The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-16 00:00:00

•
DREART(I7L SHIPWrik.
FALMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.—IIIteIIi ce was re-
ceived here to-day, through the 'um of letters
from Mr. R Price, the Vice-Consul for the Foreign
Powers at Penzance, of a shocking wreck having
occurred on the rocks near the Lizard, en the night
of Sunday last, accompanied by a melancholy loss of
life. The ill-fated vessel was a large three-masted
Russian ship, named the Iris, Captain•, Icyileng:.,
master, belonging to Bjorneberg, from Vole.; laden
with nearly 2,000 quarters of Indian corn, and bound
to this port for orders. Ste made the land within
the Lizard about 10 o'clock on the night in question,
but unfortunately at so short a distance that there
was no preventing her running ashore. In such a
gale as was then blowing, her destruction among the
rocks was inevitable. Her anchors were let go, and
her masts cut away, in the hope she would ride out
the gale; but in a few minutes she began to drift,
and was carried against the rocks midway between
Mallion and Gunwalloe, where she was dashed to
atoms. The master and two of the seamen, by some
unaccountable fortune, were washed up into a niche
in the cliff, from which they succeeded in scram-
bling to the summit, and seeing a light at a distance,
they hastened in the direction of it. They found it
proceeded from a house, where they were hospitably
sheltered. The imitates, hearing of the catastrophe,
proceeded to the spot to ascertain, if possible, the fate
of the remainder of the crew. Nothing, however,
could be discerned of the vessel or -any person belong-
ing to her ; the howling of the storm and the lashing
of the sea against the broken rocks at the basement
of the cliff stifling all cries, if any were raised. No-
tice of the wreck was immediately forwarded to the
coast-guard station, and as quickly as possible Lieut.
Drew and the principal officers arrived with the ne-
cessary apparatus to communicate with the wreck, as
also Mr. Nicholas, the Deputy Consular agent, and
a party of men. At daybreak three poor creatures
were observed clinging to a small rock, the sea break-
ing over them most terrifically. After considerable
difficulty a line was thrown to them from the over-
hanging cliffs and stronger ropes added. It was im-
possible to obtain any other means of communication.
The first object was to supply them with some brandy
and other stimulants, it being too perceptible that
they were almost in the last stage of exhaustion
from the dreadful sufferings they had endured
daring the night and morning. This was the means
of restoring them, and at ten o'clock they were drawn
up safely to the main land. The fate of the remainder
of the ship's crew was then learnt. They were never
seen after the vessel parted, and the presumption is
that they, eight in number, perished with her. The
survivors received every attention which their ais-
tressed condition required; some of them were sadly
bruised, but they have all recovered, and have been
forwarded to this port properly clothed. In reference
to the prompt and humane exertions made on this
melancholy occasion to save life, we may mention that
none more distinguished themselves for their gallantry
than Henry Cuttance and the other parties who par-
ticipated in the reward recently bestowed by the
King of Norway for their daring exertions in pre-
serving the crew of a wrecked Norwegian vessel ; and
it may also be observed that Mr. Pearce, Rib) ren-
dered valuable aid in this instance, presented the tri-
bute, in accordance with the desire of the King. tip
to the latest accounts none of the bodies of the suf-
ferers had been washed up. It is almost needless to
state that the ship and cargo are a complete loss ; it is
understood, however, that insurances had been effected
on them.

COMMUNICATION WITH GUARDS

OF RAILWAY TRAINS.

A lady engineer has at length solved the problem
of a convenient and practicable communication
between the passengers and guards of railway trains,
in a manner exempt from most of the evils that
have hitherto deterred rail way men from entertaining
such projects. The evil 3 of most methods hitherto
suggested has been that they alarm only, instead of
simply communicating, and that they are of a nature
liable to frequent derangement, or neglect, or disuse.
This invention is neither more nor less than a common
talking tube, such as many business men have in
their offices to talk with their clerks in another
room. This her ladyship the inventress proposes to
put in every carriage of a railway train. The appa-
ratus generally will be as follows : a common tin tube
say an inch in diameter, will pass along every carriage,
say just under the roof; and at each end an India
rubber pipe will continue it into the next carriage, so
as to be detached with each carriage (by a bayonet
joint) and attached when the train is formed. Any
eye will detect the continuity or discontinuity of the
communication from the outside of the train before
starting, and the India rubber will allow any flexure
or extension without injury to the communication.
There will thus be one continuous speaking tube all
along the train ; an orifice, closed with a spring, except
when in use, will he in each carriage, and the number
of each carriage will be legibly inscribed on it; a
similar orifice will be conveniently placed at the seat
of the guard of the train. Each passenger can thus
address to the guard any communication that may be
required, and the conversation may be conducted as
follows :

PASSENGER SPEARS.—" Guard." " Sir."—" A
gentleman in this carriage has been taken suddenly
ill, apparently with an apoplectic fit."—" Which car-
riage ?"—" No. 351."—" I will stop the train in-
stead of passing the station, and inquire if there be a
medical man at hand." Or thus :—" Guard."—
" We have a maniac in this carriage, No.
241, pray come to our assistance."—" I will imme-
diately." Or :—" Guard."—" Sir."—" No. 271 car-
riage has a hot axle, and is setting fire to the car-
riage."—" I'll stop the train ;" and so on.
There is this difference between this mode of com-
munication and the alarums proposed, that instead of
a vague alarm being given, a specific message is
communicated, and the guard is left the option of
complying with the request or declining, so as to use
his discretion coolly with a full knowledge of the cir-
cumstances. There are sundry matters of convenience
to be attended to in this before it is practically quite
perfect; but we think our lady correspondent has hit
the simplest method, and the least objectionable.—
Railway Chronicle.

THE COLLISION ON THE
BRIGHTON RAILWAY.
Captain Symonds, civil engineer, one of the inspec-
tors of railways for the Board of Commissioners,
made an official inquiry yesterday into the recent
collision at the Keymer branch junction on the above
line. He was attended by Mr. Peter Clarke, the
acting manager, and several of the company's officers.
The collision, it will be recollected, occurred on Sa-
turday morning to the seven o'clock down or Parlia-
mentary train, and the 8 30 up-train from Lewes.
An impression is entertained that the Lewes train
had partly got over the junction, and that the hinder
part was cut down by the Parliamentary train, which
was not the case. It was the engines that met. The
one attached to the Lewis train, with its tender, was
thrown off the line, and a horsebox in the rear of it
was completely crushed to atoms, the fragments
breaking in the end of a first-class carriage. Captain
Symonds strictly interrogated both drivers of the
train, as also the man who had charge of the
company's signals at the Keymer branch, and was,
we understand, satisfied that no blame could
be attributed to either party. It was admitted that
the spot chosen fur the junction of the Keymer
hranch was not the most eligible for the public safety,
being situate in a curve with cuttings on either side.
The driver of the down-train raid, the signals at the
junction could be seen some distance off on the morn-
ing of the accident. They indicated " all right,"
until the train reached the bridge on the London side
of the junction, when up went the signal, " Stop.',
lle instantly shut off the steam and applied the
breaks of the tender, the guards also applying theirs.
Had they been in working order, however, they
would have brought up the train within the distance
from the bridge to the junction, at least as regards the
tender breaks, as afterwards found, and hence arose
the collision. The engine and tender were quite
new, and the non-acting of the breaks is attributable
to the screws being " fixed.' Captain Symonds was
informed that, since the accident, the company had
altered the points at the junction, so that no down
train could now pass over the Keymer rails, which
cross the down line, without the aid of the points-
man. The inspection theentnhtceiloonosteehdde.rth Iga net t t
‘ll
Sr.ee
mc eo
Inn
vr sy
who on f,
othfethperocßeeodsianlgsmiitnt7asnmd
were injured by the accident, are progressing fa-
vourably.

rio.re.LuI.EZITtENi-sik:l7.ctGh S
feelings oIfR
DICKENTSH,
DEATH
regret we
record the demise of this distinguished officer, who
expired on the 11th inst. at Cop .ale House, Ipswich, in
the eighty-third year of his age, and after a service of
sixty-five years. He was son to Lieutenant Colonel
Dickens, late of the Ist Foot, a gentleman who was
descended from George Duke of Clarence, brother to
King Edward IV. In 1778 he entered the Royal
Artillery, and in 1779 was made Second Lieutenant.
He subsequently entered the Royal Engineers, and was
stationed in the western district from 1780 to 1784.
From the latter part of 1784 to 1800 he was stationed
at Gibraltar. In 1794 he attained the rank of Captain,
Royal Engineers. He afterwards served under Sir
James Pulteney on the coast of France and at Ferrol.
He was next engaged under Sir Ralph Abercromby
during the operations in the Mediterranean, in 1800,
England.
and was altogether thirty years absent from En7a.
He was promoted to the rank of Major-General
e
in
1817, and in 1837 to that of Lieutenant-General.Royal
In
1814 he was made Colonel Commandant of the
Engineers, anel was the oldest office r holding that rack.
report of the
THE CrIOLERA.—From the official
Russian Academy respecting the state and progress ofthe cholera, it would appear that in its spread eastward
and westward it less
has proceeded with
The
intenseness of its effects appears to depend essentially
upon local circumstances. Upon an average every fourth
isease.
person falls a victim to the d