The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-29 00:00:00

TIM CALIFORNIAN DISASTER.

Further particulars have been received of the disaster
on the Western Pacific Railroad. Eleven dead bodies have
been recovered from the wrecked cars, and it is estimated
that twenty persons were wounded. According to one
account, the Western Pacific train was before
its time, and should have waited for the passage
of the Alcmada train. Another statement is, that
at the point where the Alemada and Pacific roads connect,
the station-master was in fault. He refused to wait for
the Alemada train, which was behind time, and went into
his house for breakfast. While there, a gravel train passed,
and he believed it was the Western Pacific train. When
subsequently the Western Pacific train did come up, the
engine-driver inquired if the Alemada had passed, and was
told that all was right. Judge Baldwin was killed in the
collision. The United States and District Courts ad-
journed in respect to his memory,

THE ERIE RAILWAY AND COMMODORE VANDERBILT.

The Erie Railway Company has instituted a suit in the
Supreme Court, before Judge Barnard, against Commodore
Vanderbilt for the purpose of recovering five million dol-
lars for damages, which the company allege they have sus
tained by reason of certain fraudulent transactions on the
part of the Commodore. A motion was made on behalf of
the defendant to have the action transferred to the Circuit
Court, so that it could be tried before a jury. The court
has reserved its decision.

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)

NEW YORK, Nov. 13.

Our weather can only be described as a succession
of " sells." Last week we had a gloriotp glimpse of the
Indian summer—the most charming season on this
or any other continent ; but the cup was dashed
from our lips by one of those bullies of whom Long-
fellow writes in " Hiawatha"—the " North-West
wind," who, with flurries of snow and intense cold,
has pushed out that glorious summer. To do him
justice, however, he has furnished us with brilliant
displays of Northern lights and bright meteors cour-
sing through the sky. The gloomy feeling continues,
indeed increases in commercial circles, and the
failure of Bininger and Co. adds to the depression.
The assets of that house are said to be double the
liabilities, and it is a sign of the times that falling
accommodation they should be compelled to sus-
pend. Among the failures are White, Heath, and
Co., liabilities $lOO,OOO ; Randolph Brothers, like-
wise cloth merchants ; Condict Jennings and Co.,
brokers, Broad-street. Two or three houses have
gone also in Boston. One main cause of the pres-
sure is the failure in the West to pay up, and the
loss entailed on the importers by the heavy duties
paid when gold ruled so high and the fall in the
value of the stocks now that gold has fallen so low ;
people hang on to fictitious prices, being unable to
make up their minds to the inevitable reduction.
The banks, too, are dealing mercilessly and most
injudiciously with thebusiness community. The mer-
chants complain that speculators are supported by
ons,while the conductors of the
legitimate in the city are charged such
athreu fii
ratennoaunscialbu
lnssfi business
sdstiis count that they are forced to
suspend. Good paper ranges up to 20 per cent.,
though loans are made on the security of stock under
7, when it is known that the accommodation is to
supply a margin for speculating. The Democratic
victory is likely to be followed by serious conse-
quences. What will be done remains to be seen,
but a good deal is threatened to this much-endur-
ing community. The first thing will be to sweep
out the police, but the State Administration is
divided about the City Commissioners, not on the
question to be, or not to be, but whether to act at
once or gradually. It goes into power on the Ist
January. The Central Park Commissioners, it is
understood, will remain undisturbed. The Board
of Health, the Croton Water Commission, and
more will resign, as otherwise they may be turned
out ; and with regard to the Superintendent of Po-
lice—he is nowhere. The Irish have a keen recol-
lection of how the police treated them during the _
War, and they demand immediate action. Super-
intendent Kennedy is about to resign, but as he has
got till January he need not hurry himself. If dis-
posed to yield to the pressure of such journals as the
Irish People, the Democrat, and others, the action
of the leaders
will be sharp and decisive, but its
effects would be such as exactly suited the Repub-
lican party. Although years out of Federal office,
there is a lingering remembrance in the public
mind that, whatever the shortcomings of the Re-
publicans, the Democrats are less fit to be intrusted
with power;
and if they use their victory hero to
gratify their spite with indecorous haste this feel-
ing will revive. Our first state was bad, but
our last state may be worse. Such a Superin-
tendent as Mr. Kennedy may be replaced by a
shoulder-bitter, and the city handed over to the
tender mercies of the rowdies of the lower wards.
As they can
" gerrymander" the Districts it may
not be easy for the Republicans ever to recover
their lost ground, and they may yet have to sigh
and weep over the split which prevented them from
acting together. Horace Greeley denounces in the
Tribune " the poor creatures who refused to vote at
all, with a scorn barely distinguishable from loath-
ing," inviting " those hypocrites to the hottest
corner of the most uncomfortable place in the uni-
verse." To those who, feeling wolfish, " scratched"
him, Horace !Greeley returns special thanks, from
which a Scotchman might have drawn his own con-
clusion, had be not specially added, " his name off
their ballots." A fine building has lately been com-
pleted in the St. Cloud Hotel at the corner of Broad-
wayandForty-seeond-
street. Its proprietors, Messrs.