The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-04 00:00:00

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CONTEMPORARY PRESS

iDVANTAGES OF STEAM IN NAVAL
WARFARE.
(From the Standard.)

W e have

thought that it might be acceptable to
some of our readers to have an opportunity of com-
paring Napoleon's unsuccessful enterprise against St.
Jean d'Acre with the late brilliant exploit of Admiral
Stopford, and we have therefore elsewhere copied the
int of the siege in 1799, from Sir Walter Scott's
•or. It will be seen that the great-
;e and country besiged the fortress
with an army of 10,000 of the best
ad failed ; while an English fleet,

lite of

._
rying anything like the same number
of men,'carried the place after a cannonade of a few
Claiming all the superiority for Englishmen
)st inveterate patriot can demand, still this

ily not c

contrast is too violent to be accounted for by any dare-
een the military qualities of Europeans. We
for an explanation to the mode and means of
Te need not look long. The naval attack
brought to bear a broadside, or a number of broad-
sides, amounting to between 400 and 500 guns, whereas
the battering train of Napoleon did not exceed 30 ;
re the circumstances under which
r broadside to bear, from the cir-
The ship may continue

low d iffe

cumstanc

the fight at pleasure, and may in a mo-
ment change her position to evade any interposed ob-
stacle, or to take advantage of any favourable contin-
md battery is a fixture, the permanent
marl for a retaliatory attack. Nearly 200 years ago
the illustrious Blake discovered, and (at Tunis) proved
the advantage in this respect of naval warfare even
essels ; but it was left to the use of steam
navigation to render the necessary success of naval
warfare complete. The only serious danger that ever
presented itself in the case of an attack upon a mari-
time fortress by an adequate naval force, namely, the
danger of being unable to withdraw from the land, is
now at an end ; and as the easy reduction of all the
Syrian fortresses in succession demonstrates, no city or
fort on the sea, how strongly however it may be forti-
fied, can count upon resisting a British fleet for 24
hours; consequen

ly no coast is any longer inaccessi-
itary descent; we may be said to be

on the confines a

very maritime nation for all pur-
poses of attack, though happily ourselves unassailable;
and therefore, whatever nation having a sea coast shall
make war upon us must line that coast from end to
end with troops, or calculate upon having the war• upon
''s own soil, and in a spot chosen at our own discre-
Such are the immense advantages which the

new arm in war—steam navigation—has conferred
upon us, to keep them as long as we shall be able to

maintain our naval ascendancy

THE TAKING OF ST. JEAN D'ACRE.
(From the Morning Herald.)
The fall of St. Jean d'Acre is an event of no ordi-
ry moment.

Lae first place, the feelings which that brilliant
-nt is fitted to call forth, differ from the mere
ze of national vanity. The military renown
.c nation is a portion—and no inconsiderable
—of its wealth and power. The fame of our
is and Wellingtons is, in itself, equivalent to the
,sion of fleets and armies. In this sense, Eng-
.,(l has gained much by the capture of St. Jean
d'Acre. England has proved to the world that the
breed of her heroic seamen is not worn out—that she
yet possesses naval commanders, who are no unworthy
successors to him who conquered at the Nile and at
Trafalgar—and that while the spirit of her navy has
not degenerated, the proficiency of her seamen in the
arts of offensive warfare have wonderfully increased.
The efficiency with which our guns were " served," at
d'Acre, has, perhaps, no parallel in the history

eitervescenc

Kelso

St. Jea

inc recent exhibition of England's prowess has
!en made at no unseasonable time. We, amongst
hers, have long marked with grief and dismay, the
'ich our navy has, for many years, been
France and Russia have been silently
g formidable fleets into existence, the navy of
nd has been sustained, less by the care of go-
mt. than by the historical recollections with
F.nglish navy is identified. We make this
n no spirit of party ; and Our statement is
)e correct, by the fact, that thirty thousand
best of our seamen have been for many
;n the ships of foreign powers. They
-t of England, because England has
services at so high a rate as
been willing to do. The
y of such a course on the part of the English
neat is obvious enough—its injustice is equally
hest. It is the policy of England to engage in her
'L'e best seamen whom the world can supply :
-11 v, her policy not to permit such sea-
..

which the

overnments

offspring of the soil of England, to transfer

!s to rival powers

h is unjust, moreover,

eamen higher wages than

n afford to pay—unjust,because
richest country in the world, and can,
better than any other country, pay a high price for
seamen of the first class.

countr

the navy has been, for many years past, ne-
.l proved, moreover, by the circumstance, that
, the government is making
, efforts to impart increased effi-
ileet. If, however, there had been no
glect of the true sources of England's
id security, the bustle that is now apparent
Majesty's dockyards would have been unne-

oment

Le decay, or the imputed decay—in the naval
gth of England was gradually generating in this
se of insecurity. The sense of insecurity
'as accompanied by the exhibitions on the
tiers, of a spirit disposed to be aggres-
s that would attend an invasion of

i.,.„
e facil

&ngland were familiarly discussed in Paris. They
vere no less frequently, it may be presumed, canvassed
St. Petersburg. Our coasts were unguarded. Our

dockyards were exr

sed to attack. Our ships were
rotting.in ordinary,' or were employed on service of
doubtful policy in remote quarters of the globe. Eng-
land, in short, seemed weak ; and to seem weak is too
often, in such cases, to prove weak.

recent d

weakness was dangerous to
lernonstration that the navy of
me navy with which Nelson

sieved

triumphs, is calculated to add to
_.„Au power of this country. As the insults offered
to the British flag—otFered and tamely submitted to
—in the. Black Sea, and on the coast of Mexico, tended
to bring us-into collision with our most formidable op-
so the storming. of St. Jean d'Acre must tend
-^iieo with a stronger desire than some
.intly manifested, to cultivate the re-
lations of peace with this country.
So far, we think it impossible to regard the recent
achievements of our navy with other than feelings of
unmixed satisfaction. Whatever may be thought of
the eastern policy of Lord Palmerston, his lordship is
entitled, at all events, to the praise that may never be
withheld from immediate success. Had the English

ponent

to inspire our e
of them have rf

St. Jean d'Aere

e Secretary

for Foreign Affairs would have been held
responsible for that disastrous result. The English
fleet having " covered itself with glory," it were un-
just to deny to his lordship some portion of the reflected
lustre of the great exploit.
Still, Sir Robert Stopford and his brave companions
in arms may assuredly prove themselves entitled to the
gratitude of their country, without Lord Palmerston
being able to find, in the heroism of the English navy,
a justification of his eastern policy. Lord Keane
stormed Ghuznee; but the prudence of Lord Auck-
land in projecting the expedition to Cabool admits of
the gravest possible doubt. So, Lord Palmerston has
effected the capture of St. Jean d'Acre; yet is it quite
certain that he has not been, all the while, merely ad-
vancing the permanent interests of Russia ? The
English fleet destroyed the fleet opposed to it at Nava-
rino ; but to the destruction of the Turkish fleet on
that occasion no small portion of the perplexities that
beset the eastern question at the present day may be
traced.

We are willing, in short, that " success" should be
estimated at its full value, in deciding on the merits
of any general course of policy; but let us guard
against the tendency to regard " success" as everything.
The God "Eventus" was not, in ancient times, denied
Divine honours ;—yet the justice of quarrels was, even
during the prevalence of paganism, referred to the de-
cision of deities of a higher order.
We have captured St. Jean d'Acre. We have dis•
sipated into thin air, the prestige that till lately invested
as with a halo the name of Mehemet Ali. We have,
in all probability, destroyed for ever the power of that
hitherto successful ruler; but have we done aught to
restore strength to the Ottoman empire ? We fear not.
We fear that the Sultan has been reduced to the rank
of a puppet; and that the sources of the Turkish em-
pire's strength are irretrievably destroyed. " Reform-
ing" Sultans (of whom the present is the second) can
never, we fear, exercise the influence that once be-
longed to the veritable " fathers of the faithful." The
policy of these turbaned " reformers" is a series of out-
rages on those feelings, which, in their operation, im-
parted, in other days, their formidable power to the
successors of the Caliphs. If the supremacy of the.
Sultan in Egypt is to be hereafter maintained, it must
be maintained, we fear, by the unceasing intervention
of England, or of Russia.

ACCIDENTS TO STEAM VESSELS

A French writer has recently compiled an interesring
summary of accidents to and by British steam-vessels
for a series of years, from which also may be gathered
the number of steam-vessels possessed by this country
at different periods. The materials of this summary
are supposed to be derived from reports prepared some
time since by the Admiralty here. The small compass
in which the results are here compressed renders them
worthy of extract, as comprising all the principal facts
of a long document :

In 1817 there were 14 steam-vessels running; one took
fire and was burnt; the boilers of another exploded; nine
persons perished in this year.
1818-19 steamers ; ncfaccident.
1819-24 steamers; no accident.
1820-34 steamers; one burnt; nobody suffered.
1821-59 steamers; no accident.
1822-85 steamers ; no accident.
1823-101 steamers; no accident.
1824-116 steamers ; the boilers of two exploded ; deaths
three.

1825-153 steamers ; one wrecked ; two, the Comet and
the Ayr, came in collision ; and 62 persons lost their lives;
the boi' ' .
1826
six sufferers this year

ters of another exploded.
—230 steamers ;_ one burnt ; explosion on another ;

,
1827-255 steamers ; one wrecked ; explosion on another ;
two lives lost.

1828-274 steamers ; two wrecked; one burnt ; explosion
on two ; one life lost.

1829-289 steamers : three wrecked ; explosion on one ;
six lives lost.

1830-298 steamers ; three wrecked ; explosion of one.
The Forly.totally lost, but the number of persons on board
not precisely known. The other accidents did not occasion
a death.

1831-324 steamers ; 2 wrecked ; 2 collisions ; 1 burnt ;
119 persons perished on the Rothsay Castle, near Beaumaris.
' 1832-352 steamers ; no accidents.
1833-387 steamers ; 6 wrecked ; 1 burnt, and 73 deaths,
without including the Erin, which was lost, vessel, and all on
board.

1834-430 steamers ; 2 wrecked; 1 burnt ; and 1 explosion.
The Superb lost with all on board in the North Sea, number
of sufferers unknown. The other casualities caused no loss
of life.

1835-503 steamers ; 3 wrecked ; 2 came into collision ; 1
explosion of boilers ; 13 lives lost.
1836-561 steamers ; 2 wrecked ; 4 collisions ; 2 burnt ;
1 explosion ; no life lost.
1837-707 steamers ; 2 wrecked ; 4 run against each other ;
3 took fire and burnt; 1 explosion ; total victims 29.
1838-766 steamers ; 5 wrecked ; 2 collisions ; 6 explo-
sions ; 132 lives lost.

The total number of lives lost therefore is 456, not
including those on board the Erin, Forly and Superb,
which may be estimated at 120 more. It will be re-
marked that, notwithstanding 20 years experience, the
year 1838 was the most disastrous. The Killarney,
Northern Jack and Forfarshire werp lost, and the
famous Victoria employed in transatlantic navigation,
had two explosions of her boilers.

THE STORMING OF ACRE

The following graphic and spirited sketch is given by the
Devonport Gazette, from the letter of an officer of her Ma-
jesty's steam-frigate Gorgon :

"On the last -day of September we were despatched from
Beyrout, with three steamers under our command, to bow-

bard this devoted place for three days before the general at-
tack was made, which we commenced on the Ist of October,
by standing in within range, and firing shells as hard as we
could pelt, and they returning two for one. They fell around
us like hail, but, strange to say, not a shot struck us ; our
bombardment was not very successful, as more than half the
shells burst before they reached the shore, owing to the fuses
being badly bored ; all the shells from the steamers failed
alike, a circumstance not very creditable to those who made
them, and sadly disappointing to us. It is not likely they
were ever tried at such a distance before, 4,000 yards. At
half-past four o'clock, (how shall I describe this,) as if by
one consent, all firing ceased, and oh, Heavens ! what a sight !
The whole town appeared as if it was in the air ; so awfully
grand a sight no one can describe. We saw nothing but one
devilish cloud extending thousands of yards into the air and
on all sides, and then we felt an awful shock which gave the
line of battle ships a heel of two degrees, so that you may
judge, from the moment of the explosion, all firing from the
town ceased. The Turkish admiral, alker Bey, was
boarded at one o'clock in the morning by an Egyptian colo-
nel, who informed him that they were evacuating the town
as fast as possible. Walker Bey immediately landed with 300
men, and took possession of the town, making 3000 prisoners.
Thus fell this tremendous fortress, which has not been over-
rated by report, for I really think it is the strongest place
(next to Gibraltar) in the world, and I think we should never
have taken it but for the explosion, which was caused by one
of our shells bursting in their main magazine of powder, by
which, to speak within bounds, 2000 souls were blown to
atoms, besides beasts of burden of every description. In all,
the loss of the Egyptians is computed at 3000 killed and
wounded. At daylight what a sight was exposed to our view !
The stupendous fortification, that only twelve hours before
could boast of being among the strongest in the world, was so
riddled, we could not find a square foot that had not a shot.
On the morning of the 4th I went ashore to witness the
devastation ; the sight beggared all description. The bastions
were strewed with dead, the guns dismounted, and all sorts
of havoc. I then came to the spot where the explosion took
place ; it has laid a space of two acres quite bare, and hollowed
it out as if a quarry had been worked there for years. And,
oh heavens, what a sight ! It makes my blood run cold to
write of it. Mangled human bodies of both sexes, strewed
in all directions, women searching for their husbands and
relatives, tearing their hair, beating their breasts, and howling
and crying most piteously ; God forbid 1 should ever see the
like again."

MEHEMET ALI AND THE ENGLISH

(From the Salisbury and Wiltshire Herald.)

Of the character and of the friendly disposition of Mehe-
met AR towards the people of England we never had a doubt ;
but, for the benefit of the sceptical on these points, we have
now great pleasure in giving publicity to some interesting
passages from the communication of a much-valued corre-
spondent, whose connection with the Oriental Steam Packet
Company of Liverpool opens to him authentic sources of very
important information :

Captain Engledue, of the Great Liverpool, has just now
communicated to me some very interesting details of his con-
versations with the Pacha. You are of course aware that
Engledue went in gallantly with his ship and passengers from
Malta, after Sir J. Lewis had taken out the mails, and that,
in implicit reliance upon Mehemet Ali's promise, be an-
chored in the very jaws of his batteries. He tells me that
' the old man is a regular trump ;' and infinitely beyond
alike the red-tapery of the whig-radical officials of England
and the stock-jobbing gasconaders of France. Tell your
countrymen,' said the undaunted veteran, ' that I know it
is not the people of England who are fighting against
me, but my only two enemies, Lords Palmerston and
Ponsonby, whs., after giving their assent to my con-
quest and possession of Syria, now turn round and
take it from me.' Boghos Bey, his prime minister,
told Capt. Engledua that the Pacha had been deceived
by the French, and that he meant to have nothing further to
do with them, but should loot., to the people of England,
whom he esteemed, and for whose alliance he was anxious.
The old man, Mehemet, had, through his glass, watched
Engledue's approach, and admired his faith, courage, and
confidence in his promises for the safety of all English mails
and passengers, which Engledue relied upon, though none
of the tchigs would. At parting, he requested Capt. Engle-
due to bring him out some English salmon, and some apple-
trees, on his next voyage, which, of course, will be gladly
done. Rather inconsistent though, some may say, to be
bombarding his towns at the same time that we are sending
him presents of salmon and apple-trees ! But the circum-
stance marks the imperturbable spirit of the veteran chief,
who can give a thought to such things when his empire and
his very existence seem in jeopardy. The Pacha most kindly
offered the Oriental Steam Company the use of his arsenal
at all times, for stores, or such repairs as their vessels may
require."

RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—On Wednesday morning, as the
mail train from London was approaching Leeds, an accident
occurred which was productive of very considerable damage
to the carriages forming the train, but which most providen-
tially did no injury to human life or limb. It seems that
when the train approached the junction of the York and
North Midland Railway with the North Midland line, on
which it was running near to Normanton, owing to the im-
perfection of one of the self-acting swivels, the points of
junction had not been duly adjusted, and the consequence
was that, although the engine and tender took the, correct
line of road, the whole of the carriages following took the
route of the projecting line. Of coarse they did not go far
in that direction; carriage after carriage was pulled off the
line by the force of the engine which still continued its
course, and as each carriage was pulled off it was overturned,
and greatly damaged. Great injury was also done to the
rails, which were torn from the stone foundations and broken.
Some half dozen carriages were overturned, and the passen-
gers were thrown out, but, as we have already stated, none
of them were injured. We understand that the engine pro.
ceeded two or three hundred yards before it was brought to
a stand. The damage is estimated to amount to nearly
£lOOO. The mail bags for Leeds were sent forward by the
engine and tender, and the passengers were forwarded by a
train which came up shortly afterwards.—Leeds Intelligeneer.

TESTIMONIAL TO MR. BRINDLEY

From the Chester Courant.)

On Friday evening last a public meeting was held, in the
Theatre Royal, for the purpose of presenting a testimonial
to Mr. Brindley, the zealous and talented advocate of Chris-
tianity, from the inhabitants of this city, as an acknowledg-
ment of his recent services in the cause of Christian truth and
morality. The testimonial consisted of the following docu-
ment, which was signed by 2200 individuals :
" November llth, 1840.—TESTIMONIAL TO JOHN BRAND-
LEY, ESQ.—We, the undersigned Clergy, Magistrates,
Bankers, and others, inhabitants of the city of Chester, beg
to present Mr. Brindley our grateful acknowledgments of the
service be has rendered the cause of Christian -Truth and
Morality in this city and neighbourhood, by his exposure of
the atheistical, blasphemous, and immoral principles of
Socialism : as well as by his arguments on the evidences of
the truth and excellence of Revealed Religion.
" We beg further to testify to the manner in which Mr.
Watts, the Socialist Missionary, in his official capacity,
disowned the writings of Robert Owen, the Founder and
President of the Socialist body, declaring that he could not
conscientiously defend the doctrines they taught ; and that
rather than do so, he would at once throw up the discussion.
" Mr. Watts and his Chairman having, on the part of the
Socialist body, thus withdrawn from the debate, the Rev.
Chancellor Raikes, the Moderator on this occasion, declared
that under those circumstances, Mr. Brindley was entitled to
occupy the remainder of that, and the whole of the following
evening, to substantiate his charges.
" At the close of the proceedings, the following resolution
was moved by the Rev. Charles B. Tayler, and seconded by
Wm. Wardell, Esq., Mayor, and passed unanimously :
" That it is the opinion of the people of Chester, that
Socialism, having had a fair opportunity of defence, has
proved itself to be a most absurb, blasphemous, and demo-
ralizing system ; and that it behoves every right-minded man
and woman to use all fair and Christian means to uproot that
which has been shown to be so fraught with mischief to man-
kind for time and for eternity.' "
The Lord Bishop of the Diocese took the chair,
His Lordship, on rising, spoke to the following effect:—
Mr. Brindley, I am deputed by my fellow-citizens to be the
medium of conveying to you their thanks for the benefit which
you have been the means of conferring upon themselves and
upon the community at large; and if I feel any hesitation in
taking upon myself this task, it arises from one cause, and
one cause only. It is a question, indeed, to my mind, whether
I ought to be the person who should enjoy this high gratifi-
cation ; and when the honour was first proposed to me, I
could not but think that the privilege more properly belonged
to one who is now present, and under whose auspices the
victory was achieved which we have now assembled to com-
memorate. I may indeed appear like one who has kept
asunder while the battle was being fought, but who has now
come in for the greater share of the spoil. Circumstances
have occurred which prevented my attendance at any of your
former meetings, and it was but right, therefore, that he who
has occupied my present position, on so many previous occa-
sions, should have been the crowner of the conqueror : but,
havinc, been solicited by him to present the memorial, I felt
that I could not refuse the pleasing task. (Cheers.) I have
often, sir, deeply lamented that it is a matter of so much
difficulty in making the evidences of our holy faith plain to
those who have not the leisure deliberately to examine its
proofs. I have often felt it to be deeply lamented, that a very
considerable acquaintance with the historic details of former
ages, is indispensable in those who wish to know the solid
base on which their religion is founded. But, sir, by the very
clear and comprehensive manner in which you have executed
this work in your lectures, you have conferred an important
benefit upon the community, on the one hand, and have dis-
comfited the enemies of our religion on the other. (Hear,
hear.) And certainly I am not wrong in calling those enemies
of our religion, who though they sometimes recognise the
Scriptures, do so only in order to give permanence to the
falsehood which by the misapplication of its injunctions they
wish to establish. And if such persons are enemies to re-
ligion, I unhesitatingly declare they are enemies to mankind—
for what is human life without the light of revelation shining
upon it. We know how little there is even in riches and
honours to give anything like lasting happiness ;—even in
those distinctions which are so much desired—and desired
only because they have not been possessed, there is little that
can yield the possessor true happiness. But if we look to the
labouring classes—to those who are most exposed to the de-

religion—religion, which alone can throw a gleam of light
over the very darkest path. After having laboured many—
many years, without having been able to earn hardly a scanty
pittance, is there any gratification in thinking that that pit-
tance is to be my all for ever. Ah, no ! when the light of
the gospel breaks in upon the soul such are not the views it
cherishes. Then, I am no longer here to enjoy my all. I
am then only a pilgrim upon the road, and must bear such
treatment only until I reach the journey's end. Then our
labour, however severe—our industry, however ill repaid,- is
cheered by the reflection that it is appointed by God, and that
in the performance of our duties, we are only fulfilling our
Master's will. (Hear, hear.) The blessings which the gospel
communicates are an invaluable treasure, and the man who
deprives us of them makes us poor indeed. He who stands
in the way between mankind and-this worst of robbers, is the
person to whom we ought to look up with the deepest grati-
tude ; and it is because the inhabitants of Chester feel assured
that you have acted this noble part—that you have been the
successful champion in this holy cause, that they have com-
missioned me to present you with this testimonial of their
feelings. And I am happy to say, that no less than two
thousand two hundred persons have thus recorded their sense
of your services, and their acknowledgments for the benefits
which you have conferred up:in them. (Cheers.) But the
inhabitants of Chester are likewise aware, that in the per-
formance of the labours to which you have been called, you
have had to forego the emoluments and advantage of a pro-
fession in which your talents ensured success—you have had
to forego those comforts and sympathies of domestic life
which every man must highly value—and they have therefore
deputed me to convey to you this additional tribute of their
feelings (a purse containing 75 sovereigns ;) and this gift is to
my mind only the corroboration of a truth of which I have
long been assured—that those who give their services to the
cause of God, will never be the losers by such a sacrifice.
(Cheers.) We read in historic annals of a king who was
accustomed to say to his minister, " You take care of my
affairs, provide for my interests, and it shall be my business
to secure yours ;" and I do believe, sir, (said his lordship,)
that the King of Heaven will never allow you to be a loser,
in having given up your secular engagements in defence of his
honour and his truth. You have renounced those engage-
ments and interests in order that you may hunt out and
pursue the enemies of God, and, while doing so, you have
that gracious promise to rest upon which declares, that those
who give up houses and lands, and wife and children, for my
name's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold even in this world,
and in the world to come life everlasting. (Loud applause.)
Mr. Brindley, in a long and eloquent reply, which occupied
nearly two hours in its delivery, accepted the testimonial, and
expressed the gratification he felt on receiving such a signal
mark of their approval. He then gave an outline of the
circumstances which first induced him to take up the advocacy
of Christianity against Socialism—recounted the many victo-
ries which he had gained over his opponents—and professed
his determination to continue his holy enterprise as long as
God gave him health and ability to pursue it.

The meeting was subsequently addressed by the Rev.
Chancellor Raikes, Rev. F. Parry, Rev. S. Luke, and the
Right Worshipful the Mayor; and a vote of thanks having
been presented to, the Lord Bishop for his services in the
chair, the meeting separated about ten o'clock.