The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-14 00:00:00

MONDAY
714, 1-17 hilatT& 0-• ,
*6..1
Mitt 4 4 •4 JANUARY 14, 14.150„

FRIGHTFUL DEATH OF THE
"LION QUEEN."
On Saturday evening an inquest was held at the
Gulden Lion Inn, Chatham, before Mr. J. Ilinde,
coroner for West Kent, touching the death of Ellen
Bright, a young girl, aged 17, who was killed on the
previous evening by a tiger in the establishment of
Mr. George Wombwel►, which had arrived in that
town for exhibition on the preceding day. The deceased,
who was denoTninated " the Lion Queen," had the
honour of performing before her Majesty some time
since, and, as will be seen from the evidence, was
going through the usual evolutions with a lion
and tiger at the time she met with her melancholy
death.
Stephen King, the first witness examined, said he
had been in the employ of Mr. Wombwell, as keeper,
for the last six years. The deceased was a niece of
Mr. Wombwell's, and a daughter of John Bright, a
bugle player in the band. It was the business of the
deceased to go into the dens and perform with the
beasts, which she had been in the habit of doing
several times daily for the last twelve months. On
Friday evening, shortly after nine o'clock, she went
into the den in which a lion and tiger were kept,
for the purpose of performing, as usual, the tricks
played by her being principally with the former
animal. She had only been in two or three
minutes, but had gone through the main part of the
performance, excepting that of making the lion sit
down in a particular part of the cage, when the tiger
being in her way, the deceased struck it slightly
with a small whip which she carried in her hand.
The beast growled, as if in anger, and crouching
close to the bottom of the den, stretched out its paw
as if at her leg or dress, causing the deceased to fall
sideways against the cage, the animal at the same
moment springing at her, and seizing her ferociously
by the neck, inserting the teeth of the upper jaw in
her chin, and in closing his mouth inflicting fright-
ful injury in the throat by his fangs. He then ap-
peared to change his position, making, a second gripe
across the throat of his victim. A keeper, who was
standing on the step of the den, armed with a whip,
immediately rushed to her assistance, but the animal
did not loose its hold until struck over the nose vio-
lently with an iron bar, and whilst King held the
animal, the unfortunate woman was removed from the
cage, bleeding profusely, and all but lifeless. She
was taken into one of the caravans, where she was
immediately attended by two medical gentlemen, who
happened to be present at the time of the occurrence.
By the Jury—The animal had never exhibited
symptoms of animosity before. All the animals ap-
peared very fond of deceased, and she of them.
Witness had frequently heard Mr. Wombell say he
wished there was no "Lion Queen." Witness
thought if she had kept the whip from the animal it
would not have attacked her. Deceased had never
exhibited any spmptoms of fear, and had frequently
gone into the den to the animals when there had been
no company present for practice and pastime. It had
been said that perhaps it happened because the beasts
had not been fed, and it was a few minutes past their
time. In answer to that, witness could only say
he had frequently seen her go amongst the animals
on Mondays, when they had not been fed on the
previous day.
Richard Cooper Todd, surgeon attached to the
Royal Artillery stationed in Brampton Barracks, said
he was witnessing the exhibition at the time of the
occurrence, and was standing quite close to the rope
in front of the den. lie saw the deceased enter, and
on going in the tiger did not appear to be very
friendly with her ; she struck him on going in, and
he lay down. She then proceeded to her per
formances with the lion, and afterwards
turned round and again struck the tiger.
He appeared angry, and immediately seemed
to turn upon the deceased, rearing up on his
hind legs, and seizing her by the neck, she fell on
her back, the tiger crouching over her. He saw no
more of her until removed from the den, when he
hastened to her assistance. She was perfectly in-
sensible, and had lost a great deal of blood, and her
face and lips were very pale. She was still alive ;
the heart was beating, but she was perfectly uncon-
scious. Witness placed his hand on the wound in
the neck, to stop the bleeding, and administered some
brandy to deceased ; but she was unable to swallow
it, and in a very few minutes her heart ceased to beat.
There were four wounds on the left side of the neck,
a slight wound on the right leg, and another on the
chin, caused by the teeth of the tiger ; the under-jaw
of the animal having caused a very large wound
under the chip, which, aided by the shock her system
had sustained, produced death.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect that de-
ceased was killed by a male tiger wbilst exhibiting
in its den, and expressed a strong opinion against
the practice of allowing persons to perform in a den
with animals.

25 0
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0 0

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The occurrence excited very painful interest, and
a great number of persons were present during the

inquiry.

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.
On Saturday night the temperature at the Royal
Humane Society's receiving-house, Hyde-park, was
29 deg., or three degrees of frost, and throughout
yesterday the mercury attained no greater elevation
than 30 deg., descending to 27 deg. at 8 o'clock last
night, when the previous cloudy atmosphere
had brightened and the stars were shining brilliantly
with every indication of another severe night. The
barometer stood at 29 deg. 85 mie. in the morning,
about 11 o'clock (the period of the new moon) a slight
fall of snow took place, the wind, which blew most
piercingly during the day, being due east, with occa-
sional varia'ions to the sratth and even to the westward,
but last night it bore E.N.E. The ice on the orna-

mental waters in the Royal Parks and Kensington-
gardens, had attained a thickness, generally, of nearly
six inches. The rides and drives were thronged with
the equipages of the nobility and gentry.
REGENT'E-PARK.—Tnis place presented a scene of
extraordinary gaiety. The ice, akhough six inches
thick, was from its roughness not in the best condi-
tion for skating, but from its strength no accident
from immersion occurred. Several lads, however,
received severe contusions by filling on the ice, and
had medical and other attention at the Humane So-
ciety's marquee; and a young gentleman, named
Francis Greenwood, received a fracture of the left
arm, which rendered it necessary to convey him to
University College Hospital.
Sr. JAMES'S-PARK.—The ice on the ornamental
waters in the enclosure was covered with skaters and
sliders. The various approaches to the park were
completely lined with pedestrians. About noon all
attempts at either skating or sliding were rendered
impracticable, the crowd being so great that those
who had skates on were pushed to and frob and were
forced down. In less than fifteen minutes after the
medical gentlemen attended not fdwer than eighteen
persons were carried by the Royal Humane
Society's men into the marquee. Amongst the
number was Mr. John Newhouse, of 42, Hill-
street, Lambeth, who was pushed down. The inju-
ries he received were of such a character that it was
found necessary to remove him to the hospital. A
lad named Robert Goldfinch, of the Grapes Tavern,
Shepherd's-market, was knocked down and much
injured. Whilst a vast crowd were walking about
near the centre of the ice a portion broke in, and Mr.
E. Kelham, of No. 9, Pancras-street, Tottenhatn-
court-road, fell into ten feet of water. Iceman
Martin (No. 5), as well as the crowd would allow
him, proceeded to the scene, and fortunately suc-
ceeded in getting him out in a very exhausted state.
He was forthwith removed to the marquee, where he
was placed in a hot bath, and, with the aid of stimu-
lants, he recovered. Notwithstanding that the many
thousand persons were continually warned of the
great danger they were exposing themselves to, they
made no attempt to get off, until suddenly a loud re-
port was heard proceeding from the ipe, indicating
that the pressure upon it was too great. In an in-
stant a general rush to the banks took place.
KENSINGTON GARDENS.......THE LONG WATEN...--.
The ice in this place was 41 inches in thickness, and
returned as being dangerous in places. The number
of skaters and sliders was about 12,000, including
The
noblemen and gentlemen of the Skating Club.
l'he only accident of any importance during the day
happened to one of the gentlemen belonging to the
s r
Skating Club, who fell and brokehis arm.
Tua
nROUNDture don t
POND.—About
])
ice—
h A
here,
t but 3,000n0 accidentskater
s and
sliders ventured on thc ice here, but no accident hap-
worth recording.

THE SERPENTINE.—Tile only accident by immer-
sion occurred to Dr. Woolley, who, while hastening to
the RoyF.l Humane Society's receiving house, to
give medical aid to some of the persons who were
wounded by falls on the ice, broke through, near the
bank, into three feet water, and fortunately was
otherwise uninjured. Among those injured feom
falls (many of whom were severely cut on the head)
was George Benbow, of South-street, Pentonville,
who received a severe concussion of the brain, and a
woman (name unknown), who had one of her thighs
broken ; both were conveyed to St. George's Hospital.

We understand that a number of noblemen and
gentlemen of influence held a preliminary meeting :ia
the mrt-opolis yeetereay (Saturday) for the purpose of
devising a sp t3matic plan for developing and working
the Irish fisheries.—Weekly Chronicle,

ANOTHER SERIOUS DEFALCA-

TION IN A SAVINUS' BANK.

FRAUD AT ST. HELEN'S.
(Abridged from the Manchester Courier of S sturday.)
The general inquiry into the affairs of savings'
banks, which the painful revelations at Rochdale
caused to be instituted,- and the lengthened period
which has elapsed wi:hout any other wrong dealings
being made public, induced us to hope that the case
which had directed so much of public attention to the
management of these instituti,,ns was the only one of
the kind that could come to light, and wag, in fact,
the only one existing. We deeply regret,
however, to say that another very serious case of
fraudulent appropriation of public money has been
discovered within the last few days, the large sum of
at least 10,0001. having been abs'racted by the actuary
of the S. liclen'6 Savings' 13 ink, by the very same
means :as those adopted by Mr. Haworth, at It )ch-
dale, keeping a duplicate set c f books, one (private)
showing the actual state of the financial affairs of the
Sank, the other (public) "co Aced" to suit his pur-
poses. And, strange enough to say, it appears that
the system of fraud now brought to light had com-
menced certainly in the year 1833, if not before, and
most likely has been carried on for twenty years
without being discovered !
The St. Helen's Savings'
Bank was established at
the close of the war, about the year 1818, in the
town of St. Helen's, near Liverpool, to receive the
cash deposits of persons residing within a district of
five miles round the town. The business has been
carried on from the commencement to the present in
a building in Market-street, the day of attendance
being Monday in each week, ' iiaana twelve o'clock to
two. The management was vested at the time in six
trustees selected from the magistracy or the leading
families of the town and neighbourhood, and by fifty
manager, selected from the most responsible and
respectable tradesmen in the town, who allowed their
names to be used for the benefit of the bank, and
agreed to attend in rotation to superintend the busi-
ness and to affix their initials in the depositors' pass-
books to the amounts received. At the same time
Mr. John Johnson, then about thirty years of age,
was appointed actuary, and has continued so up to
the period when the disclosures just made showed he
was no longer worthy of holding so important an
office. His remuneration was by commission
upon the receipts, and might be about 50/. per
annum, for which latterly attendance was given
for little more than an hour per week. About
1833 he introduced William, his younger brother,
then about 26 years of age, as sub-actuary, from the
desire, as is alleged by some, to increase William's
means of living, his own income being good, or, ac-
cording to others, because his own business avoca-
tions were great, and demanded so much time that
attendance at the bank was inconvenient, for he was
then what he is at present, the managing partner in
the firm of Johnson, Worthington, and Co., the pro-
prietors of several collieries in the neighbourhood of
St. Helen's, and especially of a very valuable one,
known as the Sankey Brook Colliery.
The annual meeting of the trustees and manegsrs,
usually held in December, took place either last week
or the week before, and Mr. Johnson, as actuary,
laid before them a financial statement. The Rochdale
defalcation led theta to examine this account more

closely than usual, and they were much surprised to
find that though the population of the district aril the
trade of the town had so vastly increased during late
years as to demand additional railway accommoda-
tion, and that the operatives were well employed,
still the business of the bank was decreasing. So
strange an aspect of affairs, so ominously like to the
Rochdale matter, attracted attention. M-etings were
held, and Mr. Johnson was called bef)re them, and
asked to account for it. He did no more than simply
state that such was the fact. The trustees and ma-
nagers then determined to make a searching investi-
gation. At the latter end of last week, on Friday,
we believe, Mr. William Johnson, the sub-actuary,
called upon the trustees, and said they might prepare
themselves for finding a defalcation.' This news,
coming from such a source, led two of the trustees to
proceed directly in search of Mr. John Johnson, and
finding him at his office, they told him what they
had heard. He admitted that the accounts were not

correct, that he had appropriated a sum of money to
his own use, but he denied that the affair was so
alarming as his brother had represented ; the whole
amount was less than 1,5001., which he'ehad taken so
far back as 1833.

On Monday last, in consequence of notice, many
of the depositors took in their hooks, two trustees and
an accountant sitting to receive and examine them ;
and before the close of the day a deficiency (f 1,000/.,
occurring in 1849; was made out. The managers sat
yesterday, and will sit again on Monday, on which
day they hope to complete their examination. It is
only by complying promptly with the request of the
trustees, that the total extent of the mischief can be
ascertained, and fully dealt with, and that no depo-
sitor can have any security that his account has not
been tampered with, until the fact has been proved
otherwise by the trustees. All books will be safe in
their hands, and may be handed to them in perfect
confidence.

The total amount of defalcation, speaking from
data which have been collected, is about 10,000/.,
rather, we should say, that sum will clear it, and it is
believed Mr. Johnson and his brother have sufficient
property to cover it. The amount of the bank
liabilities has been represented as 13,000/. , it is
supposed they should be 23,0001. Though the trus-
tees have not got them, there can be no doubt that the
fraud
means of duplicate books,
and
to have regularly entered
some source or other, upon the
a.nd
p A
al was
paid
i Johnsonntce arrersi
te, d
appears o n
from
amounts abstracted to the accounts from which they
were taken, and also to have made an account straight
when he found the parties in whose name it stood
were about to alter it, and there was danger of an
exposé. This, however, he effected by merely taking
sufficient from some other account, or, in common
phraseology, " robbing Peter to pay Paul." Of course
the sub-actuary, his brother, who kept the books, was
cognisant Of all this, as he admits, and actually effected
the transfer ; but he denies that he got any pecuniary
benefit. •

It is but justice to state that both brothers made
over the whole of their property on Saturday, by
legal instrument, to the trustees, to be applied in
liquidation of the claim upon them ; and it is thought
that, if the sum actually made out be not more than
10,0001. or 12,0001., there will he sufficieneassets.

THE ROCHDALE SAVINGS"BANK.
All the books in the bank have been examined and
gone through by the official accountant, but as yet his
inquiry has not been brought to a close, the interest
upon the balances for the last year not having yet
been calculated. It is thought, however, that in a
been ascertained to be 97,6091., very few days the inquiry will be terminated. Al-
ready, however, the full amount of the claims upon
the bank have
exclu-
sive of the interest for the past year, viz., from No-
vember, 1848, to November, 1849. To meet this claim,
there are in the hands of the Commissioners for the
Reduction of the National Debt a sum of 28,6791. 6:i.
5d., a life insurance for 3,0001, debts due to the late
Mr. Haworth, estimated to amount to 3,0001., various
legacies and other moneys expected to be recovered,
amounting to 5001, making a total of 35,1791. Gs. Si
In addition to this, it is expected that the mill, ma-
chinery, and other property of the deceased will rea-
lise a sum somewhere about 15,000/. The total num-
ber of accounts open with the bank is 3,000, and all
the books ef the depositors with the exception of
about 90, many of whom have probably left the
neighbourhood, have been sent into the bank. During
the week, committees from the depositors and from
the friendly societies have had an interview with the
trustees and managers of the bank, and the latter
expressed a desire that all parties who had invested
money in the bank, whether in compliance with strict
rules of law or otherwise, should equally have a par-
ticipation in the assets of the establishment, We
believe that such a feeling prevails in the neighbour-
hood, but we cannot see why that should render un-
necessary a searching :investigation by Mr. Tidd
Pratt into the whole transactions connected with these
extraordinary defalcations. We have heard on nut ho.
city in
communication to the trusteeP, the nature of which
which Gov ern themefl thutmostave sentreliance
down maya be placed,
peremptory
that
will no doubt induce them to lay before the authori-
ties in London a full statement of the affairs of the
bank, with the various balances, with the least pos-
sible delay.
The following is a COpy of a letter from Mr. Tidd
Pratt in reply to one (a copy of which appeared in
our last) addressed to that gentleman by Mr. F.
L. Johnson, secretary of the friendly societies at
Rochdale :

‘ Londor, Jan. 1850.
, investigation
ndiilnto the affairs of the
ssi, r, B—street, n-sitnrveeestt, Piccadilly,
savings bank at Rochdale will not in any way be a
Government inquiry ; but each individual case, if
brought before mP, must be a reference under the
provisions of the Savings Bank Acts.
With respect to the fee fixed by the statute, I
wish it to ba distinctly understood that I have not for
some years back charged it, nor is it my intention to
claim any fee for any award I may make on the pre-
sent occasion. Under these circumetances, therefore,
it would give me great pleasure to hear that some ar-

rangement could be effected without my being called
upon to arbitrate.--Your=, faithfully,
" J. TIDD PRATT."
The total amount of the funds deposited in the
bank by unenrolled friendly societies is 10,4801. 3:i.—
Manchester Courier.

MISS WOOLGAIi.

On the Bth of July, 1824, at the seaport town of
Gosport, in Hampshire, in the house of a respntable,
hard-working tailor, a little girl was born, who is de-
cidedly one of the cleverest and most versatile
actresses of the present day—this child was Sarah
Jane Woolgar. When Miss Woolgar was about ten
years of age, her father, relinquishing the trade of a
tailor, assumed the occupation of an actor. In May,
1836, she made her first appearance on any stage on
the boards of the Plymouth Theatre, at the time when
her father was also performing there. She appeared
as Leolyn, in the Wood Demon ;'and, being successful,
was entrusted with the performance of many other
juvenile characters. All the impersonations of this
little girl of eleven displayed a pleasing precocity of
talent, and were rif-t, with a beauty and power that
won for her " golden opinions from all sorts of
men." Her success, and the fact that a
child pregnant with great talent, even with
genius, displaying imaginative powers of no mean
extent, and possessed of both personal and mental
qualifications for her profession, was soon bruited
abroad, and we next hear of Miss Woolgar perform-
ing at Halifax, and after that at York, and in that
latter city creating a sensation in 1838. Her name
was "starred " in the bills, and though she was only
fourteen, it was a distinction to which she was enti-
tled on account of 114 mthit. From York she went
to Nottingham, where she doubtless captivated the
hearts of many a country squire by her pleasing and
effective singing to the operatic parts she sustained,
amongst others, that of Diana Vernon. While
playing at other provincial theatres, and previous to
her engagement at Birmingham, she cultivated music
with unremitting industry and study, and the continued
attention she paid to this science met with its due re-
ward. At Birmingham she-played Ad algisa in the Eng-
lish version of Norma with such success that for five
consecutive nights she was called before the curtain at
the close of the performance of the opera, to receive
the enthusiastic plaudits of admiring audiences. The
musical reputation that she now seemed desirous of
acquiring she increased during her visit to Edin-
burgh in the summer of 1842. It was on Monday,
the 9th of October, 1843, when Miss Woolgar made
her first curtsey to a London audience, at the
Adelphi, as Cleopatra, in the burlesque of Antony and
Cleopatra. Ever since that day she has been an im-
mense favourite with the public in this popular place
of amusement, and in her particular line, has retained
unrivalled possession of that stage. "With the ex-
ception of an engagement at the Lyceum in the
spring and summer of 1844, she has confined her per-
formances to the Adelphi, where she has personated
an immense variety of original characters in the dif-
ferent new farces and dramas which have been
brought out at this house. On every occasion she
has been rewarded by the approbation of delighted
and not unfrequently surprised auditors, and by the
most complimentary notices from the entire body o
the press.—London Journal.

DRAINAGE OF LONDON.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—The plans or "suggestions" of Mr. Thomas
Cubitt, placed before the public so prominently on
the 17th instant, require careful examination, because
some opinion may arise, from that circumstance,
prejudicial to the interests of all the inhabitants of
London.
Notwithstanding the public "absolute prohibition"
that any one should, on any account whatsoever, be
tempted even to propose the Thames as the " recep-
tacle of the foul matter" from the sewers, Mr. Thomas
Cubitt tells us our "river appears to be the only
means fur carrying it away ;" and, "though the sub-
ject has been constantly before him during the last
ten years" he will 0 see no other way of effecting the
°hied desired !"
He would have " a large reservoir a little lower
than the water at high tide at Barking Level," which,
I believe, is some three or more feet below Trinity
high-water mark. Hs would also have " a large
tunnel sewer, twenty feet diameter, and forty feet
below his reservoir—(i. e., about twenty feet below
low-water mark)—and fourteen miles long beyond
Paddington westward." He would, moreover,
" lower the inland ends of the great sewers," suffi-
ciently " to make them discharge into the new trunk
sewer."
The level of Ferringdon-street, the Horse Guards,
Whitehall, Parliament-street, %Vestminster A bbey,
the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace,
is only about 31 feet above high-water mark; and
many other important parts of Westminster are even
less elevated! The sewer made lately, by Mr. T.
C. I believe, in front of Buckingham Palace, is
eleven feet below thiabove-mentioned level, and, con-
sequently, 71 feet beloav high-water mark ! The
sewer at the angle of Parliament and Bridge-streets,
drains Parliament-street, the. Houses of Parliament,
the Abbey, &c. &c.; and being nineteen feet deep, is
15 to 16 feet below high-water mark, or only 25 to
30 feet above the bed of Mr. T. C.'s sewer at
Barking, fourteen miles distant; consequently, the
declination can average only about 2 inches per 100
feet length ; therefore, Mr. T. C.'d " large tunnel"
will be the largest cess-pool that mortal man has ever
devised for accumulating deadly filth in London.
But, as a drain for sewage (with a fall of only 2
instead of 15 inches per 100 feet) it will be quite
useless! And that "it will be very costly" to the
People, Mr. T. C. plainly admits. Query—How
many more millions of rates and taxes will he not
require to lower the "inland ends" (1. e., to give a
declination north instead of south), and reconstruct
the one or two thousands of miles of great sewers and
house drains in London ? And how many years
must elapse before this 0 large tunnel sewer" can, if
it ever will, work ? I query also if the sewage will
be "carried into the sea within a few hours," being
of opinion it will remain at and about London in the
tidal Thames for many days, if not weeks! More-
over, our river will, as soon as the " Health of
Towns Bill" is fully carried out, come polluted to
London with the sewage of Cirencester, Oxford,
Reading, Windsor, Richmond, Brentford and seven-
teen other populous places, as well as numerous
hamlets, whose streams disembogus into the Thames,
unless the sewage of them all is treated properly,
i. e , de-putrified (the ammoniacal and other valuable
fertilising matters in it fixed and precipitated), and
the super-natant waters filtered perfectly pure, as
they can be, before they enter the river!
Will not many more than one " powerful steam-
engine " require to be " always at work to lift the
contents of" Mr. T. C.'s "large tunnel sewer into
his reservoir ?"
Capital work for a builder would be the " new line
or road of communication " proposed " to the public
at the east end of the town I"
On the 24th inst., I sent the following note to
" Thos. Cubitt, Esq., Lyall-street, Bolgrave-square.
—Sir, on the 20th inst., I addressed the following
note to the editor of the Times—(' Having favoured
Mr. Thos. Cubitths " Suggestions on the Drainage of
London," with such prominent insertion, in your
paper of 17th inst., permit me to ask him, through
the medium of your paper, what declination or fall
per mile, his " large tunnel sewer" is to have from the
westward of Paddington to Barking Level?')—consi-
dering it to be the proper medium of communication
with you regarding your plan or suggestion on the
Drainage of London,' made public in that journal:—but
as he has not thought prcper to insert it, although
the whole question is a public matter, mgy I re4uest
an answer to the point from you, by note? I am,
sir, your very obedient servant, Richard Dover :"
but he has not taken any notice of it. Ido not,
therefore, know whether he intended giving his
" large tunnel sewer " any declination ; but by pro-
posing to "lower the inland ends" of the great
sewers, he is aware, evidently, that sewage will not
run up bill !—the customary declination for a drain
is 1:11- inches per each ten feet length! ! It Mr. T. C.
gives only one inch ascent in each hundred ft et from
Barking, I think the bed of his "large tunnel sewer"
would, at Paddington, be about 30 or 35 feet above
the sewers of Westminster !—consequently, the
sewage to run up there must ascend only about nine
feet per mile ! !!
am,_ Mr. Editor,
Your very obedient servant,
RICHARD DOVER.
28, New-street, Spring-gardens,
December 29th, 1849.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, S UNDA Y.—The Right Hon. George
Earl of Cadogan, C.B , is now among the rumoured
as likely to succeed to the East India and China
command, but being a Rear• Admiral of the Red, and
within fourteen of promotion, which (without taking
the late year's mortality among the flag officers as a
criterion) he may reasonably expect in a year or so,
we do not attach much faith to the report.
It is also rumoured, and with much more appear-
ance of probability, that the office of Director of
Engineering Works at the Admiralty will be con-
ferred upon Captain Jatnep, R.E., director of works
in this dockyard.
The Terrible steam-frigate, Captain hope, was re-
moved from the steam-basin yesterday to the harbour
to replenish fuel, prior to prosecuting her voysge,
which she will do this week.

Tha Penelope steam-frigate was re-docked yester-
day, after the Terrible was taken out, to complete
her repairs.

Wind, E., fresh breezes and hazy weather.
APPOINTMENT.

WOOLWICH, JAN. 12.—Surgeon Charles T. S.
Kevern (1846) to the Gladiator steam-frigate, at
Devonport

The-Enterprise and Investigator left their moorings
at Greenhithe at 8 30 A.m. to-day, the former towed
by the African and the latter by the Monkey steam-
vessels. The Enterprise• only had her compasses ad-
justed by Captain Johnson, which process occupied
from 7 30 A at. to 1 45 P.M., and although the vessel
had been nearly two years away on her northern
voyage, the arrangements of her ironwork when re-
fitting had been so judiciously made, that the devia-
tion was found, on again setting her compasses yes-
terday, only to have amounted to a few minutes. A
copy of the slight deviation was furnished to the
Investigator, and would be a sufficient guide to her,
as both were to sail in company. A great number
of persons went to Greenhithe to visit the vessels
previous to their departure, and were much gratified
by their inspection.

ALARMING FIRE IN LAMBETH.—For upwards of
three hours on Saturday afternoon the neighbourhood of
Lambeth-walk was kept in a stat.? of alarm by a fire in
the premises belonging to Mr. Hamlyn, a scaleboard-
cutter ald lucifer-match box-maker, carrying on busi-
ness at No. 55, Ernioc-street, Lambet\ The flames
commenced in the drying-house, which, at the time of
the misfortune, contained 36,000,000 of lucifer splints.
The whole cf the houses in the immediate vicinity were
enveloped in smoke of such a dense charact'r that the
neighbours were unable to remain in their rooms. The
engines of the perish, with those of the London Brigade
and West e f England Company from the Waterloo-
road stations, promptly attended, and were followed by
several other,. Fortunately there was an abundant
supply of water hut in spite of the utmost exertions of
wf!,r(du,s, the firemen, the lire was not extinguished until upwards
f three hours he I elapsed, and not till about teioarnd.
of the property in the drying,-house were consumesiinated
the building severely damaged. The
from the overheat of the drying-
4fi: e.
property was instu el in the Dufe ide -,Gs.
BIRMING-
TRONMASTERS9 QUARTERLY
‘llEETti'lqua t.rly rot ( t-
inge Ffiorretun"s tg, ly the
l,rdshire was held
t-rs of Southoath
ings of the ironera -
SATURDAY.--Thu !a•tof q
at Dudley this
ieig We have air( aly at .ted t; at
at the pre
held a fortnigi t it a
d. t Irroined by the
Ors t) traintain exi•t.rig prices
(although there .
lim;meeting
was a decided inclination upa ar and
evening.
n( thing has since occurred t weaken the confidence
ten eatertained in the stability wed prospects of the
trede. The following are quoted as the current rst?s of
malufa-t.ired iron:—Bars, 61.; rods, 6/. to 6/. 10s.;
hoops, 6/. 10'.; and sheet*, 71. 10F.. Staffordshire pig?,
a; announced on a former occasion, have made a trifling
advance upon the prices of the previous quarter. A
general impression appears to exist that we may speedily
expect an advance of all descriptions of hardware goods.
Block and bar tin have improved within the labt six
weeks 71. per ton. The letters of commercial travellers
continue t) represent the trade of the country—so far at
least as Birmingham manufactures are interested—as ra-
pidly increasing. From the north of England these
agcounta tie putActiluly ilgttering.