The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-25 00:00:00

KENDAL AND WINDERMERE,

KENDAL, WEDNESDAY.—The first general meeting of the Pro-
prietors was held at the Company's offices, in the Market-place,
Kendal, yesterday. The meeting was numerously attended. Mr.
Ed. Wilson, of Abbot Hall, occupied the chair.
Mr. Thos. HARRISON, the solicitor, in the absence of the secre-
tary, read the report, which appeared to be highly satisfactory.
It stated that the Act of incorporation had been obtained without
opposition, and at a cost much below that of other companies. In
anticipatation of the advance of iron, a contract had been entered
into in the month of January last, for the purchase of all the rails
and chairs, at prices 30 per cent. below those of the present day.
The engagement with Messrs. Brassey and Co. was also stated to
have been made on the most reasonable and satisfactory
terms, and there was every prospect that the line would be
completed within the estimate. Mr. Errington had re-
signed his place as engineer, in consequence of a connexion he had
formed with the Ulverstone and Milnthorpe Company, and his
place had been filled by Mr. John Harris. The Directors had ob •
tained possession of about one-third of the line, and the contractors
were actively engaged on the works on that portion of the line.
The report then went on to congratulate the Proprietors on the
fact that a Company was about to be originated for constructing a
line from Cockermouth, by way of Keswick and Ambleside, to
Windermere, by which the chain of communication would be
completed through the Lake district, to several thriving ports on
the west coast, and the coal fields of West Cumberland, With
regard to the deviation line, by means of which the terminus would
be brought nearer to the town of Kendal, the cost had been com-
puted at the very lowest estimate to be 25,0001., and the Directors
felt anxious to put the decision of the question to the Shareholders
in a body, rather than take the responsibility of determining upon
it themselves.

On the motion that the report be read,
Mr. NICHOLSON (Cowan Head) congratulated the meeting on
the cheering prospect that was before them. The whole of the pre-
liminary expenses up to the half year did sot exceed two per cent.
of the capital. It was known, he continued, that the plant of the
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway had been let to the Grand Junction,
and it was felt desirable that the Windermere should be also let to
the same Company. He had been commissioned to see the Chair-
man of the Grand Junction on the subject, and had been instructed
by him to say that the Company were willing to undertake the line.
Thus the principle was agreed upon, and the only thing to be fixed
was the terms.

Mr. John Gandy and Mr. C.;Nichol•on were appointed Chairman
and Deputy-Chairman of the Company.

The sum of 4001. was set apart, after some discussion, for thi
remuneration of the Directors for the ensuing year, those gentle.
men, it was stated, having, up to the present time, given their ser-
vices gratuitously.

Mr. G. B. Crewdson and John Steele were appointed auditors,
each to receive 121., and the accounts to be audited monthly.
Mr. Thomas Hudson was appointed secretary, at a salary
of 2501.

A long conversation took place on the subject of the alteration
which was intended to bring the station nearer to Kendal.

Mr. NICHOLSON said that the expense, at the very lowest esti-
mate, would be 25,0001., and the alteration would cause a delay
of a year, while the station would be only a quarter of a mile
nearer. He moved that the Parliamentary line be proceeded with.

Messrs. J. Whitwell, J. H. Wilson, and W. Whitwell, spoke
in favour of the deviation, and felt confident that the increased
passenger traffic, and small parcel traffic, would soon repay the
outlay.

On the putting of the question to a division, there were seven
for the Parliamentary line, and six for the deviation.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE, WITH LOSS OF TWO LITES.
Scyr. 24.—About two o'clock on Tuesday morning this town
was thrown into the greatest consternation, by the alarm of a house
being on fire on Sun.hill. On arriving on the spot we found the
Horse and Groom public-house in a blaze ; the landlord (J. Keats),
his wife, and five children had escaped in their night clothes, as
had Mr. Jones, firework-manufacturer, and his wife and son. Two
others of Keats' children, a girl, aged 13 years, and a boy, 8 years,
were still in their bed-room on the second floor. The fire corn.
menced In Jones's room, on the first floor. On awakening he
states that he found the bed-curtains on fire; he got up, and as.
sisted his wife out of the room, then all in flames, giving an alarm
to the rest of the inmates, some of whom escaped down stairs, the
others out of the back bed-room window. On going to bed Jones
says he left a rushlight burning on the table, the window slightly
open, the wind was then to the westward, it changed to the north
in the night, which it is supposed blowed the curtain against the
light. Jones had, it appears, twelve skyrockets, a case of blue lights,
and a box of Roman candles in his bed-room, which exploded soon
after he left it.

There was a quarter of an hour's delay before the first engine
was brought into play on the flames, and soon after the second ar-
rived lines were formed to the different pumps and wells in the
neighbourhood by about 200 mem, and it was quite wonderful to
see the quantity of buckets they were supplied with, seeing there
were but twelve belonging to the two engines. Assistance and
water flawed from ail quarters, and the fire was confined to the
house it commenced in, with the exception of the roof of the ad-
joining one being damaged by the flames running under it In
many instances here there is not a party.wall to the ridge in half a
dozen houses. All attempts to save the unfortunates on the
second floor were useless in the house, the staircases being the first
parts devoured by the raging element, and no ladder could be found
long enough to reach the windows of the room for a long time.
When one was obtained, and an entry made, Sarah was found near
the window, the upper sash of which she had partly pulled
down, but being overcome by the smoke, died from suffocation.
Richard was afterwards found wrapped up in a blanket, under the
bed, where he had crawled, but, like his sister, died from suffo_
cation. The dreadful deaths of these two unfortunate young people
has caused a great sensation, and will, we have no doubt, cause
considerable additions to be made to the equipment of the fire es-
tablishment, as toe much has always been left to the known daring
of the seamen of the port; they have always got every fire under
before it extended beyond the premises on which it broke out, and
often saved even them; the fires have been attacked and mas.
tered before they have got any very great hold, nor till now has
there been a life lost. Jones had thirty-two sovereigns and some
silver in his box ; the box was burnt, but the money recovered.
Keats had, in some drawers in his room, which joined Jones's,
3001. in notes, and same deeds : although the fronts of the drawers
were burnt nearly through, the notes and writings were not injured.
His furniture was not insured ; the house, which belongs to Mr.
Eames, was, in the Norwich Union—but, some say, the fireworks
being in it will vitiate the insurance. They did not cause the fire;
they were not placed there by Mr. Eames, nor by his tenant, but by
a lodger. Public.houses pay a higher rate of insurance for extra
risk; but, if they are to be damaged, and not be able to recover
their insurance, in consequence of something a casual guest may
have in his box, they are placed in rather an awkward situation.
The house was surrounded by extensive stabling, all wooden
buildings. Had the fire extended to them, they would, in all pro-
bability, have carried the fire to numerous other buildings, and half
the town might have been destroyed.

THE LATE EXPLOSION AT
_WOOLWICH.

Sin,—Perhaps ymi will admit the inclosed a space in your
widely circulating and valuable paper. It may, by your
remarks, draw some attention, and prevent, in future, such
fatal results.

The recent and awful explosion, attended with fearful loss
of life, at Woolwich, last week, has made a deep impression
on the inhabitants, and bas called forth both regret and
astonishment in all, that such a system of extracting a ma-
terial so destructive as percussion powder from fusees by
means of steel chisel, should in these days of enlightened science
and superior chemical knowledge be for a moment allowed.
Without wishing to call in question the superior skill and
practical knowledge, of the talented officers who have the
direction of that department, I must, to say the least, con-
sider that great want of the necessary precaution on the part
of those whose immediate duty it was to superintend such
dangerous and inflammable work, was evident. The most
simple-minded tyro of the establishment well knows the
danger and the effect of steel and gunpowder when opposed
to each other. I trust this sad warning will have its due
weight, and induce those who have charge of such deadly
stores to be more cautious, and employ for the future safer,
and much more simple, means for those operations. Such as
soaking the fusees, &c., in water for 24 or 48 hours, would
prevent any accident from explosion, and secure all employed
from danger. The doors also of all the rooms where these
operations are carried on should be made to open outwards.
Trusting these remarks may be taken kindly, as they are in-
tended friendly, by PUECAUTION.
Woolwich, Sept. 22.

FIRE AT lIOXTON AND NARROW ESCAPE OF
SEVERAL Pessoss.—This morning (Thursday) an alarming fire broke
out, shortly before one o'clock, upon the premises belonging to Mr.
Crafter, chemist and druggist, at No. 171, High-street, Hoxton Old
Town. The inmates, consisting of several persons, being in their
beds at the time, it was apprehended that some of them would have
fallen victims to the fire. They having, however, been aroused, the
whole of them made their escape out of a window upon the small
pent-house over the shop, where they ware forced to remain for some
time, until police-constable 236 N could procure a ladder. That hav-
ing at length been accomplished, the residents, one and all, effected
a safe retreat. The firemen set to work, and soon got the tire out
but not before the whole of the valuable stock in trade was nearly
consumed. The origin of the fire could not be learned. The smoke
was at one period of such an overpowerhig nature that it entered the
adjoining house and suffocated some fancy birds. The sufferer is
insured in the Iliceuix office.

11ESPERATE ATTEMPTS AT
SUICIDE BY A FIZENCII-COLONEL.
On Tuesday evening, about half past six o'clock, a waterman and
lighterman, named David William Miller, of Jacob-street, Dock_
head, was standing on the upper side of the pier-head, at
the entrance of the St. Katharine Docks, for orders relating
to a barge he had just brought into the lock, when a tall, portly
gentleman passed him in a hurried manner, walked to the edge of
the jetty, and after striking himself violently on the breast plunged
into the river. Miller immediately raised an alarm, and called upon
the dockmen on the pier. head for a boat-hook. A long staff was
immediately lowered, and the gentleman, who had twice sunk, was
hooked by his clothes, and kept afloat until Miller reached him in
a ship's boat, when he attempted to drag him into it. In doing so
Miller discovered something projecting from his left side, and called
out "he ,has a knife in his body," at the same time pulling
from it a dagger with which he had stabbed himself before
he precipitated himself into the water. The blood forthwith oozed
from the wound, and Miller called for more aid, which was imme-
diately rendered, and the gentleman was laid in the bottom of the
boat. He had no sooner recovered himself than he attempted to
seize the dagger which Miller had thrown aside. The waterman
defeated his intentions by placing his foot on the weapon, and called
upon the other men in the boat to keep the gentleman down, and
prevent him doing any further mischief. He was properly secured,
and the boat was rowed to St. Katharine's Stairs, where Mr. James
Evans. the superintendent of the Thames Police, and his boat's crew,
were about to embark in a police galley. They took charge of the
wounded man, and conveyed him to the Duke of Marlborough
public-house, close by, where no time was lost in calling in medical
assistance, and after his wound had been dressed he was conveyed
to the Thames police-station in Wapping, where he was divested of
his wet clothing, and a dry suit procured for him. While he was
dressing Mr. Evans searched his pockets, and found in one of them
his passport, and in another a handsome silver-mounted dagger
case, with the initial " " engraved upon a silver plate.
The wounded gentleman on recovering temporarily from the
loss of blood, made several attempts to possess himself of the dagger,
and was with difficulty prevented from stabbing himself again.
The unfortunate gentleman, whose name is Francois Gavoisier,
and who is a colonel in the French army, is 62 years of age. He
is said to have served with distinction during the wars of the em-
pire. He would have been taken before Mr. Ballantine, but was
to ill to be moved. The wife and daughter of the unfortunate
gentleman soon afterwards drove up to the door of the police-court
in a cab, and on being informed that be was in the London Hos-
pital, they proceeded to that place, and were permitted to see him.
The interview was of a most affecting description. A strict watch
is kept upon Colonel Gavoisier, to prevent his repeating the at-
tempt on his life.

WHOLESALE ROBBERY ON
RAILWAYS.

The late apprehension of Maynard, the negotiator for the re.
storation of stolen property, and that more recently of Garratt as
his accomplice, has been the means of bringing to light a whole.
sale system of plunder. There is not a railway terminus in or
about London but what has been plundered to a very large extent,
and the detection of the robbers until lately has defied the most
skilful ingenuity of the several railway officers. On the capture,
however, of Maynard, suspicion fell on Garratt, as being a prin.
cipal party in perfecting those wholesale depredations. He was
accordingly strictly watched for near five weeks, during which
time he had as many residences at different parts of the town,
never staying at one place more than four or five days. On his
being apprehended, in North.street, Lisson-grove, after a deter-
mined resistance, an immense quantity of property, principally
wearing apparel, was discovered in portmanteaus, carpet-bags,
boxes, &c., with various railway labels pasted upon them, and the in-
ference was that the property formed the remains of a host of robberies
on the nnmerous metropolitan lines. The whole of therailways running
into London being interested in the discovery, their officers were
promptly ordered to communicate with Mr. Nash and Mr. Collard,
of the Great Western Railway Company, and up to yesterday, no
fewer than eight distinct and large robberies on several lines were
satisfactorily established. They comprise the stolen lug.
gage of Price Lewis, Esq., on the London and Birming-
ham Railway; of Mr. Jones, on the same line; of
Mr. Winter, on the same line; a large quantity of valuable
papers belonging to a gentleman, and on this line also; and a
quantity of luggage the property of a Mr. Keep. On the Great
Western, the property of Mr. Prance, and the luggage of another
passenger whose name at present is not known ; the luggage of
Mr. Babington stolen on the South. Eastern Railway, and that of
another passenger on the South-Western. The above-mentioLed
railway companies, it is understood, for the full protection of
the public, come forward to prosecute. By far the greater
portion of the property, however, has not been identified,
and in order that it may be, the following, amongst
the mass, are most likely to be recognised :—Blue cloak,
lined, marked "E. B. F.," trowsers and wrapper, marked
"F. 2," blotting-paper, written thereon, " Mr. John Be.
dingfield, All Saints;" a quantity of light.bue satin rib.
bon ; an orange silk shirt; silk and satin scarfs ; expanding
neckerchiefs; light brown and black expanding portmanteaus ;
black dress coats; trowsers; socks; black and white check trow-
sees ; a Coal-hole Companion ; fishing tackle; razor, No. 3;
curious pointed boot.jacks, marked " C. C., Esq.," partly abrased ;
shirts, name torn off; silver spectacles, in a case, by Braham, of
Bath ; hair, wigs, and whiskers, for disguise ; thermometer by
P. M. in a case, pincushion, pearl and gold studs, mould of a head
sunk in light brown stone, small spurs, glass salve-box, with a
silver lid, japanned black leather shaving tackle, cut open, tobacco
stopper, stag's head, microscope ; of the many things in the hands
of Mr. Collard, perhaps these may be more promptly identified.
It is almost clearly ascertained that these robberies could not have
been effected had they not had some confederates in the /service of
the railways. That the gang is very numerous is well understood;
and that they have plundered the respective railway companies to
an immense extent. Since Garratt has been apprehended he has
been identified as a party almost always hanging about the various
termini. He has been in several noblemen's families, and was re_
cently in the service of Lord Auckland, and was known amongst
the members of his cloth by the soubriquet of Count D'Orsay.

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