The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-13 00:00:00

LIFE-SAVING RAFTS.

A considerable number of persons assembled yes-
terday at the bridge over the Serpentine to see some
experiments made with a machine which purports to
be a life-saving raft, and which is the invention of
an American merchant captain. Amongst those
present were Lord Ranelagh, Colonel Brownlow
Knox, Mr. Page, the eminent engineer, &c. The
machine consists of a light wooden frame, with
flexible hinges, and which can be easily
when not required for use. The frame is supported
when in the water by pontoon-shaped bags or
cylinders of indiarubber, and which can easily and
speedily be inflated. The bags, when thus filled
with air, act as tighteners to the wooden frame, and,
can accor to
all together, form a raft which stowed away
including
persons.ding The
size, sustain fifty, or even
h.uancluding the inflation
s minutes, and then
raft was prepared yesterday,
sohfottheinptoontothoens
in five or ix
water from the balustrade of the
bridge. It righted itself at once, and, about forty-
five
persons having got upon it, floated about in the
water without very sensibly increasing its immer-
sion. The general opinion expressed was that the
raft would be a great addition to the means of
saving life in such terrible cases as the recent one of
the Evening Star, and that the price at which it
could be constructed would enable ships of any con-
siderable size to be furnished with it. We were in-
formed that the raft has already been extensively
adopted in the American merchant service, and that
nt
cta
compact-
ness
its usefulness is held in high estimation on the
other side of the Atlantic. The inventor, Mr. E.
S.
ap
ePenrreyss,
aculdaimslins
pfloircithyisin reaoftnsttrhuion vages of
e
d
ch
when packed, and greater bill
d t
aap a ty than
lifeboats for sea-going steamers, as not being liable
to be either stove in,
swamped, or capsized at those
critical periods when its services would be called
into requisition.

A BROUGHAM AND A BUS.—By this difference.
s itne rt
hllea Hall
obnett
rack
kn
of Lordco
advocates.atn pbell an
concerning the pronunciation ofword h
still
urt
is reminded of an amicable contest
a tliat occurredtap
resen. t
'West-
minster
dm
hes
.-
na a Q.C.
action vim(' toi
recover for damages done to a carriage, the learned coun-
sel repeatedly called the vehicle in question a brougham,
pronouncing both syllables of the word brougham.
pon Lord Campbell with considerable pomposity observed,
Broom is tho more usual pronunciation ; a carriage of
the kind you mean is generally and not incorrectly called
a broom—that pronunciation is open to no grave objection
and it has the great advantage of saving the time consumed
by uttering an extra syllable." Half an hour later in the
same trial, Lord Campbell, alluding to a decision given in
a similar action, said, " In that case the carriage which had
sustained injury was an nninibus--" " Pardon me, my
lord," interposed the Queen's counsel, with such prompti-
tude that his lordship was startled into silence, "a carriage
of the kind to which you draw attention is usually termed
a bus ;' that pronunciation is open to no grave objection,
and it has the greatadvantage of savingthe time consumed
by uttering two extra syllables." The interruption was
followed by a roar of laughter, in which Lord Campbell
joined more heartily than any one else. Jeaffresem's Book
about Lawyers.

COLONEL STODARE.—EGYPTIAN-HALL,
Piccadilly.
Madame STODARE, widow of the late Colonel Stodare
announces that, having taken a very prominent part in all
her late husband's incomparable Feats of Magic, she has
made ARRANGEME.N rs (with the assistance of Mr. Fir-
bank Burman) to RESUME the ENTERTAINMENT which
has been given by Colonel Stodare at his Theatre of Mystery.
Egyptian-Hall, with such remarkable success for a period of
nearly two years. The FiRsT REPREsENTATION will
take place on SATURDAY MORNING, Nov. 17, 1E66, at
Three o'clock, and will be repeated every evening at Eight
o'clock, and on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons at Three
o'clock. The surpr,sing illusion of the Sphinx, she famous
Indian Basket Trick, and the Marvel of Mecca, all originally
in the
invented
varied entertalament. and introduced by Colonei Stodare, will be produced
MR. JAMES WEAVER, Manager.

THE "SUN" NEWSPAPER._
G. R. GLENIE, Sporting Library, 4 Connaught •
terrace, Edqware-r.oad,, is speeiall ,
yappointed ADEN t' to
deliver the LATE EDITION of ~ Tin.;SUN "
manytic
parts of
earliest possible moment after leaving the press. at the
is able
to deliver copies in Town, the Suburbs, and in
the Country at a comparatively early hour the same evening,
say 40 miles by 9 o'clock.
Orders by Post punctually attended to.