The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-22 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT

ON THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

An accident of a very extensive nature occurred upon
this railway last Saturday morning, and was attended with
great loss of life, not we are happy to state to any
human being, but to a great number of sheep and calves;
the guards of the train, however, experienced a very
narrow escape. The accident resulted entirely from the
reprehensible practice of having an engine behind the
train to assist in propelling it. It appears that the up
goods train from Bristol was running for the Swindon
station about two o'clock on that morning, and that after
it passes the Chippenham station there is a very steep
incline (1 in 90) through a cutting called the Wootton
Bassett incline. To assist the goods train up this in-
cline it is the custom, in addition to the ordinary engine,
to )run another engine from the Box station, through
the tunnel, to aid in propelling the train. The train in
question consisted of nearly 40 waggons and trucks, and
amongst them were some timber trucks. These timber
trucks, in consequence of the length of the timber, are
coupled together by long chains ; one of the
timber trucks was the fourth from the leading
engine ; and in going up the incline, it seems that
t.nts, of the connecting chains of the first portion of this
timber truck by some means became unfastened, and
dragged on the line for some distance, until it came to a
crossing, where the end of the chain caught, and caused
a momentary check to the first part of the train. The
hinder part of the timber truck was forced by the behind
propelling engine on to the spot where the end of the
chain had become hitched, and thereby caused a resist-
ance, when the leading engine broke away with the
foremost carriages, but the propelling engine being
driven at full speed forced the truck which had been
checked by the end of the chain, with several others
which had also broken away, up a slope more than 12
feet high, and into an adjoining field. The last of the
trucks so forced up remained at the base of the slope ;
and from the speed at which the engine was propelling
the train could not fall back on the line, but bumped
against the remaining waggons as they passed, com-
pletely cutting their side stanchions and timber as the
train brushed past. The rest of the waggons and trucks,
with the propelling engine, went past the trucks on the
slope, and ran some distance, when it is conjectured
that some of the timber which had been thrown from
the timber trucks caused a goods truck to be thrown
over the rails; and the propelling engine, still driving
at full speed, completely doubled up the waggons and
trucks before it, scattering them in all directions. Some
of them was literally smashed to pieces, and upwards of
90 sheep and some calves were killed. The resistance
caused by the end of the chain falling into the crossing
gave no intimation to the driver of the propelling en-
gine that the first portion of the train had broken away
with the leading engine; therefore he continued driving
at full speed, and in a moment the waggons and trucks
wore scattered about. The officers of the Great West-
ern Railway Company, with their usual promptitude,
directly assembled a number of men, and by great ex-
ertion the rail was cleared without any detention to the
other trains. Until lately it was the practice of the
company to propel the passenger trains through
the Box tunnel by an engine behind, but the public
raised such a❑ outcry (and very properly so) against
that practice, that the company were obliged to desist.
Had even the above accident occurred in the Box
tunnel, instead of in an open cutting, the consequence
would have been much more serious; as it is, the
guards of the luggage train escaped by a miracle, as
the waggons, both before and behind their truck, were
knocked to pieces. It has often been a matter of spe-
culation what would be the nature of an accident with
a passenger train with an engine at both ends propelling.
Should an accident occur to the leading engine the
effect upon the carriages will be shown by the above
accident; and it needs no comment as to what the re-
sult would have been to the passengers had it been a
passenger train.

THE LATE ACCIDENT AT
WOLVERTON.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—Conceiving it to be the bounden duty of every
one to offer any suggestion that may occur to him for
the prevention of accidents on railways, and more espe-
cially a recurrence like the lamentablelone in question, I
would at once propose that strong and substantial posts
should be erected on each side of the line—say a quarter
of a mile apart, but so arranged that there should be
one or more at the terminus of every station, and an
officer attendant at every post, and that the guards,
engineers, stokers, and other officers, of every train
should have at their command—the same being w ell
braced to some part of the carriage—strong ropes or
cable chains, with a large noose at the end, so that in
an emergency it might be thrown to the officer, who
would instantly affix it round the post, similar, in fact,
to the mode now adopted in bringing steam-boats to a
stand-still, on nearing a pier or other place of embar-
kation.

llad this plan been in use at the time of the accident,
your readers would, in my humble opinion, never have
had cause to deplore the fatal consequences.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
HOMAS SLOAN.
Mitre-court, Temple, June 21, 1847.

RAGGED SCHOOL IN CLARE MARKET.—Yesterday
a meeting, numerously and respectably attended, was
held in the vestry rooms of St. Clement Danes Church,
with the view of opening a ragged school in Clare.
market. Lord Ashley presided on the occasion, and in
strong terms urged upon the meeting the destitution,
misery, and ignorance of many children in that locality,
and the necessity and duty which existed for extending
to them the blessings of education. The meeting was
then addressed by several speakers in support of reso-
lutions recognising the success which bas hitherto at-
tended the formation of ragged schools, and approving
of the Yeates Court Ragged School about to be opened
near Clare Market, as worthy the support of the pa-
,ishioners of St. Clement Danes and the inhabitants of
the surrounding district. The resolutions having been
adopted, and a vote of thanks passed to the chairman,
the meeting broke up.
THE POPE'S LAST MIRACLE.—The Tablet pub-
lishes the following extract from a private letter from
Rome:—" The Pope has wrought a miracle. He went
to Subiaco, and as there was a great want of rain the
people asked him to pray for it. Ho accordingly went
to the shrine of St. Benedict and prayed there an hour,
and immediately the rain came and lasted six hours."
The letters from Paris received on Monday
denote much uneasiness regarding commercial prospects.
The disasters at Marseilles originated the unfavourable
feeling, and a number of small failures which have been
taking place for some days in tile capital have sulm-
i quently tended to increase it.

WESTERN LITERARY AND
SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION.

The members of this society held their first festival
last evening at the Freemasons' Tavern, when the Right
Hon. Lord Kinnaird occupied the chair, and was sup-
ported by Henry Drummond, Esq. (President) ; R.
Monckton Milnes, Esq., M.P. ; Luke James Hansard,
Esq. ; Albert Smith, Esq. ; Mr. Sheriff Kennard, &c.
Several toasts in honour of the Royal Family were
proposed by the chairman, after which the Noble Lord
proposed the toast of the evening, "Prosperity to the
Western Literary and Scientific Institution," for which
Mr. Malcolm said that the institution was founded in
1825, and that, after struggling with those adverse cir-
cumstances that usually beset similar undertakings, it
had at length succeeded in forming a library of about
eight thousand volumes. In alluding to a meeting
which had taken place at a very early period, the Secre-
tary observed that there was present on that occasion the
lamented poet Thomas Campbell, who seconded the first
resolution. The poet descanted not only on the advan-
tages of such institutions, but on the opposition they ex-
perienced in carrying out its objects, and he quoted the
opinions of Dr. Whitaker, who thought that "public li-
braries were calculated to corrupt the principles of so-
ciety, because bad books would be mingled with the
good, and that they would have the effect of depressing
learned men by making learning general, and that it
would make the lower orders of society saucy and lazy."
In opposition to such doctrines Mr. Malcolm showed
the vast benefits the society had been the means of dis-
tributing, and concluded by requesting the co-operation
of the public in carrying out the useful purposes of the
ilastitutioxi.

Other toasts were then proposed, which having been
duly responded to the company separated at a late hour.
The musical arrangements were under the direction
of Mr. Blewitt, assisted by Miss Ransford, Mr. W. E.
Ransford, Mr. Genge, and Mr. Edney.
About one hundred gentlemen sat down to a dinner
provided for the occasion, which gave very general sa-
tisfaction.

WESTERN GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
The annual distribution of the prizes to the pupils of
the Western Grammar School, Alexander-square,
Brompton, took place on Thursday, the 17th inst. The
patron, Earl Cadogan in the chair, supported by the
Rev. Charles Kingsley, Rector of Chelsea, President of
the Institution ; the Rev. J. R. Crawford, the Head
Master ; the Rev. D. Coleridge, Principal of St. Mark's
Training College ; the Rev. Thomas Jackson, Principal
of the National Society's Training College, Battersea ;
the Rev. W. J. Irons, Vicar of Brompton ; and many
other clergymen and gentlemen belonging to, and friends
of the institution. A large and highly respectable
auditory being assembled in the principal school room,
and the reports of the several examiners in the different
t,,..nphes of study considered ; his Lordship, the patron,
delivered the two prizes or nooks annually prennted by
himself, to the successful scholars, viz.:—

The Ca.dogan prize for classical and gene-
ral literature and knowledge to
The Cadogan prize for Theology
The King's College prize Godrich 1
The Latin Verse prize Deverinne 1
The English Essay prize
The French Essay prize Rains
The First Mathematical prize... Godrich 1
And thirty-seven other prizes,
in books, given by the
institution for proficiency in the several branches of
study were presented to those who had gained them.
After the prize essays,which gave universal satisfaction,
had been recited by their respective composers, the Pre-
sident addressed the meeting, and was followed by the
Rev. Thomas Jackson, who in a powerful and eloquent
speech, pointed out, first, the proper foundation of all
training, namely, religious knowledge, as taught and in-
culcated in the school, according to the doctrine of our
beloved Protestant Church ; secondly, the high value of
a classical and mathematical education—the learned
languages and science being the pillars whereon to rear,
upon the before mentioned base, the whole architecture
of an education fitting the individual alike for business
or for the learned professions. The Rev. Gentleman
then, with much feeling and energy adverted to his past
intimate knowledge of the school, as formerly one of its
masters, its success and reputation at that time, and the
confirmation they had, this day, after an interval
of ten years, witnessed, of the statement in the
annual report of 1847, that the school had
in no respect declined from its former high
standard ; reminding the assembly that its present
most respected and talented head master was a distin-
guished pupil of that great reformer of the system of
education in our public schools, the lamented Dr. Arnold.
He then called upon the proprietors to extend the know-
ledge and influence of the school, now nineteen years
established ; and having sent forth many of its pupils to
gain distinguished honours at each University, several of 1
them now labouring in the Church, and in the learned
profession, and many in the service of their country, or
engaged in honourable mercantile pursuits, bringing up,
he trusted, in many cases a new generation to become
pupils of their old and honoured institution, of which the
Rev. Gentleman stated that he purposed timely to intro-
duce his own son as a pupil. After paying a just tribute
to the several masters, he concluded by a powerful
appeal to the wealthy and increasing neighbourhood to
augment the list of proprietors, and thereby enable the
committee of management to proceed to its contem-
plated important objects, of founding scholarships to
bestow on its pupils, and of forming a suitable library.
The Rev. the President then declared the business of
the day to be most agreeably and satisfactorily termi-
nated, and the school was adjourned to the 26th July.

HER M&JESTT'S ACCESSlON.—Yesterday (Mon-
day) was kept as a holyday at the law offices on account
of her Majesty's accession occurring on the previous day.
The Judges' Chambers were closed.
Mr. Frederick Hill has been appointed Inspector
of Prisons of the home or central district, and is suc-
ceeded in the inspectorship of the northern district,
which he held for several years, by Captain O'Brien.—
Scots man.

REPRESENTATION OF CAMBRlDGE.—Yesterday, at
two o'clock, a deputation of the electors of Cambridge
waited upon Major-General Sir Harry Smith, at
Usher's Hotel, Suffolk-street, Haymarket, for the pur-
pose of requesting the gallant general to stand for the
representation of that place in the ensuing Parliament.
The deputation having stated the object they had in
view, Sir Harry replied that nothing could be more flat-
tering than so high a compliment from his friends in
Cambridge, but that for the present, as well as he feared
for some time to come, he must depend upon his sword
fur procuring him the means necessary for enabling him
to avail himself of so desirable and distingnished an
honour, and, that, within a short period, should Provi-
dence so ordain that his health be restored, be should
find it necessary to proceed abroad again in his military
capacity. Sir Harry stated, that he had felt himself
compelled to decline a similar offer from the electors of
Westminster, adding that, should fortune prove favour-
ble, and that at any future period his fellow townsmen
should think his services desirable, he would feel proud
in being their representative.
DESTRUCTION OF A PACKET SHIP BY AN ICEBERG.

—The packet ship Eulalia, belonging to St. Sebastian,
while on her passage from Havannah to Galway, was
overwhelmed by an iceberg. She had thirty-seven pas-
sengers (a great many of whom were women) on board,
with a crew of sixteen, including the master. She was
a fine-looking vessel, barque rigged, 300 tons burden,
and was laden with a cargo of miscellaneous articles.
Her voyage was favourable till she made latitude 42 IS
north, longitude 52, when she met with a heavy field of
ice. This occurred on the morning of Friday, the 21st
of May. The master observing the perilous state of the
ice, bore the ship round, and attempted to clear it, but
this was found impossible, and about nine o'clock a tre-
mendous iceberg struck the ship amidships, cutting her
down to the water's edge. The shock was fearful, and
the terror and dismay of the passengers were painfully
great. Not a moment ;was lost in lowering the boats,
and placing the passengers in them; for, on the pumps
being sounded, the ship was found to be fast filling. The
crew lingered on board at the pumps in the hopes of
keeping her afloat, but were compelled to make a hasty
retreat, the ship reeling over on her beam ends and in-
stantly sinking. Two boats, containing the captain,
fourteen of the crew, and fourteen passengers, succeeded
in getting clear of the wreck, but the third, with twenty
persons in it, most of whom were women, was drawn
down with the vessel, and every soul perished. The
boat, it appeared, was fastened to the wreck by a rope,
which the crew, in their fright, fearing the ship was
sinking, had forgotten to unship, and it was impossible
to cut it, the passengers having no proper implement.
On the following day, at five o'clock in the evening, the
remaining boats were picked up by the schooner New-
port, belonging to Stockton, and their crew taken on
board, which vessel reached Galway on Monday last.
The loss of the Eulalia and cargo is estimated at 25,0001.
VAUXHALL GARDENS.—This well-known and most
ancient place of public amusement is now once more open
for the season. It has undergone many improvements
since the close of last summer. Many of the old and
ruinous buildings, which had nothing but their antiquity,
to recommend them, have been removed, and in their
place other buildings have been erected, which are com-
modious and in good taste. The ground on which the
fireworks are displayed has been enlarged, aad there is
now ample space for the most extensive exhibition of
pyrotechnic skill. The orchestra is restored to its ori-
ginal form, and will remind the old frequenters of the
place of former days, and of the glories of the days of
the all but immortal Simpson and his earlier predecessors.
There is a manifest improvement in the scenic represen-
tations, or large pictures, with which various portions of
the grounds are decorated; the illuminations are as bril-
liant as ever, and the whole appearance of the place
displays good taste, and a liberal yet judicious expendi-
ture of money. In the Rotunda the performances are
those of the Bedouin Arabs and of Mademoiselle Caro-
line. The feats of the Arabs are, of their sort, the most
marvellous that have hitherto been exhibited ; they
bound and rebound from the earth or platform with the
elasticity of Indian rubber, throwing somersaults in
every manner that such vaulting can be performed, and
in a manner totally novel to the vaulters of this country.
Of the admirable equestrianism of Mademoiselle Caroline
we have spoken before, when that lady was in England
a few years ago. The whole of the arrangements, which
were formerly intrusted to Mr. Simpson, are now under
the control of Mr. Lewis, who last year made his debut
in these gardens. The company last night was very
numerous, and included many of the nobility and persons
of rank, amongst them were the Earl of Lonsdale, Lord
Stanhope, Lord Strathmore, &c.
CONTINENTAL COMMUNICATION.—The South-
Eastern and Continental Steam-packet Company's
steam-ship the Lord Warden left Folkestone for Bou-
logne yesterday morning at four o'clock. The Prince
Ernest arrived at Folkestone from Boulogne at 6.30
a.m., and again left Folkestone for Boulogne at 3 p.m.,
with 52 passengers. The Lord Warden arrived at
Folkestone from Boulogne at 4 p.m., with 53 passen-
gers ; and the Queen of the French left Ramsgate for
Ostend At 9 am., with 64 passengers and three carriages.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, JUNE 21.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Birmingham and Ox-
ford Junction, 74 p.—East Lincolnshire, % p. ex ink_.
Edinburgh and IN orthern, 1/2 p.—Lancaster and Preston,
Quarters, 134—Leeds and Dewsbury, 4 p.—Leeds and
Thirsk, Preference, , dis.—Liverpool, Crosby, and South-
port, 263. 3d. p.—London and North-Western, 179—Ditto,
Quarters, 17 P.—Ditto, New Quarters, 1.07 i p. —Ditto,
Quarters (G. J.), 1631 p.—Manchester and Leeds, Fifths
(late West Riding Union), ls. 3d. p.—Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire, Eighths, 1% dis.—Ditto (late Grimsby
and Sheffield), 7'),,'i dis.—Midland, 124—Ditto, 40/. Shares,
b% p.—Ditto, New, 3% p.—Newcastle and Berwick, New,
2141 p.—North-Western, 1% dis.--Scottish Central, 7% p.
—Shrewsbury and Chester, New, ls. 3d. dis.—South-Eastern
and Dover, STew, No. 1, 14 p.—Ditto, No. 4, 4 dis.—York
and Newcastle, New, 53/4 p.—Ditto, Preference, 31A1 p.
Belfast and Ballymena, 10 LA dis.
MANCHESTER, JuNE 21.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are--Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire, and Cheshire, 2 dis.—Birmingham and Oxford JUBC•
tion, 7 5-16 p.—Haddersfield and Manchester Railway and
Canal, Thirds, 3-16 p.—Leeds and Thirsk, Preferentials, ',7,
s
dis.—Manchester and LeedF, 19% p.—Ditto, 321. Share
(late Extension), par—Ditto, Fifths (late West Riding
Union), 1-16 p.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire,
Quarters, No. 1, 23/4 p.—Newcastle and Berwick, New, 21%;
p.—North Staffordshire, 2 9-16 p.—North-Western, 11A—
South-Eastern and Dover, No. 4, 14 dis.
LEEDS, JUNE 21.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—East Lancashire, New,
14s. dis.—Ditto, New (scrip), 6d. s. p.—East and West York-
shire, 31s. 6d. dis.—lludderstield and Manchester, 6s. 3d. n.
p.—Ditto, Thirds, 2s. 6d. p.—Leeds and Thirik, Preference,
15s. dis.—Manchester and Leeds, West Riding Union, ls.
6d. p.—Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and Midland, 2s. 6d.
dis.—Newcastle and Berwick, 8 p.—Ditte, New, 214 p.—
North British, Thirds, 1% p.—North Staffordshire, 13s. 9d.
p.—North-Western, 28s. dis.—Sheffield, Rotherham, and
Goole, 28s. 9d. dis.—York and Newcastle, Preference, 3/.
11s. 3d. p.

HULL, JUNE 21.
STOCK EXCHANGE. —The sales are—East Lancashire, New,
14s. dis.—Manchester and Leeds (West Riding Union), ls.
6d. p.—Newcastle and Berwick, New, 445. p.—North Bri-
tish, Thirds (scrip), 51s. 6d.—Ambergate, Nottingham, and
Boston, 275.

SHEFFIELD, Juars 21.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Ambergate, Notting-
ham, and Boston, 24s.—Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and
Midland, 4s. dis.—Manchester and Leeds (West Riding
Union), Is. 6d. p.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincelnshire
(Grimsby and Sheffield), 7% dis.—Ditto, 201. Shares, 565.
dis. ex int.—Ditto Sheffield and Lincoln), 58s. dis.—North.
Western, 275. 6d. dis.
EDINBURGH, JUNE 19.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Dundee and Perth,
Quarters, 66s.—Edinburgh, Leith, and Granton, Quarters,
12s. 9d.—Edinburgh and Northern, New, 71s.—Ditto,
Newport, 71. 9s.—Ditto, ditto, New, 48s.—Edinburgh and
Perth, 22s.—North British, 32%—Ditto, Thirds, 525.
Stirling and Dunfermline, 5%.
GLASGOW, Jurarx 19.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Caledonian, 293,8—
Ditto, New, 425. 6cl.—Dundee and Perth, Quarters, 675.
East Indian, 2s. 6d.—Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ayr (5 per
cent. guar.), 411/2—Ditto, Halves, No. 2,6/. 12s.—Glasgow,
Dumfries, and Carlisle, 54—North British, Thirds, 525.
Stirling and Dunfermline, s%,—York and Newcastle, Pre-
ference, 11%.