The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-20 00:00:00

FUNERAL OF THE LATE MR, ROBERT
,ST F,
- -

Yesterday afternoon. work:Len began their pre-
parations for the grave of the lamented and talented
engineer, Mr. Robert Stephenson, in Westminster
Abbey, under the superintendence of Mr. Knight,
clerk of works under the dean and chapter, vho,
by a singular coincidence, has been associated for
many yev.rs with Mr. Stephenson in the construc-
tion and execution of the principal railway works
in the kingdom.
The spot selected for the grave is very near the
centre of the nave, and it will lie between the bodies
of two men of eminence, both endowed with rare
qualities, and noted as benefactors to the human
race in their day and generation. On tho left lies
the celebrated engineer Mr. George Telford, the
constructor of the suspension-bridge across the
Menai Straits, whose plan for crossing the straits at
Bangor was at the time looked upon as the produc-
tion of a master mind, but which, since then, has
been altogether eclipsed by the stupendous erection
in close proximity to it, known as the Britannia-
bridge, connecting Wales with the Isle of Anglesey.
On the right hand side is deposited the body of Dr.
Bell, the founder of the Madras system of teaching,
and which is up to the present day the adopted sys-
tem of instruction in the national schools of the
Church of England. The grave is only four feet
from the level of the pavement, and the latter has
not been disturbed for a considerable distance since
the interment of Mr. George Telford, which took
place in February, 1834.
It is expected that all the most eminent engineers
of the day, members of Parliament, and private
friends, will attend the funeral, which will take
place to-morrow (Friday).
SOLEMNITIES AT NEWCASTLE.—Yesterday no-
tices were issued by the mayor of Newcastle-on-
Tyne, and by the mayor of Tynemouth, requesting
the inhabitants of those towns to close their shops
and places of business at noon on Friday, on the
occasion of the funeral of the late Mr. Robert Ste-
phenson. Similar marks of respect will be shown
by the towns of Gateshead, South Shields, and Sun-
derland. The mayor of Newcastle, the sheriff, town
clerk, Alderman Dodds, Alderman Bell, and other
gentlemen connected with the town and trade of
Newcastle, will attend the funeral of Mr. Stephen-
son ; and, at the request of the workpeople of Robt.
Stephenson and Co., the vicar of Newcastle-on-Tyne
has intimated that Divine service will be held in
the venerable church of St. Nicholas, at noon on
Friday, which will be attended by all the men in
the employ of the well-known firm. The banks will
be closed, and, in fact, there will be an entire cessa-
tion of business in the northern district during the
funeral of Mr. Stephenson.

TV_RECK OF THE SHIP HEROINE, AND
LOSS OF LIFE.

Particulars have been received respecting the loss
of the heroine on a reef about two miles from
Ronne, while on her passage from Greenock to
Cronstadt. Captain Brown states that he came
round Fakerbo Lightship on the afternoon of the
3Jth September with a fresh breeze from W.S.W.
He set studding sails, and steered an E.S.E. course,
until shortly before the ship struck. The night was
dark and cloudy when he went below at midnight,
after leaving instructions with the mate. When he
came on deck at 4 o'clock next morning the weather
was rainy and hazy. The mate called his attention
to what he supposed to be two vessels' lights on the
lee bow. The wind was then S.W. by S., and had
been the same since eight o'clock on the preceding
evening. After being on deck for some time, Cap-
tain Brown states that the lights appeared more
distinct, and he began to fear they were on the
land. A good look-out was kept by him and the
watch, and about forty minutes to 5 o'clock, he being
himself forward looking over the bows, he thought
he saw the loom of the land close by the lights, and
in this he was confirmed by the opinion of one of the
men: The helm was immediately ordered to be put
up, and the ship was kept away N.E. by N. until the
chart was examined. On this being done, Captain
Brown altered the course to N.N.E., and then went
forward and looked over the starboard bow. At this
time he supposed, judging from the appearance of
the land through the haze and darkness, that they
were about two miles off, but at this point the
ship struck slightly. The captain immediately ran
aft and hove the helm hard a-starboard, but it was
too late, for she stuck fast. All hands were imme-
diately called, the yards braced, and the fore and
aft canvas set to try and lay her over, but she never
moved. The sails having been clewed up, they
were boarded by a number of boats from the shore,
with the crews of which the captain made an agree-
ment to take the ship off; but the wind freshening
and the sea rising, they could not carry an anchor
out. The pumps were sounded, but it was found
the ship was making little or no water, there only
being 20 inches when the boats left. The crews of
the boats requested the captain and crew to go on
shore, but the captain declared his intention of not
leaving the ship, at least till she began to make
water. The ship, having struck several times on
the stones, began to make water, and then orders
were given to let go the anchor and to prepare for
leaving the ship. By this time it was blowing
hard, and the sea running pretty heavy, but as the
ship lay broadside on, the crew had a good oppor-
tunity of getting into the boats. The longboat
was therefore got into the water and some clothes,
&c., put on board. At this juncture the ship canted
head to wind, and the sea began to break heavily
over the longboat. The jollyboat was launched
out at the gangway, and two men got into her,
while one man remained in the longboat to keep
her clear of the side ; the remainder of the crew
were on the point of getting into the boats when a
heavy sea broke over them, stove the longboat,
leaving the man barely time to get out of her before
she sank. One of the two in the jollyboat having cut
the painter the boat fell broadside on to the sea, and
was swamped. Of the two men whowere washed out
one got hold of two of the oars, while the other re-
tained his hold of the boat, which turned on her
bottom again. In this way both nearly reached
the shore, and every endeavour was ma-de to save
them, but of no avail. The body of one of them,
Neil Bell, of Islay, was found shortly afterwards,
but the other, named Alex. Adamson, a native of
Ayr, has not yet been found, although a number of
boats have since been on the look out for the body.
The captain further states that the ship lies about
two miles N.N.W. from Ronne, and one mile from
the land, and on the Vetra Uda Reef. "No such
reef," says he, " was laid down in my chart, which
was a new one I had bought in Greenock. It is
lost along with all the rest of my charts, which
were in the longboat. I have saved the ship's
papers. • They were washed ashore in my chest,
which was also in the longboat." The ship has
since been surveyed, and it being found impossible
to get her off, she has been declared to be a wreck.
—North British Daily Mail.