The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-19 00:00:00

REMARKABLE ADDRESS TO LADY LON

DONDERRY.

A deputation from the tenantry of the Larne
Estates of the Earl of Antrim, which are shortly
to be sold under the Encumbered Estates Court,
waited upon the Marchioness of Londonderry, on
Friday last, at her town residence, Holdernessa
House London, to present to her ladyship an ad-
dress, inscribed "'lO the Most Noble Frances
Anne Marchioness of Londonderry"—an address
(signed by almost every tenant on the Antrim
estates) of a character as novel as it must
be gratifying to the noble lady principally
interested. The Larne estates of the Earl of An-
trim, as we have said, are shortly to be sold in the
Encumbered Estates Court. The tenantry upon
the estates, seeing the prosperity of those who held
lands under the Marchioness of Londonderry,
adopted the unusual but gratifying course of send-
ing this deputation to her Ladyship, requesting her
to purchase the property now about to change
owners, that they also might experi- nce the benefits
which they knew those upon the adjoining estate
to enjoy. Circumstances have prevented the
Marchioness from adopting the course suggested,
although her own heart was set upon it ; but the
reply given to the deputation was kindly and cha-
racteristic, and the transaction presents a new and
pleasing feature in the relations between landlord
and tenant in Ireland.

MEDITERRANEAN TELEGRAPH EXTEN•
,'ION COMPANY-LIMITED.

The first half-yearly meeting of this company
was held at the London Tavern yesterday, Sir J.
Carmichael in the chair.

The report, which has already appeared, was read.
The OnAirtme_N said that the report was so full
he need not enter into details ; but he would read
a letter from Messrs. Newball, the manufacturer of
the cables, in testimony of the fact that they were
not liable to the same C:1113,25 of injury which affected
the ordinary cables, His own experience as chair-
man of the Submarine Telegraph Company enabled
him to join in that testimony. With regard to the
traffic it was still on the increase, but it was as yet
impossible to say what would be the amount of
the income, or the rate of the dividend, the
complete line was laid down to India. There had
been great delay, he might almost say shameful
delay, in laying down the line to India, but they
had reason to hope that the Government were now
in earnest, and that it would las laid down as
speedily as possible. He might mention that some
months ago the directors made an offer to the' Go-
vernment to lay down any portion of the line to
India o❑ a sufficient guarantee being given, but as
yet they had received no answer to that proposi-
tion. He concluded by moving the adoptions of the
report.
The motion having been seconded, a conversa-
tion arose, in the course of which some fears were
expressed that the encouragement given to the
line, via the Austrian territories would interfere
with the fulfilment of the guarantee to this line,
and

Aldermaan ROSE observed that the guarantee
given by the Government of 6 per cent. dividend
was apparently a contingent rather than a positive
guarante', which accounted for a decline iu the
confidence of some shareholders. He suggested
that steps should bo taken to induce the Govern-
ment to alter the wording of the guarantee, so as
to remove any such impression. He had no doubt
they would do so, as there was no reason to doubt
their good faith.
The SOLICITOR read the clause, by which the
Lords of the Treasury bound themselves, from the
2d of last December, so lung as the line should con-
tinue in working order, to pay such sum, not ex-
ceeding 7,2001. per annum, as shill be necessary to
make up the sum, as profits to be shared iu the way
of dividend of 7,2001. or six per cent. on the
capital. Thus, if the clear profits did not amount
to 6 per cent., Government were bound to make it
up, and the only contingency was, that if the profits
did amount to 6 per cent. without Government aid,
they (the Government) would of course have no-
thing to pay.
This explanation was received with approbation.
Mr. Samuel Gurney and Sir J. Carmichael were
re-elected as directors, and the proceedings termi-
nated.

TERRIBLE BOD,EII EXPLOSION.-SEVEN
LIVES LOST.

Afrightfnl calamity has taken place at the Rhym-
ney iron works, in one of the South Wales valleys,
by which seven persons lost their lives, and a large
number were injured more or less severely. At
the furnaces on the Rhymney side of the river there
are six boilers attached t )the engine which supplies
the hot blast, the cylinders lying parallel to each
other, with their furnace ends separated only by a
road from the forge, while the opposite extremities
are partially embedded in the coal-tip behind,
where the stack stands. A blacksmith's shop also
stands behind, close under the regulator. It is
necessary to be thus minute in order to explain how
the accident happened. With very little noise,
both ends of the tube of one of the boilers gave way,
and poured forth an immense volume of boiling
water,just in the manner of a gun at point-blank
range. This discharge carried everyone before it
—men, women, and boys were swept away. Au
eruptiAt of similar kind took place at the other
end simultaneously, nor oling the smith's shop and
scalding two men frightfully. The victims in front
were the coasters, bailers, and piling ta ; about
20 of the latter were injured in some degree. Three
girls, who stood directly in the way of the charge,
were killed on the spot ; their names are Anti
Davies, aged 15, with severe contusion on the
heat ; Ann Thomas, aged 17 ; and Margaret Hop-
kins, aged 18. The two latter were sitting with a
young man named Walter Morg,n, who was so in-
jured that he die 1 on the same day. Jan"
singer, a coaster, was so feat fa' ly scalded that his
parboiled skin hull(' in festoons over his heels. He,
too, di,d the next lay as d'd also John Lewis, a
lad only 11 years of age. In the middle of tie
night following the awful accident, a man named
John Sheen, expired in excruciating agonies. Tie
shock
as system of the gills received such a • oek
as to render them less sensdAe of pain, but those
who survived for a few hours became the victims of
most horrible suffering. John a antrie-, a black.
smith, who had previously lost a leg, by accident
in the works, was also much injured, hut hopes are
entertained of his recovery. The remaining in-
juries are comparatively trifling.
An inquest has been held before .H. Brewer,
Eq., deputy coroner, and a jthy, and a verdict ef
accidental death was returned.

BRIGHTON NEW LIFE-BOA T.

BRIGHTON, THURSDAY.

To-day the inauguration trial of the new life-
boat, which the National Life Boat I nw,itution has
stationed at Brighton, took place off the pier, in
presence of a large number of persowi, inclu ling
the fishermen and boatmen of the place, who
watched the trial with great interest.
The occurrence of a lamentable wreck off Brighton
last winter, when the crew had a narrow escape of
being drowned owing to the imperfect means at
command to rescue them, clearly proving the ne-
cessity of a good life-boat being permanently sta-
tioned there, an illustration of the fact that although
wrecks have been unfrequent in any exposed
locality, its population are not justified in expect-
ing a permanent immunity from them, and that,
therefore, it is their duty to provide efficient means
to meet such calamities in the event of their oc-
curring.
The life-boat has both ends alike ; a long flat
floor, sides straight in a fore and aft direction,
slightly raking stem and stern port, is diagonally
of built. Length extreme, 30ft. ; breadthbeam,
71ft. ; depth, Sift. The boat pulls 10 oars, double
banked. She has side air-cases under the thwarts,
and raised air-cases in the extremes, up to gun-
wale height. Their means of freeing the boat of any
wa'er she may ship are six tubes, six inches in
diameter each, through the deck and bottom, closed
by self-acting valves. For ballast, and to assist
her in righting, the boat has an iron keel of about
' 8 cwt.

The results of the trial were, first, that the boat
having been hove keel up righted herself instanta-
neously ; second, that she freed herself of water
entirely when light in about twenty seconds ; third,
that she has sufficient room.

The life-boat is on the design of James Peake,
EN , assistant master shipwright in H.M.'s dock-
yard, Woolwich, and was built by the Messrs.
Forrest, of Limehouse. She combines all the latest
improvements that have been made in the boats of
the institution.
The boat on her trial was manned by fishermen,
and was under the charge of Captain Ward, R.N.,
inspector of life-boats to the institution.

The life-boat has attached to her a suitable trans-
porting carriage on which she is kept in a conve-
nient boat-house.

Parliamentary returns st ►te that last year 389
persons shipwrecked on our coast were saved by
life-boats, a large proportion of whom were rescued
through the direct instrumentality of the lifeboats
of the Royal National Life-boat Institution. This
important work, however, can only be continued
by the aid of a generous public. The rescue of
shipwrecked persons from drowning is a work of
mercy and humanity, which so manifestly claims
the sympathy of all classes of persons in this mari-
time and commercial country, that we feel assured
that the present urgent demands on the institution
need only to be known to ensure for it the libaral
support of the community at large.