The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-31 00:00:00

DR. PARIS AND THE TAMPING•BAR.

In the obituary of Dr. Paris (the Lancet, Jan. 3d), it
is inadvertently stated that he gave to the miners of Pen-
zance the boon of the tamping-bar. The context, which
describes the invention as having saved more lives than
many heroes have destroyed, at once points out the error
referred to, since it was the practice of sheathing the
tamping-bar with copper that Dr. Paris fiat introduced
in the above-mentioned neighbourhood. We have been
favoured by Dr, Moore, of Pl) mouth, with some addi-
tional information, which will prove of interest to our

readers.
The use or purpose of the tamping-bar is to bore
through a' piece of wadding that covers the charge of
gunpowder in blasting operations. In the hole so made
the fuse for ignition is inserted, and to bore it some force
is frequently required. The tamping-rod formerly
employed
.was of iron, and, if driven against the rock,
occasionally produced a spark that prematurely ignited
the charge,.with most frightful results.
During• one of the recent blasting operations, in the
construction of the new docks of Holyhead, a mast
of rock weighing 120,000 tons was blasted by one charge
of less than 15 cwts. of powder. • •It may easily be con-
ceived what would have been the effect of an inadver-
tent spark on this charge, and ho,w great a debt is due
to the man who first suggested the expedient—simple
as the egg puzzle df Columbus—Of sheathing the tamp-
ing bar with copper. Dr. Moore informs us that it was
"at the suggestion of Mr. John Williams Dr. Paris
bad it shod with an alloy of copper and zinc
(86 parts to 14), which did not excite
ignition ; .he also recommended
.that the neele,
or needle, should be of the same composition, and more-
over invented a copper shifting cartridge tube, to econo-
mise the powder and facilitate its introduction into the
blast-hole. It is to be regretted that these valuable
modifications are not now acted on to the extent they
should be, as the cost of the materials has occasioned an
althost universal return to the use of the cheaper,
though more dangerous substance, iron."—Lancet.

HAYMARKET THEATRE.—Wednesday, Feb. 4, will be
he 1000th consecutive night of te season at this estab-
ishment, the theatre not baying been closed on any one

occasion except on Ash Wednesday, on a Fast Day, and
in Passion week, an event unparalleled in theatrical

atinals.

At the Court of Bankruptcy, Mr. W. Smith, ban-
ker, of Watford and Hemel Hempstead, passed his
last examination on a supplemental balance-sheet. The
qnestion of the liability of the executors of Mr, Whit-
tingstall (the late partner of Mr. Smith) to the debts of
the bank was ordered to stand over for private diseuc-
SiOD.
TOTAL WEALTH OF THE UNITED STATES.—It is shown
by the American papers just received that the grand
total value " of real and personal wealth" of the whole
of the United States of America, in 1856, amounted to

the sum of $11,317,611,972, or:nearly 3,000,000,0001.

The population) amounted to 26,964,312 souls. The
wealthiest States are those of New York, Pennsylvania,

'Virginia, Georgia, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Ohio,

South Carolina, and Tennessee.
CAPTURE OF AN ABSCONDED PRISONER.—A curious
case of the reapprehension of a prisoner occurred a few
days ago at Torquay, Devonshire. In September, 1850,
Mr. Thomas Parrott, a middle-aged man of respectable
connexions, and who had been a schoolmaster, was com-
mitted for trial on a charge of stealing money from a
baker named Coplestone. Parrott, with his wife and
daughter, rented apartments of Mr. Coplestone. Money
had been frequently missed from the till in the shop,
and a police-officer, concealed under the counter, was
set to watch. In the middle of the night he detected
Parrott, who had comedown into the chop in his night
dress, in the act of robbing the till. After his committal
bail was accepted ; the prisoner did not appear at the
quarter sessions, and the recognisances were forfeited.
Lord Courtenay, the chairman, issued a warrant for his
apprehension, but he could not be discovered. Within
the past few days, however, he made his appearance at
Torquay, and being identified was taken into custody,
and was forthwith committed to the Devon County
Prison. The prisoner said he understood that the fact
of his bondsmen having paid the amount of his bail ren-
dered him no longer amenable for the offence.
AN AIERIOAN SAILOR'S SKETCH OF ENGLISH HIGH
LIFE.—The following peep at English domestic life is
published in an American paper as an extract from a
letter written by an officer of the Merrimac frigate, when
she lay at Southampton, in October :—" Much attention
has been paid us ashore, too, especially by two families
—one, that of an old East India general (General Frazier),
the other that of Lord Hardwicke. Lord Hardwicke's
family consists of his Countess, his eldest son (about 18
to 20, and Lord Royston by courtesy), three of the finest-
looking daughters you ever saw, and several younger
sons. The daughters—Lady Elizabeth, Lady Mary, and
Lady Agneta—are surpassingly beautiful. They take a
great deal of out-door exercise, and came on board the
Merrimac in a heavy rain, with Irish thicker-soled sboes
than you or I ever wore, and cloaks and dresses almost
impervious to wet. They steer their father's yacht,
walk for miles, and don't care a cent about rain, besides
doing a host-of other things that would shock our ladies
to death ; and yet in the parlour they are the most ele-
gant women in their satin shoes and diamonds I ever
saw. The countess looks like a fit mother for three such
women. His lordship has given us three or four dinners.
He lives here merely during the yachting season, and
leaves here on Friday for his country seat at Cambridge,
where he spends his winter, as do all English gentlemen
of means, in hunting, &c., and when Parliament is in
session be lives in London. Here he has a host of ser-
vants, and they wear the gaudiest livery—white coats
with big silver buttons, white cravats, plush knee breeches
and vest, white silk stockings, and low shoes."
THE "ONE PASSENGER" LOST IN THE VIOLET.— The
identity of the passenger lost in the Dover and Ostend
mail packet Violet has been now proved, and that in a
quarter where it was least expected. It is Dow satisfac-
torily ascertained that the deceased was a Prne'ian
Baron von Issing, captain of the 7th company of the
15th regiment of Infantry, in garrison at Minden. This
officer obtained leave of absence to go over to
London on family affairs, taking with him 500
dollars in cash, and bills to the amount of 2,000 dol.
tars. When the news arrived of the loss of the
Violet, this officer's wife (who is a sister of the farmer
cantatrice, Sophie Cruvelli, now Baroness Vigier), be-
came dreadfully alarmed, and caused inquiries to be
made in London, which were answered by the state-
ment that the letters of credit and introduction in posses
eion of the Baron had not been delivered nor the bills
presented for payment. By means of a portrait of the
missing captain sent to Ostend, it was recognised by the
boatmen and people of the hotel as that of the courageous
but ill fated passenger who determined to remain in the
Violet when the other three passengers returned to shore
on that tempestuous night.
MlNES.—There has been a large business doing this
week in a few particular mines, and in many of there a
considerable rise has taken place in price. In shares
generally, though there has been a fair demand for divi-
dend and progressive mines, the business transacted has
not been so extensive as we have had to report upon for
some weeks past. Both tin, copper, and lead are at good
prices, and still likely to advance ; and whilst many
mines must necessarily pay larger dividends, the extension
of the market will bring many new investors into it, al-
though at present there is no perceptible increase. The
large dividend paid on Devon Great Consols last week,
and the expectation of a still larger one at the next twc-
monthly account, has sent the shares to 440. South
Frances has got over the temporary depression, and ad-
vanced to 340, 350. Bassets remain steady at 300 ; the
dividends are not likely to increase beyond Si. per share,
two-monthly. Bailers have advanced to 280, 300 ; the
mine is looking better in the 60 east. South earn Brea
shares have been in demand, and price advanced from
61 to 7, 71, and left off at 7b to 8. Great South Tolgus,
16 to 16,4 ; these mines are likely to advance still more
this day.
after the dividend,--Mining J"7.1"41