The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-04 00:00:00

THAMES OFFICE.

SEThR,US OBSTRUCTION IN THE RIVEIL—Last night
Captain Sn;ith, the superintendent of the Grand Surrey
Canal Dock, waited on Mr. BALLANTINE, the sitting Ma-
gistrate, to complain of a very serious obstruction in the
river, which had nearly caused the loss of a very valuable
ship and cargo. Coptain *Smith stated that in defiance of
the Dock Act, and regulations of the port, two col-
liers, the Embient and t 1 Star, had made fast to the dock-
buoy, by which not only ti.-c passage of the river was ob-
structed, but the business of ,the dock was stopped. That
evening at high water the ship _lid-de-Camp, from Halifax,
laden with timber and deals, cam(' up the river tb be hauled
into the dock, but the two colliers were stationed opposite
the entrance, one above and the °the:- below the buoy, and
although their C3ptains • were ordered to slack and leave a
free passage, they refused to do so. The ship nearly ran
ashore, and was prevented entering the ,Mock. A steamer
was under the necessity of taking her in tow and taking her
to Limehouse, occasioning great loss to tile owners, and
placing the ship in very imminent danger.
Torgett, a dock officer, confirmed Captain Smith, and
said that one of the colliers had been moored to the
buoy three days, and Captain Fisher had in vain ordered
her away. .

BALLANTINE immediately granted summonses.
During the morning and afternoon sitting yesterday there
was not a single police or night charge brought bcfore the
Magistrates, a circumstance quite unprecedented.

THE MONUMENT TO Sift WALTER SCOTT.--
The .It'dinburglt Courant thinks there is no place by which
a greator honour could be conferred, than raising it on the
spot where the ancient Cross of Edinburgh once stood.
CORONEIt'S INQUEST.-- Yesterday afternoon, an
inquest was heN at the Globe Tavern, Derby-street,
Gray's Inn-road, before Mr. Stirling and a respectable
,fury, on view of the body of Mrs. Penelope Bulcock, a
married lady, who was burned to death. George Goodhall,
police constable, division E. No. 35, about ,eleven o'clock
on Monday forenoon, was 03 duty at. King's Cross, Battle-
bridge, when be was requested by a female,
wra..k: suffer-
ing much from excitement, to ;,:o to the residence of Mr.
Buleocl:, No. 16, Hamilton-place, New-road: On his ar-
rival, he found the passage of the ho'tse full of smoke, which
appeared to 'come from the front kitcl.4en, and as great tears
were expressed by the servants as to ths.4,ir mistress's safety?
he descended the stairs, but was scarce!,;' able to respire,
owing to the density of smoke. On eriterili.e.; the kitchen,
witness was shocked at discovering a human corm stretched
on the floor in nearly a state of nudity, and burn L in the most
frightful 'tanner. A small portion efthe unfortunate lady's
apparel, which appeared to be her stays, was still burning,
as was also some linen, which was attached to 11 clothes-
:orso lying on the floor. Witness obtained some buckets
or va:er, which he threw over the body, and extinguishod
• the From the dreadful condition of the body, life.
must has been extinct some time. A relative of the de-
ceased here
it,:ted that she had been subject to fits of
epilepsy. The tau:-.Y returned a verdict of " Accidental
Death."
THE " MONSTEIt "
SPECIFICATION.—A speci-
fication of a patent of tmplic6.-dented length has lately been
enrolled at the Roll's Chapel. fOce: The Mechanic's ilia-
gazine, in reviewing it, says 'Ole world has heard of
' monster' bombs, and monster' prCcesses ; it now falls to
our lot to present it with a new subject for amazement in a
`monster' specification. - Anything so mcestrous in the pa-
tent way as this specification of Mr. Crofts',
certainly never
camc'under our observation before. It occ npies 110 less
than 65 skins of parchment ; and 14 accompe d
,by„,,49
sheets of drawings of most complicated machine:4'Y! 1,11,e
stamps alone cost 117/. The folios being
in numfil'r
copy, at, the oflice charge of 81 per folio would cosi an
,• •
a thePic;tr''al o3gBsL ;18a ns.dBidt besides,
lt:stelrevaesdt: thatitj(4ai°lorpaycor part
of a speeiti,:ation cannot be obtained—the whole
must btu
taken, or none. This specification, which is said to have
for improvements in bobbin-
been drawn by Nr. Farey, is
patents taken out or bought- by that'.
net machinery by io7r. Crofts, the well-known and ingoiotts
superintendent of the extensive works of Messrs. Fisbc.,,lif
tirm.
llvteaisltho nyly ando enotfenrpiarnisying
* The length of this
specification has attracted much attention in the offiaes ; it
complexity of the inventions
from 'the extreme ,
and the machinery to which they are appliedpartly ; from
the extraordinary number of ..ontri •
arises partly
winces covered by this
one
_patent ; and partly from • the excessive minuteness
detail and amplitude of descriptionwhich
Mr. Farcy has
thought, and usually th
inks, necessoy to employ."
PORT PATRICK.—The western wall of the har-
bour of Port Patrick was materially injured by the heavy
gale of Saturday, the '7`3d ult. The sea made
a complete
breach
through it. Fears exist that this harbour, upon
which 12.0,0001. has already been expended, and for which
a further grant has been obtained of 27,000/. must even-
tually be abandoned as a packet: station, in which case the
packets will run from Loch Ryan to Belfast, or Larne,---
Shipping Gazette.