The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-06 00:00:00

No. 17,045. LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING_ SU N 7

WILSON'S SCOTTISH ENTER-
TAINMENTS.
At the MUSIC-lIALL, STORE-STREET, BEDFORD-SQUARE.
On MONDAY EVENING, May 10, at Eight o'clock, Mr. WILSON
will give an Entertainment on the
SONGS OF

SCOTLAND,

In which he will sing a variety of Popular Songs and. Ballads.
In the course of the Evening, Mr. Wilson will, by request, sing
Burns's song of "GO FETCH TO ME A PINT 0' WINE."
rani' FIRST.-0 weel may the BOatie row—Of a' the Airts the
Wind can blaw—Whall buy Caller Herring—Hame came our gudc-
man at c'eu•—Over the Water to Charlie—Bonnie Bessie Lee—The
Mar. icd Man's Lament Pibroch o' Domild Dhu.
PART SECOND.—The Flowers o' the Forest—The Auld School—
W'oo'd an' married an' a'—Auld Joe Nicholson's Bonny Nannie
Get up and Bar the Door.
Tickets, 2s. ; Reserved Seats, 2s. Gd. ; Private Boxes for Six Per-
sons, 15s. ; for Eight, 1/.

NATIONAL LOAN FUND LIFE ASSU-
RANCE SOCIETY.
OFFICE, 26, conNruLT„ LONDON.
Capital 500,0001.
Empowered by Act of Parliament.
The system of Deferred Annuities, originally proposed by the Na-
tional I,,an Fun ,Life Assurance Society, for the better advance-
ment of the objects of Benefit and Friendly Societies, having received
the approbation of a considerable body cf the active members and
officers of those Institutions, and the Directors of the National Loan
Fund Society having been urgenly solicited by them to establish a
Branch Office in connexion with the.n uocietica and the Operative
Classes generally, in which their service. might be successfully en-
gaged, a Committee has been sanctioned by the Directors to open
communication with the different Societies, with the view of more
effectually d sseminating the valuable benefits amongst the indus-
trious classes, and a plait has been eroposed with that object.
ADDRESS OF THE COMMITTEE.
Many praiseworthy but ineffectual attempts have been made to
bring within the scope and operation of the laws of mortality and
money the savings of the industrious classes, as well as various cal-
culations regulating their distribution, having for their object either
immediate, contingent, or deferred benefits.
A slight examination, however, will demonstrate that the con-
struction of these associations or societies is defective; and that in-
stead of affording an easy access and a free choice of investment,
whici' should be the privilege of every one, they confine too nar-
rowly the thannel through which a benefit can alone be secured ;
and, in proportion as their action is circumscribed and embarrassed,
their utility is limited. For example, it is not to every individual
or to every class amongst the industrious community, that provision
in case of sickness is an object of such importance as to call for a
pecuniary sacrifice; while to others such a provision appears more
attractive, and the loss of employment caused by sickness is a risk
against which they desire to be guarded. For this anomalous state
of things there is an effective and simple remedy ; that is to say,
instead of covering, by one weekly or annual payment, two er more
contingent or deferred benefits, so to arrange it that each separate
benefit should have its separate contribution.
It is to not having observed this rule, and to the association of
two dissimilar functions. and by confounding a sick allowance and
an annuity fund in one and the self-same payment, that much of the
evils and mismanagement has arisen amongst Benefit Societies.
No mechanism can be so perfect for the management of a sick-
ness-fund provision as that afforded by the constant sectional asso-
ciation and watchfulness of the several members composing it. By
this means a thorough and constant check is mutually exercised, and
none but the really siek are likely to become chargeable upon it.
But the sane perfection, or the same security, is seldom attainable
where a fund is to be accumulated through a succession of years,
and where results are to bear oat calculations, money investment
being in general beyond the experience of the industrious classes.
For these reasons it is clear that the funds destined for a provision in
sickness should be kept entirely distinct from the fund intended as a
provision for old age :
arentl
Ist. Because the laws of sickness and mortality, though apparently
connected, do not depend on the same calculation.
2d. Because there are a great number who, in order to secure a
larger provision in old age are willing to take the risk of providing
for probable sickness on themselves.
3d. Because the responsibility of managing a provision for old age,
continued to a distant period is, in a great measure, incompatible
with voluntary associations, fluctuating laws, and individual irre-
sponsibility, and more exposed te a failure in the performance of
such a contract , that when undertaken on the same principles that
ordinarily govern commercial bodies.
4th. Because the expenses of providing for sickness must, when
united in the same payment with provision for old age, tend to
to dimi-
nish still more this provision : nor is it wisdom or good policy en-
danger the one for the sake of the other.
Impressed with these convictions, and with an intimate knowledge
of the discussions passing within the bosom of many of the existing
Friendly and Benefit Societies, the parties whose names are here-
unto attached, have had several meetings, with a view of proposing
or adopting a remedy for those and other evils ; and in this manner
to give an additional force to the principles of brotherhood, unity,
and mutual aid, on which friendly societies are based, by guarding
them from the risks of sudden dissolution.
After much diligent search amon ;st the combinations ingeniously
proposed from time to time for the attainment of one of the principal
objects of Friendly and Benefit Societies, they have found none equal
in simplicity and comprehensiveness of design, as well as forethought
and sympathy for the wants of the industrious classes, as the plan
proposed by the National Loan Fund Life Assurance Society. It is
true that the author if that plan has furnished an argument against
provision in sickness; but, without concurring in the immediate ex-
pediency of abandoning a provision in sickness, no one can read the
other part of the plan itself, without being filly satisfied that the
convenience and safety of Friendly and Venefit Societies will be
greatly secured and consulted, by separating the payment of a sick
allowance from an annuity for old age.
A deputation having waited on the directors of the National Loan
Fund, who met in the handsomest manner the overtures made to
them for the establishment of a separate office for the transaction of
business connected with Friendly and Benefit Societies, and the in-
dustrious classes in general, resolutions have been entered into, con-
stituting the undersigned as a Committee, with power to add to its
number, for the promulgation of the benefits contained in the an-
nexed prospectus, under the guarantee of the Capital of the Society,
and which, without interfering with the numerous objects connected
with the institution of Benefit and Friendly Societies, will in their
opinion greatly enlarge their sphere of utility, and afford a protection
to the working classes in old age and adversity, which nothing up to
the present day has adequately secured to them.
Thomas Burthom, P.C.R., Ancient Order of Foresters.
John Fussell, C.R„ Ancient Order of Foresters.
John H. Gordon, D.S., Ancient Order of Foresters.
James Hale, D.C.R., Ancient Order of Foresters.
Henry Hunt, P.G., Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows.
Joseph Nugent, Pro. C.S., Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows.
Joseph Reeks, 11.0. F. Order of Old Friends.
Samuel Timbrell, D.C.R., Ancient Order of Foresters.
DEFERRED ANNUITIES.
Example.—A person aged 24 next birthday, by the annual pay-
ment of H. 65., or quarterly payment of Ts., or monthly payments
...2.,:ip-ftle..:lla3YAmseic7e, on attaining the age of 60, the option of re-
cooenriEv2h.isin g Annuity, 101. 19s. 2d. ; Cash down, 1971. 38. ; or a Policy
person aged 26 next birthday, may secure, on at-
taining the age of GO, an Annuity of 10/., with the other options, by
the annual payment of 1/.65. W., or a single payment of 221. 17s. 3d.;
or on payment, of GI. 14s. ad. for disparity, he will be entitled to
the same benefits by an annual payment of 183.1 Id., the same as
or age 20.

Example.—A person aged 30 next birthday, by the annual pay-
ment of 11. 65., or quarterly payment of 79., or monthly payment
of 2s. 2d., may Bemire on attaining the age of 65, the option of re-
ceiving Annuity, 181. Os. 4cy cash down, 148 k 15la. ; or a policy on
his life 1751. 11s.

Example.—A person aged 35 next birthday, by the annual pay-
ment of 11. 65., or quarterly payment of 75., or monthly payment
of 2s. 2d., may secure, on attaining the age of 65, the option of re-
ceiving Annuity, 181. Os. 4d.; cash down, 1481. 125.; or a policy oa
his life, 1761. 115.

The division of profits is annual, and the next will be made in
oecember of the present year.
F. FERGUSON CAMItOUX. Secretary.

THE EXPERIENCE LIFE ASSURANCE
COMPANY.
Edinburgh, 15, George-street. London, 58, King William-street.
Established 1843.
Capital 3Q0,0001.
This Company's Tables are based upon the EXPERIENCE OF
THE SEVEN TEEN LIFE OFFICES,as contained in the Report
of their Mortality published in 1843. The Company embraces, ix
its constitution. the advantages of both the mutual and proprietary
systems of Assurance. The SIIQRT PERIOD RATES will be found,
In comparison with other Companies, to be exceedingly favourablo to
Insurers, and the rates for the whole period of life as low as is
consistent WITH PERFECT SEC
theabove,
the Agents throughout
Dy the kingdom.
order of the Directors,
T. TUILLE WARDEN', Secretary.

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' SCHOOLS
for ORPHAN and NECESSITOUS CHILDREN.
President—JOHN MASTERMAN, Esq., M.P.
Notice is hereby given, that the FIRST lIALF-YEARLY ELEC-
TION of CHILDREN into this Institution, will take place at the
London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, on ItioNoss, the 28th day of
June next (the polling to commence at Twelve o'clock at noon, and
close at Three o'clock in the afternoon precisely), when Twenty
Children will be admitted.
The usual Quarterly Court of the Governors of the Institution will
also be held at the same hour and place, for the purpose of receiving
reports from the Auditors and Board of Management to appoint
Medical Officers and a Collector for the Institution, and to entertain,
discuss, and determine such other questions and matters as may be
authorised and required by the Bales of the Institution.
Guineas at
All persons sub,•cribing One Guinea annually, or Ten
one time, will be entitled to one vote for each child to be elected, or
may give the whole number of votes to any one child.
The attention of subscribers is particularly requested to the fol-
lowing Rules:—
That a new subscriber be entitled to vote immediately upon pay-
ment of subscription.
That no Governor shall in any case be admitted to vote, or to be
present at any election or meeting whatsoever, until his donation or
subscription for the current year
Wbe paid.
ILLIAM GORDON, Secretary.

THE WELLINGTON SURTOUT.
CAUTION.—The great success of the Wellington Surtout
having caused several unprincipled persons (against two of whom
proceedings have been commenced) to imitate this registered coat,
although in a material derogatory to Its reputation, all persons are
hereby warned that to make any garment (having sleeves) whether
worn
whatever
orfemal P
female,
WITHOUT SHOULDER OR SLEEVE-
TOP may be s shape in other respects, is a
1m:1-glee i nent of the patentees designs, and will in every case be
direct
si infringement
3bE
visited by an action at law.
Every genuine coat has a stamp bearing the royal arms, with a
number indicative of the size, also the name and address of the
patentee, JAMES FOUGERE, 6, CONDUIT-STREET, REGENT-
STREET, and 11, POULTRY, near the Mansion-House, LONDON,
to imitate which is felony,
T.

THOMAS'S CHURCH, BREAMS.
BUILDINGS, CHANCERY-LANE.

On SUNDAY NEXT, the 9th of MAY, TWO SERMONS will be
Preached in this Church, and Collections made towards Defraying
the Expenses of Conducting Public Worship ; that in the Morning
by the Right Reverend the LORD. BISHOP of CHESTER, that in
the Evening by the Reverend CHARLES CLAYTON, M.A., a Senior
Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge, and Secretary to the Church
Pastoral Aid Society.

Divine Service will commence In the Morning at Eleven, in the
Evening at Half past Six.

GRATIS! GRATIS! GRATIS!
Every person who shall subscribe for
THE DISP A TCH
During the Month of JUNE next,
Will be presented with a finely Engraved Portrait of
ELIZA COOK.
The likeness of this poetic genius is most striking, and the En-
graving is by Adlard, in the first style of the art.
Au Edition of the DISPATCH is published at Five O'clock every
Saturday morning, for transmission by the First Trains and Morning
Mails, so that persons residing in towns 250 miles from London may
receive it the same evening.
This Edition contains the London Markets of the week, including
those held on Friday ; also the spirited letters of Pnblicola, Caustic
and Censorius ; and frequently original poems by Eliza Cook.
Persons desirous of being supplied with the WEEKLY DIS-
PATCH, may give their orders and pay their subscriptions to any
News-agent, or to Mr. Richard Wood, at the DISPATCH Office,
139, Fleet-street, London, who, by a remittance of 25., or postage
stamps to that amount, will supply the DISPATCII throughout June
next.

The terms for the DISPATCH are, per Quarter - 7s. Od.
Per Year, in advance - - - £1 6s. Od.
Ditto on Credit, payable by reference in London £1 10s. Od.
N.B. Arrangements have been made with respectable manufac-
turers to supply elegant Frames, at prices varying from 3s. to 256.,
and any Subscriber to the DISPATCH may, by transmitting to Mr.
Wood the sum for the Frame he wishes to obtain, be supplied with
the same.

JENNY LIND'S PORTRAIT (drawn by
Kenny Meadows) embellishes the PIANISTA for MAY
(No. 80), now ready, and three songs sung by Jenny Lind. Also
Pischek's beautiful swiss, with the German and English words,
" The Standard nearer,— •*
Tne Milne." and "Home." Price for the
whole, 2s. No. 77 Pianists, contains " Mary _mane,— and tt a other
Negro songs, sung by the Serenaders, with the Mary Blane Quad-
rilles, for 2s. Either number, post paid, 36 stamps.
Pianists Office, First Floor, 67, Paternoster-row, one door from
Cheapside.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.

THANKS OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT TO AN

ENGLISH SHIPMASTER.

Admiralty, May 4, 1847.

Six,—Viscount Palmerston having infOrined my Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, that a communication has
been addressed to his Lordship by the Count de Jarnac,
French Charge d'Affairs, stating that he is directed to re-
quest that the acknowledgments of the French Government
may be conveyed to Captain William Brown, commanding
the English schooner Harp, of Dublin, for the services which
he rendered to the crew of the French vessel La Petite Enn-
stifle, totally wrecked in the Bay of Biscay, I am commanded
by my Lords to request that the Committee for Managing
the Affairs at Lloyd's will take measures for conveying to
Captain Brown the thanks of the French Government ac-
cordingly. I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
(Signed) J. G. WARD.
William Dobson, Esq., Secretary Lloyd's.

THE LATE WRECK OF AN EMI-
GRANT SHIP.
From the later particulars that have reached us rela-
tive to this awful catastrophe, we fear that the loss
of life will prove to have been even more extensive
than that recorded in our columns yesterday. Ac-
cording to the statement of the three sailors, the sole
survivors of the wreck, and who arrived in Glasgow on
Saturday evening, the Exmouth, of 320 tons, Isaac
Booth, of Sunderland, master, sailed from London-
derry for Quebec between three and four o'clock on the
morning of Sunday, the 25th ult., with a light south-
west breeze. She had a crew of eleven men (inclusive
of the captain), and about 240 emigrants, consisting
principally of small farmers and tradesmen with their
families, who had turned their little all into money for
the purpose of escaping the famine, and earning for
themselves a home in the western world. Many were
females and children going out to join their fathers
and protectors, who had already settled in Canada..
There were also three cabin passengers, young unmarried
ladies of the middle classes, two of them being sisters,
on their way to join their relatives at St. John's New
Brunswick. The vessel was registered for 1651 passen-
gers, but as two children count as one adult, and as a
very large proportion were under age—there being only
about 60 men amongst the passengers—the survivors of
the wreck, who are our informists, think that the total
number of these ill-fated emigrants must have amounted
to the total stated, viz., 240.
The ship lost sight of land about four o'clock on
Sunday afternoon. The breeze, which had been light
in the morning, increased to a gale during the day, and
about eleven .at. it came in terrific squalls, accom-
panied by heavy torrents of rain. They then furled
the fore and main sails. The wind, which had
been to the westward at first, veered northerly, and
the storm increased in violence, which blew the
two top-sails from the bolt-ropes. The crew then
commenced to bend other topsails, which they furled ;
but about three in the morning they were blown from
the gaskets. The ship was now driving to the south-
ward and eastward. The reason of the master not
standing to the westward, where he would have ample
sea room, was for the purpose of attaining some har-
bour of refuge, where he might repair damages, and re-
place the sails.
On Monday forenoon the long-boat was unshipped
sedduarinagyw .
th
by the force of the seas, which broke over the vessel,
continued
cl the s
alife-boatmeand in the course of the same. forenoon the bulwarks
wereoti
n stovee
d n
the Theewhole gale
n
violence h
wa
of Monday night and Tuesday ; and an indication of
the force of the hurricane may be learned from
the fact, that on the latter day the mainsail, after
being furled, was torn from the gaskets by the storm
blast. While the crew were setting the foresail it
was blown from the bolt ropes, and the trysail-mast
was unshipped, and the main gaff carried away, which
rendered them unable to carry the spanker. During this
dreary time, the vessel pitched dreadfully—now on the
crest of a mountain wave, and in two seconds afterwards
reeling in the trough of the sea ; the passengers were
all below under hatches, many of them insensible to ex-
ternal danger from the pains of sea-sickness, but some
of them had a fearful presentment of disaster. Cooking,
of course, was out of the question ; but the grown-up
people had no heart to be hungry, and moreover, the
cooked provisions brought fiom Londonderry were not
yet entirely exhausted.
About eleven o'clock on Tuesday night land and a
light were seen on the starboard quarter, which Captain
Booth at first took to be the light on the Island of Tory,
off the north-west coast of Ireland, and in the belief
that he thus had ample sea-room in the course he was
steering he bore along. As he drifted near the
land, however, and observed that the light was a
flashing, instead of a stationary one, he became con-
scious of his error and dangerous position, and made
every effort to repair it, by bringing the ship farther to
the northward and westward ; and with the view of
" clawing" her off the land, the maintopsail and the
foretopmast stay sail were set, and the jib half hoisted.
The effort, however, was an ineffectual one ; the ship
soon got amongst the broken water, and at half-past
twelve on Wednesday morning was dashed amongst
the rocks.e If the above be a correct version of
the
.impression on the captain's mind as to his
position—and it is distinctly spoken to by two
of the survivors—the result shows that he must
have been fully a hundred miles out of his reckon-
mg ; but perhaps it could not well -be otherwise. The
sun was obscured during all the time by black cloud. ;
the moon was only seen through a heavy haze at inter-
vals, and from these causes it was impossible that any
observation could be taken. The light seen was in
reality that of Oransa or Oversay, on the point of the
Rhinos or Runs of Islay, to the north-west of the
entrance of Lochindaul ; and the land seen, and on
which the brig eventually struck, was the western part
of the iron-bound coast of the island. She went ashore,
and after striking once was dashed broadside on alongside
the rocks, which rose to the height of the mast head. She
struck violently against the rocks three times, and at the
fourth stroke the mainmast went by the board, and
fell into a chasm of the rock. Captain Booth had
previously taken his station in the maintop, that he
might personally keep a look out; and as soon as the
brig struck, John Cleat, the mate, and all the seamen,
eight in number, joined the captain in the maintop,
leaving the captain's son, a youth of about fifteen years
of age, asleep in his cot below. After remaining in the
maintop about three minutes, five of the crew went down
for the purpose of ascending the foretop thinking that
they would have a better chance of gaining the shore
from that part of the ship. At the same time, one of
the crew, named John Scott, went out upon the main-
yard with a life buoy on his person; thus leaving in the
maintop the captain and three seamen, whose names
are John Stevens, William Coulthard, and Geore Light-
ford, all belonging to South Shields. When the main-
top, along with the wreck of the mast, was thrown
into a rift of the rock, Coulthard, then Lightford,
and finally Stevens, scrambled up the rigging, and
obtained a footing on the crags. The captain was
about to follow the men, when a wave dashed over
their beads as they clung to the rock, but they were
enabled to maintain their position; and when they looked
round, after the sea had retired, they found that the
captain and all were gone. The mainmast had
been broken into splinters by the fourth collision
with the rocks, and this recoiling wave had not only
dragged the ship, but the fragments of the mast, which
adhered to her by the rigging, further into the sea,
and thus cut off from the dense mass of human
beings on board every chance of escape. Had the
wreck remained in the chasm where it was originally
thrown, and from which the three survivors escaped, it
might have been used as a bridge by the others ; but,
unhappily, this last possibility of relief was taken away.
The same wave which effected this fearful havoc must also
have prevented the five seamen from reaching the fore-
top, from which they might have had a chance of escap-
ing.. A quarter of an hoar elapsed froul the time of the

brig first striking, until the three survivors got upon the
rock. At the moment she struck, and a little previous
to it, about half-a-dozen of the male passengers were
standing on the deck, occasionally asking the mate if
there was in reality any danger. Of the three young
ladies who were cabin passengers, one of the sisters had
been confined to bed by sea-sickness from the moment
of leaving Derry ; but at ten o'clock the other two took
their position on the companion-way, and were seen
there when the survivors last looked on the deck. The
ship was ground and crunched so frightfully amongst
the rocks, that she must have broken up almost instane-
ously. There was no cry from the multitude cooped up
within the hull of the ill-fated brig; or at least it was
unheard, for the commotion of the elements was so
furious that the men on the top could scarcely hear each
other at the top of their voices. The emigrants, there-
fore,.rasa
ptihd yship must
thumped
ehavent j epti perished shed i
bottomn tohueti ro
f berths,th the
vessel. and the rocks
e
h'
The three men who had escaped to the rock, so soon
but none could be found; and they finally took shelter
Yo
dr,
l for
some outlet by which
in a crevice, which however did not shield them from
disappeared, p_e mariegdh, t searched
reach
thaeti anxiously
the rain, which fell heavily all night, and here they re-
mained until grey daylight. They then discovered an
opening, through which they scrambled to the summit,
and after day bad fairly broken they observed a farm
house about half a mile distant. Thither they proceeded,
and were most hospitably nourished and put to bed.
They were thoroughly worn out by exhaustion, not one
of the crew having been in bed from the moment the
ship left Derry. They were at the same time nearly
naked, from having divested themselves of their heavy
clothing when the Exmouth struck, and lost part of that
which remained when scrambling on the rigging 'and
amongst the rocks. The hospitable farmer (whose name
we have not learned), and others who bad been apprised
by him, went to the scene of the catastrophe, but of
course too late to help, and only to gaze on the desola-
tion. Mr. Chiene, Islay's factor, soon heard of the
event, and kindly furnished the men with a passage to
Glasgow by the Modern Athens steamer, where, as
already stated, they arrived on Saturday last. Here
they were consigned to the care of Mr. Fildee, of the
Naval Rendezvous, and assistant to Lieutenant Forest,
agent for the Shipwrecked Manner's Society, and by
him they have been clothed and comfortably boarded in
the meantime.

On Thursday utterutttm, the latest date of our advices
from Islay, about twenty of the bodies bad =come ashore,
They were principally females, with one little boy
amongst them; and as many of them were in their night
clothes, the probability is that they were those who had
rushed upon deck at the first alarm caused by the striking
of the ship. They were fearfully mangled by being
dashed amongst the rocks, and being jammed within the
crevices along with pieces of the wreck, few of which
were above two feet in length. Other bodies were still
floating in the surf, but the sea was still too high to per-
mit any boat venturing out to bring them in. The belief
is, however, that the great mass of the poor emigrants
went down with the " between decks" of the ship, so
that their bodies will not be recovered till this part of
the vessel breaks up.
The Exmouth had nothing on board but ballast, and
the provisions and little stocks of goods of the emi-
grants. She is the property of Mr. John Eden, of South
Shields, and, though old, is stated, by the survivors, to
have been well found in every respect. All the crew
and passengers were perfectly sober during this fearful
time, and the three seamen state that they never saw
drink on board at all. The captain was in the prime of
life, and has left a widow and family. All the rest of
the seamen were unmarried, with the exception of a
man named George Russ, who is amongst those that
perished. According to the above estimate, the number
who have been thus suddenly called to their account
amounts to 248; but even leaving room for misieforma-
donor exaggeration, the loss of life has unquestionably
been frightful.

EFFECTS OF LIGHTNING IN THE

ROYAL NAVY.

The Hazard, 16, Commander Egerton, fitted with light-
ning conductors of Smith's wire rope, after a method re-
commended by the Surveyor's chief draughtsman, Mr.
J. Edye, was twice struck by lightning during her late
service in China. On the first occasion, May, 1846, off
Diamond Point, on the north end of Sumatra, the elec-
tric fluid divided between the small wire rope and the
mast and chain sheets ; part of it came into the ship
with explosion, and split the topsail sheet bots ; the
rest of the charge went over the wire rope into the
seas and tore some of the copper off the bottom. The wire
conductor was cripplied and bulged out by the force of
the electric shock. The second time, June 12, 1846,
when lying off Cape Po, at anchor, on the coast of
Borneo, the electrical discharge again struck the ship.
In this case the effects were more destructive ; the dis-
charge again divided between the rope and mast; the
maiatopgallant mast was splintered and carried away,
also the main topmast, part of which fell through
the quarter deck into the gun-room. The other
part of the discharge passed down over the wire
conductor into the water. The officers on board the
Hazard state that conductors of this kind are totally
unfit for carrying off the heavy strokes of lightning ex-
perienced in this part of the world. These are very im.
portant facts. They are the results of experiments on
the great scale of nature, deduced by means of the
gigantic electrical machinery of the thunderstorm, and
which go directly to show that nothing short wf a general
and extended system, of conduction throughout the masts
and hull of a ship will ever afford 'perfect security
from lightning. It will be remembered that about
seven
years since a naval commission, appointed by the
Admiralty, inquired and reported to the House of Com-
mons on the merits of various pran of lightning con-
ductors, and they terminated their report by earnestly
and unanimously recommending the system proposed
by Mr. (now Sir William) Harris, to be carried out
fully in the Royal Navy. Notwithstanding, how-
ever, that this recommendation• stood supported
by the
of all this, the
most profound men in this department of
science,. such as the late Dr. Wollaston, Sir H. Davy,
Daniell, Wheatstone, and others, yet, in the very _teeth
Sy-
mend's interest with the First Lord of the Admiralty,
contrived. to have these wire ropes introduced into the
navy, which the Commission had declared not only an
inadequate defence, but absolutely dangerous.
.Of
Navy office " sub," through Sir W.
course the Surveyor's draughtsmaa. was better authority
than the. best scientific and naval men in the country, he
possessing the usual requisite qualification for the
.Somerset House officials—viz , that of being
.totally
ignorant of the subject he was professing to
understand. These small wire ropes were served
into the dockyards in considerable quantities
at a very great cost, and several ships were
suppli▪
ed with them, Now
behold the consequence.
Here is a ship struck and the predicted
inefficiency of these small wires is completely Verified.
It must be admitted that the result is at least favourable
to the view Mr. Harris took of this most interesting
question, and we do not hesitate to avow that had any of
by lightning,
the shin's company lost their lives from the inefficiency
of this iccomplete plan of lightning conductors,in direct
opposition to the
opinions of the best talent of the
country,
the party who ordered, and the authorities who
sancti▪
oned, its application, would be guilty of nothing
less than the crime of
manslaughter.