The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-04 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA SQUADRON.

JAMAICA, NOT. 6.—The Wellesley, 72, fig of
Vice-Admiral the Earl of Dundonald, G.C.8., is
expected here in January.
The Trincomalee, 20, Captain Warren, is expected
here daily from the northward.
The Sappho, 16, Commander Mitchell, arrived
here two days since from the Gulf of Mexico, where
she has been stationed for the last four months. She
was employed a great portion of that time on the
coast of Yucatan, in which there is a civil war
raging, the natives having suffered from their masters
(the Creole Spaniards) the greatest oppressions and
cruelties. It is likely the natives will gain the upper
hand, and if the white population is not assisted by
other powers vi ith money and force, they will be
extirminated. From a constant state of warfare the
country is in a wretched condition.
The Sappho has been very sickly. She has been
visited by yellow fever, and has lost seven fine healthy
men. Amongst the number dead is the second-
lieutenant, Mr. Dashwood. Many others have been
sent to the hospital. The Sappho arrived here with
no other commissioned officer than her commander,
and he has had his arm broken and wears it in a
sling ; for a long time she has been without officers,
all having been sent to the hospital or died. She
sailed from Cuba about three weeks since ; the inha-
bitants there were on. the qui vine about a hostile
aggression on its shores, a report to that effect having
arisen, the aggressors being the inhabitants of the
United States. It is openly said this power can
possess itself of the island at any moment, and that
there is a great feeling in favour of that Republic
amongst the coloured population ; that even many
thousands are enrolled and secretly sworn to favour
ally landing of an expedition from America.
Mr. Palmer, midshipman of the Sappho, having
passed his examination before the commander, the
latter gave him an acting order as lieutenant the
next day, which I believe, as senior officer in the
Gulf of Mexico, he was empowered to do. Mr.
Palmer has been the only one assisting in the duty
of the ship for some time.
WOOLWICH, DEC. 3.—The Enterprise and laves-
Vgator are ordered to have their defects made
good at Woolwich with the least possilele delay, as
their services IN ill be again required to proceed for
the relief of Captain Sir John Franklin and the offi-
cers and crews of the Erebus and Terror.

The Athenatin, in some recent remarks, observed
that it was singular the Esquimaux should, in the
rude sketch furnished to the whalers, have repre-
sented one of the vessels on her beam-ends, and was
desirous of ascertaining if any of the vessels under '
Sir James Ross was in that position during any
period of their voyage. On making inquiry, we
find that in no instance during the period they were
amongst the ice did the inclination of either the
Enterprise or Investigator exceed from 10 to 15 deg.;
and, consequently, the vessel described by the Esqui-
maux must have been one of the vessels of Sir John
Franklin's expedition.
Howard R. Banks (1843), appointed Surgeon to
the Terrible steam-frigate at Woolwich, has taken up
his commission and joined the vessel.
The convict-ships moored opposite the dockyard
since the breaking out of the cholera are ordered to
be token back to-morrow to a station opposite the
Royal Arsenal.

THE COLLISION ON THE MANCHES-
TER AND SHEFFIELD RAILWAY.
SuErrtELD, DEC. 1.--Thomas Owen, late an engine-
driver in the service of the Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire Railway Company, was charged
yesterday before the borough magistrates with hav-
ing negligently caused a collision on that line, thereby
endangering the lives of several persons, and occa-
sioning a loss of property to the extent of 1,000/.
It appeared that on the afternoon of the accident
the defendant left this station with a goods train, and
it was part of the regulations that such a train should
not travel at a greater rate than fifteen miles an hour,
and on nearing the Woodhouse junction not more
than eight miles. It was alleged that he was going
forty miles an hour, although such was not satisfac-
torily proved. At the time, however, he was coming
up, another goods train was being shunted on to the
up line.

The driver of the latter said he saw defendant's
train coming down on the sante line of rails as be
was on, at the speed of between thirty and forty
miles an hour, and, by turning on the steam, endea-
voured to get out of the way. He had scarcely got a
speed of five or six miles an hour, a distance of about
100 yards, before the defendant's train overtook him,
and a fearful collision ensued.

On the part of the defendant it was urged that
he was not going more than fourteen or fifteen miles
an hour, and but for the imperfect character of the
breaks, which worked stiff, the collision might have
been averted.

---- ---.
..
The Bench, therefore, fined him 101., or two
months' imprisonment.

DEATH OF TOE QUEEN DOWAGER. THE
THEATRES.—The following is a copy of the official
communication received in the course of yesterday by
the lessees of the several theatres, musical and dramatic
" saloons," within the jurisdiction of the Lord Chamber-
lain, and licensed under his authority :
"Lord Chamberlain's-office, Monday, Dec. 3, 1849.
"Sir,—ln consequence of the death of her Majesty
the Queen Dowager the Lord Chamberlain requests that
the Theatre will be closed this evening, and
also on the day of the funeral of her Majesty.
" To the manager of
•
THE QUEEN DOWAGER.—From the fact of the
absence of all official information during yesterday, in
reference to the particulars of Mourning to be worn for
her late Majesty, Queen Adelaide, much surprise was
occasioned in the neighbourhood of Regent-street, by
the great number of carriages in waiting at the Messrs.
Jay, which induced the notion that those gen,tletnen pos-
sessed information of an exclusive character. Upon
inquiry, it appeared, that although the commands of the
Court were not in a sufficient state of forwardness for
official announcement, its intentions were very closely
Arrived at, from the particulars of large orders received
from the Court itself, and the Household of her late
Majesty.
FIRE AT TEE NEW HUMMUNIS HOTEL.—Last
evening between four and five o'clock, considerable
alarm was caused in the neighbourhood of Covent-
garden, owing to the sudden outbreak of a fire in the
New Hummunis llotel, situate in Groat Russell-street
and Tavistock-terrace. The flames commenced in the
fourth fl )or front. With all possible expedition infor-
mation of the outbreak was sent to the fire-stations, and
in the course of a few minutes the engine of St. Paul's,
Covent-garden, arrived, followed by others from the
Cbandos-stre,:,t, Brigade, High Holborn, the West of
Farringthm-street, and Watling-street. The
firemen, with the aid of a plentiful supply of water kept
on the top of the premises, confined the flames to that
portion of the building in which they commenced. Mr.
Rockley, the proprietor of the hotel, was insured in the
Sun Fire-office.