The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-24 00:00:00

OPENING_ OF v 44 E 'SHEFFIELD

AND SIANGHESTER RAILWAY.

MANCIJESTER, MoNmAir.=This has been a great day for
the towns ofSheflield and Manchester, the railways between
the two points being opened throughout. The great obstacle
—the tunnel which pierces the chain of hills between Lan-
cashire and 'Yorkshire—was this day formally opened. It
has cost 200,0001., and has taken seven years in execution.
We passed over the hills, on coach, a fortnight ago, in a snow
storm, and can testify to the marvellous change effected by
the opening of the railway.
A train of _about twenty carriages left the Sheffield-station
at ten o'clock this morning, drawn by two new engines.
accompanied by the Chairman, Mr. J. Parker, M.P. for
Sheffield, the other Directors and their friends, to whom
invitations had been issued. Precisely at fire minutes past
ten the train was put into motion, and got under rapid way.
The weather was extremely unpropitious, in consequence of
a tremendous fall of snow. The train reached Dunfcrd-
bridge in three-quarters of an hour, where it remained
twenty minutes for water. It then proceeded through the
tunnel, which is three mites and twenty yards, at a steady
pace. It was 10 minutes in passing through this great sub-
terranean bore; and on emerging into the " regions of light,"
at Woodhead, the passengers gave three hearty cheerb,
making the mountains ring. We speedily passed over the
wonderful viaduct at Dieting, and arrived at Manchester at
a quarter past twelve, the band playing " See, the conquer-
ing hero comes!" The party were met here by the Man-
chester shareholders, who proceeded to Sheffield, and dined
with their Sheffield friends. The line will be opened to the
public to-morrow. General Paisley, the Government in-
spector, left Sheffield at ten o'clock on Saturday, and after
passing over the line, gave the usual certificate of safety
and consolidation.

GREAT LOSS OF LIFE AND PRO-

PERTY ALONG THE COAST.

One of the fiercest storms that has been experienced for a
considerable period took place soon after midnight on Sun-
day morning, from the N.N.E., and continued the entire day,
occasioning innumerable catastrophes along the coast, and
great loss of property. Off Margate, a homeward bound
vessel, engaged in the Indian trade, was driven ashore on
the Knock sands, and speedily became a wreck. She was
called the Woodman, commanded by a Mr. Good, and was
from Bombay, having on board a valuable cargo of mer-
chandise and several passengers, who had a narrow escape
from drowning. Shorty after he had struck the sands
several luggers came oft to her, and having preserved the
passengers from the wreck, resorted to every possible means
to get the ship off, but after many hours' labour, and all
proving in vain, they were forced to leave her.
At Bowcastle, a melancholy shipwreck happened about
three miles up the coast to the northward. When the gale
was at its height, a quantity of snow falling at the time, a
brig named the Mary Ann, laden with coal, from Swansea,
for London, was seen buffeting with the wind. She eventu-
ally drove within a short distance of the land, when the
crew let go her anchors. The coast guard acted most cou-
rageously, for never had a vessel been witnessed being
brought up under such circumstances as she under a lee
shore. 'ler anchors held until after dark, when about nine
o'clock a heavy sea struck her, snapped her cable, and she
was dashed ashore with great violence, and with the excep-
tion of two seamen, the whole of her crew perished. The
two poor fellows who escaped were washed on the beach
from the vessel, which became a total wreck.
Off Holyhead—Two vessels came in contact, and one it is
feared foundered, with ten persons on board, the number of
her crew. The vessel is the Aeolus, from Liverpool for the
Azores, and the one which ran into her is the Young Queen,
of the same port. Two only of the Aeolus's jumped on boatel
the Young Queen, and before the vessels parted another at-
tempted a similar escape, but fell overboard and was drowned.
A vessel was lost at the entrance of Sunderland harbour.
The Swift (a brig from Ross bound for Leith), it appears, at-
tempted to run into the harbour, when she was struck against
the south pier by a tremendous sea with such violence, as to
turn her completely to the southward. The crew were get
on shore, by means of lines thrown by rockets.
At Bideford the gale blew terrifically high all day, with
heavy falls of snow. In the early part of the day the wreck
of the yacht Fanny, the property of Charles Montgomery,
Esq., of Swansea, was driven in the harbour, and her frag-
ments strewed the shore on both sides for a considerable
distance. It is ascertained that the vessel must have struck
upon the bar in attempting to make the harbour, when she,
no doubt, was instantly dashed to pieces, and all on board
perishing. None of the bodies of the crew have as yet been
picked up ; but a memorandum, of which the following is a
copy, has been found amongst some papers washed up
John Baillie and William Curran came on board the Fanny
Many other fearful casualties
on the 20th of October, 1845."
occurred, but the correct particulars have not been as yet
learned.
(From a Second Edition of the Pembroke Advertiser, Friday
night.)—lt is with extreme regret that we have to announce
the wreck of two vessels at Fisbguard Bay, which happened
to-day. The stern of one of them has floated in, on which is
inscribed " Howard, of Savannah." Thera were from thirty
to forty persons seen on her deck previous to her going t'e
pieces, but from the boisterous state of the weather no as-
sietance could be rendered, and it is supposed that all hands
perished. From the size of the stern, she must have been a
ship of about 700 tons burden. The name of the other vessel
we have not yet been able to ascertain, but full particulars
will appear in our next.

Private letters have been received by yesterday's
mail from Madrid, of great commercial importance, in-
asmuch as they show a disposition on the part of the present
Spanish Ministry to abandon their old restrictive
and adopt more liberal principles of trade. The Ministry, it
seems, have resolved to admit English cotton manufactures
at a decreased rate of duty, those sorts paying the least which
are not manufactured in the country. According to this mo-
dification of the law, it is said that goods of 100 threads to
the square inch will pay 50 per cent., and the finer kinds not
will
above 12 to 15. The coarser sorts have a much higher
protective duty. These measures, it is understood, have not
been adopted by the Ministry without consulting the Catalo-
nians, whose opposition, in matters of this kind is so much to
be apprehended; and they are about to obtain, if possible,
the permission of Chambers,the. or, if not, to try the new
tariff without discussion, and by an order of the Government.
No doubt seems to be entertained with respect to these facts,
as far as the intentions of the Ministers are concerned, but
their ability to carry those intentions into effect is subject to
that doubt which attends everything Spanish.
The anniversary of the Marquis of Stafford's birth-
day was celebrated on Tuesday last with the accuatomary
rejoicings, on his noble father's estates in Staffordshire and
Sutherlandshire. His Lordship on the above day completed
his 17th year.
THE REPRESENTATION OF HERTFORDSHIRE.—We
are informed that Mr. Spencer Cowper, in the anticipation of
a general election at an early period, declines to contest the
county with Mr. Halsey at .the present vacancy, but has
announced his intention of coming forward at the nut oppor-
tunity.

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