The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-12-01 00:00:00

IN THE SANITARY CONDITION OF SOME

to have foundered with all hands. The Senator, in run-
ning back, was driven into Ballybunnon bay, dashed
ashore, and it is feared will become a wreck.
A large ship, with Indian corn was wrecked at Bally-
cotton on Friday morning, name as yet unknown. The
police went from Middleton to protect the wreck—crew
saved.
HASTY OCCUPATION OF NEW-BUILT HOUSES, SOURCES IMMENSE LOSS t' PROPERTY ON BOARD THE AJAX
OF DANGER—(Continued). STEAMER.—This noble ship returned to Cork on Friday
I remember, in 1845, a family went into a small house morning, after experiencing the gale of Thursday night,
recently built, and occupied but a very few months pre- and suffering much from its severity. The Ajax left the
viously by a party who had rented it. This family suc- above port at four o'clock on Thursday for London, with
ceeded the former, presuming that the previous occupancy a very large cargo, principally consisting of live stock and
was a recommendation, and almost warranty against the provisions. Until she had well cleared the harbour there
risk of entering a new house. This previous tenancy is re- were no indications of its coming on to blow hard, but
lied upon by many people as satisfactory ground for tak- about eleven o'clock at night, when she was forty miles
ing to a green house, whether wise or not the experience from the land, the storm rose with tremendous fury, and
of this family will show. heavy seas struck the vessel with such force as to tear
The father, who had for years before scarcely ailed any- away the bowsprit and smash in the forecastle deck. The
thing beyond the common catarrhs to which all people are stairs on the paddle boxes were at once carried away, and
more or less obnoxious, was soon seized with rheumatism, the flooring of the deck under the mate's berth also stove
which he thought might be caused in the ordinary way, in. The vessel having a very heavy deck load of cattle, such as exposure to external cold or wet. But the obsti- &c., it was found necessary that she should be lightened
nacy of the attack became remarkable ; if I gained some as much as possible, and accordingly out of 120 sheep on
sort of mitigation of the wearying pains of this form of dis- deck, all but nine were thrown overboard--the pigs were
order, he very soon relapsed again as bad as ever; and the next thrown over to the number of ninety, and then as
ground we had gained had to he faught over and over many as could be of the bullocks and cattle ; but from
again, both in the shape of constitutional remedies and lo- the terror and confusion of the deck passengers, of whom
cal application to the back, where the affection was chiefly there was an immense number, sufficient assistance could
fixed. Some one or two days he could go down to his of- not be had to throw them overboard, and the poor ani-
fice, then three or four days at home, again turning out mals were killed or smothered. Out of 93 head of
for a day.
cattle on board, only twenty that morning were landed
It is hardly needful for me to say, that when this form alive. The fury or the gale continued until day break,
of rheumatism shows itself, a plan of treatment, the re- and the ship behaving nobly all through, when the cap-
verse in many ways of what is required in the more recent tain put back, and, laying too off the harbour all night, in
or acute form, must be adopted—the depressing plan, in consequence of the number of ships in Coce and the river,
other words, must be exchanged for a tonic or invigorat he arrived at the quays on Friday, with all on board in
ing one. The attack was not that sharpest form either, a miserable plight. The violence of the storm, and the
known as rheumatic fever, it is plain. I was soon driven, force with which the seas struck the vessel, may be
then from the earlier depressing lines of treatment, to the judged from the fact that one of the chain boxes, weigh-
best modes I could adopt of the invigorating plan ; it was ing six tons, was carried off the rail it is usually moved
no matter what he took at last with the exception of an upon from one side of the deck to the other, and thrown
occasional opiate. After exhausting the legitimate trials on two pigs, which were literally crushed to atoms under
of every usual remedy, 1 felt assured that the further em- its weight.
ployment of remedies would be unphilosophical under the An American ship, Allen, beating up the channel, was
existing circumstances. I declined pushing remedies so driven on the French coast ; the captain and ten of her
far as that I might run the risk of poisoning his system, crew drowned, the ship herself a total wreck. Two other
perhaps damaging it for life Many weeks elapsed ; even vessels driven on shore are expected to go to pieces. Off
months, found him an invalid, now and then a fine day Yarmouth, many colliers were reported missing, and
drawing him out of doors for a few hours. great fears entertained for their crews. In the Leith roads
During this time, other members of the family began a sloop, Carr Rock, sunk, and the whole of her crew
to suffer with heavy feverish colds ;—and the servant was went down with her. More than twenty vessels are corn-
never tree from cough and sore throat. plate wrecks on the Welsh coast ; two schooners struck on
The house did not feel damp exactly, when you exam- the bar the entrance to Llanelly harbour, and are lost with
fined the walls ; but still had a sense of chill, whilst oucti- the whole of their crews, A Bergen ketch was hurled on
pying the rooms, which a large fire in the small rooms never the sand at Gunwalloe, and four of her crew drowned.
quite
raught destroyed.
which The chili
mall was naturally ascribed to a Near the isle of Whisthom, the barque Helen broke up,
dof air, s cottage rooms present more and her crew, in number fourteen, all perished.
notoriously than larger rooms, because the rush of out- In the taTorth Sea, off Yarmouth, the Humber, Whitby,
ward air is more direct from the doors and windows to and other ports, many colliers are reported as lost, and
the fire-grates and chimney flues. (Those who do not much excitement prevails as to the fate of the crews. In
understand this simple but important subject of social the Leith Roads a sloop called the Carr Hock sunk, and
economy might obtain all they want or need to know by the whole of her crew went down with her, Off Hartle-
purchasing the first part of the Liverpool Health of pool, a large number of vessels were dismasted, and were
Towns Advocate, at Walmsley's ' • price ls. 6d.) knocking about in a very disabled condition. Near the
From the unusual amount of ill health in every member Hasborough light much damage was sustained. The
of a family had known and attended for five or six Years Hasborough Sand was the scene of ,everal shipwrecks ;
past, milt'
I this few months required as much atten- but the loss of life was comparatively very trifling.
dance from me as the whole previous time, I made more The destruction amongst the shipping off Milford was
particular enquiries, and satisfied myself that it became enormous. It commenced to blow most fearfully on the
my duty to enjoin their quitting the house altoge- 11th from S.S.W. and so continued, varying one or two
ther. I had begun to suspect such must be ultimately points, until Saturday. The damage to property on shore
consented to, for weeks before it was made the basis has also been very great. More than twenty vessels during
of my ultimate medical prescription. There was no the storm were driven into the harbour, so disabled as to
sewerage in the street; and though there was some render many of them almost total wrecks. On Friday,
drain off for surface waters, sink stones, &c., and the about noon, a fine looking barque named the Norman,
dampness was not palpable on the walls, yet there could belonging to Belfast, whilst on a passage from Dublin to
be no longer any doubt on the moat obtuse judgment— Swansea, was carried on to the shingle at the South Hook
medical or not medical—that quitting such a house and Point. Every endeavour was made to get her off, but the
street was a matter of imperative necessity for health's continuation of the gale rendered it quite impracticable.
sake. She therefore became a total wreck ; the crew, however,
I remember years ago this plot of land now covered succeeded in preserving themselves. The coast for miles
with buildings, and on a very elevated part of the town, bears evidence of the awful character of the gales. Spars
was fields which always were more or less covered with and pieces of wreck are continually being washed up.
pools of water. The sewerage, not even yet attended to, On other parts of the Welsh coast the losses were very
ought to have preceded the laying down of the founda- heavy. A shocking catastrophe occurred at the entrance
tions, even of pig-sties. The health of our fellow-crea- of Llanelly Harbour Two schooners, named the Trader,
tures is their ereatest source of wealth and temporal hap- of Milford, and the Dolphin, of Penzance, were making
pineas ; the health of the very animals is also our wealth, for it, when they struck upon the bar, and almost iinnse-
and contributes to our health, or the contrary ' too plain- diately foundered, every one of their crew perishing with
ly' for me to dwell upon with an additional word. them ; none of their bodies have as yet been cast up.
When I name the district of Crown-street, the public Another schooner, called the Mary, of the port of Hayle,
will see and appreciate the bearing of those dangerous went ashore in the harbour, but fortunately the crew
pools, as foundation-ground, though far elevated above escaped.
the masa of the townland ; which, if un-sewered previous In the vicinity of Padstow, the gales occasioned much
to being built upon, are full of risk to health, and eventu- damage, and, notwithstanding every precaution, much of
ally to life. It is not only in this locality, but in fact all the scaffolding attached to the Trevose Lighthouse was
round the suburbs of this extending town, that the error blown away. Off Penzance similar effects were sus-
of building before drainage, instead of drainage before tained. The pier of this port suffered severely. A Bergen
building, tends so greatly to enhance the mortality of our ketch, from Irica, laden with salt, was hurled on to the
sicknesses. If an increased per centage of deaths happen, sands at Gunwalloe, and in less than half an hour was
that argues a proportionate increase of sickness, with all completely lost. By means of ropes thrown by the coast
its numerous train of evils. It is well the new Act is guard of Prussia Cove Station, the master and three of
at hand. her crew were preserved, the remainder (four), however,
The family left the place, and took a house lower down were washed overboard and drowned.
in the town, but which had been inhabited for several
years. The atmosphere was not so clear as the neigh-
bourhood of Crown-street had been; but the immediate
circumstantials of the house presented themselves

PARTS OF LIVERPOOL.
TO THE EDITOR, OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

LETTER XX

" Property has its duties as well as its rights."

THE DAMP, FOUL STATE OF DWELLINGS, AND THE

THE IRISH FAMINE

....wined is an abridgment of an article which appears
avourable to health than the other abode. A very short
residence here permitted his constitution to make the in the Dublin Mail of Friday. The writer, it will he seen,
deals some " heavy blows" to the whole system of public
necessary effort, and that with hut little aid from medi-
I tine. It is now about two vpar. Ri n works, as carried on " under the extraordinnro rind ha hn.

_. mode of doing business. The instances of s quirean
had a return of the same disorder, nor have the family jobbing and shammed distress are, unfortunately, of too
been obnoxious to constant colds, although they have
had occasional attacks from exposure out of doors, &c. frequent occurrence to leave any doubts upon those deli-
cate topics.
I have entered into the treatment details of this case, "
It has now been clearly developed, to the satisfaction
for the purpose of cutting off cavils which might have of all net wilfully blind, that the most corrupt jobbing
been other wise raised. I seek always to advance a de- speculation under the old grand jury system was purity
monstration as near as the circumstances will admit of, itself compared with what has been carried on under ' the
so as to tax the faith of the reader as little as possible. 1
extraordinary presentment' mode of doing business. A
would certainly have preferred rendering to the public
simply the statements briefly of my own conclusions and tee years burthen has been entailed upon a vast extent of
the country, nominally for the support of the poor—but
opinions, for obvious reasons ; but, in that case, the con- have the poor, the really poor, been the gainers by it?
elusions would have been only worth exactly what my
individual judgment might fetch in the mind of the We emphatically answer,—No. Many of them have been
enabled to clear scores with the rapacious and grinding
reader, which might be infinitesimally small, and the middleman, as regarded their cabin and con acre; and
value of the facts themselves been at a discount, through not a few with the no less oppressive spiritual tyrants
the slightly influential weight of the judgment of the who lord it over their souls, and who appear to hare
party reporting. But, at the risk of being often tedious, taken special care of their own interests during the hub-
I have endeavoured to publish facts so faithfully, so well bub. But the fact is there was not, as there should have
authenticated by the witness and even by. the reporting of been any preliminary inquiry, not searching the wretched
others, as to place the possibly erring judgment of the out,' nor any subsequent classification—mob law and mob
fact reporter out of request, and almost out of exercise, interest forbad the exercise of judgment and reason in the
If I have hitherto succeeded in throwing out of the cate- matter. There is something talismanically mischievous
gory of conclusions by others, any of my own as need- in the word ' public money.' The moment it was men-
less, though acquiring at the same time a certain definite boned, what would have been a struggle—a putting of the
ue when they proved concurrent with that of the shoulder to the wheel—attended with, perhaps, a hoping
valuer; then have I so far attained the main point at in God, became at once a scramble, with all eyes fixed
which these letters have been aimed, and I shall stand in upon the Treasury. There seems little doubt that, but
the simple light of a faithful witness, not in that of a for this, private liberality would have done its duty—the
judge, or a jury empanelled to examine the merits of the really poor would have been supported—and, perhaps,
cause. And further, before I proceed, I may be allowed been taught to feel some gratitude even to the Sassenach,
to urge, that, in the endeavour to discharge with faithful whose generosity has been so frequently experienced on
accuracy the varying duties of witness, if ever I have such trying ccasions. A good-sized volume would
trusted my self beyond that imaginary boundary line of hardly contain oche multiplied and multiplying instances of
delicacy, which society, by the dicta of prescription or the misapplication of these 'pr
funds, as de-
sages of custom, has always felt to be laid down as a •.:P....-1 1-.....1. :...- -.4-.•- - • •

canon, whoever infringes which does so at his social tarrea nom in pnvare communications and t,
peril,—if ever I have rendered myself obnoxious to the pendent of the provincial journals. One thing we must
peril of this penalty, I should regret it myself, wherever observe with
regard to those of the squirearchy who
the essential nature of the subject and the preeminent sought, and in many instances obtained, the name of the
value of human life did not exculpate me from blare e, in patriots—bless the
.mark !—by lending themselves to the
the matter of a law which, however proper as a general outcry, and falling
.in apparently with the views of their
guide, yet, when humanity has to assert her venerable reverences and their mob hounds. These gentry passedrights, is occasionally " more honoured in the breach numbers of these precious `presentments,' being perfectly

be most inde-

taut tit., tue carrying out or the wa-at than in the observance." Where I have seemingly neither the law nor theultimate Government could sanction. s `it is
broached upon this part of the social code, the a pleasing part of our public duty to take the borrowed
public will excuse the medical man, whose mixed feathers out of such ' jays.' Some landlords, too, are be-
mission for the welfare. of his fellow-creatures may ginning to back out of the reduction system, by cl
not be stayed by the etiquettes of polished life,' or it with certain conditions, which they well kno
swamped in the sensitive tutoring of " ears polite." unlikely to be complied witl-
Our fellow-men and fellow-women, our joint beritors of 4, w, •
this, and it may be of another world, have great interests
staked, as valuable as our own, in the great social com
pact ; and if these interests are to be wisely and adequate

eon th

dotes, ti:

of parliament

we must all bear our

part in the strife of