The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-09-27 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

It is, we understand, in .contemplation to place the esta-
blishments of all the depot companies of regiments serving
abroad upon an uniform footing iu regard to number, but
the numerical strength of the establishment has not yet been
decided on.—United Service Gazette.

THE \VYRE HARBOUR.—The ship City of Rochester, up-
wards of 600 tons burthen, which arrived at the harbour of
Wyre about a fortnight ago, has taken her departure for New
Orleans, during the present week, laden with coals and slates
by Mr. Benbow, of Fleetwood. We understand that this is
the first instance of a vessel taking a cargo to foreign parts
from the harbour of Wyre.—Preston Chronicle.
On Friday, as the clergyman was reading the burial ser-
vice over the remains of the late Mr. E. Jenkins in Thorpe
churchyard, the friends and family of the deceased standing
round the grave, the sides of the pit suddenly gave way, and
the whole of the party, together with the coffin, were thrown
into the grave with a terrible crash. We are happy to say
no person was seriously hurt.—Lincoln Chronicle.
THE VICAR OUTWITTED.—The Rev. Henry Venn, pass-
ing through Towcester, asked the innkeeper who was vicar,
and as he should stay the next day (Sunday), whether he
would be glad of assistance ? " Oh ! yes, (says the land-
lord) I dare say he will be glad to have his duty done,"
" Then carry my compliments to him, and say a clergyman
out of Yorkshire is passing, and is ready to read or preach
for him, if he needs assistance." Away went the landlord to
the vicar. " Gladly, (said his reverence) but what sort of
man is this Yorkshire clergyman—there are Methodist
vagrants, you know—ah !" The innkeeper laughed, shook
his head, and said, " Ali! sir, only look at his face and nose,
and you will see he is not one of that sort." " Well (said
the vicar) let him come to me in the morning, and then I
shall see whether I like him to preach or pray." The next
morning, Mr. Venn waited upon his reverend brother.
" Sir, you are from Yorkshire—will you drink a dram this
morning ?" " I have no objection." The bottle came from
the closet, and Mr. Venn's character was now decided.
" Sir, you will preach for me this morning ?" " With
pleasure." Robed and ready they parted to the church—
Mr. Venn to the pulpit. There, his Bible no sooner opened
than the congregation stared, and the vicar hid his face in
his surplice. The energetic truth awakened up an attention
to which that congregation had been little accustomed. The
vicar did not wait to thank him, he bolted out of the thurch
the moment the service was ended, and left Mr. Venn to re-
tire to his inn alone. This anecdote was related by Dr.
Haweis to the editor of The Countess of Huntingdon's Life
and Times, 2 vols.

GREAT ROAD FROM BOMBAY TO AGRA.—The great in-
tended road from Bombay to Agra, is, we are happy to learn,
taken up in good earnest, by the governments of the two
presidencies ; and, to prevent all delays and procrastinations,
periodical reports of progress have, we are told, been ordered
by the authorities of both. The "Whole line between the
presidencies will, it is expected, not exceed 750 miles ; that
between Indore and Agra being 380. On this there are al-
ready staging Bungalows from Bombay to Dhoolia a distance 1
of 212 miles. Between Agra and Indore none exist ; but
there are great facilities for constructing them. Goonah offers
an admirable locality for a half-way station, possessing great
advantages of climate and salubrity, and other available points
are to be found on the same line. The road from Bombay to
Agra is now completed as far as Sindwah. The mountain pass
bearing that name has been very much improved and rendered
easily passable by wheel carriages. All, in fact, that is now
necessary, is to put the road, yid Bhewndy, Tull Ghat, Nas-
suck, Dhoolia, and Sindwah, upon a durable basis, by con-
structing arched cross drains in the swampy parts, and by
softening the slopes over the hill ghats, so that cattle may
drag up their loads without the necessity, which at present
exists, of procuring additional force. We have heard that
Major Drummond has discovered an excellent line, almost
perfectly straight, and about 97 miles in length, from Sind-
wah to Indore. This, when completed, will reduce the total
distance, from Bombay to Indore, to about 372 miles. The
line, if authorised, will cross the Nerbudda, at a village
called Akberpore, where there is both a ferry and a ford, the
latter one of the best on that river for many miles.—Bombay
Times, June 19.

TRIAL OF MR. GRANT'S FUEL ON BOARD HER MA
JESTY'S SHIP " FIREBRAND."—The lords of the admiralt
having directed an experiment to be made with Mr. Grant's
fuel, on a large scale, we have taken pains to ascertain what
are the results, and we lay the following interesting and im-
portant facts before our readers :—The consumption of Mr.
Grant's fuel averaged one-forth less than that of the best
coal in similar circumstances. It occupied, on board the
Firebrand, one-sixth less space than Welsh coal, and one-
third less space than north country coal. In the opinions of
the engineers and stokers, the steam was raison more quickly
and with greater facility with Mr. Grant's fuel than with any
description of coal. The heavy labour of stirring up the fire
is almost entirely saved to the poor stokers. Indeed, this
process is now in a great measure rendered unnecessary, since
there are no clinkers formed by Mr. Grant's fuel; an
important advantage also in other respects, since it ren-
ders the combustion much more complete, owing to the
furnace bars remaining clear and open to the passage of air.
Finally this fuel is vastly more cleanly, and throws up little
or no dust in the engine-room, an advantage of no small
moment to the health of the stokers and engineers. Since
writing the above, we have received a letter from a gentleman
who took a passage in the Firebrand from hence to Plymouth,
and who reports that Mr. Grant's fuel was burned the whole
way with great advantage. The lords of the admiralty who.
were on board, the engineers, and last, but not least, the
humble hard-working stokers, gave their unqualified opinion
in favour of this important improvement, which all agree in
considering as superior to the best kind of coal.—Hampshire
Telegraph.
THE BAPTISTS.—David Taylor, one of Lord Huntingdon's
servants, was sent out by the Countess to preach in the neigh-
bourhood of Donnington Park, the family seat. On one oc-
casion his sermon made an impression on a Mr. Salmi Dea-
con, who from that thne became a serious person, and even-
tually the pastor of a little church at Barbon Fabis, in Lei-
cestershire, which arose out of his labours, and those of a
colleague, over which he presided fifty-two years. This
church, like the leaven in the meal, spread to -Hugglescote,
Melbourne, Loughborough, Derby, Leicester, (where an old
decayed chuch was resuscitated,) Nottingham, &c. These
churches, at least such of them as then existed, with others
inYorkshire, Cambridgeshire, &c. were formed into a
connexion, in 1770, and its beginning was small, but its
latter end has greatly increased. It now contains oNE
HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN CHURCHES, 11,358 members, five
District Home Missionary Societies, a Foreign Missionary
Society, established in 1816, two Acodemies, &c. The
principal strength of the New Connexion of General Bap-
tists is in Midland Counties, and Barton-Fabis is consi-
dered the "mother of them all !' In 1802, the Mid-
land Conference included twenty-bne churches. In 1816,
the Warwickshire churches, six in number, formed them-
selves into a separate Conference, as also in 1825, when
four or five churches in the north of Nottinghamshire
were formed into 'what is . called the North Midland
Conference. The Midland Conference, in 1832, included
forty-two Churches. These fifty-two churches in the Mid-
land counties probably contain 7009 members ; many of the
chapels are large and well attended ; the Sunday-schools
attached have many thousand children in them. As the
little one has become a thousand, may the small one at home
and abroad grow into a strong nation.—Countess of Hunting-
don's Life and Times, 2 Vols.
COL. PASLEY'S OPERATIONS AGAINST THE " ROYAL
GEORGE" AT SPITHE AD.—The proceedings of thiimost per-
severing of military engineers during the last week have ad-
vanced with great spirit, in spite of the tempestuous and
rainy weather. Several small charges, of 451bs. of powder
each, and one of 2001bs. have been exploded against the
wreck with such effect that some huge masses of the ship's
side, many beams, and two or three knees .(some of wood
and some of iron), have been wrenched from the main mass,
and hauled up. Of these, the largest was breughtto the dock-
yard this afternoon; it consisted of a portion of the bottom,
with the bottom sheathing on it entire; its average length
was twenty-five feet. There could be distinctly counted
fifteen streaks of planking, besides seven or eight tim•
hers. We observed, also, a tolerably solid iron knee,
which appeared to have been placed horizontally under
the deck. Three large shot were glued together by the
oxide of iron. A mass of coal was found near this spot,
and a considerable portion of a gun carriage, besides many
fragments of planks and timbers. The nautical part of
Colonel Pasley 's operations is still conducted.by Sadler, of
the dock yard, and the engineering by Mr. Seymond's, R.E.
We are very glad to hear, that all the difficulties at first ex-
perienced respecting the application of the galvanic spark
have been entirely overcome, and that this admirable device
is now in full action daily. The divers first ascertain the
position and shape of a certain part of the wreck, and then
carefully place a charge of gunpowder alongside of it. The
men then come to the surface, and the explosion is, made by
the galvanic battery. The divers again descend, to sling the
fragments 'in chains to which ropes are hooked, and the dis-
located fragments are thus drawn peacemeal to the surface
slowly, but surely. Colonel Pasley intends on Monday,
at slack tide, should the weather be favourable, to explode
the large charge of gunpowder, 2,4001b5. ; the intention will
be notified by a red flag being hoisted .on board the Success
and the lighters. The hour will be Omit two o'clock.—
Hampshire Telegraph.