The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-20 00:00:00

The temporarr removal of a portion of the fine specimen
of wood pavement in Whitehall, London, for the purpose of
laying down gas-pipes, at present affords a good opportunity
for those who are sceptical as to the merits of this mode of
paring to test its durability. It was found on taking up the
blocks that their under surfaces and sides were in almost
every case as clean and fresh-looking as on the day of their
being laid down (upwards of two years ago), and that their
upper surfaces had only worn away to the extent of from
the sixteenth to the eighth of an inch, notwithstanding the
great traffic in this part of the town.

FLOOD IN THE FYLDE.—There has been a very destruc-
tive flood in the low district of the Fylde. Many scores of
fields were one continued sheet of water (and some are sub-
merged yet) covering the hedges, and leaving only the higher
branches of trees visible. Hundreds of acres of hay grass.
corn, and potatoes, have been, we fear, seriously injured, In
Inskip, Sowerby, and in Ashton-upon-Ribble, the ramparts
gave way in many places, a fact which, of course, would give
unusual vent for the water. Mr. William Stewart, of Sow-
erby-hall, had not less than fifty acres of land covered with
water. A considerable number of cottage houses were inun-
dated to the depth of a foot; and in the neighboured of St.
Michael's, in some parts of the lanes, the water was so deep
as to render them almost impassable.—Preston Pilot.
Nine Welsh iron masters have been elected M.P.'s, namely,
Sir John Guest, for Merthyr; his partner, Mr. Divett, for
Exeter ; Summers Harford, Esq., of Ebbw Vale Works, and
of the firm of Harfords, Davies, and Co., Bristol, returned
for Lewes ; Joseph Bailey, Esq., for Worcester, and Joseph
Bailey, jun., Esq., for Herefordshire, of Nant, glo Works ;
Alderman Thompson, for Sunderland, and Mr. Forman, for
Bridgwater, of Pedarran Works, Merthyr; Mr. De Lar-
pent, of the Aberyschan Works, for Nottingham ; and
Richard Blakemore, Esq., of the Melyn Griffith Works, in
Cardiff, for Wells.—Bristol Mirror.—To these may be
added Mr. Baird of the Gartaherrie iron-works, for the Fal-
kirk burghs.
DECLINING DEMAND FOR BRITISH STEAM ENGINES
ABROAD, AND REMEDY.—At a time when the Belgian ma-
chine manufacturers are straining every nerve to exclude
British steam engines from our continental use, it may be
well to note an advantage which their engines have over
those of British make, which is susceptible of immediate re-
moval. Coals being cheap in England, our steam engines
are constructed without much regard to the quantity which
they consume, whereas, fuel being scarce on the continent,
Belgian engines are constructed to obtain the greatest amount
of power from the smallest amount of fuel. Hence the pre-
ference given to them by the Spanish and Russian manufac-
turers. By attention to this point, British engine makers
might have a monopoly abroad.

THE CROPS.—The crops of all sorts are most healthy and
luxuriant in appearance ; and it is expected that the late fre-
quent showers will do much good in swelling the grain, and
increasing its weight. The showers have also proved highly
propitious for the potato crop, which in every direction looks
well. The " rowens," both clover and grass, are exceedingly
heavy and good. We regret to say. that a considerable quan-
tity of hay remains out. That, however, which has been
carried, has generally been got up in good condition. Apples
turn out rather better than was expected, as do all plums.
Filberts promise for a very fair crop.—Maidstone Gazette.

ExmoUTII.—L'XTRAORDINAItY SUICIDE.—This town was
thrown into great consternation on Friday last; by a report
that a private in the party of the 9th Lancers, quartered here
(luring the election in Exeter, had destroyed himself in the
most deliberate manner by blowing his brains out with a
pistol. The report proved unfortunately too true, and the
following are the circumstances of the case :—The deceased,
whose name was Terence Shields, was billetted with several
of his comrades at Bastin's Globe Inn. They slept in rooms
at the top of the house. In the morning the deceased hadf,
been out on parade, and had returned to his sleeping-room
for the purpose of shifting his parade-dress. This was about
half-past eight o'clock. One of his comrades was with him
for the same purpose, but, having changed his dress before
the deceased, left the room and went to the stables. About
five minutes afterwards the report of tire-arms was heard in
the room, and, an alarm being given, the unfortunate man
was found extended on the floor quite dead, half of his face
being blown off. An inquest was held on the body by Mr.
Aberdein on Saturday last, when evidence was given elicit-
ing the above facts. It appeared that the pistol with which
this dreadful deed was committed belonged to the deceased ;
and so determined had he been in his purpose, that he had
actually loaded it with four rounds of ball cartridge. The
balls were found lodged in the ceiling, with a portion of the
scalp of his head. The deceased had betrayed no symptoms
of insanity, excepting a slight melancholy, previous to de-
stroying himself; and one of his comrades deposed, that five
minutes before his death he was perfectly cool and collected.
He was somewhat given to drinking, and had been intoxi-
cated two days previously, .which circumstance seemed to
have preyed on his mind. His sergeant gave him a good
character, describing him as a quiet and inoffensive man.
He was 24 years of age, and not married. After deliberating
upwards of four hours, the jury returned a verdict offelo de
se, and the body was buried privately the same evening,
no funeral service being read over it.—West of England
Conservative.

APPALLING OCCURRENCE.—The United States Courier
gives an account of one of those appalling events which we
are more accustomed to hear of in novels than believe to take
place in real life. The ship Charles, from New Orleans,
was found abandoned in the Gulf of Mexico by the steam-
boat Tiger. The captain of the Tiger went on board. He
found on the table in the cabin four bottles of porter, three
parts empty, their necks knocked off, and the beer appeared
to be still fresh. All the trunks, baggoge, and clothes of the
passengers and captain seem to have been carried off. Seve-
ral marks of blood were on the floor, and some handspikes
were cast on the starboard side of the.deck, and an immense
pool of blood was observed on the larboard side, which
choked up the skuttles. Other marks on the port-holes
proved that persons had been murdered, and then cast into
the sea. Everything showed the Charles had been the scene
of a most horrid tragedy. Having examined every part of
the vessel, the captain cruised about for five or six hours to
see if he could see some boat. He found at a distance of six
miles a boat belonging to the Charles, with a dog in it, which
appeared to have belonged to one of the passengers. The
captain thinks the animal could not have been long aban-
doned, as it did not seem to drink the water offered to it with
avidity. The authorities in New Orleans have sent two
steamers, with GO men in each, to cruise in the Gulf of
Mexico, and a large boat, with 25 men. No discovery has
as yet taken place. but some suspected persons have been
arrested. The opinion is generally entertained that the crew
had mutinied, had massacred the captain, offieers,.and pas-
sengers, and, having collected all the baggage, money, and
objects of value, (and it was known there was an immense
quantity on board,) gained the land in the long-boat. Two
circumstances seem to prove this—all the baggage of the
crew was taken off; nothing was forgotten; and the hand-
spikes, which seemed to have been the instruments of de-
struction, were most likely those to have been used by the
sailors in such a demoniacal work. The French Consul at
New Orleans has given a list of the passengers by the Charles,
who had taken out passports in his office, but it appears cer-
tain that there were several passengers who had not done so.
There were among the male passengers one Spaniard and
five French, and there was a French lady, of Bordeaux, on
board, Madame Veuve Petit, with her two daughters.