The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-25 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

SCOTLAND.

" May 28, 1840."

WOOD PAVEMENT.

(From the Era.)
All who undertake to mend the ways of a metropolis.
whether physically speaking or morally speaking, must
be subject to the criticism of those whose steps they Pre;
sume to guide. One of the greatest improvements et
modern days is promised by the introduction of the
wooden pavement; and we anticipate with more ines•
sure than we can express, the delight of being no longer
bumped over uneven granite, or grinding through the
loose stones of Mac Adam, where the slightest fall of
horse is sure to ruin him for ever. Amidst the many
improvements in our metropolis, the pavement has lene"
been a desideratum. We viewed the asphalte atteniPtl
with anxiety and distrust, and our fears have been verified
by the failure. We hailed the announced introduc-
tion of the wooden pavement with pleasure, because we,
felt its capabilities; but we have cautiously abstained
from stating our opinions until sufficient experiments had
been made to enable us to form our judgment as 1°
which was the best of the different methods that have been
adopted in the experiments which have been made
in va-
rious parts of the metropolis. The first which was I'id
down was that at the east end of Oxford-street, which IS
merely composed of hexagonal blocks laid down with n°
regard to any scientific principle whatever. This pare'
ment, however, ill done as it was, gave us great hopes, frona
its outstanding the bitumen, that when some scientific priLe-
ciple was adopted wood pavement would succeed. Tn.°
second experiment, in Newgate-street, was in our °PIT
nion a complete failure, not arising from the material
but from the manner of its execution. The third experi-
ment, and which was made under the superintendence of
the Board of Works, was at Whitehall. It was the
first attempt with the Comte Do Lisle's patent, and
the width of the road, together with the weight of the
traffic, made us tremble for the result. It has, how-
ever, so completely succeeded, that the Board of Works
has adopted it at the Queen's Palace, and are determined
to use it in future in all the streets under their control,
a'id it is strongly recommended by their surveyors in all
the reports they have made on the subject. The fact is,
that this is the only wooden pavement that is laid down
wofi regard
contains
wood tt oh e
o f
an a construction.rch,
anEdvbeerlingbl°:ll
pinned together with oak pi ns each block forms a
perfect support to its neighbour, and nothing can dis-
turb the pavement. The public have only to compare
this pavement with the hexagonal pavement in -Ox-
ford-street snd Netvgate-street, to perceive its supe-
riority ; and when we ha en to know that a cer-
tain quantity of large waggons most heavily laden with
stone were prepared by those whose interest it was, to
crush the wood pavement, and were driven over that spe-
cimen at Whitehall the moment it was opened, in the
hopes that it might be damaged before it bad completely.
settled, we feel justified in the opinion we have formed et
its excellence. Mad this happened to any of the other
pavements, the conspirators would most probably have
succeeded in their attempt to disturb the pavemente—but
the Comte do Lisle's principle is such that it requires ns
settlement. It is perfect at first, and we have abstained.
from giving our opinion until it has stood the test of all
weathers, and proved that it is affected by neither cold or
heat, wet or dry, frost or sun. This is the paving of the
Metropolitan Wood Paving Company, which has been
adopted by the Board of Works, the Commissioners of
Metropolitan Roads, and which will, no doubt, ultimately
be the pavement of the metropolis.

WRECK OF THE RO YAL GEORGE.

The operations have continued daily, with great Re!
vity and success, two divers being employed every slack
de in slinging the fragments of the wreck. The stern-
post has been got up, broken into three pieces by the great
explosion of the 11th inst., together with a large frog-
mut of dead-wood, that stood over the keel, and was
also connected with the stern-post. A very curious masst
consisting of part of the lower deck, with a portion of
bean, and two knees below the deck-plank, and a rider
or upright knee above it, together with part of a Port'
and the remaining, both of the inside and outside plank-
ing, on each side of a fragment of a timber, may new be
seen in the Dockyard. A very large cable has also been
got up, measuring twenty-four inches round, and about
ninety fathoms in length, which was generally very sound'
but has been broken into several pieces, so that the
diver had to descend repeatedly for two or three days be-
fore he slung the whole of it. All is clear now above the
orlop deck, except some beams of the lower deck, which
still remain. This day (Saturday) red flags were hoisted
on board the two lumps, at 10 o'clock, as a signal that tWO
explosions of 2.501 b. cf powder each would take place at the
next slack tide, and two divers were sent down to make
preparations for placing the two charges, one under the_
main hatchway of the orlop deck, the other near the bread'
room. Lieut. Symonds, the executive engineer who matt!
all the arrangements on this occasion, as well for the great
explosion of the 11th, then sent down the charges with the
divers, and having removed the lumps to a little distance,
lie posted himself at one voltaic battery, whilst Set:leant-
Major Jones had charge of the other. Colonel Pal.
then gave the word to fire, but only one explosion 50°'
tnnieelli'issubaaltteerffyecatt theo daisgtarneenet ocfnin242otfienent.
in This place, which was effected by four cells of Professor Ds;
ja
the form of an inverted bowl, spreading to a ceesi"e
severa
able distance, but not rising to any great height,
seconds elapsing, after a sharp shock was felt, before
this agitation of the water took place. The second explo-
sion, which was to have been fired by means of Mr. Alfred
Sinee's new voltaic battery, did not take place on com-
pleting the circuit ; but Set giant-Major Jones, feeling the
shock of the other explosion, believed it to be his owe, for
ho competed the voltaic circuit, on first receiving the or-
der to fire. Being ordered to complete the circuit a
:raotdcrulcra
second time, he did so, and on keeping up the contact for
about four seconds, the explosion was effected at the dis-
tance of 460 feet.
After these explosions, which were witnessed by Admi-
rals Sir Edward Codrington and Bouverie, Major-Getters!'
,sir Hercules Pskenham, and a number of officers of both
services, and numerous other spectators, the divers !c
peatedly went down again, and lashed large pieces cl
tim-
ber, amongst which we observed the parts of a lower deck
beam. A human skull, with teeth,
from the after part of the wreck, which Colonel Palley
has declared his intention to bury in Kingston churchyard,
together with such other remains of skeletons as may be
obtained hereafter. was also brought .uP

CATHERINE TI. OF It ussiA.—l was enthu-
siastically fond of music, but she was far from being so; an
Prince Daschkaw, though with some taste for it, was as little
of a performer as the Empress. She was, nevertheless fond
of hearing me sing, and sometimes, when I had done, secretly
passing a sign across to Prince Daschkaw, she wonld propose a
duct, which she used to call the music of the spheres, and which,
without either of them knowing how to sing a note,they both per-
formed in concert. A sudden burst of the most exalted and
ridiculously discordant tones was the consequence—one
seconding the other with scientific shrugs, and all the solemn
self-complacent airs and grimaces of musicians. From this,
perhaps, she passed to the cat concert, and imitated the purring
of poor puss in the most droll and ludicrous manner, always
taking care to add appropiate half comic, half sentimentalwords, which she invented for the occasion ; cr else, spitting
like a cat in a passion, with her back up, she suddenly boxed
the first person in her way, making up her hand into a paw,
and mewing so outrageously that instead of the great Cathe-
rine, nothing but the wrongs of a grimalkin remained upon
one's mind.—Memoirs of the Princess Daschltaw.

SHERIFFSHIF OF EDINBURGH.—it is generally believed
that Mr. Graham Speirs "ill be the new Sheriff of Edin-
burgh, and will be succeeded by Mr. Sheriff Inncs, the
senior Depute-Advocate, as Sheriff of Elgin and Moray.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.—The Assembly has done nothing
as yet, but elected Dr. Makellar Moderator, passing over
Dr. Hill, and setting at nought the arrangement of long
standing, by which the Moderate and Orthodox parties
were allowed to name a chairman alternately. We have
given a pretty full report of the meeting in the Assembly
Rooms yesterday, which was large and respectable.--
Scotsman.

The capital sentence against James Dalrymple, wbo
was tried last week for the murder of DOnald Fraser at
Linlithgow, has been commuted to transportation for life.
LANDLORD'S LIBERALITY.— We have great pleasure in
stating that his Grace the Duke of Sutherland has re-
mitted the whole arrears of rents owing by his small tenants
on the estate of Reap—Scotsman.
PUBLIC MEETING—LORD ABERDEEN'S BILL.—A public
meeting of the inhabitants of Edinburgh, favourable to the
principle of Lord Aberdeen's Bill for healing the differ-
ences of the Church of Scotland, was held last Friday In
the Assembly Rooms. The audience was numerous, com-
pletely filling the large Hall. The Lord Provost had pre-
viously refused to call a meeting, and the present was held
without his sanction. Sir R. Abercrombie Was moved
into the chair, by Sir F. W. Drummond. Several reso-
lutions, declaratory of satisfaction with the principle of
the Bill, having been adopted, petitions were adopted to
the House of Lords and House of Commons, founded on
these resolutions. The petitions ore to be entrusted 10
the Duke of Buccleuch and Sir R. Peel.

THE NEW PATENT GAS-LIGHT•

We on Saturday evening last Witnessed the exhibition
of Count de Val Marino's valuable invention in the grounds
of the Workhouse, in Mount-street, Berkeley-
square,
made in the presence of several noble and scientific gee;
tlemen. The object in view is to produce from water andtar a more brilliant and pure gas, at less cost, than that at
present supplied to the public. As regards the brilliancy
and illuminating puwer, we are fully convinced of its sn;
periority. It produces a pure white flame, free from 111'
smoke, which was tested by a large star burning in the
open ground, and the usual burners in doors.
Among the company present, who were highly grati-
fied, we observed the Turkish Ambassador, Lord
ther, Hon. Mr. Byng, Dr. Costello, Mr. Maughanli
Cooper, and many gentlemen connected with the gal
Companies.

The following is a testimonial of the opinion:of Mr.
Maugham, the celebrated lecturer of the Adelaide Gs'
lery:—

i, I have this day witnessed the combustion of the
gas made on Count de Val Marino's principle, and I
have no hesitation in stating that this gas is pos-
sessed of a very brilliant illuminating power, and
that the process of manufacturing it is calculated 50
turn to a valuable account an article which at pre-
sent is scarcely marketable, selling as low as one poll
per gallon. As the coal tar can thus be turned to account,
it certainly is a matter of consideration with the gas cow:
panics, whether the iar produced by the distillation of coal
may nut be rendered more valuable by converting
it
gas on Count de Val Marino's principle than selling it, is
at present, at the above-named price.
I wish it to be understood that I am quite favourable
to the introduction of this gas, because some misunder-
standing took place during the exhibition of the gas an
it was thought by many persons present that I wished to
depreciate the value of the invention, which was not the
case. " W. MAUGHAA