The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-15 00:00:00

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(Fnom OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

FIBRUA.RY 14.
MONUMENT TO TEE LATE COMMODORE OF THE ROYAL
YACHT SQUADRON.-The subscription for this object now
amounts to more than 8001., to which 2001. is to be added
from the club funds, so that there is no doubt of its reaching
the proposed amount, 1,2001., by May next, the time for
holding the general meeting of members.
Tux NEEDLES LIGHT.--The loss of her Majesty's steamer
Sphynx may, we hope, impress on the Government the ne-
cessity of altering the position of this light, as it is notorious
that when most wanted it cannot be seen, being always capped
in bad weather. It is well known that the unfortunates on
board the Clarendon, the Sphynx, and the fifty other vessels
that have been lost on the rock and cliff- bound coast of the
Wight were not able to discern the Needles light or they
would have been saved.

THE b'ruvrex.—Great exertions have been made to save
this ship : her being so near our great naval yard has given
her a chance no other vessel has had, and everything pro-
ceeded favourably till this morning, when the wind came round
to the south-west,:blowing hard on the shore. Had the fine
calm weather of the last week continued only three days
longer she would have been safe in Portsmouth ha: hour, now
all is a lottery.
The barometer has sunk from 29.76 to 29.48.
DISTRESS OF THE LABOURING POOR IN THE ISLE OF
WIC;IIT.—At the weekly meeting of the guardians of the
poor on Friday, there were more applications from the agri-
cultural poptilation than ever before remembered. Heavy
rain set in on the 7th; in the evening came snow, and eon-
, tinned part of the night, followed by a sharp front on the
Bth, the snow being from four to six inches deep, which had
not been witnessed for the last seventeen years. During the
(lay thousands of larks passed over, waking for the south;
this continued (luring the 9th, numbers of the birds alighting
in the turnip fields, Pc:ding en the tops, and, strengthened by
the warm sun, again took flight to the south. In many parts
of the island they were taken in great numbers; in all parts
they devoured the cabbage plants, &c. The frost continued
by nights, but the warm sun of the days thawed the snow so
much that the grass in the meadows dipping to the south
and west, again pressed through on the 10th. It froze very
hard till midnight on the 13th, when the wind shifted to the
south-west, attended with rain, and on the 14th the snow
had almost entirely disappeared. The winter has been long
and severe, and as the poor are not relieved by the charities
of those that are gone, no rich legacies having been left to
them, they rely on their own exertions, the poor-house, or to
the voluntary subscriptions of the tradesmen, &c. There
are no rich residents; the tradesmen thereore subscribe
weekly to the compassionate fund to relieve the destitute and
distressed in the winter. The committee commenced by dis-
tributing bread and coals once a fortnight, then weekly, and
at last twice a week; on the Ist inst. to 160 families, on the
4th to 170, on the 10th to 220, and on the 12th to 227, each
family receiving one hundred weight of coals, and to families
of six, 12 lbs. of bread, of four, 8 lbs., of two, 41bs. This
vast amount of good is effected by a weekly subscription of
tradesmen, &c., of only sixpence each, the far greater num-
ber of whom are yearly subscribers; but there are some, well
able to afford it, who never subscribe to this or any other
charity-, men in whose breasts charity has no place: but it is
so in all towns. It is to be regretted that all towns have not
a compassionate fund, from which the afflicted and distressed
can at all times receive relief, for from this fund money (when
more particularly needed) is given, in sums of 2s. 6d. to 205.,
as well as food, without distinction as to creed or politics. The
committee meet every Wednesday, and every subscriber is a
member of the committee if he attends the meeting.
THE DISTRESSED IRISM AND SCOTCH.—Collections have
been made from house to house through this town in aid of
these funds, and a considerable amount obtained.