The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-25 00:00:00

- scheme can be carried into execution with perfect
regard to existing interests. In this respect the plan
is eminently distinguished from any other that could
be proposed, for let a new market be established
where it might, there could be no doubt that
the property all around would be grievously affected
by it. Suppose, for instance, it were proposed to
form the market at Paddington or Camberwell, what
would the inhabitants of Westbourne-terrace or of
Denmark-hill say ? The whole character of those
neighbourhoods would be changed ; and persons who
have invested their money in those districts would
have more than ground of complaint—they would
have a reasonable claim upon the Government for
compensation. The City proposal is the only one that
can be really free from what, in the present growing
state of the metropolis, is a very serious difficulty-
Another objection to the City plan is the expense.
We don't know that the cost will be so excessive as
to render this a very formidable ob,tacle. Certainly
the estimate does not so far exceed the estimated cost
of other plans as to give great weight to such objec-
tions. No great work can be executed w;thout Jorge
cost. In the present case the City propose to lay out
480,0001. The Corporation propose to find this
money, to be repaid, the whole of it, in forty, fifty,
or sixty years, out of the proceeds of the additional
tolls which the Royal Commissioners recommend to
be levied.
The amount of that additional toll is not, we under-
stand, decided on. A statement has gone abroad that
some of the tolls are to be advanced as much as 300
per cent. upon the present rates. Now, we believe
the truth to be that only an estimate has been
prepared, and that it is not at the present time
at all agreed what shall he the amount of the
advance. That an advance there will be is most
probable ; but whatever may be its amount, it is
absolutely certain that it will not be such an increase
as will in any way affect the price of meat in the
metropolis. Upon a sheep, we belirve, it is proposed
to raise the toll at present taken to one halfpenny.
Whether the toll on a sheep is a halfpenny or a farth-
ing cannot possibly affect the price of a shoulder of
mutton; nor will the buyer and seller of a cart-horse
of the value of 101. or 201. be induced to differ in
their bargain because the market toll is raised from
6d. to Bd. on the animal. Tolls on stock must of
' course fall most heavily on graziers and cattle mer-
chants, and they would have fair cause to complain if
any undue rates were levied ; but to a moderate in-
crease on the present rates of Smithfield-market they
would every one of them willingly consent for the
sake of increased accommodation, convenience, and
security. Let a beast be better taken care of pending
sale, and the grazier and the butcher both get a
hundred times more than the amount of the increased
toll in the superior value of the animal in which they
deal.

A contemporary, whose inspirations are not gene-
rally from the purest source, is supplied it seems with
all the water he imbibes from that delightful limpid
spring, " the Thames at Blackfriars." He is conse-
quently horrified at the idea of the pollutions of the
new abattoirs and cattle market being washed into the
Thames. He has impressed the public with a hor-
rible imagination that the blood of all the Smithfield
cattle will be filtered into their water jugs every suc-
cessive morning. Nothing, certainly, could be less
desirable; and apart from the public, who never do
drink water from the Thames at Blackfriars, we are
glad to relieve the apprehension of our contemporary
who, it seems, does imbibe it. Let it be known,
therefore, that the corporation do not intend that the
sewage from the market shall fall into the Thames at
all. They don't intend that it shall be drained into
the ordinary sewers. A large arterial sewer, sunk
thirty feet below high-water mark, will convey all
the pollutions of the market far from the locality of
Puddle-dock. The Times may be saved from super-
fluous dirt, and may drain its bumper from the con-
genial " Thames at Blackfriars" without apprehen-
sion and with its usual appetite.
A far more important objection to the project of
the Corporation proceeds from another source. It is
urged that the great evil to be obviated in connexion
with Smithfield, is the passage of cattle through
the streets of London. This is, no doubt, true ; and
in this respect the City plan, in common with every
other plan, is undoubtedly deficient. The difficulties
on this head are, indeed, not easy to encounter. It
has been recorded by every one competent to give a
practical opinion, that if a dozen markets were estab-
lished, no matter in what quarters, the trade would
settle in one of the number, which would ultimately
become the sole market. On whichever side of Lon-
don such market was placed, it is obvious that cattle
must traverse the streets to get to it and from it. If
the market were at Islington, cattle from Kent must
go round by the bridges to get to Islington ; if the
market were at Walworth, cattle from Hertfordshire
must get to it by way of Blackfriars or Southwark.
So sensibly has this been felt, that even the Royal
Commission has recorded its opinion " that it is neces-
sary that cattle should be driven through the streets."
It seems, then, that all that can be 1te984,,c0,r„;s 32
the the present time :he cattle driven to Smithfield arrive
in the night : at hours when their passage through
London is obviously least inconvenient to the inhabit-
ants. The great inconvenience is occasioned by their
passage from Smithfield, which takes place in the mid-
dle of the market day. By the erection of abattoirs
adjacent to the market, it may be hoped that the
number of cattle driven through the streets will be
diminished ; but, exclusive of the facility thus af-
forded, the Corporation propose to take powers to re-
strict the egress of cattle from the market to such
hours as shall be consistent with the conveniences of
trade and the requirements of public traffic. On
this head, however, we must confess ourselves as yet
by no means satisfied.
If there are any other objections to the Corpora-
tion plan, they resolve themselves into the general
objection against a market in the metropolis at all.
But on this head the City cry out for "privilege,"
and for " the vested interests of trade"—points upon
which they have, undoubtedly, a right to be heard
attentively. They cite also the opinions of all prac-
tical men that the cattle market of London must be
a " central market." They urge that nothing is
to be gained, whilst very much is to be lost, to
public convenience by removing the cattle market of
London to a suburb. The City, then, comply with
the public demand by conceding the abolition of the
old market, by proposing great popular improvements
on its site, by demolishing some of the worst locali-
ties of London, and by projecting a new and capacious
market, with all the advantages of an auxiliary dead
meat market, abattoirs, and drainage. It remains for
the public deliberately to determine whether, taking
all the circumstances into consideration, the advan-
tages of this plan do or do not compensate for other
inconveniences.

PHILLIPS'S PA TENT FIRE
ANNIHILATOR.
An interesting experiment was tried on Monday
with Phillips's patent fire-annihilator at Poplar, near
Messrs. Sornes s yard. The object was to test the
usefulness of this apparatus in extinguishing fires in
ships.

For this purpose a vessel, the Wear, about 180
tons burden, was prepared, lying high and dry on
the shore. The main hold was partly filled with
old hogsheads, barrels, and bags, smeared over with
tar and turpentine, and filled with shavings, dry
wood, and other combustible materials.

About half-past twelve o'clock, on a signal from
Mr. Phillips, the patentee who conducted the
experiment, the hatches were closed, and this in-
flammable cargo fired. A dense smoke was soon to
be seen oozing from every crevice, affording a very
sufficient proof that the fire was increasing under
the deck. In about five minutes the hatches
were opened, and, to the disappointment of
some, a thick column of smoke ascended, but
as yet no flame. Those better acquainted with the
theory of flame knew that the presence of atmospheric
air was necessary to produce that phenomenon. It
soon came, however, and a much greater blaze than
one would like to witness at sea rose from the lower
deck. Now came the time to put it out. On a sig-
nal from Mr. Phillips, the machines were brought
forward, looking something like large iron watering-
pots, and the gaseous contents liberally poured down
upon the flames. The effects were soon visible. The
fire was gradually reduced, and in less than ten
minutes extinguished. A man went down almost im
mediately, and passed through the hold—showing
that the atmosphere was pure and uninjured. Al-
though the wood of the barrels, &c. was charred, and
showed the action of the fire, yet hardly anything was
actually consumed. The apparatus is very simple in
its construction ; each machine is made of sheet-
iron, of a cylindrical form, and about two feet in
diameter and three feet in height. They have an
inside casing perforated with holes at the sides, but
only part of the way down. The mixture, made of
simple chemical compounds, is placed inside, and a
small bottle, containing another mixture, with it. A
small quantity of water is contained at the bottom of
the machine, between the two casings, and, as the
gas is formed by the union of the two mixtures, rises
through the perforated holes and mixes with
them. The water is only introduced to increase the
expansive fuice of the vapour. The machine
being closed, a screw is turned, which, pressing on
m
the bottle, thebreaktshriot,ugha tube with compounds ix
,
force. Each machine will give 1,200 cubic feet of
considerable and
the
gas issues out
gas. Six of them were used for this day's experi-
ment. It will be remembered that, some time ago,
a fire in a mine was extinguished by the introduction
of carbonic acid gas, thus saving the enormous
expense consequent on using water, which has to be
all pumped out again. The spectators remained on.
the deck of the vessel during the whole of the expe-
riment, and experienced no inconvenience from the
gas used. It certainly was surprising to see in how
short a time the lower deck was clear. In a few
minutes there was none of that dense suffocating_