The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-21 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIB,—I beg to send you a copy of my Annual Tithe
Commutation Tables, the ninth of the series.

will be seen that the average prices for last year

were—

s. d.
51 3 per imperial quarter for Wheat,
33 8 44 " 4 Barley,
20 7 it 44 Oats.
While the average prices for seven years to Christmas
last, amount to—
s. d. s. d.
7 7 per imp. bushel, or 60 8 per imp. qr. for Wheat,
4 Ii- ~ ~ 32 10 " " Barley,
2 9 " " 22 0 " " Oats.
And each 100/. of Rent-charge in 1845 will amount to
1031. 17s. Hid., or ss. 6d. per cent. less than the amount
of last year.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
CHARLES M. W ILLIC H.
25, Suffolk-street, Pall-mall, Jan. 20, 1845.

MELANCHOLY CASE OF
DRO WNING.

We have to record another death by drowning,
which took place on Friday evening last. It
appears that about half-past five o'clock, a launch,
belonging to Mr. Macey, left the Commercial-
wharf, Old Victualling-office, Plymouth, to proceed
up Catwater for the purpose of conveying one hun-
dred and twenty-three pads, containing about one hun-
dred mackerel each, on board the Royal William
steam-packet, Captain Swainson, then on the point of
starting for London. The launch was in charge
of Joseph Navaro, Joseph Ponsford, John Cockrem,
and another ; there were also on board Mr. J.
H. Thorn, landlord of the Brunswick Inn, Ply-
mouth, part owner of the fish ; Thomas Gilpin,
his assistant; and William Alcock Lafont, a young
man going by the Royal William to Wool-
wich, to join her Majesty's steam-frigate Rattler, as
purser's steward. When the launch reached the most
exposed part of Catwater, the wind, which was
blowing strong from the S.W., suddenly in-
creased, and the lee gunwale of the boat went
under water. It was extremely dark, and
those on board were unconscious of the fact that
she was fast filling. During the time she took
to heel over, they managed to get on the weather
side, and on her turning, they secured themselves by
the keel. Here they remained about half an hour, but
as the pads of mackerel became disengaged, there was
a chance of the boat righting, which made their situ-
ation more perilous than otherwise. In conse-
quence of this apprehension, Mr. Thorn, who was a
very good swimmer, attempted to make for the shore,
but being encumbered by his coat, he was no
doubt speedily drowned. The cries of the people were
at length heard by the crew of the Maltese barque
Sarah, whose commander, Capt. Cafferero, sent a boat,
which succeeded in picking them off, and conveyed
them safely to Plymouth. The launch is calculated to
carry ten tons dead weight ; the fish were about five
tons. She, however, is rather sharp built, and being
crank under canvas, it is feared she had too much
sail for the kind of goods with which she was
laden. A pumping engine is fixed amidships, the
weight of which contributed to keep her bottom
up. After the men left she righted, and
drifting on the rocks beat two holes in
her bottom. All the pads, except two, were washed
ashore on the beach, and the fish are little
damaged. Mr. Thorn was well known, he was about
thirty-seven years of age, and for a length of time re-
sided in Cornwall-street, in this borough. He was a
devoted and fearless fisherman ; and a persevering,
industrious, and highly respectable tradesman. He
has left a widow and two children to lament their
bereavement.—Devonport Telegraph.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT A COAL-PIT.--On Wednesday
last, a fatal accident occurred to one of the workmen
employed at the coal-mines, belonging to Mr. Fitzgerald,
at Pendleton. It will be recollected that some time ago
these mines were filled with water, in consequence of
which the works were stopped. In November last,
operations were commenced to dislodge the water, and
workmen have been employed in the task ever since.
Between nine and ten o'clock on Wednesday morning,
two labourers, named Peter Boardman and Thos. Jones,
were at work in the pit, at the depth of from eighty to
ninety yards from the top, when, from some cause which
is not known, Boardman fell through art aperture of
eighteen inches in width, at the side of the scaffold on
which he was standing, and was drowned in about two
feet of water which covered another scaffold below. Just
before he fell, the deceased had handed snail to his com-
panion, who was suspended in the noose of a rope two or
three yards above the scaffold, and who immediately
afterwards heard a rushing noise. He called to the de-
ceased, but received no answer, on which he gave a
signal to the men at the top to lower him to the scaf-
fold, which was immediately done, and he there found
the deceased's hat, but was not able to see him. He was
shortly afterwards found immersed as above stated, and
quite dead. On Friday Mr. Rutter, the county coroner,
held an inquest on the body, at Pendlebury, when the
above circumstances were stated in evidence ; but no
reason could be assigned for the deceased's falling, un-
less he had done so in a fit, it appearing from the state-
ment of his mother, that he had been subject to fits. A
verdict of " Accidental death" was returned. He was
30 years of age. and unmarried.—Manchester Guardian.
MODE OF PREPARING FIRE-PROOF PAINT.— A
quantity of the best quicklime is selected, and slacked
with water in a covered vessel ; when the slacking is
complete, water, or skimmed milk, or a mixture of both,
is added to the lime, and mixed up with it to the con-
sistence of cream. When milk is not used, a solution
of rice paste is employed, which may be obtained by
boiling eight pounds of rice to every hundred gallons
of paint. When the creamy liquor is prepared, alum,
potash, and common salt are added, in the pro-
portion of twenty pounds of alum, fifteen pounds
of potash, and a bushel of salt, to every hundred
gallons of the paint. If the paint is to be white, six
pounds of prepared plaster of Paris and the same
quantity of fine white clay are added to the above pro-
portions of the other ingredients. All these ingredients
being mingled, the mixture is strained through a fine
sieve, and then ground in a colour-mill. When roofs
are to be covered, or when crumbling brick walls are to
be coated, fine white sand is mixed with the paint, in the
proportion of one pound to ten gallons of paint ; this
addition being
o
petrifyingtdioinbeirng
In applying this paint,
except in very warm weather, it is prepared in allot state;
and in very cold weather precautions are necessary
to prevent it from freezing. Three coats of this paint
are deemed in most cases sufficient. In another variety
m ade
with
i t
quality. alivtir to giving the ingredient
of this paint oil is the chief liquid ingredient. To pre-
pare it forty gallons of boiled linseed oil are mixed with
slacked lime to the consistence of a paint; and to this
are added two pounds of alum, one pound of potash, and
eight pounds of common salt; or good wood-ashes may
be substituted for the potash. This paint is used in the
same manner as other paint; and any colour may be ob-
tained by adding the usual pigments to the composition.
The above is the composition of a Mr. Louis Pambceuf,
who first made it known in America.—The Builder.
THE SCHOOLMASTBR WANTED.--The following is
copied verbatim et literatim from a poor's-rate assess-
ment in Anglesey :—" We the Chirgewartens and Over-
sirs of the Boor of the baris of -- decleare the Sev-
ral Portlier Spicfied in the Rectud Colum of the above
Read To be true And correct so fer as we bin able Ascer-
tacion to which we have well use our bead Entevor.
Chirgewardence.

__Oversairs."

—Carnarvon Herald.
TEE STATE OF PUNCII'S REVENUE.—Contempora-
neous with the official returns of last year's public re-
venue, Punch has been looking into his own, which is
highly satisfactory. Without going into figures, we may
announce a steady increase in the consumption of jokes ;
which leads to the gratifying inference that persons who
have hitherto been utterly destitute of fun have been able
to enjoy the luxury. The reserved fund (of humour)
which Punch has at command is promising for the year
that has just commenced ; and on making up our books
at the end of the twelvemonth, we trust the returns will
be as satisfactory as usual.—Putich.