The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-27 00:00:00

had been popular disturbances in parts of Paris,
although not noticed in the papers, and an extraordi-
nary fermentation was observable in the public mind.
The abdication of the King was becoming a common
topic of conversation ; not as .a voluntary act, and con-
templated by the Sovereign himself, but as one neces-
sary and to be exacted by compulsion if required.
The funds indeed exhibited an advance in prices for
the day, but this was said to be attributable to the
I neck-or-nothing. speculations of one stock gambler, not
requisite to name, who, involved deeply already, was
desperately going double or quits. So desperate and
hopeless was the game he was playing considered, that
he was about to be called to account by the syndicate
of stock brokers in respect of the state of his affairs and
the sufficiency of his means to meet his differences.

SUN.—The intelligence from Syria has imparted
some buoyancy to the Funds, and the rise, no doubt,
would have been greater, were political affairs at Paris
more settled. For immediate transfer, Stock opened in
the morning at 871, receded just before the precise
tenor of the news from the East became known, to 87k,
and rallied and closed at 87j to 871. For the Novem-
ber Account the first quotation was 87i, subsequently
871, and lastly, 87i to Thera was a sale or two
of the New and Reduced Three-and-a-Half per Cents.,
the proceeds being intended, it is supposed, for rein-
vestment in Consols. The current value of the first-
mentioned was 97 o 9G4, and of the latter 951 to
95i. Bank Stock ruled again at 1601 to 161 i. East
India Stock was dull at 243. Exchequer Bills dropped
from 2s. prem. to 2s. dis. and par ; and East India
Bonds were as low as 10f. to 13f. dis.

Spanish Bonds were higher and more animated,
owing to the circular from the Junta, for collecting in
an account of the state of the National Debt, from
which the sanguine ones here imagine that their claims
will be attended to. We believe, however, that this
circular will be found to refer more to the domestic than
the foreign creditors. The Active Bonds touched 21i
for money, and 2li for the account. Colombian 6 per
Cents were dull at 22 ; Chilian Stock at 49 ; Three
per Cent. Belgian at 631 ; and Belgian Five per Cents.
at an advance from 961 to 98, owing to the reported
capitalization of the debt. Dutch Two-and-a-Half per
Cents. improved to 498, and the Five per Cents to 95.
Shares were dull all day. Great Western at 13, and
Birmingham at 66 premium ; and Brighton at 121 to
13i discount.

LOSS OF THE PHENIX STEAM

SHIP.

Yesterday a great excitement was created on the
river and in the city by a report that the splendid steam-
ship Phenix had been run down by the Britannia
steamer, and on the arrival of the latter vessel off the
Custom-house, at one o'clock, with the passengers and
crew of the former vessel, the rumour was fully con-
firmed. A number of absurd statements relating to
this unfortunate occurrence were in circulation during
the day, which were totally devoid of truth, but the
following account of the accident may be relied upon :
The Britannia, commanded by Captain J. Stranack,
is a large and powerful steam-ship, belonging to the
General Steam Navigation Company. The Phenix,
commanded by Captain Lefort, a Frenchman, is the
property of a French company, and was manned by a
crew of Englishmen and foreigners. Both vessels traded
regularly between Havre and London. The Britannia left
Havre for London at seven o'clock on Saturday even-
ing, and the Phenix got under weigh from the Tower
Stairs soon after nine on Sunday morning. The two ves-
sels met at sea nearly off Dungeness Point, about eight
o'clock on Sunday night. The Britannia was keeping her
course, and she saw the Phenix approaching and alter
her helm. The Britannia at the same time altered her
helm for the purpose of going clear of the Phenix,
which, however, still kept coming down upon the Bri-
tannia. As soon as the Britannia saw there was no
possibility of avoiding the Phenix, the engines were
stopped, and the order given to back astern, but before
the latter operation could be effected, the collision took
place, the Britannia striking the Phenix just before the
paddle-box on the starboard side, the weakest point of a
steam-vessel, and cut her down to the water's edge.
The Phenix immediately began to fill, and the boats of
both vessels were lowered, and saved the whole of the
passengers and crew of the Phenix, who were taken on
board the Britannia, where they were treated with
every kindness, and brought to London. The Phenix
went down in 35 fathoms water before the boats reached
the Britannia, and is irrecoverably lost. Among the
cargo were 250 casks of tallow, 15 tons of block tin,
bale goods, and other property, worth at least 15,0001,
which is now buried in the ocean.
The Phenix was built at Havre, and was one of the
most handsome steam-ships ever seen afloat, and was
universally admired on the river for her handsome pro-
portions. Her saloon and cabins were fitted up in a
very splendid and costly style with expensive furniture
and rich decorations. Her engines and machinery were
of English manufacture, and made by the celebrated
engineers, Barnes and Miller, or Ratcliff. There is but
one feeling, that of deep regret, at the loss of this
magnificent steam-ship.
The Britannia is a much larger and stouter vessel
than the Phenix, and one of the most powerful of the
fleet of steamers belonging to the General Steam Navi-
gation Company. Her commander, Captain Stranack,
is a most experienced and careful navigator, who has
been in the service of the Company for twenty years,
and, as well as the officers and crew, well skilled in the
care and navigation of steam-ships between France and
London. The Britannia had her stem knocked away,
and a portion of her larboard-bow stove in by the colli-
sion. The hole was stopped up with blankets and tar-
paulins by the crews of both vessels, and the exterior
covered over with canvass to prevent the water pouring
in. The Britannia was not deeply laden, or she would
have shared the same fate as the Phenix, and every
soul on board the two steamers would have perished.
The passengers belonging to the Phenix consisted of
forty persons, and the crew, engineers, stokers, and fire.
men, to 30 more, and a majority of them were below
in their sleeping-berths and hammocks when the col-
lision occurred, and many narrow escapes took
place. The crash is described as tremendous, and the
water immediately began rushing into the engine-room
and cabins. The affrighted passengers ran upon deck iu
their night-clothes, and were immediately lowered into
the boats : the safety of the females was first se-
cured, and the male passengers followed. Captain Le-
fort behaved in a very cool and discreet manner, and
was the last person to leave the vessel. After seeing
every one safe into the boats, he called out the names
of the crew, and upon ascertaining they were ail safe
he lowered himself by a rope into one of the boats along-
side. Immediately afterwards the decks of the vessel
blew up, some of the cabin windows were blown out,
andithe vessel went down head first, nearly engulph•
ing one of the boats. One lady passenger while being
lowered into a boat alongside fell into the sea, and
George Hasletine, one of the crew, whose duty it is to
steer the vessel from Gravesend to the North Fore-
land, jumped overboard after her. They were both
picked up, and taken into a boat. Two French gen-
tlemen, who were asleep in their cabins, were aroused
with some difficulty by George Dines, the steward
of the Phenix. The water had nearly reached the
top of the saloon table when Dines pulled them out
of their berths and forced them on deck, when they
learned the vessel was sinking, and before they had
time to recover from their fright were lowered
into a boat. Dines is a loser to the amount of
2001. by this unfortunate calamity, the whole of
the pro% is;ons, wines, &c., provided for the pas-
sengers, being his own private property, and not insured.
The only article saved by hiat was his gold watch and a
valuable gold snuff box, presented him by some English
residents of Havre, for his civility and good conduct on
board, and which bears the following inscription " Pre-
sented to Mr. George Dines, steward of the Phenix
steam-ship, by twenty gentlemen of Havre de Grace as
a token of their esteem, 1840." Dines is not the only
sufferer, the crew have lost every thing they possessed,
and the engineers who had considerable property on
board, and the stokers, are in the same unfortunate con-
dition.

The Britannia had her try-sail and ma:n-sail se

when the collision took place, and the way she had on
her, independent of the power of her engines, which
were stopped before the collision happened, was suffi-
cient to sink a vessel like the Phenix.
There is no doubt the tallow in the hold of the latter
vessel kept her afloat so long, and to this fortunate cir-
cumstance may be attributed the preservation of the
people on board.
The following account of the accident, furnished by
Captain Lefort, the commander of the Phenix, has been
forwarded to us by Messrs. Batten and Edwards, the
agents of the ship :
" Report of Captain Lefort, of the steam-ship Phenix,
of Havre.

" Sunday, Oct. 25, 1840.—The Phenix left London
at a quarter past nine with a cargo of tallow and other
goods.ea' About a quarter-past eight Dungeness light
eight the compass, distant about three miles, our
.coursering Ivbyas ordered S. W., and our speed might be
btleleatpso,ienetd
and a half or nine knots an hour, fine weather,
the sea smooth, but
few minutes aftereen
. but the horizon a little hazy. Near
of,,e
at Dungeness we saw several lights of fishing-
vessel on the st steered in a manner to avoid them. A
wind-
ward of us. Ord,rs
immediately, so as to
possi-
ble, and 1 prrsonally
to keep away, arzed ila, ni, we perceived the light of a
not wishing
the night. We soon made her
on her larboard tack, but instead
her to port, which would have
pea er a out u t to b
de
eh ai
her
r off
red to bear away when we were kept
that is to say to the wind-
were given to keep her away
give it as wide a berth as possi-
repeated the order to continue
pass a vessel too close in
steam,s she vesselap-
of lulling, by keeping
continued
tmb e ofr t b
theey
' We hailed her several times to tuff, and g the same.
to bear away to leeward, but do not know we
tried to do so, and almost immediatelyhtaltteewhsbtee
said vessel struck us ahreaGt tho fore
about
three feet before the mainbeam on the starbYoaayr'd
side,
Our head at this time bore S. or S. by E. The shockie.
was terrible ; the aide of the Phenix was demolished,
and the Britannia, for we found that it was her, came
alongside of us, with her larboard side damaged. The
1