The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-13 00:00:00

LOSS OF 4 TROOP SHIP.

The loss of the ship Neptune, while on her voyage
from Calcutta to Bambay in July last, with troops,
is thus reported by Capt. Fillan :
"On the 16th ult. we left the pilot. Up to the
19th had fine weather (too fine for the season) •, on
10th commencement of bad weather, and no obser-
vations for 10 days. 26—Sprung mainmast, in the
most terrific squall I have ever seen or felt. 27
Mainmast broke short off by the eyes of the rig-
ging, taking main and foreyards with it. 28—A
terrific storm, with constant rain. 29—Got ajury
foreyard-up, and bore away for Akyab ; after this
the weather got better, but still blowing hard. 31,
8.45 a.m., sighted high land south. of Akyab, and
at 3 p.m. got disabled again by the loss of the
foreyard. As we could not in this state fetch
Akyab, we turned the ship out to the westward ;
the wind at the time being easterly, enabled us to
clear a dangerous oyster reef, which was under our
lee, and we were in hopes of being able to get sea-
room to get another foreyard up, but it was not to
be, for the current carried us fast to the northward,
and on the same night we anchored off Coast Reef.
Next morning (Aug. 1), about noon, the cable parted,
and we headed the ship for the reef, and could do
nothing else. The fourth time she struck the
rudder broke, and she continued driving and strik-
ing hard until two a.m. of the 2d, and that, too,
without making more water than we could easily
keep free, when she stopped in less water than her
own draught. Next morning (2d), with the flood
tide, a large sea set in, bursting the lower cabin
windows in ; mate, carpenter, and captain, trying
to barricade them, got washed away frequently;
was therefore compelled to give it up, and the ship
very soon filled, she lying stern-on to sea. As the
tide made more the sea bcame higher, and it broke
over the stern (speaking within bounds) 30 feet
high; ultimately the upper cabin windows got
burst in, and the sea made a clean sweep through
the cuddy. About this time a steamer hove
sight, and the cry that came from the troops and
seamen was enough to waken the dead. A steam-
ship ! a steamship 1-we're--saved)! we're saved !'
We were at the moment endeavouring to construct
a raft ; it would have been of no use, even if it had
been practicable. We hurried on to the poop deck,
and sure enough it was a steamer skirting the outer
edge of the reef, and looking for a place to get as
close to us as possible. She anchored within 11
mile of it., and despatched her boats. In the first
boat we put the wife of Major Swaffield (a little
heroine); next, her female attendant; after which,
all of the sick, and as each boat came iv we caused
the men singly to get into them, and according to
to their rank ; seamen in a like manner ; and ere
the last heat lft the ship the sea was not only gut-
ting the cuddy, but was sweeping in large masses
over the poop-deck, on to the main deck, and up on
to the forecastle head, and over the bows; but
through God's mercy we were all saved, and that
too, without a scratch. More signal a deliverance
could not be. Great praise is due to the troops and
officers for their steadiness during the many trying
hours to which they were exposed—in fact, they
were a band of heroes, and the major's wife at their
head. From the time of getting disabled the se-
cond time, we kept firing guns until Tuesday morn-
ing (three days), wnen our powder became ex-
pended, and, strange to say, that although our guns
were heard in Akyab on Sunday and on Monday,
the steamer was not sent to our aid until Tuesday
morning, and she was but in time, for a few minutes
after we left the ship it would have been impossible
for any one to have remained alive."

THE' WRECK OF THE DUKE OF

RICHMOND STEAMER.

The Aberdeen correspondent of the 'Scotsman,
writing on Monday, says :—" This vessel, which
run ashore a few miles northwards of Aberdeen,
early on Saturday morning, has now (Monday
afternoon) become so much of a wreck that no hope
is entertained of her being got off the beach in
state for sea again. She left Wick on Friday a
fore-
noon, and reached Aberdeen about three o'clock on
Saturday morning. Here the fog was very thick,
and it was resolved not to attempt making the hdr-
hour till daylight should comnde. in. Thinking the
ship was all safe by the soundings, and the morn-
ings,
ing being calm, the gentleman in temporary com-
mand, Capt. Geddes (the regular master, Campbell,
had been unable from illness to be with the steamer)
it is said, went to bed, having had a long stretch on
deck, and left the steamer in charge of the mate'
gone All seems to have smoothly, with no antici-
pated' danger, for a couple of hours or so, when
suddenly white-crested breakers were discovered
on each side of the vessel, and an immediate order
was given to back her. It was too late, however ;
the steamer was so firmly fixed in the sand that
the engines were powerless, and all around being
still to a great extent in gloom, no little alarm pre-
vailed amongst the passengers, who were much
more numerous than the first accounts stated, there
being, including children, 114 persons on board.
No disorder or panic, however, happily took place,
and a number of the gentlemen, making out-from
the position of the vessel and the strength of the
breakers that the land could not be many yards off,
resolved to venture to reach it by wading. This
they fortunately—though not without considerable
danger, as not a few of them volunteered to carry
children—accomplished ; and soon after by aid of the
boats and the gallant exertions of the crew, every
person was got safely ashore. A message having
been sent to Aberdeen for assistance, two tugs im-
mediately steamed from that port, while 100 car-
penters from thee building-yard of the Messrs. Hall
also started for the scene of the accident. The life
and other boats were likewise sent round, and exer-
tions were forthwith made to lighten the vessel by
taking off the sheep on board, 200, and a portion of
the cargo, a great quantity of which was fish of
various kinds, destined for Edinburgh, Glasgow,
&c. The cattle, in number about 40, were between
decks. These it was found impossible to remove,
and the consequence is that between 20 and 30 of
them have perished. High-water occurred at half-
past 10 on Saturday forenoon, and it was confi-
dently expected the steamer would be then got off;
but, as was stated yesterday, all efforts to effect
this were fruitless, and though constant endeavours
were made with the same view all day, and 100
additional carpenters were sent in the same even-
ing by the Messrs. Hall, the steamer remains a
hopeless wreck in the sands. Most of the goods
will, it is stated, be saved ; the greatest loss in this
respect being the cattle which had been drowned
The Duke of Richmond—which belongs to the
Aberdeen, Leith, and Clyde Shipping Company—
though an old vessel, leaving been built in 1838,
underwent so thorough a repair last year that she
was looked upen as comparatively a new ship ; £6,000
was then expended on her, and her value is said to
be about £9,000. She is insured, it is understood,
to two-thirds of this latter sum. The foreign brig
that drove ashore 10 or 12 miles to the southward
of Aberdeen, also on Saturday morning, shortly
went to pieces, having struck on a rock. All hands
were saved. Endeavours were making to rescue
as much of her cargo (flax) as possible."

THE LATE SIR -JOHN FRANKLIN.—Steps are
being- taken to prorhoto the erection of a monument to the
late Sir John Franklin at Spilsby, Lincolnshire, where the
gallant Arctic hero was born.
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HEALTH OF LONDON DURING 211 E

WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Report.)

October is a healthy month in London. In the
week that ended last Saturday the deaths were 993,
having been above 1,000 weekly, in some instances
much above that point during the previous three
months., After reducing the mortality in corres-
ponding weeks of the last 10 year, 1849-58, to the
extent of the deaths from epidemic cholera in two
outbreaks, it will be found that the deaths returned
for last week are less by nearly 100 than the num-
ber that would arise under the average rate of mor-
tality.
The deaths from diarrhcea continue to decline ;
they were last week 34. But scarlatina is still fatal ;
95 cases being referred to this complaint, and 11 to
diphtheria. Twenty-two children, and six persons
beyond childhood died of small-pox. Five deaths
from scarlatina occurred in St. John, Westminster,
six in Islington West, five in St. Mary, St. George-
in-the-East, and four in St. Paul, part of the same
district. A boy, aged 14 months, died after a week's
illness of inflammation of the lungs and bronchitis,
from apiece of nut getting inside the windpipe ; a
woman, aged 22 years, died at 5 St. Patrick's-ter-
race, Newington, of "English cholera (48 hours) ;"
a girl, 12 years old, died from the " bite of a dog
(six weeks), cerebellitis (three weeks) ;" and a plane
maker is stated to have died on the Ist inst., in the
workhouse, Whitechapel, at the great age of 103
years.
Last week the births of 917 boys and 840 girls,
in all 1,757 children, were registered in London.
IU the ten corresponding weeks of the years
1848-49 the average number was 1,407.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.836 in.
The readings fell from 30.07 in. on Sunday,
being the highest, to 29.67 in. on Friday, the lowest
iu the week. The mean temperature of the air
was 62.1 deg., which is as much as 9.4 deg. above
the average. On Tuesday the thermometer in
the shade rose to 81 deg., and the mean temperature
of that day exceeded the average of the same day
by nearly 14 deg. The mean temperature was
considerably above the average on every day.
The humidity of the air was 95 on Saturday.
which approximates to the point of saturation. The
wind blew from the south-east chiefly.
In the thirteen weeks that ended Oct. 1A the
mortality in London was high ; it was at the an-
nual rate of 23 out of 1,000 persons living. The
total number of deaths was 16,010, of which so
large a proportion as 9,056 occurred to persons in
the first2o years of life. In the corresponding guar=
tern of four years, 1855-58—the deaths ranged from
13,042 to 14,345. The mean temperature of the
quarter was high, 62 9 deg., though not so high as
that of 1857 ; and in part of July the heat was ex-
cessive, on two days having reached 93 deg. in the
shade (the mean more than 12 deg. above the ave-
rage); and 115 deg. in the sun. The consequence was
an unusual amount of diarrhcea, which however
gradually fell during the last two months, being
checked by thelall of temperature, and also by the
rain, seven inches of which, or about the average

quantity, were measured during the quarter. The
number of deaths from diarrhoea registered during
the whole period was 2,743, whilst only about half
that numPer occurred in the same season of last
year ' and in the warm season of 1857 the number
was 2,343. The disease committed its ravages
almost entirely amongst young children. It is im-
portant to observe that it was fatal in 768 cases in
the east districts, considerably more than in those
on the south side of the river, which contain a
larger population. In Haggerstone West sub-district

48 —cases were returned, in Bethnal Green Town 50,
in Poplar 57. In Greenwich East there were 44.
Scarlatina was also very fatal, though iu a less de-
gree than it was in the summer of last year ; and
like diarrhea, it appears to have prevailed much
in the eastern division. In all parts scarlatina
carried]of 778 persons, diphtheria 100, small-pox
287. The largest contribution of deaths from
smallpox (91) is also made by the eastern portion
of the metropolis, although the hospital appro-
priated to this disease is not situated within its
bounds. Six persons died in the quarter from want
of food, 172 infants from want of breast-milk and
inanition, 18 persons from purpura and scurvy, 50
from intemperance and delirium tremens, 20 by
murder or manslaughter, 54 by suicide.