The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-03-03 00:00:00

PLYMOUTH BREAK WATLR.-WHIG ECONOMY.

Our readers are generally aware that, for some years past, a
very magnificent impreVement has been carrying on by the
government for contracting the harbour at Plymouth, and the
formation of a line of stone, called the Breakwater, which, when
finished, will give a complete security to all the shipping lying
in the Ilammize, or Plymouth harbour. Part of this important
work was undertaken Lv Messrs. Johnson, contractors, at Ply-
mouth, under certain plans and specifications; and itwas agreed
that it any dispute arose as to the sutras due to them, on the con.
elusion of their contract, the same should be referred to Sir
John Rennie, the emiuent civil engineer., Theainowat,deli-
vered to the
,Adrairalty was so. excessive that atm government
thought proper to send all the accounts to Sir. John, who went
to Plymouth, surveyed the work; the contractors at the same
time admitting that such work had been. performed according to
the plans and specifications produced at the time of entering
into the contract. After very laborious investigation, Sir John
Rennie came to the determination Oat about £lB,ooo'should be
struck off the amount claimed by the contractors. Against this
determination an appeal was made to the Admiralty, but which
Sir James Graham, after hearing sir John Rennie thereon, re-
fused to admit, having neither the power to set aside the award,
or, as requested, to appoint another arbitrator, and moreover
expressing. his opinion that he saw no reason why Sir John's
determination should be disturbed. Illness required the tem-
porary absence of Sir John truism England fur a few weeks,
during which Lord Auckland became. First Lord of the Ad-
miralty; and upon his retuni, Sir John was utterly astonished
to find that, during his absence, and without affording him any
means of explauation, his award was not only set aside; but
another arbitrator, in the person of Colonel t'anshaw, of the.
Royal Engineers, actually appointed. Against these proceed-
ing's Sir Johu Reunie in vain protested, although,offering, under
such protest, to afford to Colonel Fanshaw every information in
.his power. It now appears that.- the new arbitratorhas struck
off the sum of £10,481), besidei nearly two
,years' interest from
the balance claimed by the Messrs. Johnson, thus .about "di-
viiiing the diiii-rebre" between the balance claimed by the con-
tractors and the sum awarded by Sir John Rennie, who has
and still does maintain that the amount awarded by him is an
ample compensation fur all the work performed, whether viewed
according to the contract, ur according to equity.
Now, we may be permitted to ask, what power Lord Auck-
land had,to open Sir John Rennie's award, or to appoint
another arbitrator, without reference to a court of law or equity,
particularly as Sir James Graham, his predecessor, had refused
to do either the one or the other. Was there. any desire on the
part of this prince of places and pensions—this whig dweller
in the Garden of Eden—to put.anv personal affront upon, or to
disparage the undoubted skill and-judgment of this very distin-
guished civil engineer, because he happens to entertain con-
servative opinions, and whose liberality in his profession is
universally admitted ? We hope not. But we do protest
against this wanton waste 'of the public money, and also trust
some independent member of the House of Commons will move
fur all the accounts and papers; in order that the public may see
how the "self-denying whigs" carried into effect their promises
of retrenchment and economy. In truth, if the money voted'
'fr.the navy estimates is to be thus squandered, against all law
161), reason, there is no longer any wonder how it is there is now
existing a navy debt of upwards of a million. We shall watch
this infamous whit; job, which will try Mr. liume's industry
and integrity.—Age.
A•1•••••.1.....1
HURRICANE:—DESTRUOTION OF PROPERTY AND
LOSS OF LIFE.

(From the Leeds 14,-itifjen,7er.)
On Sunday night and Monday this town and neigh-
bourhood was visited by as vioiela a hurricane as the oldest
inhabitant can remember.

The damage was proportionably extensive, and we regret to
add that some lives fell a sacrifice to the destructive element,
and that several persons have been seriously injured.
Soon after nine o'clock en 'Ai onday morning, a stack of chim-
neys on the house of Mr— 6l.nittlevrorth, joiner, Basinghall-
street, were blown thriaigfr .th.e roof with considerable violence.
'Fortunately, none el the family were injured, but one of Mr.
Shuttleworth's daughters had a narrow escape, as she had only
just finished making a cote: flie in one of the upper rooms, when
the roof came tumbling
Much about the same time, one of the lair chimneys at
Messrs. Sheepshanks' Mill,at the New Road hnd, was levelled
by the wind. It fell through the roof into the dyehouse, upon
two men, and a woman, who were so severely injured that it was
necessary to remove them to the Infirmary instantly, where
they now languish in considerable danger.
A stack of chimneys were also blown down through the roof
of Dr. Williamson's house na Park-place, but •no person sus-
tained any injury..
Mr. Cullingworth's house, "situate in Mulbury-lane, Hunslet,
had the whole of the, roof stripped off; the rafters and all the
wood were completely removed from the building, and partially
broken, in pieces.
Daniel Walker, a watchman, residing at Hunslet, was in bed
in his chamber, when a stack of chimneys fell upon the roof of
the house, and came through into the room in which he was.
Fortunately he did not receive the slightest injury.
As the Kendal Union Coach was leaving. Leeds about ten
o'clock, it was upset near Wellington Bridge by a sudden gust
of wind. There were eight passengers outside, and none inside,
but fortunately none of them were injured except a lady, who
got a slight bruise on the face and one on the, arm. The•coach
and horses were not damaged. Assistance was hOOll at the•spot,
the coach was placed upon its wheels again, and in fifteen
minutes they proceeded on its jpurney.
-A hearse belonging to Mr.,Frances, of the Rose and Crown.
Inn, Leeds, was also blown over, near Allwoodley -Gates, on
its way from Harrogate, and John Stead,
,the driver, had the
misfortune to, sustain a severe fracture on one of his legs.:. • ,
The house of Mr.' Finney, printer, Reuben Terroce, Was
partially unroofed ; the greater part of the materials fell upon
the bed, softly, which prevented them ;from going 'through the
chamber floor. •
.

The most lrmentable ticeiderit of the da'y was ,that which
occurred on the premises of Mr. Laycock, adjoining the Leeds
and Meanwood road at Sheeps&ar. A few minutes after ten
o'elock in, the forenoon the entire drvhouse, upwards of Gav
yards in length, was blown di)wn with a tretnendtpr eravh.
.Three or four of the workmen ware unhappily burred in. its •
ruins, and two or thre3otharsihiol very pruv:dential end, narrow
escapes. T.he..weight au .tho,.socif and tenters t4okh-throngh
the flues, and the force of the vied instantiy set
_fire to the'
timber of the ruins. :•Tlie hamieek engines and tlitise of
town and the tire offices were pi.arcptiy out he spot;,with.a. party
of the military from the .barracks, and whilst 'the; former were
the flames; the iatteriA.sorted -them-
seernhp.elos ied in quenching
n a mostpernaiestiag wo.rthy.tuhnner, in -ext ricaiing thesufferers
from their perilous situatwu. In about half an hour after the
building fell in,.the bodies of James Mitchell, John .Tubb, and
George I3ailey,. were ..got from among the burning embers,
having received, very serious injuries. The former was removed
,t6big
owa h,,a„ at Is oodliouse Carr, and the two latter to the
Infirtuacy„ where :Bailey expired soon after his 'arrival; in On:
sequence of the severe wounds he had received. One of his arms '
'was also broken, and he was severely burned. About an hour
from the falling, in of.the building, Walker, another of the
unfortunate.men,- was dug out, but the body was. so dreadfully,
niutilated:4 the Are, that on taking, hold of it by the hack, the'
flesh patted-Iron) the ,bones, part of the thighs and the leg's
were -burnt ,off, as also: was one. arm. A person •was in the
buildilig stile time it fell of the name of Benjamin Radcliffe,
butlortunately he escaped without injury. •
A great number of other buildings were partially unroofed,
and much danger was experienced to the most'populous parts
of the town, by.the fragments el buildings., which were con-
stantly
b
stantly blown about the streets. One man had his arm•brolten
in Meadow -lane, .by a slate falling upon it,
•

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