The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-08 00:00:00

RAILWAYS.
Cash.

Orleans .
Northern
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern
'Western
Eastern
Sardinian.
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa
Ditto to Barcelona
Roman

Lifeboat Oars.

The National Lifeboat Institution issued on
Saturday the following circular to its branches on
the coasts of the British Isles. We trust its con-
tents will bc carefully attended to, and that in-
creasing attention will be directed to improve, if
possible, the quality of the material of which the
lifeboat oars is made. Although no one can wish
the crew of lifeboats to run unnecessary risk merely
for practice in the boats, yet it is manifest that the
boats must occasionally be taken into rough seas in
order to give their crews a knowledge of the boats'
qualities, and of their proper management in
cases of actual service. To all the lifeboats of the
institution is attached a drag-bag or drogue, for
towing over the stern of the boats when
they are in heavy seas, to prevent them broach-
ing-to. We fear that this drogue was not
used in the Lizard lifeboat on the occasion of the
sad calamity which occurred there on the 2d inst.
We trust, however, that coxswains of lifeboats will
in future take warning by that accident, and that
they will never go afloat again in the lifeboats
without spare oars and the drogue.
"Royal National Lifeboat Institution, 14, John-
street, Adelphi, London, Jan. 6.
"Dear Sir,—ln consequence of the frequent breaking of
oars in the lifeboats, the committee wish to direct the at-
tention of the coxswains of all the boats belonging to this
institution to the importance of a sufficient number of
spare ones being always carried in their boats, whenever
afloat, either on service or for the quarterly exercise.
"Not less than four spare oars should bo carried in the
double-banked boats, nor less than three in the single-
banked ones ; and they should be lashed to the thwarts or
central batten, so that they cannot be washed overboard,
or be lost in the event of a boat being upset.
" Will you be good enough to call the particular atten-
tion of your coxswain to this circular, to whom you will
please hand the duplicate copy, and to say to him that this
institution expects that he will most carefully attend to
these important instructions abut the extra oars, as de
tailed herein.—l am, yours faithfully,

"RICHARD LEWIS, Secretary.
"To the Honorary Secretary, ---
branch of the Royal National Lifeboat
Institution."

SOMETHING ABOUT J. WILKES BOOTH.—As the
most trifling fact connected with one who succeeded in
securing for himself such an immortality of infamy as at-.
tacbes to the memory of J. Wilkes Booth interests the
public, I cannot refrain from relating something I heard
about him yesterday. I will tell it in the words of my
informant, an amateur dramatist, who knew Booth long
and intimately :—" About four hours before the murder of
the President," said Mr. to me, "1 met Booth near the
Metropolitan Hotel. I took him to ono side to speak to
him, and found him as calm, cool, and collected as ever 1
had known him in my life. I told him that I had a play
that I wanted to put on the stage, and that Grover had
agreed to put it on if I would get some one to play the
leading character. You can study it in a few hours,' said
I,' and I'll divide the profits with you.' Booth stroked his
chin, appeared to think a moment, and replied : I
have quit the stage—for the present, at least. I am
in the oil business now, and I don't want to give that
up till I make something at it.' Oh,' said I, ' you
might do this for me, just to start it for me. It will only
take you a week, and then you can go back to the oil
business again." He hesitated, as if to consider the
subject, and then inquired the nature of the play. I
told him the leading incident in it was to make an attempt
to escape from Castle Thunder, and that there was a little
love and a little war mixed up in it. At this he became
suddenly angry. "Damn it," said he, "you ought to be
in a better business than seeking to inflame the passions j
of the Northern people against the South. Of course, if
played here, the North will have to be the hero. I won't
have anything to do with it." I then tried to soothe him,
as ho appeared to become very indignant to me all of a
sudden. I told him we needn't quarrel about such a thing,
and asked him to come to the Metropolitan and take a
drink with me ; but he declined. He said that he had an
engagement that he must fill right away, and he started
up the avenue, as it appears from the testimony since
taken, to Mrs. Suratt's, to complete the arrangements for
the murder of Lincoln and his Cabinet. There wasn't the
least room for suspicion that there was anything wrong
with him. I had known him for years, and I didn't
notice anything extraordinary about him when we parted
with a cordial shake of hands, as it has since proved for-
ever.—Washington Correwoncloce Cincinnati Commercial.