The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-21 00:00:00

CHESETZE AND WALES.

CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY.—The traffic for
the week ending 12th March, 1854, was as follows :
Passengers, parcels, &c:, per railway, 2067 16s. 2d. •
steam-boats, £335115. 6d. • ' total, £2403 7s. Bd.: goods
£l4BB 19s. 2d.: total,. including Carnarvon traffic, per
rail, £3556 15s. 4di steam-boat, £335 lls. 6d. Cor-
responding week last year, per rail, £2958 ss. 9d. ;
steam-boat, £212 25..11d Increase, £721 18s. 2d.
BIRKENHEAD Doc Es.— On Tuesday morning, a portion
of the Great Float wall at the new docks at Wallasey Pool
fell into the Mersey.. The wall had reached an elevation
of 16 or 17 feet, but not of sufficient height to exclude the
tidal waters, which flowed over it at high water, and were
again let out by sluices as the tide ebbed. When the wall
fell it was low water, and a considerable amount of water
was in the great Hbat, which pressed heavily upon the
walls on the weaker. side. 'Whether this was the cause of
the accident, or whether the water passing out of the
sluices had washed away the foundations, does not appear.
The loss, which, is considerable, will fall upon the con-
tractors, and will cause a delay of about two months. The
delay is believed to. be more serious than the pecuniary
loss, as two of the best months for their inner operations
will be lost. No boats or vessels were within the distance
at the time, and no loss of life has resulted, although three
men were seriously hurt after the falling of the wall,
while lowering a boat to secure some of the stray staging.
On Thursday, Mr. Bendel, the chief engineer of the works,
made an inspection for the purpose of ascertaining the
amount of damage and the cause of the disaster. He will,
of course, forward his official report to the dock trustees at
their next meeting • • but we understand that he does not
consider that the delay in the progress of the works will
be so great as at first anticipated. Mr. Brassey, the prin-
cipal contractor, also inspected the damage yesterday
morning, and directed prompt measures to be taken to
repair the mischief.
-ROBBERY BY A SERVANT.—James Davies, about 28.
years of age, was brought up before the magistrates at
Birkenhead, on Tuesday, charged with stealing a quantity
of books, handkerchiefs, and other property, from the
academy of the Rev. Dr. 'Thaggi, of New Brighton. Mr.
Greatley appeared for the defence. The prisoner had been
employed as footman or butler to the prosecutor, and on
leaving his situation last week the books and other arti-
cles were missed, which led to a search, the result of which
was that the whole of the property was found in the pos-
session of the accused. From some letters it was elucidated
that his real name was Henry Tudor, and that he had a
wife in Gloucester, who was a recipient of parish relief.
The prisoner had absconded from his wife about three
years ago, and it was reported in Gloucester that he had
gone to America. In a bag belonging to the prisoner was
a bank book for £219 145., which was invested in the
Liverpool Porough Bank. He was committed for trial,
and the overseers where his wife resides will make a claim
upon his money.
THE BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRR, AND CHESHIRE
JUNCTION, AND THE SHREWSBURY AND CHESTER
COMPANIES.—The matters in dispute between these com-
panies were referred to arbitration, and the award was
rendered last week, adjudging upwards of £9,000 to the
Birkenhead railway. As soon as the costs had been taxed,
the managers of the Birkenhead company proceeded to
enforce their claim. On Thursday writs were directed to
the sheriffs of Chester, Shrewsbury, Denbighshire, and
Flintsldre, ordering them to levy upon the premises and
effects of the Shrewsbury company, but the affair was
settled by the chairman, John Williams, Esq., liquidating
the claim as required.
THE EMIGRATION DEPOT.—The Joseph Rowan, Capt.
Magee, sailed on Saturday from the Government Emigra-
tion Depot, at Birkenhead, for Australia, with 309 pas-
sengers, some of the emigrants being English, some
Irish, and a very large proportion Scotch. On Friday
they were assembled in the depot, for the purpose of
hearing an address from Mr. Kerr who goes out with the
vessel as religious instructor and schoolmaster. This
makes the sixth vessel which has sailed from the Birken-
head Depot with free emigrants for Australia since the
commencement of February, being at the rate of one each
week. ' The first, the John Bunyan, took out 268 pas-
sengers; the Matoaka took 384; the Lord Stanley 232;
the Switzerland 210 ; and the Admiral Boxer, which
sailed on Friday, 352. It is to be understood that these
figures do not represent the actual number of souls on
board each ship, as two children under fourteen years of
age are counted as one adult. One of the rooms of the
depot has been fitted up as a chapel, where Divine service
is performed every day, and at one end'stands a baptismal
font, where not fewer than 61 infants were baptised one
morning.
CHARGE OP ASSAULT.—At the Birkenhead Police-
court, on Thursday, James 31`Dowell was summoned for
an assault upon James Benyon, on the 9th instant. The
complainant was a partner with Mr. Betteley, of this
town. On the day named there was a quantity of iron
lying near the Birkenhead Emigration Depot, which each
partner claimed as his own separate property. Some
angry words took place, when the complainant dared
either Mr. Betteley or his men to remove the iron. The
defendant (one of Mr. Betteley's workmen), having heard
the provocation on both sides, struck Mr. Benyon three
times, which constituted the assault. The defence was,
that the two partners, having disagreed as to the owner-
ship of the iron, had some scuffling together, and that
Mr. Benyon, who swore most furiously, had thrown off
his cap, and placed himself in a, fighting attitude. The
Bench dismissed the summons. _

THE SCREW-STEAMSHIP LA PLA.TA.-011 Friday the
South American Company's new screw-steamer La Plata
went out for a short trial trip, and the result exceeded all
anticipation. She steamed fully eleven knots per hour, a
result creditable to her builder, Mr. Laird, and her en-
gineers, Messrs. Humphreys and Co., of Deptford, seeing
that she is over 500 tons burthen, and nominally only 70
horse-power.. She will sail on the 10th March for Rio
and the River Plate. The company have purchased the
paddle-steamer Menai, to replace the Argentina (lately
wrecked on the River Plate), and she will start in about
three weeks. They also contemplate constructing another
paddle-boat, to run in conjunction with the Menai, and to
have accommodation for 300 passengers. The Imperador
and Imperatrice are progressing, and will be ready for sea
in September. _ . _

DATE IN A RAILWAY CABRIAGE.—A melancholy
case of sudden death was brought before Mr. Churton, the
coroner for South Cheshire, on Thursday. The deceased
was Colonel Gordon, an officer in the artillery. He was
travelling from London in a third-class carriage, by the
8.55 p.m. train, and was alive at Stafford, and in conver-
sation with his fellow-passengers till within a very short
time •of the arrival of the train at Crewe, about two
o'clock in the morning,. At that place, however, he was
found in one corner of the carriage in an upright position,
and quite dead. The body was removed to the Crewe
Hotel, and a telegraphic message was forwarded to his
brother, the governor of Greenwich Hospital, who im-
mediately set off for Crewe, accompanied by Sir John
Liddel, physician to the Royal Hospital, at Greenwich.
Sir John Liddel stated that the deceased, who was a
patient of his, was suffering from an incipient disease of
the heart, and his death was caused by ossification of the
valves of the heart. The deceased was in good wenn)•
stances, though travelling in a third-class carriage. A
gold watch and several £5 notes were found upon his
person.