The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-04 00:00:00

DISASTROUS SHIP WRECKS.

LOSS OF THE CITY OF CARLISLE STEAMER.
During the height of the gale on Wednesday morning
this fine coasting steamer was totally wrecked at the
entrance of Wainfleet harbour, in Lincolnshire. The
Steamer, which was om her passage from Elonfleur to
Goole, with a cargo of miscellaneous goods, was a large
vessel, of about 200 tons burden, and had two engines of
thirty-horse power each. -She was considered an excel-
lent sea boat, having formerly been engaged in trading
between Hull and Carlisle, and has wily within the last
twe or three months been employed on the station in
running between Goole and Hontleur, under the com-
mand of Captain Proudlove, master. After quitting
Honfleur river, the wind commenced blowing almost a
hurricane from the westward, with a great' fall of snow at
intervals. The steamer, however, weathered it in ad-
mirable style, and continued steaming until Tuesday
night, when the storm somewhat increasing, it was with
much difficidty that the urea could he kept in, on account
of the sea finding its way into the engine-room. At
about one o'clock the Skegness light, near the
mouth of the Wainfleet harbour, appeared in sight.
and it was fully expected that in a few hours she would
Safely be brought her into smooth water. The usual
track was taken, and nothing particular occurred until
• about four o'clock, when just as the steamer had got
abreast of the Dog-head Sand (a dangdous shoal in the
[lumber) it came on to snow so heavily as to prevent
the length of the steamer being seen. The crew kept the
helm steady in the hope of clearing the sands, but the
next moment a terrific wave caught the vessel and
carried her completely on the body of the sands, and the
force was so great as to throw those on deck upon their
backs, producing, as may be conceived, the greatest eon-
sternation and dismay on board. The captain perceiv--
ing the perilous situation of the steamer, prevailed up
the crew to lighten her as much as possible, which they
did by throwing overboard part of the cargo, while
others prepared the beats, ready to leave the vessel, and
made signals of distress for assistance. After great la-
bour, Captain Proudlove succeeded in getting her off the
sands, but afterwards the situation of the crew became in
greater danger, for on sounding the pumps, several feet
of water was found in the hold, and it rapidly- increasing,
clearly showed that either her keel had been carried
away or that her bottom was stove in. Both pumps were
instantly got to work, and extra pressure was put
on the steam, in the hope of keeping her afloat and of
running her ashore ; but before many minutes had
elapsed, the engineer and stoker ran upon deck and re-
ported the water had risen above the engine-room floor-
ing and was putting the fires out. There was now not a
moment to be lost, for the vessel was rapidly sinking,
and if they remained many minutes longer, their escape
would be beyond all human power. The captain having
given the word, in an instant the crew (in all fifteen in
number) filled the boats, and they directly pulled away
from the steamer. Before they had gained 200 yards
from the vessel, they saw her go down into deep water.
The boats were then pulled towards the land, but the toil
and suffering the crew endured was severe in the ex-
treme ; several times they narrowly escaped being
swamped, and most of them were up to their middles in
in water, baling it out with. their caps, and any other ar-
ticle they could get hold of. At length the life-boat,
commanded by Mr. Samuel Moody, belonging to Ske.•'-
ness, came to their assistance, into which they got, and
were safely conveyed ashore, though in a most deplora-
ble plight. The steamer is irrecoverably lost.
WRECK OF A DUTCH INDIA-MAN.—SEVEN-

TEEN LIVES LOST.
The subjoined particulars, respecting the total loss of
the Dutch ship Nickerie, and fate of her crew, are ex-
tracted from a letter received at Lloyd's on Friday
morning: _

" ST. MARY'S, SCILLY ISLANDS, FEB. 27.—Since myl list,.
I regret to announce to you a deplorable shipwreck, with
loss of many lives, which took place during the late tre-
mendous gales near this place, and which has produced
the deepest sensation. On receiving the intelligence on
Sunday morning, I immediately proceeded to the scene
of desolation—namely, Rosewear, one of the little unin-
habited islands—and found that the report I hadreceived
was too true, the vessel being about 800 tons burthen,
called the Nickerie, Captain Harvey, belonging to Rot-
terdam. I found the wreck entangled among the rocks
at the back of the islands, both masts and all her rigging-
were gone, and she was fast breaking up, the sea sweep-
. ing the whole of her (leeks, thus preventing any exit)
getting on board to save any of the cargo, which, I um
given to understand, was valuable. There were on
board, at the time of her loss, 19 person, all of whom, it
grieves me to say, lost their lives, with the exception of
two seamen, of the names of Simon Greve (an English-
man) and Christian Soupe. From these indi,-,iduals, I
have gleaned the following:—lt appears that, the vessel
was on her passage from Batavia to Rotterdam, with a
cargo of coffee, tea, sugar, and other art;.des. On the
night of the 21st, the vessel encounterea a heavy gale
of wind from the westward, which she bore gallantly
against. As morning approached the weather became
thick and hazy. The ship was not brought to, but they
continued the passage, as they thought in safety, but
suddenly they. observed the Scilly light in .a direction
which they knew to be dangerous to the vessel; and be-
fore it was possible to avoid it, the ship went clean on
the ledge of rocks on the Rosewear Island, and vt ith
such force, as to throw the mainmast overboard. They
describe the scene that immediately ensued to have
been of a heart-thrilling description. While some were
lashing themselves to the rigging, another dreadful
crash took place, and in an instant the ship parted in
several places, and all perished excepting Greves, and
the other seaman (who is a Dutchman), who were saved
'ashlevdalkasinhgoraeb;olbitutthteheiyaiNavnecz 3:.orn
tawomdoasyt
days before
by lashing themselves to fragments of 'the wreck which
condition, and suffered severely fre,m the cold. They
wereremaineddis c discovered." v r e d . "

Another letter observes, that the situation of the
wreck was such, that it was impossible for it to have
been seen from any of the inhabited Scilly islands, or in
all probability the crew would have been saved. , No
part of the cargo can be saved, and scarcely anything of
the vessel or materials • indeed, nothing worthy of no-
tice. On Monday night the remains of two of the un-
happy crew were thrown up on the beach, and this
morning (Tuesday) three other bodies have been picked
up. They have all been buried in the island. The loss
of the vessel and cargo is estimated at 15,0001. The
Thames steamer, it will be recollected, was wreelceil- on
the same spot three years ago. ,
YARMOUTH.
The loss of life and property off this port duringt the
late piercing weather and snow storn has been truly
alarming. Soon after day-break on Sunday mornii)g, a
brig, heavy laden, apparently from Newcs,stle,
with coals, was perceived to the nerthNitard ;
all her sails were carried .away, as ' .Well as
her topmast, and evidently the crew had lost all cor,trol
over her, for she was being carried in the directin n of
the Gunfleet (a second Goodwin) Sands. There t :ere
one or two attempts on the part of those belonging- ' to a .
schooner, lying with two anchors out near the entrance
to the'roads, to render assistance to the distressed v.assel,,
but the terrific sea that then prevailed rendered it
'ia.ostbe-
yond human power to save either the lives of the upfor-
tunate persons' or the vessel. In the subsequer.it five
minutes she was carried into the sands, and becar ac an
instant wreck, the crew falling overboard with the r pasts.
aidsight,
and perishing in the foaming . serf. It was a dre e
sight, but what could be done in such a storm? She .rtly
afterwards another shipwreck was witnessed, and lot t for
the prompt and well-disciplined exertions of the cc
gu
havea beenrd s er
drowned
v i ce, ,tli e A
re i sno
vesseldoubt n
abnedc
ut all
a brig of about 180 tons, belonging to London, hat 1, in
the commencement of the storm, on SatrArday, brought
named Yorkboarti U would;
lion,
of IVinterton, for shelter. Alt),longli both anchors
up in the roads about one mile and, a half to the north-
warddrove her in the course of thQ flcpr lowing
.e
wind amounted to),
night close into
for at about halfcast six; o' tag the imminent danger in
which they were placed„entikw ahe foremast, thinking she
shoalurere water,
out,a
t,
etrh,
and
1 hurricaneidth e crew(:obo rws sucks 1.1 t.h
would ride easily,but such.'
however, proved the contrary,
violence, and pitched car . her beam ends. . Her dangerous
position having provP.ously been observed, a large con-
course of persona Ur ~d
collected on the beach, and also
Clock she came ashore withgreat

Lieutenant Hockley, the commanding officer of the
Winterton coast-guard station, and a body of his men
were in attendance to work the life apparatus, which
was on the spot. The instant almost that the ill-fated
vessel struck, the mortar was fired, and a line carried
over the ship; consequently, in a few minutes, a com-
munication was formed with her from the shore. The
next operation was that of dragging the crew through
the surf to the beach, which we are happy to say was
safely accomplished, and thus the whole of them were
say 4 to the great delight of all assembled. In the
course of the same morning, another vessel, a sloop,
called the Sarah, master Mr. Welldrick, of and for
Goole, from London, was driven ashore about half-way
between Gorton and Garlestone, and from the danger in
which she lies, it is expected she will ere long go to pieces,
The captains of the colliers arrived in the roads this af-
ternoon, report that upwards of five vessels were lost off
Tynemouth-bar during Saturday morning, and that the
harbour, when they left on Sunday night, had the ap-
pearance of a ship-breaker's and timber yard, owing to
the immense quantity of wreck floating about, most of
the vessels having, by the violence of the sea, broken
out. The accounts received from Staithes, bearing
Tuesday's date, state that that coast, during the last
two.days, has been visited with one of the most terrific
storms at sea remembered in the neighbourhood. It
commenced on Saturday at noon, the gale blowing from
the north, and by night the sea was an entire foam. The
fishing cobbles at sea were capsized, and the crews were
picked off the bottom of their boats and landed in safety.
The cobbles belonging to Remswick, a small fishing
place near this, were similarly situated. One was cap-
sized, and a man named Robert Trattles was drowned ;
the others were saved.
Near Stockton no less than nine vessels were driven
ashore in the course of Sunday morning, and many of
them have since gone to pieces. They are the Unity of
Faversham, the George of Cowes, the Hope of Scarbo-
borough, the Felicity, belonging to Lynn, the Ponte-
fract, from London to Stockton, the Niseus, from Hull,
the Ondine, from Boston, Lincolnshire, the Lark, of
Woodbridge, and the Rosehaugh, of Cromarty. Those
vessels which have become a total wreck are the Lark
and the Unity ; they were both laden with a general
cargo, and unfortunately neither of them are insured.
In nearly the whole of the cases the crews saved them-
selves by clinging to the rigging until taken off by the
life-boat people, whose labours and exertions were ar-
duous in the extreme. Further up the coast, namely, at
Hartlepool, four vessels went ashore, and remain in s,
dangerous state of ever again being brought afloat ;
the crews were saved. The sloop Glengarry, of
Dungarvon, for Swansea, which sailed from Angle
Milford Haven, on the morning of the 24th ultimo,
was lost on the following morning on the rocks
a little to the southward of Sheep Islands ; the crew
previously saved themselves by taking to the boat. A
few tons of the cargo mew probably be picked out from
among the rocks. At Warkworth, on the coast of
Northumberland, a large brig called the Blackbird was
driven ashore at a place named Wellheaugh Lock, and
VMS completely lost ; all hands were saved.
Within a few miles of Wainfleet Harbour, in Lincoln-
shire, two other distressing shipwrecks occurred
(in addition to the loss of the Carlisle steamer, pre-
viously mentioned), and several persons perished. The
first took place at about three o'clock on Monday morn-
ing, on the Mamby Sands, the unfortunate vessel
proving to be the Iris (a sloop), of Hull, laden with
barley, bound from Ipswich to Fradingdon-bridge.
There were on board six persons, consisting of the
master, his wife, and one child, an apprentice boy, and
two men, all of whom (the master excepted) perished.
At daybreak the Iris was found a perfect wreck, and
her cargo strewn along the beach. The other vessel
lost was the Thomas and William. It happened on the
Wltinket_aands4. but in this case the crew were lucky
enough to save themselves by the boats.
It is sadly feared, from the terrific violence of the
storm, that many other fatal and fearful disasters
occurred at sea during its fury.

RAILROADS IN FRANCE.
France is at length beginning to show great ac-
tivity, and is n-w competing with her Belgian
neighbours, in facilitating provincial intercommuni-
cation by means of railways. In the month of
April, 1842, it was stated by M. Messeger, in his
" Commercial Tariff and Regulations of France,"
that, with the exception of a few miles of branch
rails, the whole railroad communication of that ex-
tensive kingdom was comprised in a very bad line
from St. Etienne to Lyons, one from Paris to St.
Germains, and two from Paris to Versailles. In
June, 1842, however, the French Government, seeing
the immense increase of traffic secured to Belgium by
means of its extensive railroad communication set a
very noble national example, and offered public en-
terprise a great inducement to enter upon the neces-
sary competition. The Government agreed to de-
liver to such companies as should undertake the con-
struction of certain lines, free of all charge, the land
required for the whole line, and to complete the
earthworks, termini, and stations ; leavaig the
companies to lay down the rails or per-
manent way, to supply the engines and carriages for
working the lines, and to maintain the works when
completed. Under these regulations lines have been
already undertaken from Paris to Havre, and from
Paris to Rouen; and from Paris to Orleans lines have
been completed. Another most important one is now
projected from Paris to Strasburg, a line which pro-
raises to bring into close commercial intercourse
England, France, and Germany. Both as regards
agricultural and industrial products, the country be-
tween the French metropolis and the banks of the
Rhine is important. In Alsace, the Lancashire of
France, there are at present, even with existing de-
ficiencies of transit, no less than fifty-six factories,
producing cotton twist and calicoes to the yearly
value of 5,000,0001. sterling, and employing 110,000
persons ; and the kerseys and cachmeres of Nancy on
the same line are beginning to rival those of the south
of France. The vine and every description of
agricultural production abound in the whole country
to be traversed. With the French metropolis itself
it is needless to say that a direct line, connecting it
also with the German provinces, would conduce to a
rapidly extending inter-national commerce. Between
and among the towns on the projected route, an
extensive traffic and interchange already prevails, but
the want of a railway communication for the herds
of cattle which pass from one province to another, on
a line extending to 280 miles, must entail severe loss.
It has been calculated that a loss of nearly 15 per
cent. takes place in the value of cattle driven on the
highway from Leicester to London, as compared with
the depreciation, when transported the same distance
by rail. But, without touching further on matters
of detail, we shall only say that we hail the prospect
of a direct and easy intercourse with France and the
Rhine, as a matter of great importance, both as re-
gards this country and our relations with the
Continent.

COUNSEL AT SESSIONS.
(From the Municipal and Poor-law Gazette.)
Our readers will find, under the head " Administration of
Justice," an account of a scene, which the reporter of the
Times rightly describes as extraordinary. The grand jury, at
the Middlesex Sessions at Clerkenwell, had found true bills
against the occupiers of seventeen houses of ill-fame, all within
the Strand Union. Mr. Corder, the clerk of the Strand Union,
bad the conduct of the business ; and being a zealous man, a
member of an Inn of Court, and thoroughly conversant with
the law which regards his office, seems to have judged it
proper to pass over the counsel usually practising at Clerken-
well, aid to give a brief to Mr. Pashley, a barrister, who is a
stranger there, but in Mr. Corder's judgment, a more com-
petent lawyer. Now, Mr. Prendergast, Mr. Ballantine, add
a few other barristers are in possession of almost the whole
practice at Clerkenwell, and of a good share of that at the
Old Bailey. It is not every barrister who can or would suc-
ceed in these Courts ; and the few who do so are more than
usually jealous of their monopoly, and use it in a fashion of
despotism and caprice towards their clients which it will be
our duty to illustrate on some other occasion. Mr. Prender-
gast has the reputation of being a great proficient in the
language and other accomplishments more peculiar to these
Courts, and his power over a timid prosecutor or witness
may be inferred from that which he brought to bear, on the
present occasion, upon Sir J. Hamilton, one of the Justices'of
the Bench, who, with all his spirit, will doubtless hereafter
prefer a contest with the blackguards in the dock, to one
with a gentleman of the Clerkenwell bar. The barristers who
flourish in the hot atmosphere of Clerkenwell do not thrive
in that of Westminster Hall. They seek to establish a prin-
ciple of compensation for this disadvantage. Nature and
education shut them out from Westminster Hall ; it behoves
them, therefore, to barricade themselves the more securely
in Clerkenwell. Recently the monopoly of two or three
barristers at the Old Bailey has been broken up by the ap-
pearance there of a barrister of great natural talents, against
whom all the arts which desperation and failing bread sug-
gest had been practised in vain. Such might be, or may be,
the result at Clerkenwell, where, although it has been
wonderfully little in use, a knowledge of law would unques-
tionably give a new rival a dangerous advantage over the
established men. Mr. Pashley is a successful sessions lawyer,
as those who read the reports of sessions cases argued in the
Court of Queen's Bench may well know; and it was, there-
lore, a most flagrant attack by Mr. Corder on the interests
of the established Clerkenwell bar, to bring Mr. Pashley to
their sessions. _ _ _ _

It may now be seen why Mr. Prendergast took on him-
self the defence of the keepers of the seventeen brothels,
without being retained by them : why he suddenly finds
that Mr. Corder's briefs, which bad never been objected to
before, cannot now be held : why he rises as anticus curice'
and shows his amiable disposition towards the Court by the
singular earnestness of his compliments to Sir J. Hamilton ;
and why all the bar of Clerkenwell, by their other mouth-
piece, Ddr. Payne, testify to their conviction that Mr.
Pashley could not be heard upon Mr. Corder's instructions,
and that Mr. Corder was acting illegally in depriving some
2eguler attorney of his fees.
There is no doubt, that in point of law Mr. Prendergast and
the other counsel were in the right—and that clerks of
boards of guardians, and vestry clerks, are no longer com-
petent to act in matters of litigation for their unions and
parishes as they have done. But the
Clerkenwell bar gene-
rally diAplaysgreat equanimity when mistakes in law are made,
and they were never known before to object to briefs from
whatever source they came ; and our readers, therefore, with-
out our explanation, might have been unable to account for
the mystery of their extraordinary excitement in the present-

case.
In reference to the subject of the above remarks, we under-
stand that the promoters of the Attorneys' Bill of last session
had no intention to deprive the non-professional clerks of
boards of guardians, of the power to make applications to
justices on behalf of their boards ; and that it is intended to
restore to them the power by means of a clause to be inserted
in the Poor-law Amendment Bill, now in its passage through
She House of Commons.

DEAD :MEWS VOTES.—In the division lists of the
House of ords, last week, on the Marquis of Normanby's
motion on i'reland, the name of Viscount Sidmouth appears
in the majority in favour of the Government, although he
was dead at the time the vote was given. So much for dead
inelVa Notes a'd voting by proxy

THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, MAncTi 4.
TmtintonETEß, Lowest, 36 ; llighest, 48 ; Noon, 35.
BAROMETER, 29.4.—W1ND, E.
NOTE.--The number 32 on the Thermometer denotes the
freezing point, and 55 temperate. In Barometers fair is
usually placed opposite 30, and rain at 29.