The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-07-16 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL COAL ExPOIL: TRADE.—Arrangements
will shortly be made in connexioo with the termini of the
Lancashire and Yorkshire and the northern branch of the
London and Northwestern lines, to 1:
un round some of
the northern docks, on the '• high elev.Ation,7 that is,
about sixteen feet above the line now helmlaid on the
level. A vessel of 500 tons, instead of, as now, requiring
six days for loading, will, by the new staiths, take about
as many hours ; an advantage which, when added to the
superior value of the Lancashire coal as compared to New-
castle, will give to Liverpool a traffic the limits of which
it is not easy to foresee.
ACCIDENTS AT MESSRS. MACFIE'S SUGAR MILLS,—

On Friday, two serious accidents occurred at Messrs.
Macfie's sugar refinery, in Batchelor-street. James Cros-
tor, a labourer, while engaged in pulling the slates off a
roof of a portion of the property, lost his balance and
was precipitated headlong into the street. On examina-
tion it was discovered that his right thigh was fractured
close to the hip joint. George Seymour, one of the
workmen employed in the mill, was taking some sugar
from the " dolly," when by some means it fell upon him,
the unfortunate man sustaining a compound fracture of
the right leg, which, it is feared, will render amputation
necessary. Both were conveyed to the Northern Hos-
pital.
HIGHLAND FETE.—On Tuesday and Wednesday, as
announced in our last, a grand Highland fete took place
at the Zoological Gardens. The gardens were well at-
tended, and a numerous body of Highlanders, arrayed in
the costume of bonnie Scotland, made their appearance
on the occasion, and engaged in their various exercises.
The entertainments commenced with a four-handed reel,
by J. F. Natman, Donald Macraw, J. Mackenzie, and
Alex. Duff. This was followed by the game of " putting
the stone," in which Menzies came in first, and Kennady
second, the former throwing the ball 38} feet. In throw-
ing the hammer Cameron was the chief. Kennedy suc-
ceeded in first tossing the caber—this feat requiring great
strength and skill. Racing succeeded, in which Kennedy
was first in to the goal. The remaining sports were held
in the hall, and were well received by the spectators.
These consisted of the spirited Highland dancing and
singing ; trials of skill on the violin and in sword exercises.
CRICKET MATCH. —On Saturday last a match was
played between the Edge-hill and Stanley clubs, and
resulted in favour of the Edge-hill, in the first innings,
with fourteen runs to spare. The following is the score :

STANLEY.
First innings. Second innings.
D. Turner, b Greig 6 b Bell 0
F. Perrin, run out 0 1. b. w., b Greig.... 1
J. It. Greaves, b Greig 2c C. owes 4
H. Rimmer, run out 3 c M'Nicol 0
A. Gowthwaite, b Greig 2 b Martin l7
W. Peterswold, run out 1 b Bell 5

J. W. Penn, not out 1 c and b Martin.... 10
J. Rae, b Greig 0 b Bell 2
E. Smith, b Martin 0 not out 2
Jno. Kilk, b ditto 1 c Greig, b Martin.. 2
P. Coulter, c Coupland 2 c 111‘/Cicol, b Bell..
Byes, 4

Total, 18
EDGE-HILL.
Charles Bell, b Rae 15
Godfrey Shaw, ditto ditto 0
T. Stolterfoht, b J. Penn 0
T. Benson, c Gowthwaite, b Rae 7
J. B. Greig, c Peterswold 16
H. Coupland, b Rea 0
A. Dentith, b J. W. Penn 1
J. C. Broad, not out 18
Geo. W. Martin, c F. Penn 14
E. Bowes, b Rae 0
P. WlCicol, c Greaves 2
Byes, 5, no balls, 6

ANOTHER LETTER FROM THE DUKE.—Mrs. Davies
well-known in Liverpool as the lady who, at one period,
was directress of the Blackburne-house School, made an
application some time since to the Duke of Wellington,
preferring her claim as the daughter of an officer who
had served with his grace through the peninsular
war, and requesting his " patronage" for a volume she
was about to bring out. The answer has been handed to
us, in order to show, in contrast with other late replies
from the same quarter, that the duke can couch a refusal
in courteous terms. The letter, dated " Strathfieldsaye"
is as follows :

" The Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mrs.
Davies. He by no means doubts that any publication from her
would deserve any patronage.
More than twenty-six years have elapsed since others
suffered from the duke having incautiously what is called
given his patronage to a work of which the title and pros-
pectus indicated nothing but what was proper.
" The duke had but a choice of one of two things : either to
examine every work before he should what is called patronise
it, or decline to give what is called his patronage to any work
whatever from that time forwards. The duke's various avoca-
tions, professional and other, induced him to adopt the latter
course, as he really had not bare time for the efficient execu-
tion of that first mentioned.

In the course of the period which has elapsed since that
time the duke has bad hundreds, nay thousands of applications
from persons of all classes and degrees; but he has not in any
one instance departed from the course which he had laid down
for the guide of his own conduct.
" Those whom he had heretofore refused would have reason
to complain of the duke, if, in confidence in Mrs. Davies, he
was to depart from the course which he had adopted, and in
adhering to which he has invariably persevered.
" Mrs. Davies, &c."
THE MAGICAL DANCING FIGURES.—AII who have a
desire to spend an agreeable half hour cannot do better
than visit Mr. Colles, at his apartments in Bold-street,
as announced in our advertizing columns. Instead of the
accounts we have heard and read of his wonders being
exaggerated, they convey but a very feeble idea of their
really astonishing and amusing character. As regards the
figures, their dancing is unique : can any one imagine a
thin pasteboard figure, placed upon the floor, dancing with
a grace and elegance of motion, which many a ball-room
beau would be happy, thrice happy, to emulate ; and all
this without any apparent connection between them and
the exhibitor. We are not surprised that Mr. Colles finds
many willing to pay their money for a lesson in this amus-
ing art. The dissolving ball is likewise really wonderful ;
a large solid ball dissolves, or seems to dissolve, into
" thin air," and is instantly conveyed into a box, close
under the spectator's eye ; and be it observed that the
said spectator is allowed to open and shut the box him-
self. When tricks of this kind are generally shewn, it is
in a large room, or theatre, and .by night, but Mr. Colles's
hours of business (from eleven to four) are broad day-
light, and he is at all times within a yard or so of his
visitors. His various tricks with cards are admirable, and
many of them quite new ; indeed a more wonderful feat
than that performed with the " changeable cards," on the
telling any number of persons what card they think of—
not draw—can scarcely be imagined. We are induced to
disbelieve our own eyes. We have not now time or space
to say more than assure our readers that at Mr. C.'s apart-
ments a rich treat awaits them ; and we feel assured that
many will feel indebted to us for having directed their
attention to these very clever and amusing novelties.
THE WRECK OF THE ORION.—A communication in
the Glasgow Daily Mail, dated Portpatrick, Saturday,
6th July, says—" The gale of Wednesday has not proved
so disastrous to the wreck as was at first imagined. The
divers ventured out on Thursday, their only essay last
week, for the purpose of correctly ascertaining the extent
of the damage which the ship had sustained. The swell
continuing made the descent hazardous, and the thickness
of the water had the effect of greatly defeating the end in
view. There is reason to believe, however, that the vessel
has not parted amidships. Over the engine-room the
deck remains firm, but abaft it has been completely swept
away. The paddle-boxes, deck-houses, and bulwarks
have been very much strained. So also has the hull. On
Friday three bodies were washed ashore, to the south of
the port. The head of one of them, a child, apparently
about eighteen months' old, was completely gone. The
other bodies are supposed to be those of a Mr. Pritchard
and a daughter of Dr. Nicol. To-day (Saturday) another
body was recovered. Miss Adams was marked with India
ink upon one of the arms. £4 sterling was found upon
her person. Little or no luggage has been thrown on
shore." The Glasgow Citizen says—" A rather curious
circumstance in connection with the loss of the Orion has
just come to our knowledge. It was for some time sup-
posed that the clown who had been engaged for Franconi's
Circus was one of the parties who had at Liverpool em-
barked on board the ill-fated vessel ; and there being for
some time nothing heard, it was natually concluded that
he had perished. It has now been ascertained that the
individual in question was not on board the vessel on the
day she struck. He had made all the necessary arrange-
ments, and was on his way from London to join the Orion,
when he discovered that some knave had picked his pocket
of the money which was to pay for the expense of his
journey to Glasgow, and he was, of course, necessitated
to remain where he was. But for this occurrence he
might have been, along with many others, numbered
among the list of the drowned."
DR. FISHER'S ACHROMATIC MICROSCOPE.—Dr. Fisher
who recently visited Paris and London, not merely for
pleasure, but also for literary and scientific purposes, has
enriched his invaluable and extensive series of philosophi-
cal apparatus by the completion of a most splendid
achromatic microscope, which opens a new world, and
displays the most wonderful scenes of creative power,
wisdom, and design. The microscope has eight eye-
pieces, and fifteen complete sets of magnificent object-
glasses, which form three times the number that gener-
ally accompany the most costly instruments. Here are
united the very highest efforts of the most distinguished
scientific men of the present day, all made expressly to
order, and regardless of expense. The chromatic and
spherical aberrations of these glasses are perfectly ba-
lanced, and brought to an amount of perfection that could
scarcely ever have been anticipated. The high magni-
fying powers were ground and combined by the celebrated
Ross, and the lower by Powell and Lealand, of London,
each so much distinguished for these focal lengths. The
intermediate achromatics are by the eminent Oberhauser,
a well-known German, and others by Charles Chevalier, a
Parisian, who, for perfection in the microscope, was lately
honoured with the gold medal by the French Institute.
The polariscope was made in Edinburgh, and the mechan-
ical department from the most approved models by Abra-
ham and Co., of this town. Dr. Fisher has in his pos-
session a great variety of living animalcules, which are
truly astonishing. Many of these have a high degree of
transparency, and, when subjected to the penetrating
glance of this powerful instrument, the circulation of the
blood, the pulsation of the heart, the play of every mus-
cular fibre, and, indeed, the whole of their unique and in-
ternal machinery are fully and clearly developed. Even
the delicate phenomena of chemistry, when carefully ar-
ranged on the stage, can be distinctly seen in action, and
become an endless and delightful source of instruction and
amusement. The polarising properties of crystals are
also exceedingly beautiful. These interesting phenomena
are displayed with a brilliancy and richness of colours that
are almost inconceivable. This elegant instrument, which
is certainly a wonderful production, cost the proprietor
not lees than 120 guineas.
[A DVERTISEMEN .r-
GA GAs.—An unequalled variety andeliers and Lustres
for Gas, and also elegant La for the Table and Mantel-
piece, will be found at anufactory and Show-rooms
of WILLIAM PE SMITH, 26 and, 28,.HANoven.
MEET, OpPOSit e Tax-offioes.