The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON;

unanimously accepted by the council, I am sure
you will do me the further favour of returning my
heartfelt thanks to them.

" To no one could I make this request more fitly,
as it seems to me, and with more confi 'ence, than
to the faithful friend of my dear husband and my-
self, who, during many long years, 1 as made the
cause of the lost crews of the Erebui nd Terror his
own, and to whose untiring and enli tened energy,
exerted in behalf of our latest, and as it were dying
effort, the little expedition of the Fox has been so
conspicuously indebted.
" In giving expression to my natural feelings on
receiving this precious medal, you will feel assured
that its chief value to me is the recognition by the
most competent authorities which it testifies to, of
the life-long services of my husband in the cause of
geographical research, and especially of the crown-
ing discovery of the North-West Passage by him-
self and his companions, which cost them their
lives.

" In the contemplation of so just and so generous
an act towards the dead, all personal considerations
are well nigh absorbed, yet not so entirely but that
I feel deeply the great and exceptional kindness of
which I have myself become the object. Disclaim-
ing, as I must ever do, all merit for efforts which
originated in the natural impulse of love and duty,
and which never could have been successful with-
out the steadfast help of all those who upheld and
served me so well, I shall not the less cherish with
great pride as well as gratitude, the touching and
distinguished proof so generously accorded to me
of the approbation and sympathy of the Royal
Geographical Society.—Believe me, dear Sir
Roderick, sincerely and gratefully yours,

" JANE FRANKLIN.
" Sir Roderick Murchison, Vice-President of the
Royal Geographical Society, &c."
Breathing as this letter does the fulness of a grate-
ful woman's heart, yet does it not give vent to all
those feelings by which Lady Franklin is animated.
Sh,e has, indeed, enjoined me to say that the honour
conferred upon her is vastly enhanced by knowing
that she only shares in that approbation of the
Geographical Society which has been, and is so
warmly bestowed upon Captain Sir Leopold
M'Clintock and his gallant associates. (Hear.)
Another most deeply-seated sentiment, however
(as yet ungratified), is implanted in the breast of
the widow of Franklin—a sentiment which was no
sooner broached in the House of Commons by Sir
Francis Baring than it met with general applause
and elicited the commendation of the Prime
Minister and of eloquent speakers on both sides
—namely, that setting aside all pecuniary re-
imbursement to herself for that large expenditure
of money which she could ill afford, she, hopes
that the✓ Parliament may be thus far generous as to
reward the officers and crew of the Fox—(hear,
hear)—and also provide for the erection of a monu-
ment to the memory of her husband and his com-
panions in a public place, on which shall be recorded
that they died in being the first to discover a north-
west passage. (Loud and repeated cheers.) Let
then our gift of this gold medal, solemnly and uua•
nimously conferred by us on Lady Franklin for her
devotion in her husband's cause, be followed up
both by a suitable grant to the brave officers and
crew of the Fox, and' by raising a monument to
Franklin in Trafalgar-square—so that his earliest
services under the immortal Nelson may be blended
with the nation's recognition of his Arctic fame.
(Hear.) To the honour of France, her long-lost
and lamented navigator, La Peyrouse, has his
monument and trophies in the Louvre. (Hear.)
Let England then also evince her gratitude to
Franklin and his companions by a durable public
memorial in bronze, and thus show that, she not
less truly honours those who die in so nobly serving
their country. (Cheers.)
The PRESIDENT—It affords me great gratifica-
tion, Capt. M'Clintock, to have to present to you
the highest reward the Royal Geographical Society
11 can confer, viz., the Patron's or Victoria Gold
Medal, in acknowledgment of the very great and
valuable services you have performed services
which are appreciated not only throughout this
country, but I may say throughout all Europe and
America. (Hear.)

Sir F. L. M'CLINTOCK felt deeply grateful in
receiving so high a mark of the estimation which
the Royal Geographical Society places upon the
services which he had been enabled to render to
the cause of geographical science. At the same
time, he could not forget the discoveries which had
gained for him this distinguished honour had been
made incidentally when following up a widely
different purpose • and he regarded it as an addi-
tional proof of the liberality of the council that
notwithstanding that circumstance they had
awarded him so valuable a token of their approba-
tion. He was sure they would bear with him when
he said the value of.the reward was in his mind
largely enhanced by beimg conferred in conjunction
with the marked and feeling tribute which had
just been paid to the memory of that great Arctic
discoverer. (Hear, hear.) This circumstance, to-
gether with the recognition which had been made
cf the last services of the lamented Franklin and
his devoted companions, was the most gratifying
testimony that could be borne, and the richest re-
ward that could be conferred upon his own services
On behalf of h s companions in the late expedition
he might be permitted to observe that they would
see the account of that day's proceedings with plea-
sure, because therein they would find an acknow-
ledgment of their services as well as a reward of
his own. It had not been his fate to be employed
directly or exele.sively in geographical discoveries,
but in what had occurred to-day he true ed he
might find an incentive to turn his future in that
direction. (Hear, hear.) We lived in times of
great changes, and it was impossible to say what
might occur, but this he might be allowed to ob-
serve, that it would afford him great pleasure if the
offer of his services could be accepted hereafter to
explore new regions, and extend the boundaries of
our knowledge in the Arctic Seas. (Cheers.)
Sir R. MuitcmsoN—l omitted to express one
feeling which animates Lady Franklin. There is
no wish that she has more at heart than that par-
liament should properly reward the distinguished
officers and gallant crew of the Fox, who had so
nubly solved the problem of the fate of the Franklin
expedition. (Cheers.)
Several new members were then elected by ballot,
and :resolutions of thanks to the president, the
council, and other officers were voted, and after the
transaction of some other routine business the meet-
ing separated. Lord Ashburton, it is understood,
is to be the president for the ensuing year.

SEVERE STO ROL

On Sunday there was a heavy gale in the me-
tropolis, accompanied at intervals with rain, and
some severe showers occurred during the night.
Yesterday morning, between 4 and 5 o'clock, the
rain fell heavily, and the temperature was rather
that of January than May. There were snow
and hail during the storm. Much injury has been
done to the fruit trees. The river was so rough as
to resemble the sea, and the steamboats reached
their destinations with some difficulty. At Lam-
beth, Battersea, and other places on the Surrey side
of the river, several houses were partially inun
dated. Some houses were unroofed, and staks of-
chimneys were blown down. Many of the trees in
the parks have been injured.
Throughout Yorkshire a violent storm of wind,
accompanied in some districts with rain, sleet, and
snow, prevailed on Sunday night. The wind, which
was from the north-west, was,' indeed, strong and
squally on Saturday night and early on Sunday
morning, but it subsided during the day, to be re-
newed, however; with greater vigour in the course
of Sunday night. Much snow, as well as some sleet
and rain, fell between 4 and 7 o'clock on Monday
morning, during which the storm seemed to be at
its greatest height. The power of the sun soon
melted the snow and sleet ; but, according to the
reports of persons who had come through the
northern parts of the county, many portions of the
ground were sprinkled over with snow at nearly
midday yesterday. Never, perhaps, was such a
storm witnessed at Whitsuntide before. The da-
mage to vegetation, especially to fruit—,plums,
cherries, apples, pears, &c.--is quite incalculable.
Many trees have been torn up by the roots, and
branches and leaves have been swept off others to
an almost unprecedented extent. The thermome-
ter, in the shade, ranged from 49 deg. to 62 deg.
on Saturday, from 42 deg. to 56 deg, on Sunday,
and on Sunday night it fell as low as 32 deg., or
even a little lower. The wind was high and squally
yesterday up to 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when this
paragraph was written. The storm, as may be ex-
pected, sadly checked many pleasure excursions
which had been planned to be taken at the Whit
Monday holiday.
A very violent gale of wind, with a heavy fall ol
sleet and snow, broke on the Northumberland coast
yesterday (Monday) morning about daybreak, and
the wind continued to blow in strong gusts until
about 9, when it moderated. The weather is ex-
tremely cold and wintry like, and to a large extent
the open air Whitsuntide festivities are suspended.
The sea is breaking rough and turbulent on the bar
of the Tyne. Two vessels, the Fleur de Marie and
the Dublin Lass, were driven on to the Herd Sand
by the violence of the gale yesterday morning; the
Dublin Lass was got off with the assistance of
several powerful steamers. The other vessel re
mained.

On Monday morning, at 6 o'clock, a beautiful
day was in prospect for the many excursionists and
the d
sken
resit holiday parties at Scarborough. Suddenly
y became overcast, rain began to fall, and
with singular and alarming suddenness a fearful
tempest raged over the whole district. Between
eight and nine o'clock the passage of the streets'

was dangerous, from the falling roofs and chimneys
of the houses. In Globe-street, Mr. David Parkin-
son, hairdresser, was killed in his house by the fall
of an adjoining stack of chimneys. While seated
at breakfast with his wife they felt the rocking of
the premises, whereupon Mr. Parkinson proceeded
upstairs, apprehensive for the safety of his children,
who were yet in bed. He had but reached the
staircase when the chimneys of the next house fell
with a fearful crash through the roof of his house,
the accumulated wreck breaking through the upper
floor, and partially through the next floor. A party
of workmen passing at the time (it being their
breakfast hour) rushed in and commenced a search
for the inmates. Mrs. Parkinson and the children
providentially escaped; but the unfortunate man
was found buried in the staircase, among the fallen
rubbish, and quite dead. He was pressed closely
to the wall, and his head was literally smashed, the
skin being torn from the bone from the eyebrows
upwards, presenting a ghastly spectacle. Several
narrow escapes at sea, from pleasure-boats near the
harbour, occurred during the outbreak of the gale.
So sudden and violent was the tempest that it was
impossible for them to reach the harbour, although
only a few yards away. The wind blew from the
north, and a party of four young gentlemen were cast
upon the rocks a mile to the south of the town ; and
it was only by the exertions of one of the party, a
nephew of Dr. Robertson, who was an expert swim-
mer, that the rest were saved. Every street in
the town is strewed with materials and rubbish.
Two new houses were entirely blown down on the
esplanade, and on the north side scarcely a window
has been left to many of the most exposed houses.
The peculiarity of the storm is the exceeding sud-
denness with which it broke out into full violence.
In an hour and a half a fine tranquil morning had
given place to one of the most violent and devasta-
ting storms with which the town and neighbour-
hood were ever visited. Fruit and flower gardens
have severely suffered, and in many parts they will
not recover this season.
It blew very hard from the westward at Ply-
mouth on Sunday afternoon, and at half-past eight
o'clock the Netherlands screw steam-frigate Zee-
land, 51, Capt. H. Wipff, parted her chain in Ply-
mouth Sound, when a second anchor was let go, by,
which she held on. Yesterday morning a Govern-
' ment tug went down from Devonport with the in-
tention of removing the Zeeland further to the
westward, but she had not sufficient power for the
purpose. The frigate drifted to leeward, and
coming in contact with Messrs. Money Wigram's
passenger ship Suffolk, the jibbooms of both were
carried away. When the wind declines a second
tug will most likely be sent down, and the Zeeland
will then be removed about half a mile to the west-
ward. It was intended that the Suffolk should
leave for Melbourne yesterday; she will, however,
be detained 24 hours to make good defects.
It blew a hard gale at Portsmouth from W.N.W.,
and all communication, except by signal, between
the shipping at Spithead and the shore was in con-
sequence entirely suspended. The:men-of-war at
Spithead sent down topgallant yards, and pointed
lower and topsail yards to the wind. Barometer
at 9 a.m., 29.66 ; at 5 p.m., 29 SO.
One of the most severe gales ever witnessed in
Liverpool visited that port on Sunday night, and
continued with unabated violence during yester-
day. It began to blow fresh on Saturday after-
noon, and gradually increased until it had reached
a perfect hurricane, accompanied 'with hail and
sleet. The damage to the shipping in Liverpool
has been very great. The traffic between the two
sides of the river was maintained only with consi-
derable difficulty, and many of the vessels anchored
in the river sustained considerable damage, as the
wind, blowing from the north-west, had a clear and
unchecked sweep into the port. The following is a
list of the casualties which had occurred up to the
time when our parcel was despatched. The Rock-
away, for New York, carried away part of her
quarter by collision with the north stage. A ship,
supposed to be the Emily Gardner, grounded at
Garston-point ; and another, name unknown, near
Eastham. The J. M. Wood, from New Orleans,
fouled the Waterloo dock wall, and sustained con-
siderable damage. The West Point, from New Or-
leans, drove against the Victoria wall, broke the
crane there, and was herself much damaged. '1 he
schooner Elise, from Bordeaux, dragged and fouled
the south lauding-stage, and was damaged. The I.
L. Hall, from St. John's, New Brunswick, drove
against the Prince's Pier, and got into the Basin
for safety, slightly damaged. The Young Sam,
from Boston, slipped from her moorings, fouled the
south landing-stage, and damaged herself and the
stage. The ship Adelaide, from New York, came •
into collision with the bark Seaflower, for Africa.
The latter sank immediately afterwards, and the
former ran on the Sloyne, after grinding on the
wreck and fouling the :schooner Rose, which had
both her masts carried away. The gale still con-
tinues,
and as the river is very full of shipping, it
is feared more damage will be done.

L'AS T LYDIA COAL comr.ixr.

..

At the ordinary general meeting of the proprie-
tors, held at the London Tavern yesterday, Mr.
Haymen in the chair, the report of the directors
was presented. It stated—" That as the Govern-
ment contract extends over two years, it is advis-
able to consider the workings of the period embraced
in the last and present balance-sheets together.
The amount written off to revenue from preliminary
expanses and from general expenses of previous
3 ears, upwards of £6,000 must be added t the net
balance on revenue for the two years—this will
show for the period a working profit of £12,400, or
over 7 per cent. per annum ; this amount has been
absorbed by the payment of the last dividend of 7
per cent., and the large sums written off the preli-
minary expenses. The directors take the opportu-
nity of annexing a report from Mr. C. S. Staig
(formerly of the East Indian Railway), the super-
intendent at the collieries, on the nature, extent,
and workings of the company's property under
his charge, together with a chart, showing their
respective positions in the district, as well as
the course the extension lines of the railway
now under construction by the East India Rail-
way Company, will take through the com-
pany's lands. It appears that by both these
lines the shareholders will be largely benefited.
The Barakar extension puts the valuable mines
at Neegeah in railway communication with Cal-
cutta, while the Singarun branch does the same for
all the pits between Gopecnauthpore and Toposi.
These lines, it is confidently believed by the agent,
will be finished within 12 months. By one of the
statements it appears that the average rate of cart
hire for conveyance of coals from the mines in the
Singarun Valley to the railway terminus is 7 pie
per maund, or equal in sterling to 2s. per ton ; this
heavy tax on profits will shortly cease, but this is
not the greatest advantage that will be derived
from these branch railways, inasmuch as the supply
of carts is limited, and unequal to the requirements
of the company. A contract has been entered into
between the company and the East Indian Railway
Company for two years, for a supply of coals in
Calcutta and at the various stations on the Ganges
to Allahabad, to the steamers of the railway com-
pany, which came into full operation on Ist January
last. In October last the directors purchased and
despatched to Calcutta a 12-horse power portable
steam-engine, with winding and pumping gear com-
plete, which is now in course of erection, The direc-
tors have taken possession of the property " Pur-
asia," and both the agent of the company and the
superintendent at the mines confidently state that
they will immediately be able to more than double
the quantity of coals raised. The directors intend to
declare all shares forfeited on which the last call
shall not have been paid by the 31st July next.
The directors have resolved on recommending to
the shareholders that the number of shares requi-
site for the qualification of a director shall be 100
instead of 25 as at present. The directors expect a
large increase in the working expanses, owing to
recent accession to the property, thus creating a
necessity for additional working capital, and they
have resolved on asking authority to offer rateably
to such shareholders as may be willing to take them
the forfeited shares of the company, on payment of
£5 per share."
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the re-
port, and said that the difficulties with which the
company had had to contend might be said to be at
an end, and the recent purchases which the direc-
tors hadbeen authorised to make would enable them
greatly to increase the quantity of coal brought
to market. During the last fortnight of the work-
ings
Boyle,th the railingsth(ir haagde inntc, r ehaasde cent.dwri
tte written
per
vcent.
o;
thisand
country, stating that he would shortly be able to
get from the East Indian Railway as many as 18
trucks, which was more than double the number
he was now working with. (Hear, hear.) He
(the Chairman) thought the affairs of the company
had now arrived at the turning point, and it was
only necessary for the directors and shareholders to
act in harmony together in order to bring the
_un-
dertaking to a successful issue. (Hear, hear.) In
conclusion he moved the adoption of the report.
A discussion ensued, in which some dissatisfac-
tion was expressed at the non-declaration of a di-
vidend, but after explanations from the chairman
and Mr. Hume (one of the directors), the report ,
was adopted with four dissentients.
After the transaction of some routine business
the directors postponed their intended resolution
for raising further capital by issuing at £5 the
£lO shares which are to be forfeited for nonpay-
ment of calls. The question will be discussed im-
mediately after the forfeiture of the shares at the
meeting which the directors intend holding for
j,,c
that purpose an the 31st lust,