The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-15 00:00:00

SHIPWRECK_OF THE WILBER.

FORCE STEAMER.

The surmises lately entertained relative to the fate
of this splendid vessel are too welt founded. She was
engaged in the late unfortunate Niger expedition, and
it is stated that no vessel in her Majesty's service was
more comr2othously fitted up than the Wilberforce.
Since the flilure of that expedition, she has been com-
missioned to the service on the coast of Africa, under
-the- -command of Lieutenant-Commander Richard
(Moore, and was, we believe, engaged surveying the
river Gambia when she met with the disastrous acci-
dent. The letters received are dated September 6th,
from which it appears that on the 2d of that month
the Wilberforce was proceeding on a cruise along the
Gambia, when, at about ten o clock at night, the air
bright and clear, the officers and crew were alarmed
by the vessel striking heavily upon apparently a
sunken rock, which subsequently proved cor-
rect, it being situate on the east side of the Dog
Islands. • As a precaution to save the lives of all on
board, Lieutenant Moore had the paddle-box life boats
got afloat in case of necessity,
.and every exertion
was directed to - get the ship off the rocks ;
her gims were thrown overboard, also her cables, an-
chors, shot, and stores ; but notwithstanding she be-
'Caine a fixture, and by the following day it was found
-that the vessel was completely settled on the island,
-and the edge of the rock was protruding through her
-bottom, and she was half full of water. -On the in-
telligence arriving at Bathuat, St. Mary's, the go-
vernor, accompanied by most of the masters and cap-
tains of the merchant-vessels then lying in the har-
bour,' and other assistance, proceeded to the wreck, in
the hope of getting her off. Her masts and all the
rigging, were taken out of her, as well as a por-
tion of her materials, but still she remained as
firm as before, consequently she will. become"
a total wreck. Part of her ere* have been taken back
to St. Mary's, where they await further orders. The.
Wilberforce was the largest vessel built for the Niger
expedition;ind was, we understand, upwards of 600
tons burden. When fitted out at Woolwich, about
three years since, she was the admiration of her Ma-
jesty and her Royal Consort Prince Albert, who' vi-
sited sited the dock-yard for the purpose'of inspecting the
vessel and the other steamer built for the expedition.

Futs AT BASS'S PALE ALB STozzt.—Between the
C
hours of twelve and one on Sunday morning a fire was
discovered raging in the premises belonging to Messrs.
Bass, pale ale brewers, of' No. 3 wharf, ity-road Basin.
It commenced in the hay-loft over the stabling, and
ewsgootne.tohn Co
the
easily
"sinilpyleignte ibtalabzleinngamtuasreie and the flames shot
the stock the loft
was
through the roof into the air a considerable distance. A
number of engines were with all possible speed at the
scene, and, being aided by an abundance of water, they
soon extinguisked the flames, the danger being confined
entirely to the loft and stabling, which are consumed. A
man, who it is supposed had fallen asleep in the loft, is
reported to be much burnt, and was taken ,to the '
hospital.' ; •
A wag says that in journeying lately he was Tut
into an omnibus, with a dozen persons; of-whom he. (lid
not know a single one. Turning a corner, shortly after,
however, thd omnibus was upset, " and then," said he,
" I found them all out."--HuilAriveYafer• "1

We learn from Cologne that the desire to invest capital in
the German railroads is so great that the application 9 for
shares of the intended road front Cologne to Creteld, for which
only 2,400,000 Prussian crowns were required, amounted to
52,908,000 crowns; and for the road from Bonn to Coblentz,
for which three millions and a half were wanted, the applica-
tions amounted to eighteen millions.
The Municipal Council of Rheims voted, on the Bth inst.,
a credit of 1,500,000 f., to guarantee a minimum of interest
of 3 per cent. to a capital of 5,000,000 f., which was to be sub-
scribed in that town by the Company of the Strasburgh Rail-
road, passing through the valley of the Ai-sue, Soissons,
Rheims, St. •Menehould, Metz, &c.

At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of Lyons, on
the sth inst., to take into consideration the Bill for the rail-
road between Paris and Chttlon, and the interests therein of
Lyons in particular, it came to a resolution to petition the
Chamber that the road should be continued to Lyons, either
by the State or by Companies, and that the two Bills should
be both presented and passed thi► session.
The Municipal Council of
_Dietz has come to a resolution
that it will grant an annual sum of 40,0001, as a guarantee
for the payment of the interest on the capital to be embarked
in the proposed railroad between Metz and Sarrebruck:
The Lyons journals of Wednesday inform us that there
has been no fresh disturbance at Rive-de-Gier, but that the
miners who have turned out have not yet returned to their
work, although they have been offered their former wages.
They demand that a tariff shall be drawn up, and signed by
the owners of the mines.
LAW AND POLXCE.

At Guildhall, Julia Regent, aged 17, a girl of the wandering
mendicant class, was charged with wilfully breaking a pane
of glass, value 71. 55., in the shop-window at Mr. Boyle 's, a
jeweller, No. 28, Cheapside, about eight o'clock the preceding
evening.- --Sir Peter Laurie_ asked the prisoner why she did
it ? She.r.eplied she wanted togo to prison. Sir Peter Laurie
said he would give her the full term of punishment, and com-
mitted her to hard labour for two months.

A slight-made, delicate-looking woman, named Jane
Thorpe, alias Hindle, apparently about 24 years of age, was
charged before Mr. Bingham, at Worship-street, with being
implicated in numerous robberies in dwelling-houses, coin-
mitted by a man named William Hindle, an engineer, who
is now in custody on those charges. After hearing the evi-
dence of the policeman who arrested her, the magistrate
ordered her to be remanded, and brought up again on Mon-
day for re-examination with the other prisoner.
kdward Proctor, who had been apprehended some days
since at an early hour in the.morning in the same bed with
his mother, by geripant Teackle, of the H division of police,
on a charge of being concerned with his brothers and two
other persons in an extensive system of fraud and plunder,
was brought before Mr. Norton, at Lambeth-street, for final
examination. The other members of the gang had previously
been finally examined, and stood committed for trial. There
are altogether upwards of thirty cases against the prisoners,
and the property which they obtained amounted to 700/. or
800/. Sergeant Teackle said that in all his experience he
had never had such difficulty in bringingforward witnesses.
Mr. Norton paid a merited compliment to the Sergeant for
the skill and activity he displayed in apprehending the
whole of the gang and bringing them to justice, and com-
mitted the whole of the prisoners for trial at the present session
of tho Central Criminal. Court.
COURT —IOBSIXIOI4 A 2 MU.

Her Majesty and Prince AlbJC;iiiTaTteFieir departure
from Windsor Castle for Buckingham Palace, on either
Tuesday or Wednesday next. The period for the departure
of their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgiani, for
the Continent, is not yet publicly known.
The Prince of Leiningen, who arrived at Windsor on
Thursday evening. with . Prince Albert, having accompanied
the Prince Consort from Ostend to England, will remain in
this country, upon a visit to her Majesty, for about a fort-
night. At the end of the present month his Serene Highness
will accompany- his illustrious mothex, the Duchess of Kent,
to the Continent, where her Royal Highness is expected to
remain for about three weeks or a month.
The Archbishop of York will entertain his Royal Highness
the Duke of CaMbridge, and the Noble Directors of the Con-
certs of Ancient Musk, at dinner, on Wednesday next. in
Grosvenor-square, his Grace being Director for the evening.
The venerable Prelate has engaged Madame Caradori Allan,
Miss Rainforth, Madame F. Lablache, Messrs. Manners,
Hawkins, Bradbury, &c. -
The Duke -and_DucheSs of Leinster, accompanied by Lady
Jane Fitzgerald and. the Marquis of Kildare, are expected
to leave Carton House; near Mapnooth, next week,`fer Carl-
ton-terrace, for the season.
The Earl and Countess of Verulam and Lady Jane Gr:m-
ston are expected 'to return to Grosvenor- square, to-day,
from Earl Craven's;, Coombe: Abbey,•• mein. Coventry.. The
Noble Lord• will entertain a larg!e party, at Gorhambury.
during the approaching yaces. .
Lord and Lady. Hamilton Chichester. left Farrance's Hotel,
BelgTave-street, on Friday. fOr Malta.
The Earl and. Countess of Roseberv, and the Ladies Prim-
rose, leave War Wood, for the Terrace, tO•day, for Pic-
cadilly.
The Countess of Beauchamp has left Portman, square, for
Brighton..