much
to terminate the present war as to prevent by perma-
nent and effective securities the recurrence of a similar
calamity. The same artifice was resorted to in Febru-
ary last, when, although Russia perfectly knew that
France and England were on the brink of declaring
war, ehe affected to regard their entry into the Black
Sea as an act of mediation, and expressed surprise that
they had no reciprocal concessions to propose to her
from Turkey.
It is, however, true that this Russian Note does
clearly mark an important epoch in this contest. The
war begun by Russia in July, 1853, was essentially
offensive ; it had been preceded by a wanton provoca-
tion, and it was marked by a deliberate territorial en-
croachment; throughout the present spring the Russian
armies threatened Bulgaria, and they even commenced
the invasion of Turkey Proper by entering the Do-
brudscha and laying siege to Silistria. All these attempts
have been successively abandoned, and we are told by
the Cabinet of St. Petersburg itself that the war is hence-
forth to be strictly defensive. Although the decision
taken at Vienna upon the receipt of this communication
was to adhere to a temporising policy, and has conse-
quently revived some distrust of the intentions of that
Court, it must not be forgotten that this important
change in the attitude of Russia is mainly due to the in-
fluence of the Austrian forces on the frontier, and that it
is precisely because Austria gave her powerful support
to the heroic exertions of Omer Pacha that the French
and English armies escaped the necessity of a campaigu
on the Danube, and are at this moment able to turn
their strength against the Crimea. The effect of this
important demonstration has been to enable us to trans-
port the seat of war from the Turkish to the Russian
territories—a distinction of incalculable advantage to
the cause we have taken in hand.

The present state of affairs has, therefore, prac-
tically accomplished three out of the four points
which are required. The protectorate and occupa-
tion bf the Principalities by Russia have ceased ;
the Black Sea is held by the Western maritime
Powers ; and the claim to protect the Christian subjects
of the Porte is, at least, in abeyance. But the fourth point,
which concerns the navigation of the Danube, and which
is the most essential of all to Austrian and German inte-
rests, has not yet received the same practical solution.
The Russian province of Bessarabia forms the left bank
of the Danube, from the cent:Nemec, of the Pruth to the
sea, and the Kilia branch of the river flows through
Russian territory. Along the shore to the east of Galatz
the Russians are doing all they can to strengthen
their position ; batteries are erected wherever the banks
are firm enough to bear them, as at Reni and Satunovo ;
and it must be remembered that even Matschin, Isaktchi,
and Tultcha—the Turkish forts on the right bank—are
still held by the Russians. The fact then is, that the
Lower Danube is in the possession of the enemy ; that
the line of Austrian communications with the Black
Sea and the East is still interrupted, and that the navi-
gation of the Danube is still closed. So that on the
very point on which Austria had most reason to in-
sist she obtains no satisfactica or security at all ;
and when the Cabinet of Vienna declares that it finds
no clisus belli in the refusal of Russia to entertain
the f.ur propositions, it appears to have overlooked the
injurious and humiliating consequences of a state of
things on the lower Danube, which has been repeatedly
deplored and denounced by the whole of Germany. At
present the great expedition to the Crimea absorbs all
the available forces of the fleets, and the summer season
is unfavourable to any attempt upon the marshy banks
of the Danube, which might be made with far greater
facility in the early spring, when the water is high from
-the melting snows, and the climate less unhealthy than
at any other part of the year. We have always been of
opinion that an attack on the Russian positions on the
Lower Danube might have been the first operation of
the war, and that some blame attaches to the naval
authorities for not setting more seriously about it.
However, the Sulina batteries are destroyed, and we
believe that measures have been taken to deepen
the passage on the bar, so that this expedition may
eventually be made. But, whenever our naval forces
are employed for this purpose, we shall have a
right to expect that Germany will lend something
more than sterile negotiations and wordy despatches
to an object of such extreme importance to herself.
Sooner than tamely surrender the control of the naviga-
tion of the Danube to Russia, which she acquired by the
cession of Bessarabia in 1812, and by the use made of the
Treaty of Adrianople in 1829, the Court of Vienna
ought not to have hesitated to make any sacrifices. By
an extraordinary combination of events, the Austrian
forces are now advancing to the Moldavian frontier ;
the naval forces of the greatest maritime Powers are
within reach of the spot ; the Turkish army is in a con-
dition to render important services in the field ; and if
the whole course of the Danube is not swept clear of all
military impediments in the next few months, it will be
solely because Austria may fail in that portion of the
enterprise which naturally devolves upon herself. Such
an opportunity will probably never occur again if it be
neglected now, and, while France and England are
carrying on undertakings of far greater magnitude, in
which they are only interested as the champions of
civilization and good order in the world, we hope it may
not be too much to expect that, with their assistance,
Germany may be capable of one effort to secure the
independence of that great river which flaws from the
Black Forest to the Black Sea.

REGULATION OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

The report from the Select Committee on the proposed
bill for the regulation of Friendly Societies has just been
printed, and details the amendments recommended.
These include a clause repealing all previous acts, and
placing the whole of the existing societies on the same
footing as if they had been established under the new
bill, without prejudice to existing engagements, together
with the omission of the proviso that a justice of the
peace shall be a trustee of all emigration societies, and
also of that which limits the amount of sick pay to be
insured in any society. The committee have likewise
withdrawn the clause requiring all societies to be regis-
tered, and have given power to the members of all
friendly societies, unregistered as well as registered, to
sue and be sued, as between themselves and their own
officers. The establishment of a board of unpaid com-
missioners has been sanctioned, some public centre of
information being regarded as desirable, and power has
been assigned to them to modify in special cases the ope-
ration of the act. At the same time the duties of the
registrar have been more clearly defined, and the fees
hitherto payable upon registration abolished. The
settlement of disputes is to be left as at present, to be
enforced according to the rules of each society, and ques-
tions respecting the removal of a trustee or a misappli-
cation of funds are to be referred to the County Courts.
With regard to the popular impression that burial so-
cieties are dangerous, by operating as a stimulus to
child-murder, the committee, after examining several
judges, coroners, and others, have arrived at the con-
clusion that the instances where the motive of the cri-
minal has been to obtain money from a burial society
are so few as not to render necessary any preventive
legislation. With the view, however, of meeting some
of the objections to these clubs, they recommended that
the amount that may be received should be limited,
and that no money shall be paid on the death of any
child under 10 years of age without a medical certificate
from a qualified practitioner. Finally, with regard to
those societies originally enrolled under Friendly Socie-
ties Acts before there was any limit as to the extent to
which they might carry their transactions, and which
have since grown to the magnitude of assurance com-
panies, the committee are of opinion they should be
dealt with exceptionally, and that an act should be
passed which, without violating the rights they have
acquired under their constitution, shall withdraw them
altogether from the category of friendly societies.

SUDDEN DEATH OF A MIDDLEBSX 111.1GISTRATE,—
Yesterday, at the meeting of the St. Pancras Vestry,
Mr. Bilhitt, the chairman, said that it was his painful
duty to announce to the meeting the death of their re-
spected colleague, Mr. Stock. He was in perfect health
on Monday, when he attended a meeting of the burial
board, of which he was a member. lie (Mr. Billett) left
him at 5 o'clock in good health and spirits, and in a few
minutes afterwards he was a corpse. Deceased was in
his 70th year of age, and had been in her Majesty's
commission of the peace many years. The vestry passed
a resolution honourable to the memory of the deceased
gentleman.

"General Board of Health, Whitehall,
September, 1854.
" Sir,—My experience of this department, brief as it
is, has strongly impressed me with a sense of the great
want that is now felt of some systematic record of cases
of choleraic disease, their treatment and results, with a
view to determine, in so far as may be possible, th best
mode of meeting this formidable epidemic.
"Hitherto no successful attempt has been made to
collect such a record ; and as I find that niy feelinc, of
the want of it is very generally shared by the medical
profession, I have obtained the sanction of her Majesty's
Government to the nomination of a medical council, re-
presenting all branches of the profession, and consisting
of Dr. Paris, Sir James Clark, Dr. Alderson, Dr. Ba-
bington, Dr. Tweedie, Dr. Baly, Mr. Lawrence, Mr.
Simon, Professor Owen, Mr. B. W. Ward, Mr. John
Bacot, and Dr. Farr.
" Under the sanction of this council, the following
form of return has been prepared for transmission to all
qualified practitioners in the metropolis, to be tiled up
by-them, with a view to obtain their experience of the
present epidemic.
"The deaths from cholera, as well as from all other
causes, are registered in England ; but it is evidently
desirable that in this, as in other countries, the cases of
recovery, as well as of death, should be systematically
observed and recorded. But this can only be accom-
plished by the cordial co-operation of all the medical
men in practice, which the board hopes, in this im-
portant matter, to obtain, by acting on the advice of
a council in which all branches of the medical profession
are represented.
‘cßy means of a return, in the acoompanying forms;
the observations of all qualified practitioners on the
cases that come under their care may be collected apd '
made available for determining the laws which regulate '
choleraic disease, and the effects of the different sys-
tems of treatment now in use.

"Any return that you may make will be considered
strictly confidential, but your name will be recorded as a
contributor to the observations, when the general results
are made known.

" Under the urgent pressure of practice to keep any
accurate record of the cases will often be attended with
difficulty; but this difficulty will, I feel assured, be cheer-
fully encountered by you, if you agree with me in think-
ing a record of the experience of the present generation
of medical men as to this epidemic likely to contribute
to the alleviation of the sufferings of mankind for the
future.

" The return on the other side is sent filled up, as a
specimen, with blank forms. Any number of such forms
you may require will be furnished by this office.
"It is recommended that the forms should be filled
up from day to day, and returned to the board on or be-
fore the 15th of November next, addressed to the Secre-
tary of the General Board of Health, and the postage
of the letter enclosing the return need not be prepaid.
—I have the honour to remain, sir, your obethent ser-
vant, "B. HALL."

[The return alluded to sets forth the residence of the
patient, when attacked with the disease, his profession,
and indicates whether the disease has assumed the form
of simple or choleraic diarrhoea, cholera, consecutive
fever, &c. ; with the treatment, &c.]

THE ROYAL MlNT.—Yesterday afternoon a malignant
case of Asiatic cholera occurred in the Royal Mint,
Tower-hill. The deceased's name was Mary Cook, aged
29 years, a domestic servant in the house of Mr. Brand,
the master of the Mint. The deceased was previously
in good health, and had only been married a fortnight.
She was seized with violent diarrhoea and the usaal symp-
toms of the disease, and although she received every pos-
sible attention from Mr. Cooke, of Tower-hill, she ex-
pired from a malignant attack of the epidemic. The
body was subsequently conveyed to the dead-house of
St. Botolph Without, Cartwright-street, Rosemary-lane,
and was buried last evening.
THE PRECINCT OF Tali TOWER.—Late on Monday
evening a respectable-dressed man, about 40 years of age,
was suddenly seized with spasms of the stomach as he
was walking along Tower-hill facing the garrison. The
foot passengers, who saw the deceased fall to the pave-
ment in a state of great agony, carried him to the Old'
George Tavern, Trinity-square, where a medical gentle-
man was soon in attendance, but the unfortunate de-
ceased never rallied, but died in a few minutes. Mr.
Orton, the beadle of the Tower precinct, was called to
take charge of the body for a coroner's inquest ; the
gates of the Tower being closed the deceased was placed
in a cellar adjoining the public-houlie, but yesterday
morning was taken in a shell to the dead-house in the
Tower meat. An inquest will be held by the Tower
coroner (Mr. Baker, jun.) this day.
ST. BOTOLPH WITHOUT, ALDGATE.—The seaman who
was removed from the schooner, Glencatty, on Monday
morning, off the Ironga.te-wharf Lower East Smithfrekl,
expired on board the Cholera Hospital ship, Deptford,
sood after his arrival. Several new cases of Asiatic
cholera were reported yesterday in the district of Upper
East Smithfield, Rosemary-lane, and Hurn's-buildings.
THE HAMLET OF RATCLlFF.—Yesterday morning the
registrar of the district of Ratcliff received information
of the following fatal cases of cholera :—A youth named
Green, the son of the captain of the brig James, of South
Shields, died on board the vessel, which was lying in the
river, off Bell-wharf, Ratcliffe-cross. The deceased ex-
pired after an attack of four hours, and was attended
by Dr. Carson, of Broad-street. The body was brought
ashore to the Ratcliff green-yard, under the Blackwall
Railway. A. person named Vince died in Regent's-
street, Commercial-road East. A coal meter, named
Harry, of Heath-street, Ratcliff, expired after a few
hours. A girl, named Mary Ann Gale, also fell a vic-
tim to the decease. Timothy Driscoll, aged 34, died at
No. 19, London-street, after a few hours' illness. The
deceased had been a ballast-heaver, employed on the
river.

THB STEPNEY UNION.—In consequence of a commu-
nication from the Board of Health the following medi-
cal gentlemen have been appointed by the board of
guardians of the Stepney Union to form the medical
staff of the district during the prevalence of the epide-
mic :—Mr. G. B. Millar, No. 5, Mount Etna, Mile-
end-road ; Dr. Humble, No. 3, Warkworth•terrace,
Commercial-road East ; Mr. Henry St. John Bulien,
No. 13, Stepney-causeway, Ratcliff ; Mr. Elsom, No. 6,
Salmons-lane, Limehouse ; Mr. Sturge, No. 1, Sydney-
square, Mile-end Old-town ; Mr. Handy, No. 12, Wap-
ping-wall ; Mr. Cleland, No. 113, Cock-hill, Ratcliff ;
and Mr. Bateman, No. 174, High-street, Shadwell.
The dispensary in York-square is open day and Right,
where medicine and advice can be had gratis, without an
order.

ST. GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST.—Three more fatal cases
of Asiatic cholera occurred yesterday at the cholera hos-
pital, Bath-terrace, Back-road, St. George's-in-the-East,
Ellen-street, Back-church-lane, and Buross-street, Com-
mercial-road. Other cases have been reported in the
district.

LIVERPOOL, Wednesday.—There can be no longer any
doubt that the cholera has become epidemic in Liver-
pool, and that the disease is decidedly on the increase
in certain districts of the town. It is only right, how-
ever, to say that, so far, the great majority of the
cases are confined to Scotland and Vauxhall wards,
where fevers and disease of all kinds have always
abounded. Still the epidemic would seem to be spread-
ing, as appears from the meetings of the local boards
of guardians held to-day and yesterday. It appears
from the meeting of the guardians of the West Derby
Union (which includes that part of Liverpool known
as Everton, and Toxteth-park) to-day, that there have
been a great number of fatal cases in Toxteth-park
during the week. And from an official communication
made to the Liverpool select vestry, at their meeting
yesterday, it appeared that the number of deaths in
the parish of Liverpool (excluding Everton and Tox-
teth-park), for the week ending Saturday last, were
103, as compared with 79 during the preceding week,
and 36 the week preceding that. It will therefore
be seen that the disease is steadily progressing. The
attacks, moreover, are not confined to the lower
classes, inasmuch as there have been several fatal
cases amongst those in the higher classes in
society. Mr. • Dewhurst, a . respectable solicitor
in the town, fell a victim to the disease yesterday.
He was well and at business up to Monday even-
ing, when he was attacked, and died
i yesterday morn-
ing. The Rev. John Macnaught, incumbent of St.
Chrysostom's Church, Everton, was suddenly attacked
early on Sunday morning, and during the day was con-
sidered to be in a highly dangerous state. The rev.
gentleman was prayed for in his own church on Sunday
morning and evening, when the fact was made known to
the members of his congregation. We are glad, how-
ever, to be able to say that he is now convalescent.
There has been a decided change in the weather to-day,
and the atmosphere has become much cooler than for
some weeks past, which, it is hoped, will check the pro-
gress of the disease.

THE GUN TRADE.—BIRMINGHAM, Tuesday.—Forms
of tender for materials for small arms were this morn-
ing received, and the trade is thereby animated with the
as,urance that the Belgian gun-makers are not in that
state of perfection to complete with the tone and exact
finish of British manufactures. The Board of Ordnance
has manifestly acted only in a spirit of justice to the
country when it ordered from Liege, for instance, rifle
sights at 4s. 7d. each, which were charged here at
ss. 10d. As soon, however, as foreign make are
believed to be vastly inferior to our own, and obviously
unsuitable to match the high class work in other parts
of British war guns, the board has wisely and judici-
ously, and, in the opinion of the trade, has handsomely
(for it has acted without loss of time) decided on dealing
with fidelity to the nation and justice to the trade. Per-
suaded that kindly feelings rather than hostile motives
influence the conduct of the board, the operatives, who
greatly appreciate these considerations no less th n
their the
to contractors, are more disposed than ever put
shoulders to the wheel, and by working overtime, and
o
with increased nicety of finish in their work,
able to convince the board, to please and
Duke of Newcastle, and prove themselves
able to sustain
shatpise f-y to be
the
_
thrim,
e osuperiority of England in the fabrication
of mallarras,
a

, The deputation consisted of Mr. S. Knight, county
magistrate ; Mr. J. Fuller, churchwarden, Messrs.
F. Pannell and H. Shaw, overseers ; Mr. S. E. Ellison,
surgeon ; Mr. W. Pearce, Mr. T. Hughes, and Mr. C.
C. Ceeley, vestry clerk. They complained of the state
of the sewage throughout the district in question, but
more especially of the open sewers in North-street and
King-street. They desired that the Board of Health
should, if it had the power, interpose its authority,' so as
to compel a more efficient drainage and sewage of the
district, without which it was impossible the health of
the district could be preserved. Another ground of
complaint ewaa,—that a -large amount of sewage was
turned into the canal, and the water became in a most
filthy and unhealthy condition.
Sir B. HALL, who received the deputation with great
courtesy, said, he was most anxious to do every-
thing in his power to assist in checking evils of the
kind mentioned, or in removing any nuisances which
might, be considered detrimental to the public health ;
but he wished it to be known that that department
had no control over the Commissioners of Sewers.
He knew that the Commissioners of Sewers were
most anxious to do their duty, and to see their works
carried out properly and efficiently, and, at the same
tune, as expeditiously as ro3,zible, but the task was such
a heavy one that they could not do all they wished. In
any future legislation upon the subject, it would be ne-
cessary to place the district sewers under the control of
the local authorities, and make them responsible for the
proper management of the sewage of their respective
districts,cou tr
olof
while a the main sewers should
ccor
accordance
placede w with
underthe
the central
b
recommendations of the Royal Commission oma • •
mission appointed to
inquire into the corporation of London. It would, in
his (Sir B. Hall's) opinion, be quite impossible to secure
anything like a sanitary condition of the inhabitants of
the metropolis unless they attained three great objects—
first, that the Thames should be purified bgy the construe-
tion of intercepting sewers ; second, that every street
should have a sewer run through it ; third, that the
owner of every house should be compelled to make a
drain from his house to that sewer, which drain should
be properly trapped, thus abolishing all cesspool'. The
whole question of offensive trades must also come under
consideration ; and, if those trades were to be permitted
in the metropolis, all the appliances that art and science
could suggest must be enforced for the purpose of pre-
venting the annoyance to which the public were at pre-
sent exposed. Another and very important inquiry
must also be instituted when Parliament assembled
as to how far the metropolitan water companies had
complied with the engagements entered into in 1852.
The period of three years given to the water companies
to bring their supplies from beyond the tidal influence of
the Thames, and from other sources, expired next ses-
sion, and a question so important to the sanitary condi-
tion of the public as the water supply must be fully gone
into. The whole subject of sanitary reform, and the
amendment of the Board of Health Act and the
Nuisances Removal Act should be considered as soon as
that board could have any leisure, so that bills upon those
important subjects might be brought in early in the
ensuing session. At that moment, however, it was im-
possible to do more than attend to the present epidemic
and reply to the innumerable letters which reached the
board, and which were much increased in consequence
of persons writing to them on subjects which did not
come under the jurisdiction of the department. It must
be recollected that he (Sir B. Hall) bad only been at the
head of that office about 3 weeks ; that the law was
most imperfect ; that when he entered upon office the
cholera was on the increase ; and that he had to make
all the necessary arrangements for meeting the disease
and checking it as far as possible. This, he was happy
to say, had been effected to a very great extent, and he
had been, generally speaking, ably and cheerfully assisted
by the. local authorities. The gentlemen of the deputa-
tion would see that at that time the Board of Health did
not control the Commissioners of Sewers, but he should
be happy at all times to receive suggestions from local
authorities which they conceived would in any way teat'
to promote the public health and improve the sanitary
condition of the people.
The deputation then retired.

THE COLLISION AT CROYDON.--EXPE-
RIMENTS BY CAPT. TYLER.

On Tuesday a series of experiments, of considerable
interest and importance, as tending to throw light upon
the causes of the recent fatal railway collision at Croy.
don, were made by Captain Tyler, of the Board of Trade,
on the Brighton line, between Reigate and Croydon.
The South-Eastern Company was represented on the
occasion by Captain Barlow, the superintendent of that
line, and the Brighton Company by Mr. Slight, their
secretary, and Mr. Hawkins, their locomotive ouperin.
tendent.

The experiments were chiefly directed to ascertain in
how short a time, and within how small a distance, a
train of the bulk and momentum of the unfortunate ex-
cursion train could be stopped, or rather the second
division of it, with which the collision occurred, and
going at the rate of between fifty and sixty miles an
hour. For this purpose two trains were made up pre-
cisely as the " excursion" wag, one by the Brighton com-
pany and the other by the South-Eastern, and laden re-
spectively with about 32 tons of iron and other mate-
rials, fairly distributed orer the carriages, that being
calculated to be about the weight of the 450 passengers
and upwards, who were travelling with the division of
the excursion train which came into collision with the
ballast engine. In order that these trials might have
as much similarity as possible to an ordinary case of
driving a train, the men in charge of the trains were net
allowed to pull up from the first instant the distance or
the semaphore signal caught their eye, but at an arbi-
trary given signal, indicated by Capt. Tyler himself, at
a moment when they might not be expecting it.
Four trips were made between the junction of the
two lines at Redhill, near Reigate, and Croydon. The
first was a South-Eastern train, and driven by men in
the employ of that company. It started from Redhill
at ono o'clock, and eventually attained a rate of speed
of 62 miles for about a mile and a quarter ; and, when
travelling at the rate of 531 miles an hour, Capt. Tyler
gave the signal to stop, and the train was brought to a
stand at a distance of 2,077 yards from the point where the
signal was given, and that simply by the driver shutting
off his steam, and the guard applying the two breaks
attached to his van, without the engine having been
reversed. The second experiment was with a Brighton
train, driven by Brighton men. The last mile was run
in 661 seconds, or at the rate of about 54 miles an hour,
and the train was pulled up in 1,832 yards, after being
signalled to stop, by shutting off the steam, applying
two breaks, and without reversing the engine, or in
less space by 245 yards than the preceding train. The
third trial was conducted with a South-Eastern train,
and by a driver and fireman belonging to that company.
and the object of it was to ascertain in what distance it
could he stopped by the application of the same moans,
and added to them, the immediate reversal of-the-swine
after the signal to stop. The result was that the
train, while going a mile in 66 seconds, was brought
up at the distance of 1,790 yards, or in two
minutes ; but seven seconds were lost in the ap-
plication of the breaks by the driver not sounding his
whistle until after he had reversed his engine. The
fourth and last experiment was with a Brighton train and
Brighton men, and, by arrangement, every available
means was employed to stop it on being signalled—
namely, reversing the engine, shutting off the steam,
applying the breaks, and causing the engine to scatter
sand along the rails. The effect of all this was that the
train, while travelling at the rate of a mile in 63 seeopola
was pulled up in a minute and a half after the signal,
and in the distance of 1,389 yards.
Now it is stated, on competent authority, that apt
collision took place at a distance of 60 yards on the -
London side of the north semaphore signal ; that between
that signal and the south semaphore there is a distance of
373 yards and 2 feet ; and that the south semaphore
signal can be seen by the driver of an approaching up.
train 1,120 yards before he can reach it. The effect
of a comparison between these figures and the results
of the experiments of yesterday is to, throw consider•
able light upon what might have been done by the
driver of the excursion train—shortly to be arrAigneli
on a charge of manslaughter—by simply attending
to the south semaphore signal, which on the day of
the fatal catastrophe stood against him at " danger."
Assuming the last figures to be correctly stated,
and
pains have been taken to ascertain them accurately, h
his
had 1,553 yards and two feet in which to
pull up
train between the point where he might havefirsts
the danger signal and the place of collision. By availing
himself, on the instant he saw the danger signal, of ell
the means at his command to stop the train, the last ex-
periment of yesterday proves that he might have brought
it to a stand at a distance of 1,389 yards, or 164 yards
before the point of collision ; but it also proves that,
omitting any one of those means, he could not hare pre-
vented that collision, for he could not have broigbt his
train up till a distance of 237 yards beyond where it oc-
curred. There is this, however to be .eaid, that by ap-
plying any, though not the greatest amount of power
at his disposal, to lessen the momentum dee train on
first seeing the danger signal, the ballast engine would
have had more time to get out of the way, and though a
concussion might not have been prevented, the force of
it might have been so diminished as to have caused
comparatively little damage.

NARROW ESCAPE OF A TIGHT-ROPE Pzitronutit,---
The entertainments at the Clifton Zoological Gardens on
about amidst
nine a b brilliant 1, lei
laonetk display •t
Monday evening were announced to conclude with Sig-
noraVi olan t e ' s , ,
htaeodrboaepl
almost
zo9e,:t.
Pauline
Accordingly
%On long,
ofredeitngly
Violante commenced the ascent, but it was soon y r:
feet high
.a,
,12 d
rope was
two no
the middle of the rope ; but at that part it
spherec,ehpotwibelevotrh,aatitthere roonpe
the
oscillated so
violently that, finding her balance gone, e threw away
her pole, fell across the rope, and luckily
grasping it with her hands, and hung • succeeded in
in mid air amidst
the screams of the assembled thou
sandg, joined to her
own piercing cries for help. For t
she thus clung helplessly by her handsen or fifteen minutes
of dragging herself forward or b and feet, incapable
an upright supporter, until at
length a very long ladder
backward so as to reach
having been placed upright
against the rope, she was
rescued from her perilous
fainting condition. Such p9sitien and led away in a
follies will never be abandoned
until one or more Lire
Journals i have been Enriactii,—Surborild

`--•,,.

LYCEUM THEATRE.-HENRY RUSSELL,
for Thirty Nights. THIS ETENti. G (the 16th time), Sept.
14th, and every Evening. Many friends having expressed a wish
that Mr. Russell should appear again previous to finally withdraw.
Ing his Entertainment, he has, in compliance with their request,
made arrangements to appear every evening. Mr. RUSSELL will
present THE FAR WEST; or, THE PROGRESS of the EMIGRANT
from the OLD WORLD to the NEW. Mr. Russell will relate his
anecdotes, and sing several new songs, " Cheer, Boys, cheer," " Far,
far upon the Sea," " Sunshine after Rain," " Land 1 Land I Land !"
"The Falls of Niagara," "Long have we been parted," "I'm
Afloat," "Many changes have I seen," "The Icebergs" (descriptive
song), "Newfoundland Dog," "The Gambler's Wife, &c. The
Second Part of the Entertainment will consist of a Series of
Sketches, entitled NEGRO LIFE in Freedom and Slavery.
Dress Circle, 2s. 6d. ; Upper Boxes, Is. 6d. ; Pit, Is. ; Gallery, 6d.