The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-05-25 00:00:00

FROM IRELAND WORM(
!stitute Irish, and of par.

antic, seem to have

we the recent adoption of quaran-
ase of the fares charged by

From the 18th to the 23rd
which although only embracing a
ality comprises the arrivals of the

ace of othE

FALL OF THE SHREWSBURY AND CHESTER
RATLWAY BRIDGE OVER THE DEB.-SEVEN
LIVES LOST.

A calamitous accident occurred last night (Monday),
by the fall of a portion of the above bridge, by which
seven lives are ascertained to be sacrificed. The quarter-
past six (p.m.) train, from Chester to Ruabon, started at
its usual time, with four carriages—two first-class and
two second-class--the number of passengers, we under-
stand, being about twelve; and on passing over the
second arch on the Wrexham side of the river Dee, one-
half of the arch next to the Roodee gave way, and fell
into the river, with the line of rails upon which the train
was running, leaving the other half standing. The en-
gine and tender had got over, the latter being so close
to the falling mass that it was thrown off the rails.
The whole of the carriages, however, were precipitated
into the Dee, where they lie endways, almost completely
smashed. The intelligent superintendent of the Chester
police, Mr. Hill, was shortly after the accident upon the
spot, and under his able directions assistance was rendered
as soon as possible; and seven of the passengers, who are
now lying dead in the Hospital, were got out. Two others
were extracted, but are not expected to survive ; and
others are miss=ing, The bridge was a rather handsome
structure, lofty, and composed of two arches, of large
span, with horizontal bearings of irons; and joints up to
a number of arches running along the side of the Roodee.
The line has only been opened a month (since the Mon-
day before Chester races) ; and it is supposed that either
the piers had not been sufficiently consolidated, the
stonework defective, or that the iron bearings had become
warped by the heavy trains (consisting of iron from Rua-
bon) passing over them. Another cause of the insecurity
of the bridge may have been the difficulty always said to
he experienced in getting a foundation in the bed of the
Dee. It is a fortunate circumstance that the train pas-
sing over the bridge in the morning, which, if it had been
precipitated into tho river in a similar manner, would
have produced a much more widely spread disaster.
Amongst the lives lost is, we regret to say, Mr. John
Matthews, coach proprietor and driver of the Holyhead
mail, a party well known for his estimable qualities by
many in this town and in Wales, and who leaves behind
him, to regret his loss, a wife and eight children. The
guard of the train was also one of the killed. The bridge,
we understand, was contracted for, and built by, Mr.
Betts, and will have, as a matter of course, to be entirely
taken down and reconstructed.

DECLINE IN THE CORN MARKET.-OPENING
OF THE PORTS OF THE BALTIC.

We have been favoured by an influential and well-
informed house in the corn trade with the substance of
their most recent advices from all parts of the kingdom.
Their most satisfactory feature, so far as the consumer is

concerned, is the almost universal tendency towards a
decline in prices. Various causes may be adduced for
this, the principal being the splendid weather with which
the country has been blessed during the past fortnight.
Another is, the fact that the wants of Ireland are now
pretty well provided for ; and that foreign wheat imported
into that country is now being shipped to this and other
portt, its place in the sister country being occupied by
coarser sorts of food, such as Indian corn, Indian meal,
&c. The opening of the Baltic ports has also contributed
to dissipate the fears previously entertained of a continua-
tion of scarcity and high prices. Several grain-laden
vessels arrived in this port from Friday up to yesterday,
from Dantzic, Stettin, &c. ; and the arrivals in London,
Hull, and other ports on the eastern coast, are to a much
larger amount. From the ports of the Black Sea the
importations are not expected to be very heavy until the
latter end of June and July ; but we have the certainty,
that, with the high inducement to direct cargoes here, we
shall be amply supplied to enable us to put on until our
own harvest. This supply, although in pr
naturally influences holders to realise

America-n

supply also, it is now beginning to be thought, will be
considerable, as our friends across the water will economise

consumption of wheat by the resort to Indian corn, rather
than om►t the opportunity of profiting by the receipt of
the present high prices.
The rates in Liverpool have lately been materially
raised by the demand from the southern and western
counties, where the agriculturists appear to have sold out
too freely and too early. We hear of one house having
chartered within a very short period, no less than thirty-
five vessels to carry supplies coastwise, to ports in the
Bristol Channel, and as far round as Portsmouth. The
demand from this quarter, however, is materially abating ;
and must do so in an increased degree, as supplies from
the Baltic come in.
It is seldom that the tone of the market can be fairly
judged of by•the few transactions which take place on the
intermediate days of our two markets, especially in the
absence of any exciting information. Yesterday, how-
ever, we are informed, that American flour, of the staple
quality could have been bought for 455. per barrel, which

On Friday ranged at about 475. to 475. 6d. This day's
market will probably test the disposition of holders more
decidedly ; and we certainly expect to see reduction the
order of the day, as the trade seeme just now quite para-
lyzed.

During last week no fewer than 95 vessels laden with
corn arrived in London from European ports. A remark-
able and very important feature attaching to these arri-
vals of grain, is the various descriptions of vessels belong-
ing, to different nations in which they took place, bringing

various others of a similar nature