The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-09-24 00:00:00

sideration a plan 0, character, being
neither more nor less than a suspension-bridge between
France and England. M. Ferdinand Lemaitre proposes
to establish an aerostatic bridge between Calais and Dover.
For this purpose he would construct strong abutments, to
which the platform would be attached. At a distance of
100 yards from the coast, and at distances of every 100
yards across the Channel, he would sink four barges,
heavily laden, to which would be fixed a double iron chain,
of peculiar construction. A formidable apparatus of
balloons of an elliptical form, and firmly secured, would
support in the air the extremity of these chains, which
would be strongly fastened to the abutments on the shore

a most ex

by other chains: Each section of 100 yards would cost
about 300,000 francs, which would make 84,000.000 for
the whole distance across. These chains, supported in
the air at stated distances, would become the point of
support to this fairy bridge, on which the inventor pro-
poses to establish an atmospheric railway. This project
has been developed at great length by the inventor.
NOVEL EXPERIMENT.—On Saturday, a mare in foal,
belonging to William Chambers, jun., Esq. was electri-
fied at the South Wales Pottery, Llanelly. Not being
able to put the animal in the riom where the machine
was placed for operating upon her, she was placed outside,
near the doorway, and was brought into contact with the
instrument by means of long and remarkably slight brass
chains. The chains being fastened round the fetlocks of
the fore-legs, the first shock was then given, but so
slightly as not to be strong enough to have killed a mouse,
butit startled the mare so that she fell completely back
on her haunches, at the same time snapping the small
chains in pieces. After raising and bringing her to, the
door again, the positions of the chains were altered, being
so placed that the electric currents might pass diagonally
through her, and the second shock proceeded much better
than the first. It was quite evident that the first had
frightened her, for when the charges of Leyden jars were
tried previous to giving the second shock, she each time
started at the sounds of them. The disease under which
the animal suffered was (ossification at the back of the
neck) caused by a kick. The poor creature is much bet-
ter since she was electrified, as we saw her on Monday
run after a fine colt; a feat she could not have performed
on Friday evening last, for till that time she could not, by
herself, get up if she once dropped.—Cambrian.

. . WASTE OF RAM-WATER IN TOWNS.—It is a notorious
fact, that while the inhabitants of large and populous towns
are maintaining lustily that they are wofully stinted in
their supply of water, they allow to run to waste gallon
upon gallons of valuable soft rain-water, without a sing
effort to retain and purify a drop, while the inhabitants 2.
other towns, " wiser in their day and generation," use all
available means to catch and retain the descending sLowers.
We have heard such woful waste justified, on the ground
that the rain was allowed to run into the drains to cleanse
and flush them. But it certainly is obvious that the same
effect can be much better obtained by first using the water
for domestic purposes, and thereafter sending it down
properly-constructed openings, connected with efficient
drains and sewers. People are very apt to say, "Oh, the
amount obtained yearly is of such small extent as not to
be worthy of the expense of collecting." " Now, there is
ncthing," as brother Jonathan says, " like cyphering,"
Mr. Dempsey states that " the roof of a house of the
average dimensions of twenty feet square, presenting a
plane surface of four hundred square feet, receives at least
eight hundred cubic feet of rain-water annually, or about
4,800 gallons." Now this quantity is equivalent to nearly
thirteen and a half gallons per day. We really wish every
house in the kingdom had such a supply. But allowing
only one halt of this to be obtained, surely a sufficiently
liberal estimate, it is certainly worth the collecting. It
shoul I be immediately received in a filtering tank, and the
best avalable meta od be adopted of purifying it from the
carbonaceols ?Tatter with which it becomes saturated in
passing through a smoky atmosphere, and flowing over
roof surfaces covered with a deposit of similar impurity.
An economical and well-devised apparatus for effecting
this purpose, and applicable to private and public buildings
of all classes, is a desideratum yet wanting in the econ.
owical supply of watet..—The

witness it. As the appointed hour drew near, the men
" kept the ground" upon the beach, moved their boundary
flags some fifty yards further away from the spot which
was the "observed of all observers," and required the
spectators to remove to a distance, which must have been
300 yards, if not a quarter of a mile, from the cliff to be
blasted. With the mass, curiosity overeame eery other
feeling, and there was not a little reluctance to retire
further back. Some ladies were among the last to be
induced to keep at a greater distance, and give the gun-
powder a wider berth. The next few minutes were passed
in impatient expectation. It was not until twelve minutes
past three o'clock that suddenly tho whnlp el;ff

..au n auw 1:1.11, Luting a
•
Width of frontage of some, 12) feet bent forwards towards
the sea, cracked in every direction, crumbled into pieces,
and fell upon the beach. in front of it, forming a bank,
down which large portions of the falling mass glided
slowly into the sea for several yards, like a stream of lava
flowing into the water. The whole multitude on the
beach seemed for a few moments paralysed and awe-
struck by thestrange movement, and the slightly trembling
ground; every one sought to know with a glance that the
mass had not force enough to come near him, and that
the cliff under which he stood was safe. There was no
very loud report. There seemed to be no smoke ; but
there was a tremendous shower of dust. Those who
were in boats a little way out state that they felt a slight
shock. It was much stronger on the top of the cliff.
Persons standing there felt staggered by the shaking of
the ground : and one of the batteries was thrown down
by it. In Seaford, too, three-quarters of a mile off,
glasses upon the table were shaken, and one chimney fell.
At Newhaven, three miles off, the shock was sensibly felt.
" MEMBERS OF THE CITY
,OF 1/USHINGTON."—At the
Middlesex Sessions on Wednesday, Henry Preston, a
man of very formal and sanctified appearance, but
described as a comedian, was indicted for having stolen a
silver watch and gold guard-chain, value £7, the property
of Mr. Charles Dowden, from his person.—lt appeared
that about four o'clock on the morning of the sth of
September, the prosecutor was seen by a street-sweeper
lying intoxicated on the pavement in Ceccil- street, while
the prisoner was seen kneeling upon him. On the street-
sweeper approaching the prisoner ran away, but was
shortly afterwards apprehended by a police-constable
who had come up. The watch was afterwards found in a
door-way where he bad been apprehended. The prose-
cutor having been called, the reluctant and dogged
manner in which he gave answers to all questions excited
some amusement. He said that on the evening in ques-
tions lie had been to a supper at the Albion, near Drury-
lane Theatre, where he enjoyed himself, and got too
much to drink. He lost his watch, and that was all be
knew about the matter. ,The prisoner here requested the
prosecutor to turn towards him, and addressing him in a
very pompous and dignified manner, said—Sir, do you
know that a very solemn duty now devolves upon you,
and, therefore, I call upon you seriously to reflect before
you answer. Do you know the serious responsibility of an
oath ? Are you aware of its great importance, andjiatievie
you made yourself acquainted with the obligations
ninth commandment—that " Thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbour ?"
answer. He then claimed acquaintance
prose-
cutor, and reminded him of their having passed
prosecutorsome
could not charge his memory with the fact,Hwhich,
Re fl ewcittbbteifloereyou
ever, was deposed to by a wai
rhu drs ay morning,
that on Wednesday week, or early.non
the arlour drinkin
hours together at the Harp Tatveerrant;thbeutathrpewhobsoawid.
the prisoner and prosecutor weurenti
three o'clock
and
that
bin e
hadthe g
morning, and then wen
was in the house
fetched four books while the prosecutor
in which names were written ; thathe was duly admitted
ofthe city of Lushington." He became
as a " member
grog together, and reitna,i‘nvaevd
fee of ls. for which he took in two
re-
ceived the entrance , togeitlhethr
The prisoner wished to address the Court
pots of beer.—
brief which be held in his baud, but the chairman
a citizen of that ancient body, and he (the waiter)
from a
declined hearing his speech.--The jury found the priso,
ner guilty. The chairman sentenced him to be impri.
coned and kept to bard labour for six months.