The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-29 00:00:00

LIGLITS FOR . THE GUIDANCE OF

V LSSELS.

TEE ROYAL GT11_41?IlEle, STEAMER.

Dr. Scoresby bag addressed the following letter to the
Secretary of the Underwriters' Association, Liverpool :
" Royal Charter, Plymouth Sound, Jan. 26, 1356.
" Sir, —The putting back of this sp!enilid ship is a
circumstance which Kill necessarily produce surprise,
and, perhaps, unfair comment. I think it my duty,
therefore, as one of the passengers, and riot an unobservant
one, to report, through the medium of the Liverpool
press, the principal circumstances leading to and render-
ing, according to my personal judgment, our return both
Judicious and essential.

"The question of putting hack was brought to an
issue by very heavy weather, encountered off the Bay of
Biscay, and the condition of the passengers in the 'tweet'-
, leeks. To two circumstances, as it seems t me, the in-
conveniences and evils requiring our return are clear'y
traceahle, namely :-18t. Soule i,trange inadvertency or
neglect about the water-ways' and gunwale, with 0',11,t
smaller matters about time main deck, by reason of which,
as soon as the sea•spisp began to fle nu boamd, the
water poured down into the berths of the third aild
second class passengers in extraordinary quantities ; and
this, having no means of escao,g, accumulated arid
washed about, to the g: ea; suffering and damage cf the
occupants of the berths.

" ziecondiy.—The circumstance of the ship having in-
advertectly been-far too heaiily loaded. From prudeetial
motives, in respect to the ship's proper stability under
canvas, several hundreds of tons of ballast were dis-
tributed along the bottom of the hold, a full cargo, at
the time, I nederstood net being at all expected. Too
late, with reference to the time of sailing, for the re-
moval of what was now a dead-weight and encumbrance,
cargo flowed in till the ship was fail. The consequen,!e
was most unfortunate, the ship being sunk deeper in the
water
,by two or three feet than her proper line of fi ia-
tatioe. The good quaiities expected from so fine a
model in naval architecture were over ovll.phned, and the
ordinary mariweabieness vastly injured. Tois latter iii-
advertency' necessarily rendered the ship wet on the
main deck, and so became the caase of supply for tilt,
leakaee there; and whilst ruining the ship's proper
qualities for nautical evolutions, oeca-'ioned the scree,
even when raised up to its place above the ordinar:,
level of the water, to' be continually dipping, and the,
interfering, by the pogitton of the oblique blitles, with
the action of vthe rudder in st ering.
"To my mind there appears no doubt that if the
dead-weight, especially that which is at the two extremi-
ties of the ship, should fe, aed the defect,,
about the gunwales made goad, that all the important
clifficu!ties and evils wt.'.uld lie ri.titive,l, and I see 1,0
reason why the Royal Charter should not fully regain
the reputation which, prospectively, had been attained,
And, in supnott of this conviction, I may add, that het
bu.,yancy and action asi a 'sea-b -.at were twist admir-
able, I might say splendid, rising above the formidable
disadvantage of her deep loading, even in heavy weather,
with high cross seas we encountered off the Bay of
Biscay ; for, whilst her motions were singularly easy,
she neither leaked below nor ever shipped a sea.
"I will. just add, that painful and onerous al the step
taken by Captain Boyce was, in putting back t..) this
port, I am perfectly satisfied that a due re,eard for the
health and safety of the-passengers, independent of other
considerations, rendered this important decision impera-,
tive—an ()Pinion, I 13:lieve, which is concurred in by all
the passengers on board. Even the avoidance of the
wear and tear of a westerly gale still blowing heavily,
and which has already sent in here a finu clipper-ship
with loss of spars, might well repay for the loss of time
in putting back.— I am, sir, your obedient servant,

_
" WM. SCORMY.
" Thomas Court, Esq., Underwriters' RlOlll5,
Liverpool."

RAILWAY BILLS IN PARLIAMENT.

Yesterday the standing orders were declared to be
complied with in the following eases heard by the exa-
mining barristers, Messrs. Smith and May.
CORK AND VOUGHAL RAILWAY.—To authorise the
Cork and Youghal Railway to extend their line into
Cork, the estimate of Mr. Brunel, the engineer, being
100,000/., including the purchase of the necessary pro-
perty.

BANBRIDGE JuNCTION -TtliLwAY.-=-To increase the
on capital from 40,0001, to 60,0001 , and to alter
the name of the Banbridge, Newry, D iblin, and 13,1fa,st,
Junction to that of the BAnbrid 4e, Ja-!cti,o Railway.
ABERDEEN AND SCOTTISH MIDLAND JUNCTION RAIL-
WAYS AMALGAMATION.—TO unite these lines, to make
arrangements as to capital, and arnong creditors, and
to authorise station arrangement i with Perth an,i
Dunkeld.

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRPIRA4WAY.—Extension from
SanbaCh to Warrington.
NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY OF IRELAND.--To make a
line from Strokestown to Castlebar, with power to Mid-
land Great Western to 'subscribe, the proposed capital
be 320,000/. The standing orders were not complied
with in some minor points, and its further consideration
was adjourned to 4th of February.
The other bills of a miscellaneous clilaracter were :
London Dock Comoany.(for power to borrow or raise by
additional stock 200,000/0; Colonial Rink (to extend
the period limited for the exercise of the powers of the
bank, and for power to issue 1/. notes in the colonies)
Filey Waterworks (to su;,,ply Filey with water, and pur-
chase the gas works at a cost nt 6,0001. for the reser-
voirs, aqueducts, and pipes) ; Stockton and Middles.
borough road and br;dge at a cost of 8.0001. ; Thames
and Medway Rivers Conservancy ; Lambeth Water ;
Southport Water; .Weymouth Gas ; Deeping Fen
Drainage • tritoxeter Road ; Glasgow Court-houses and
Piiblic-ofices, and Glasgow

NEWS.—(i'his Day.)

HAY MARKETS.

smrrEirTELD.—Meadow hay, 414 s to 5 17 ; clove! ditto,
41 154 to 61 15s ; and straw. 11 4.: Od to 11 9s Od per 'Load.
A. short supply, and a fair demand.
01714BERLAND.—Aleadow hay, 405 s to 5' : clovx do.,
4/ 15:i to 6! lds ; and straw, 115.3 to 1.1 10s per loaki.
Trade firm.

WHITECITAPn.—MoadOW hay, 4/ 43 to 5' IGg; clover
.10.. 4, 153 to 71 Oa; awl straw, I/ ti to 11 94 ►er load.
A steady demand.

COLONIAL,
TEA,--An increased business has beau done, owing to
the trade advices. Common Cougou has realised
per 1,4

SUGAR.—Stocks being on' the increase purchasers have
appeared cautious, an.l seliPrs have been willing to a:cept
previous rates for both colonial and foreign. The market
it is expected will be well supplied, and rates am not
likely to increase. The stocks of West India stgar in
the East and West India Docks, up to last week, com-
prised 19,598 hogsheals, 1,501 barrels, and 4.594 tierces.
COFFEE.—Plantation Ceylon has been firm, and but few
dealings have been entered into. Native has been inquired
after, at 52s tld for good ordinary.
RICE.— There hassen a very inactive market, and se-
veral parcels offered at previous rates have not- found
buyers.

ituit.—A brisk &mild has prevailed; and prices have
rather improved, holders being very firm. The stock o:
West India in the clacks is 21,547 puncheons and 4,910
hogsheads.

TALLOW.----The market has again been very isactive, and
prioes are barely maintained. P. Y.C. on the spcit,'sB3 ;
spring, 51s awl 531 per cwt.

TO THE EDITOR or THE SUN.
SIR,—I observed in The San, of the 4th inst., a memo-
rial from the master marinir4 of the Tyne and port of
Shields, addressed to the Lords Cominis,ionersof the Ad-
miralty, complaining of the inadequacy of the detection
lights for the. guidance of vessels at sea, and praying
for an alteration of the present regulations, which, they
assert, do not only not prevent, but, on the contrary,
increase the risk of collision.
It would seem, from the heading of this memorial,
that during the last two months, on the northeast coast
of England, there had been an alarming increase of
disasters, occasioning vast loss of property and of life.
These gentlemen affirm the present light to be most
unsatisfactory, and totally inadequate to the exigencies
and necessities of vessels at sea. They, moreover, assert
the single bright light, hoisted on all occasions on star-
board or port tack, running free or at anchor, to be a
decided evil ; that it leads to doubt and uncertaiety ;
and with it endeavouring to avoid collision, the means
thus taken often lead t fatal results—the white light
not indicating the position of the ship. In this view of
the subject I petite concur; and, it is to me a matter of
perfect surprise that, from the conthaued annual returns
exhibiting such a sad and mournful loss of life and pro.
perty, no vigorous and efficient measures have yet been
taken to place our mercantile marine on a footing* of
.safety, and to secure to it some of the advantiges which
coloured signal lights have contributed to railroad
traffic.

The memorialists—men of intelligence and of great
experience—have suggested to their lordships the hip.
perative need of adopting coloured lightj, and enforcing
their use at sea by all sailing vessels, as conducive to
safety and the avoidance of collision. They judiciously
suggest the use of the green light by ships rn the stn.-
board, and red on the port tack, and a white light with
the wind free. Su far well ; but the idea that a ship at
anchor should exhibit a yellow light I think had better
be omitted, and two white lights hoisted in lieu.
the white light will often be found to assume a vivid
dark or whitish yellow, as the weather may be with or
without moisture.

After a vast deal of thought and years' experiments on
coloured lights at sea, I hive arrived at the opieion
that white, red, and green are the only colours whicit
ever will be made available as signal lights ; and after
two years at Portsmouth under a comnittee of naval
officers, arid one summer at sea under Admiral Curry,
when coloured lights and lenses were fully tested in
various forms, and at every conceivable working distance,
I conclude; from the results then obtained, that neither
ships of war nor merchant ships ought to be without
coloured night signals, as it is fully proved that the
same facilities are afforded with lamps by night as flags
give by day.

_ -
At the close of these. expriments, I suggested the
idea, and submitted to their lordships, the plan of a tri-
coloured semi-eircuLr lens light, the white of which
should spread over no many degrees right ahead, aml
the green and red with an equal spreading, indicating
port and starboard tacks. A light so constructed I
think ought to be carried and enforced on everyship,.
yacht, ketch, boat, and hoy, whilst in sight of land ;
and this is, if I mistake not, that for which the memo-
rialists pray, as a measure likely to benefit the wholc
mercantile mrrine.—l am, &:-.,
MITCHEL THOMSON, Surgeon, R.N.
H.M.S. Royal William, Harnosze,
Jan. 25th, 185 G.

risen.

LATEST NEWS.

BERLIN, JAR. 28.

The participation of in the neotia-

tions for peace and the conferences is considered
almost certain, France having renounced its op-

po3ition, and England &lone still raising some
difficulties.

HAMBURG, MONDAY'.
A. royal decree just issued at Stockholm orders

the ithant,,liate rai3iug of 550,000 dollars banco

for military purposes, on the extraordinary ere.

dit voted last year for the defence of the king.

dom.

MARSEILLES, JAN. 27.

The llydaspe has just arrived with ad vices from
Constantinople of the 1 t la. The conferences for

the organisation of the Principalities have been
suspended, in consequence of Lord Redcliffe hav-
ing declared that he wautQd instructions on the
subject. The other conferences, having for ob-
ject the emancipation of the Rayahs and the col-
lective protectorate, still continue. It is said
ill:it French, EngHA, and Austrian troops will

continue to oc...upy the north of Turkey, in order

o securo the execution of the treaty. Prince

Calliinaki will carry the result of the conferences

to Vienna.

lu the affair of the Tunisians, it

having been found that there was no premedita-

tion, ten of the soldier 3 have been simply found
guilty of assault. There) is nlthing in the shape
,:)f political news at CJnstautinople. Tito wea-

leer continued 6evere, with a good deal of

to W.

According to the accounts from Constantinople,
it is in contemplation to send Ahtnet Vesitz to
Teheran as Turkish Ambassador, iu order to ar-

.tinge the differences which have arisen between

Persia and Great Britain. Accounts have been

received from Trebiz )nd to the Bth, but they are

without interest. Letters from Athens to the

1811 represent affairs in that capital under a

more favourable aspect. King Otlio is giving
brilliant fetes, to which the officers of the expedi-

tionary corps are invited. His Majesty is said to
he inclined to make many useful reforms. A fete

it is said, to be given to IlizA

The 11,orptiau division, which had been senf to

Erzroutn, has been obliged to return to Trebi-

z.)nd, after having suffered very severely frJni the
weather. Thu cholera has bnilten out at Trebi-

zond, and the sick are sent to Sinope. .Areukli

Paella has bien selit t.► E:z.rouni to organist) the

defence of that place, which now contains a bar-

rison of 20,000 men. General Williams has left

for Moscow, where he will remain prisoner. The

neighbourhood of Smyrna has been at length

cleared of the brigands who have for so long in-

'ested it. The Greek Chambers have passed a

iw raising the duty on corn brought from the

Danube to Greece, and reshipped fur the west,

from 1 per cent, to 5 per cent.

BERLIN, kN. 27.

General Gortellak.off trrive..l a S.. Petersburg.

on the 24th. Ctptain de Btneh has delivered to

the Emperor Alexarni‘a au autograph letter from
the King of Prussia. It 1118 again become doubt-
ful whether Awcria, and Ptu:;giia will immediately

~loine to an understanding on a proposition rela-
tive to the acceptance of the conditions of peace
be submitted to the Germanic Diet, in cone-

fence of some frsli tlinronee3 which have

MADRID, JAN. 2G.

The:Cortes Lave terminated the discussion on
the ensemble of the electoral bases. The, Co-

vermneut has demanded authorisation to preseur
an organic law relative to civil enap.oy64. The
gazette publishes a decree opening the Tribunal
of the Rota, ,which was closed last year. The
disturbances at Valencia have been put down.
The Gazette contradicts the statement of arrests
having taken place at Cuba.