The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-21 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN CONVALESCENT INSTITUTION:—
Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the board of dirtdirectors
of the above institiitian was heed at =their offices, in Sack-
ville.street, Piccadilly.' The ' report stated that the
asylum at Carshalton, Surrey, was founded for the
tem, Rail, residence of the convalesent and debilitated
poor, whose restoration to health, after leaving hos-
pitals, &c., is impracticable in their own unhealthy
homes, but may be speedily effected by pure air and
nutritious diet. The directors had the gratification to
announce the patronage of her Majesty and Prince
Albert, who had sent a joint donation of 100/. During
the past half-year, 325 patients bad been received.
There were now 56 inmates, the utmost the institution
could at present receive. A building fund had been
established, which amounted to above 1,5004 During
the past year 451 had been received. The total receipts
had been 1,2031. 6s. 5d., the payments 993/. 2s. 6d.
Amongst the recent donors are—the Queen-Dowager,
their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cam-
bridge, &c.
ACCIDENT ON THE RlVER.—Yesterday a skiff was
upset on the Thames, near Chelsea, by which three
persons, named Harper, Grey, and Purser, were im-
mersed in the water. Grey, being a good swimmer,
supported Purser until a boat came to their rescue, and
they were taken out of the water in a most exhausted
condition. A man in another boat had stretched out
his arm to grasp Harper, when he suddenly sank and
was drowned.
APPROACH OF WINTER.—On Wednesday morning
(according to the Lincolnshire Herald), and throughout
the day, there were several heavy falls of snow and hail
at Lincoln. The Doncaster Chronicle contains a similar
statement with regard to that borough; nor was this
harbinger of winter confined to England, for the Dublin
Freeman's Journal says that there the unusual spectacle
was represented on Wednesday morning of the ground
covered to the depth of two or three inches with snow,
while the trees were yet in full autumnal foliage. An-
other indication, according to popular belief, is the phe-
nomena of the aurora borealis, brilliant corruscations of
which were visible for many hours on Wednesday night
throughout Scotland and the northern and midland parts
of England.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS OF ST. M.LRY.LE-STRAND.—The
children, aniouniing to 170, attending these schools,
were yesterday evening regaled with a little annual en-
tertainment in the school room, George-yard, Drury-
lane. Their teachers, and other ladies, superintended
the arrangements, and an address was delivered by the
Rev. J. F. Denham, M.A., rector. It is pleasing to re-
cord the flourishing state of such an institution, in the
centre cf the metropolis, whi- has been in operation
since the year 1831, and is believed to have produced a
very desirable change in the morals of the poor. No
better proof of this lef-1 can be desired than the circum-
stance, that a marked declension in the number of
juvenile ocenders has attended the career of these schools.
TEM LATE ACCIDENT AT NEWTON-ROAD-BRIDGE.
—The inquest on the late Mr. 11. Shuard was resumed
at the Queen's Hotel, Birmingham, yesterday. The
Coroner said he had, since- the adjournment, received a
letter ;rom the Secretary of the Scottish Central Rail-
way Company, stating that the Central Company deemed
it altogether superfluous to offer evidence in the case,
after the evidence already given by Captain Simmons,
in which the company concurred. Holland, the
guard of the train, and Gibbons, the fireman on
the Colonel engine, were then called, and repeated
the evidence given at the inquest on Colonel Baird.
Several witnesses were called, who spoke of the health of
the dec--s- J. They all represented him to have been
for some time previously: to his death progressing to-
wards recovery. The radical gentleman who made the
post mortem examination was also re-examined, but his
evidence was to the same effect as at his previous ex-
amination. The jury returned a verdict—'• That at the
accident which occurred to the train at the Newton-
road-b.:dge station on the 2d of Sept•2mber, the de-
ceased received a fracture of the thigh, of which be
languished until the 10th of October, when he died of a
sudden fainting, but by what means caused no evidence
appeared."

RAILWAY AND SHIPPING SIGNALS.—We have re-
cently had an opportunity of seeing Wells's Patent At-
mospheric Railway and Shipping Signal tried on the
South-Eastern Railway, where it has proved so suc-
ces-ful that we are informed the directors have deter-
mined on adopting it throughout the line. The ma-
chinery is most simple, and causes expelled air to strike
upon the edge of a kind of bell, emitting a much thriller
sound (from the peculiarity of the whistle) than the
steam signal attached to the engine. The invention will
prove of great use as a signal from the guards to the en-
f havingo rm ing
eteheen
rdrreidv enrns
tohf
eapproachinge
gt
riaaienms °one an e 13adc c du eni nt
t ea
dn
Idy t hf
eer saonu; dl
ewn
Ttchh
eitf
nhi
emits machinec
sa nh isebnaell
Should
aeiypt st
up ready
deemedudnyi fornte rursuep
desirable, this machine can
also be attached to every passenger carriage, as a signal
gentlesnen travelling in their private carriages
considersc
that
from the passengers to the guard audit is so portaabnlehtahvaet
one affixed before starting. The inventor
heed a
being in distress, and
also as an etarum for gentlemen's
the signal will prove of great advantage
a ntagdeistaatnseeea,enflitehriertry
miles, in giving notice of a shipit
, is seid its sound can be he
the country, in case of fire or other
RATES OP POSTAGE.—The Gazette of
f yesterday
contains a Treasury we-rant, by ma
cae' ieonnts situated in
s .
helf an ounce are authorised in future to be leve
uniform rates of postage on all letwtehrischninte efxo cl exceeding
On all letters transmitted by post
between the
tlrins of Cashies and Soufriere, Island of St. Lucia,
West Indies (in lieu of ary rates of colonial postage
now charged), ld. On all letters transmitted by
packet to the Cape de Verde Islands, ls. 80.
packet postage, and 2d. inland postage. Onlet-
ters transmitted by packet between the British West
Indies and the Island of Madeira, passing through the
United Kingdom, ls. On all letters exceeding oz , and
under 1 oz., shall be charged two rates of postage; 1 oz.
and under 2 oz., four rates of postage; 2 oz.. and under
3 oz., six rates; 3 07, and under 4 oz., eight rates; and
for every ounce additioral two r..tes, and for every frac-
tion of an ounce the same as 1 oz. And instead of re-
turning colonial or foreign letters on which a sufficiency
of postage stamps for pre-payment has not been placed
to the Dead Letter office, in future, the difference will be
charged as unpaid. All printed votes and proceedings
in Parliament may be transmitted in an open cover by
post between any part of the United Kingdom end the
cities of Hamburgb, Bremen, or Lubeck, at the following
uniform rates:—Under 2 02., ld.; under 3 oz., 6d.; under
4 oz., Bd.; and for every additional ounce up to 16 oz.
(beyond which limit they may not be forwarded by
post at all), 2d. And also that letters transmitted be-
tween any two ports in the Bahama Isles are not to be
charged in future with the sea postage rates,
MIDDLESEX REGISTRATION. Yesterday, Mr.
Shadwell, the Barrister, resumed the revision of the
list of voters. In the parish of St. 13otolph, Mr. James
applied on behalf-of-the Radicals to expunge the name
of the
of
et Rev. Richard Hartwell Ruddock. The Reverend
Gentleman was registered in respect of the " endow-
ment All Saints' New Church, St. Botolph, Bishops-
gate, being a payment derived from a composition ler
tithes by Act of Parliameno It was contended that
personalty,
sdneaslctription of qualification was insufficient, "and
that, in order to have been good, it should have beendescribed as being in fee. At present it was a mere
37, and could not be admitted. After hearing
Mr. Payne in support of the vote, the Barrister decided
that the description was insufficient in law, and that the
name must therefore be expunged.
PLYMOUTH, OCT. 19.—1 n the course of lest night
some thieves entered the counting-house of Mr. Isaac
Nichols, merchant, and secretary of the Sutton Harbour
Improvement Company, at Coxside, and having wrenched
open an iron chest, stole railway certificates to the
amount in value of 7001. They also stole about 61. in
silver, and ransacked every drawer on the premises.
The thieves whoever they were, must have been persons
who have made themselves acquainted with the premises.
They had to get over a high wall into an outer yard, arid
a centre-bit was used to cut through the panel of the
outer door, after which access was easy. Amongst
other papers carried off were several iusurances, and
numerous shipping papers and other documents of no
value to any one but the owner.
SUICIDE,—Yesterday an inquest was held at the
London Hospital, on the body of Jane Branger, i.ged
twenty-one, a girl of considerable personel attractions
and of respectable family, but who had for some time
rdsamelehmi
deadly
dpnea rtryak t
inhbs I
peeuow,
streets
tioahronneni
edt
pet
caa
hrhsf
taeahi p
,revesi
some
gw:
n,
ahaneosodhn,
past been "on the town. She bee +me, like the great
majority of the unfortunate creatures in her situation,
o uhTrasuv,ei snsdhgaeyemptiednight,into
:.rf
py.
worth of oxalic acid into
to a cup of coffee, drank the
afterwardstraded i
n poisons.removed
vteor theo.
et
hospital, where she died. The coroner made some severe
"I .lachel has just sent in her resignation to
gisdanniety.
the Theatre Francais. This time it is said to be defini-
tive. Her intention is to visit St. Petersburgh end the
United States.

ACCIDENT TO THE CITY OF
CANTERBURY STEAMER.
TO 7HE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SJR,—I shall feel obliged by your contradicting
that part of a paragraph in yesterday's Sun, hea,l,e(l
" Accident to the City of Canterbury Steamer," w:Ach
states that her starboard paddle-box was waled
away, and that she had to he towed up to Chatham
on Wednesday last, there being no truth whatever in
that statement. The real facts are simply these :
On account of the very boisterous weather, it blow-
ing a complete gale of wind from the north-east,
the City of Canterbury was so much retarded on her
voyage to Margate, that Captain Large, being doubt-
ful whether he should be able to make that harbour,
very prudently resolved to put into Sheerness for
shelter, and subsequently at the request of the pas-
sengers, and in order to accommodate them, he con-
sented to take the vessel up to Chatham, to enable
those that did not prefer remaining on board until the
weather moderated to proceed to their destination by
land. The vessel received no other damage except
that, through a heavy sea striking her paddle-box,
part of the pannelling and frame-work of the steward's
pantry, and one of the water-closets on deck, were
torn away, which, however, the ship's carpenter, with
the assistance of a couple of hands, repaired in a few
hours, at the cost of about a guinea. The weather
having moderated, on Thursday morning the City of
Canterbury proceeded on her voyage, reached Mar-
gate in sufficient time to take in passengers at her
usual hour, and arrived at London-bridge soon after
four, p.m., quite safe.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
G. W. ROBERT, Secretary.
Herne Bay Steam-packet Company's office,
113, Fenchurch-street, Oct. 21, 1848.