The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-12 00:00:00

N, SATURDAY EVENING. JANUARY 12, 1856.

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day).

SPORTING NOTES.

SOMETHING SHORT.

COVENT GARDEN.

The supplies of fruit and vegetables were tolerably good,
and the demand ruled steady, as follows : -

The frost seems to have, re-appeared in the nick of
time to spoil sport. Should it continue it will be im-
practicable to hold the little•go meeting which is ap-
pointed to take place at Chertsey on Tuesday next. The
promoters of this gathering, I am informed, really mean
business, and are exerting themselves most energetically
to command success. As an earnest of their good in-
tentions it has been announced that the Stakes will be
paid over to the winners on the following morning at
the Swan Hotel. The hint therefore which was given
in The Sun of Saturday last produced the desired effect,
and has been acted upon with commendable spirit.

FRVIT.—Pine apples, English, 4s to 8s per lb; colonial
do., Os to Oa each ' • hot-house grapes, 3s Od to 7s Oct per lb ;
foreign ditto, Od to Os ; melons, 2s Od to 3s 6d each;
peaches, 2s Oct to 6s; nectarines, is Gd to 4s per dozen ;
' apples is Od to 2s Gd per half sieve ; pears, 2s Oct to
5s per half sieve ; plums, Os to Os per sieve ; green gages, Os
per punnet; apricots, is 6d to 5s Od per doz.; common plums,
Os Od to Os Od per sieve; cherries, Od to Od per pound ;
lemons, Gd to is Od per doz ; oranges, 5s to 12s per 100; fil-
berts, 9s to Os per doz. lbs ; cobnuts, lls to Os ; almonds,
Os to Os per lb. ; walnuts, 8d to 10d per 100 ; figs, Os 93
to is 6d per doz ; strawberries, Od to Od per pottle ; goose-
berries, Os Od to Os Od per half sieve ; currants, Os Od to
Os Od per half sieve ; raspberries, Od to Od per pottle.
VEGETABLEN.—Greens, Is 6d to 3s Od per doz. bunches;
cabbages, 103 to 18 6d per dozen ; Savoy ditto, is 3d to
2s Od per do. ; brocoli, is Gd to 2s per bundle ; potatoes, 65s
to 115 s per ton ; vegetable marrow, Od to Os per doz. ; peas,
Os to Os Od per bushel ; broad beans, Os Odto Os Od per half
sieve ; turnips, 2d to 4d per bunch ; carrots, 5d to 6d per
bunch ; cucumbers, 2s Od to 3s Od each ; garlic, 6d to
Os 81 per pcund ; spinach, 48 Od to 5s Od per sieve ;
old onions, 2s 6d to 4s per bushel ; now ditto, Os to Os per
doz. bunches; leeks, 2d to 3d per bunch ; shallots,
6d to 8d : horse-raddish, 2s Od to 4s Od per bundle ; parsley,
4d to Gd per bunch ; celery, Os 9d to is 3d per
bunch ; endive, is 6d to 4s Od per score ; beet, is Od to 2s
per doz. ' • parsnips, Os 6d to is Od per dozen ; small
salad, 23 to 3d per punnet ; mushrooms, 2s Od to 2s 6d per
pottle; artichokes, is to is 6d per half sieve; cabbage lettuces,
9d to is Oct per score ; sorrel, 6d to is per half sieve ;
radishes. is to is 3cl per dozen hands ' • tomatoes, 3s to 4s
per half sieve; chillies, is to is 6(1 per 100; Brussels
sprouts, Os Od to Os per half sieve ; capsicums, is Od to 2s
per 100 ; walnuts pickling, Gd to is per 100; cauliflowers,
5s to 101 Od per doz.
NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL.

Admiral Rous is determined not to be driven from
the position which ho has taken relative to Turf Reform.
Another long and interesting letter from him has been
published, and he states the origin and effect of the many
racing abuses with considerable clearness. He has a
side fling at advertising prophets, whom he well describes
as disgracing the eportirg newspapers by their lying ad-
vertisements. He, too, ably upsets the notion that if
all betting were abolished the turf would be " regene.
rated." "What brought," he pertinently asks, "370
horses to Newmarket in one week last October, and
produced 55 races Certainly not the stakes advertised,
which were of trifling value. It was owing to the faci-
lities afforded by the betting ring to horse owners to
back their horses. Now, supposing, for the sake of ar-
gument, betting were abolished, what would be the
result ? In the course of three years not one-tenth of
the present number of horses would be in training ; the
thousand guineas yearlings would fetch 80 guineas, and
four-fifths of the race-courses would be ploughed up."
Curiosity having been satisfied by the perusal of the
entries for the Spring Handicaps expectation is now
excited about the weights. Mr. Topham will, I believe,
complete his task in the course of the ensuing week,
when we may also count upon receiving the weights for
the Metropolitan, City and Suburban, and Northamp-
tonshire Stakes. I trust no delay will be made in
their publication.
January 12.

Turkeys, 4s 6d to 15s Od ; de;ese,s;6(7lto:76s 6d each ;
Ducks, 2s 6d to 3s 6a ; wild ditto, is 9d to 2s Od ;
rabbits, is Od to is 6d each ; Pigeons, 7d to 2d each ;
large Surrey Fowls, Os Od to Os Od ; middling, is 9d to
2s 9cl ; Chickens, ls 9d to 2s 3d ; Capons, 3s 5d
to 5s Od ; Hares 2s 6d to 3s 6d ; Grouse, is 9d to 28 Od each ;
Pheasants, 21 9d to 3s Gd ; partridges, is 3d to is 9d each ;
Roasting Pigs, 40 Od to 8s Od each. Ostend fresh butter, lls
6d to 13s Od, and English lls Gd to 15a Od per dozer lbs.
English Eggs, 9s Od to lOs Od; French ditto, 6s 9d to 7s 61
per 120.

A FRESH MAN.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY AND
THE BOARD OF TRADE.

TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE SUN.

Eastern Counties Railway, Secretary's Office,
Bishopsgate Station, London, Jan. 11.
Sir, —I am instructed by the directors to forward you
a copy of my letter, which has been addressed to the
Board of Trade, together with a copy of the enclosure
therein alluded to.—l am, &c.,
J. B. OWEN, Secretary.

Eastern Counties Railway, Secretary's Office,
Bishopsgate Station, London, Jan. 10.
Sir,—The Board of Directors °lithe Eastern Counties
Railway Company have had under their anxious consi-
deration your letter of the sth inst., enclosing, by order
of the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council for
Trade, copy of the report of Colonel Wynne on the state
of certa%n parts of the Eastern Counties Railway.
I am desired to state, for the information of their lord-
ships, that in October last a special committee of this
board was appointed to deliberate on the condition of
the permanent way and works of the Eastern Counties
lines, and to take such action thereon as, under the ad-
vice of their engineer, Mr. Bruff, might be thought
necessary.
The board have called the attention of their engineer
to the communication received from their lordships, and
the accompanying report from that officer will show
generally the course which has been taken by him, both
before and after the appointment of the special commit-
tee, and the plans proposed for the future, together with
his views as to the safety of the line between London,
Cambridge, and Norwich.
The board feel that by the additional precautions sug-
gested therein, and which they have ordered forthwith to
be adopted, the publicsafety will be satisfactorily provided
for.

The board are gratified to find that. Colonel Wynne
agrees with their engineer, that weak or decayed timber
structures may be temporarily made safe by additional
struts and other appliances of new timber.
This strengthening of the timber structures, together
with the introduction of new sleepers, and the general
rectification of every deficiency, has been, and is being,
carried on with unceasing energy, and unsparing expendi-
ture, by a force of upwards of 1,000 men, foremen, and
superintendents, in addition to the ordinary establish-
ment.

The board concur folly in Col. Wynne's opinion, that
to make the larger timber structures permanently safe
they must be all carefully stripped and overhauled,
which, of course, will require the removal of one of the
lines of rails during the process.
This thorough restoration has been in progress for
some months past, aed will be continued with as much
expedition as is practicable, and therefore the board are
prepared to meet the exigency of the circumstances to
the full extent indicated by Col. Wynne.
The board trust that by these precautions, and by the
skill and vigilance of their engineer and his staff, all
danger will be averted and the public confidence be fully
restored.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
J. B. Owsx, Secretary.
To Captain Galton, R.E., Railway Department,
Board of Trade.

Bishopsgata Station, Jan. 9.
To the Chairman of the Way and Works Committee.
Sir,—l have carefully read and considered the report
of Colonel Wynne upon the condition of the permanent
way and wood bridge upon this company's line between
London, Cambridge, and Norwich ; and however ap-
plicable his observations would have been some few
months since, I am constrained to differ in opinion with
him to a cons;derable extent as to their present condi-
tion, or the danger to be apprehended by the public in
travelling thereon, and for the following reasons
1. The wood bridges were carefully examined,t sated,
and classified soon after I became engineer of the com-
pany ; and those structures which exhibited the mast
serious decay and weakness were at once placed under
reconstruction, and others less urgent were made tem-
porarily secure until time permitted their renewal.
•i. A large force of foremen and workmen distributed
throughout the line have been actively engaged taider
my direction for many months past in the reconstruc-
tion and reparation of the wood bridges, whose efforts
must of necessity result in the daily improvement of
their stability, and whose duty it is to guard the public
safety to the utmost extent, by a daily examination of
every wood structure.
3. The reduced weight and speed of passenger trains
now adopted on the section of the line in question, and
more particularly the greatly reduced speed at which
they pass over those wooden structures at present under
repair, or which have not been permanently renewed.
4. The greater weight of the goods and mineral trains,
which pass in rapid succession both day and night over
the whole line, which act as continuous tests of the
stability both of the permanent way and of the wood
bridges, and may consequently be considered as afford-
ing a fair guarantee for the safe passage of the lighter
passenger trains.
5. The fact that no accident occurred when the way
and works of the company were in a far less satisfactory
condition than at present, and iu the absence of those
precautionary measures and limits of speed which now
exist.

Absolute safety in railway travelling, I need hardly
observe, can be secured upon no line, however new or
perfect it may be in all its parts ; and upon the Eastern
Counties' London, Cambridge, and Norwich line, I see
no reasonable grounds to doubt, with a continuance of
the present efforts to maintain and improve its condi-
tion, and of those further precautionary measures herein
refei red to, that the public may travel as safely as upon
the generality of lines under ordinary circumstances.
And I would beg to observe, in reference to this opi-
nion, that I can have no object other than giving you
correct information, seeing that it fell to my duty first
to call the attention of the board of directors to the
dilapidated condit'on of your way and works almost im•
mediately after my appointment, since which time, with
the cognisance of yourself, colleagues, and sharehoiders, I
have been actively employed in effecting their restora-
tion.

In conclmion, I have to recommend that, in deference
to the expressed opinion f Colonel Wynne to the Board
of Trade, and to allay apprehension in the public mind,
the rate of speed of all passenger trains between London,
Cambridge, and Norwich, be for a time still further re-
duced ; that a safety-travelling inspector be appointed to
travel upon the engine with every passenger train be-
tween those points to enforce strictly the company's re-
gulations ; and notwithstanding the unfavourable period
of the year for extended operations, that a considerable
increase should bo made to onr present means, with the
view of expediting repairs and facilitating the progress
of reconstruction.—l remain, sir, your obedient servant,
(Signed) PETER BRUFF, Engineer.

SINKING OF AN EXPERIMENTAL MOR-
TAR-VESSEL, AND LOSS OF LIFE.

- -
PORTSMOUTH, Jan. 11.—The new India-rubber col-
lapsing mortar boat or raft, the invention of the Rev.
E. Berthon, of Farebam, was taken out of harbour this
morning, between 7 and 8 o'clock, to a point off South-
sea Castle, to undergo a final trial of her capabilities for
the service for which she was designed. This mortar-
boat differs from all other mortar-vessels yet invented,
inasmuch as she is constructed of India.rubber, and in
such a manner that she can be made to collapse, and
so may be stowed away in a small compass—the
object being to admit of a screw line-of-battle ship,
or other large vessel, conveying from six to ten
of such craft to the scene of operations. When in
use they present more the form of a raft than that of
a vessel, not being intended to carry masts of any kind.
The raft in question has been tried several times already,
and has hitherto answered very well ; and the
object of to-day's trial was to test her capability of dis-
charging 150 shell from a 13-inch mortar, the charge of
powder being the usual one for such mortar, viz., 201bs.
The mortar was slung on Captain Julius Roberts' plan,
by which a great deal of the concussion in the firing is
avoided ; the weight of the piece, with the bed, &c.,
being little short of seven tons. The raft was towed out
of harbour by the cutter and pinnace of the Excellent,
gunnery-ship, Captain Sir Thomas Maitland (the trials
being under this officer's superintendence), Lieutenant
Lethbridge, of the Excellent, and a dozen seamen gun-
ners of the same ship, together with the inventor, the
Rev. Mr. Berthon, going out in them. The first 14
rounds were highly satisfactory in every respect, when
the Rev. Mr. Berthon left the raft in a waterman's
boat, and proceeded a short distance from her, to see
what amount of recoil she suffered from the discharge.
The 15th shell was then discharged, and in an instant
she sank—Lieutenant Lethbridge and the 12 men being
immersed] in the sea. The wind being high the sea
was somewhat rough, and the cutter and pinnace had to
exert themselves to rescue the officer and men. Lieut.
Lethbridge was first picked up, and the men were all
saved, with one exception ' • his body unhappily could not
be found. It is supposed he sack immediately on the raft
going down. It appears that the raft's sides were fairly
blown out by the concussion.
Sir Thomas Maitland was to have gone out in the
Sprightly steamer at nine o'clock to witness the experi-
ment, and that vessel had her steam up to convey him
out ; but before he started one of the men who had been
immersed in the water arrived at the dockyard, and told
the tale of the disaster. The Sprightly immediately went
out to try to pick up the lost man, without having suc-
ceeded in doing so.
Some of the men who were picked up are in a bad
state from exhaustion, and fears are entertained for the
lives of some. They are, however, receiving every
attention.

Much sympathy is felt for the Rev. Air. Berthon,
who has distinguished himself by several useful inventions
of India-rubber life buoys, and who had given up his
incumbency at Fareham with a view of devoting himself
to the perfection of the invention in question, and which
would have been of great service to the art of war.

THE BURNOPFIELD MURDER.—At the adjourned in-
quest held on Tursday in Burnopfield, the jury returned
a verdict of murder against the two men Cain and
Rayne. A pardon has been offered to any unlicensed
pawnbroker who will produce the watch of the deceased
gentleman.
LAURA GAY.--Two VoLs.--This novel, by a writer
who, we cannot imagine, will long be permitted to re-
main anonymous, will attract an unusual number of
readers by the warmth of its colouring and the vivacity
of its characters. The purple of Italian,skies, the bright
beauty of Welsh hills and vales, the glories of a London
season, and, best of all, the hearts of handsome women,
good and bad, are woven by the author of these pages
into a story of exquisite tenderness. If we had a fault
to find, it would be with reference to the bitterness of
its satire ; but to many readers of " Laura Clay" this
ay prove one of its chief attractions,