The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-07 00:00:00

IRELAND.

A FEARFUL TRAGEDY has lately occurred in the town
of Buncrana, county Donegal. It appears that a 'person
named M`Laughlin, who formerly filled the situation of
bailiff, was sitting, on Friday evening week, in his own
house, taking share of a " treat" which some friend had
brought in. The son, a young man lately appointed bailiff,
rose and said, that as he had to wait on a gentleman in
the neighbourhood, he would not then drink, but requested
his mother to put his share by till he should return.
During his son's absence old M`Laughlin went and drank
the portion which had been left for the son. When the
latter came home he asked the mother for his share, to
which she replied " Your blackguard father has drank it."
The father got enraged, and lifted a large knife and stuck
his wife in the side, inflicting a dangerous. wound.
M`Laughlin was shortly afterwards arrested and confined
in bridewell, where he succeeded in procuring a piece of
glass, with which he inflicted several awful gashes on his
throat, and when discovered life was quite extinct. The
poor woman at present lies in a most precarious condition.
SERIOUS AFFRAY.—On Monday, an occurrence of an
extraordinary character took place near this city, which
has led to the committal to prison of one of the gentlemen
concerned. For several years some animosity existed be-
tween the parties, which has led to the present unfortu-
nate transaction. Their names are Messrs. George Sadlier
Forster, son of Mr. John S. Forster, of this city, late a
poor-law guardian, and Mr. John L. Kingston, of Gurt-
nalogh, near Ballinhassig. Early on Monday, Mr. Forster
left his residence and proceeded by train to Ballinhassig.
On arriving there he went to the house of Mr. Kingston,
and watching a favourable opportunity he fired at that
gentleman and wounded him in the back. An outcry
being raised, he then rushed up stairs and took up his
position in one of the rooms in the house, in which there
were fire-arms and ammunition, and locked the door. The
police were sent for, and succeeded in forcing open the
door and securing Mr. Forster, not, however, without
great risk, as he held a double-barrelled loaded pistol in
his hand when arrested. He was committed to take his
trial at the next assizes.—Cork Constitution.
ENCUMBERED ESTATES Courr.—A small remnant of
the vast estates of Lord Gort was re-set up for sale on
Tuesday ; and, before the commencement of the proceed-
ings, the following extraordinary conversation took place
between Lord Gort (the late proprietor) and the commis-
sioners. The purchaser of the division which comprised
Loughcooter Castle and demesne was Mrs. Ball, the
".superioress" of the nuns of Loretto, and who is now
virtually the owner in fee; but, from the observations
which fell from Mr. Commissioner Longfield, it is to be
hoped that the lady has not exercised the rights of owner-
ship in the harsh and uncharitable manner imputed to her
by Lord Gort :—Lord Gort, addressing the commissioner,
said he hoped that his lordship would not allow the pur-
chaser to go into possession, of the lot for a few weeks,
until he (Lord Gort) was enabled to make arrangements
for the removal of his family to another place of abode
He was induced to make this request in consequence of
the manner in which he had been treated by the purchasers
of the Loughcooter estate. They turned himself and
family out of the house in ten days after the purchase was
made.—Commissioner : Certainly not within ten days,
because I kept back the conveyance for some weeks.—Lord
Gort : I am much obliged to your lordship, for I am sure
that you meant to be kind ; but they came within ten
days, and they came, too, at twelve o'clock on a Saturday
night, when it was raining tremendously, and turned me
and my family out of doors.—Commissioner : I must re-
peat that it could not have taken place within the time
you mention, because the conveyance did not leave this
court for a much longer period. lam very sorry for any
annoyance you may have experienced, but it is to be re-
collected that the creditors in this case have also suffered
some inconvenience, for the last sale of this lot would
have been a good sale had not your lordship induced a
party to buy it who was not able to fulfil his purchase.—
Lord Gort : I am now living with my family in the dwel-
ling-house which stands on this lot, and I trust you will
not let me be disturbed for six weeks.—Commissioner :
Let the purchaser of this lot understand that the con-
veyance will not be executed for 4 month from this tar.

AMERICA.
ARRIVAL OF THE LIGHTNING,

THE beautiful new American clipper-ship Lightning,
Captain James Nicol Forbes, arrived in the river on
Saturday evening, from Boston, whence she sailed on the
19th ultimo, making the voyage in 13 days. Her run
from Boston Light to Eagle Island (coast of Ireland) oc-
ccupied only 10 days, and to the Calf of Man only 11
days, a rate of sailing altogether unprecedented.
The Lightning has brought telegraphic accounts from
New York to the evening of the 18th ultimo.
The following is an abstract of her log :
Feb. 19,—Wind W.S.W. and N.W., moderate; all plain
sail set. Distance run 200 miles.
20.—VVind N.N.E. and N.E., strong breezes and snow-
storms; lat. 43 5, lon. 59 25. Distance run 328 miles.
21.—Wind E.S.E., with snow-storms; lat. 41 30, lon. 57.
Distance run 145 miles.

22.—Wind E.S.E., a gale, with high cross sea and rain;
lat. 42 5, lon. 54 45. Distance run 114 miles.

23.—Wind N., strong gales, and E.S.E., moderate; lat.
4245, lon. 53 44. Distance run 110 miles.

24.—Wind S.E., moderate; lat. 46 30, lon. 47 45. Distance
run 312 miles.

25.—Wind E.S.E. and S.E., fresh breeze and thick
weather; lat. 49 15, lon. 43 20. Distance run 285 miles.
26.—Wind VV.S.W., moderate; lat. 51 5, lon. 37 19. Dis-
tance run 295 miles.

27.—Wind W.N.W., moderate; lat. 52 3, lon. 30 48. Dis-
tance run 2tlo miles.

28.—Wind W. and W.N.W., stea,ly breezes; lat. 5238, lon.
22 45. Distance run 306 miles.

March I.—Wind S., strong gales; tore away for the North
Channel, carried away the foretopsail and lost jib; hove the
log several times, and found the shipgoing through the water
at the rate of 18 to 114 knots per hour ; lee rail under water,
and the rigging slack ; saw the Irish land at 9 30, p.m. Dis-
tance run in the twenty-four hours, 436 miles.
2.-IVind S., first part moderate, latter part mild and calm.
At noon abreast of Tory Island.
3.—Light winds and calms; at 7, a.m., abreast of Innis-
trahull ; and at noon off the Point of Ayr.
4.—Light S.E. winds and calms; at 7. a.m., off the Great
Ormshead ; at 12, noon, took the pilot, off N.W. Light-ship.
The following description of the Lightning is abridged
from the Boston Atlas :—" This splendid vessel is 226
feet long at the load-displacement line, and 243 over
all, from the knightheads to the traffrail ; has 44 feet
extreme length of beam, 23 feet depth of hold, including
7i feet high between decks, and registers about 2,000
tons. Her keel for 30 feet forward gradually rises
from a straight line, and the gripe of her forefoot,
instead of being angular, is arched where it bends
with the stem. This magnificent ship, owned by Messrs.
James Baines, and Co., of Liverpool, is designed for their
line of Liverpool and Australian packets, and is commanded
by Capt. James N. Forbes, who superintended her outfits.
Capt. Forbes is well known as the former commander of
the famous. ship Marco Polo, in which he made two suc-
cessive voyages from Liverpool to Australia in less than
12 months, including detention in port. Her builder,
Donald McKay, has a world-wide reputation ; his ships, for
beauty, strength and speed, have no superiors on this side
of the Atlantic ; and as the Lightning is the first ship
ever built in the United States for an English house, he
has done his best to make her perfect in every detail.
She is the largest ship belonging to Liverpool, and we be-
lieve she will prove the finest ship of her size that has ever
been produced, on either side of the Atlantic. Mr. McKay
has now on the stocks, for the owners of the Lightning, a
clipper ship of 2500 tons, named the Champion of the Seas,
which will be launched in April. She is 245 feet long,
has 45 feet breadth of beam, 29 feet depth of hold, and
three decks. Also, another clipper ship, of 3000 tons, named
the James Baines, which is 310 feet long, has 46 feet ex-
treme breadth of beam, and 29 feet depth of hold, with
three decks, and will be launched in September. These
ships have white oak frames, will be diagonally cross-
braced with iron, and are built in the best style."
The Lightning on this voyage was heavily loaded, having,
among other cargo on board, nearly 2,000 tons of bread-
stuffs. She is drawing upwards of 21 feet of water.