The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-11-18 00:00:00

IRELAND.

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There is an Fnglish company at work near Caherciveen
making peat. charcoal. The company have cut 10,000 tons
of turf, all of which is saved. They employ 600 people a
day ; pay men 10d., women 6d., and bays 6d. Tbey ex-
pect to ship 400 tons a week.
THE ACTION AGAINST THE CHIEF SECRETARY.—The
trial in the case

notice

3irch against Somerville" has been served, and that
it wall be submitted to a jury during the after sittings of
the present term. The case will be tried in the Queen's
Bench, and before a common jury. All Dublin is on the
qui vice for the " bill of particulars."

A Goon LANDLORD.The Tipperary/Free Press states
that the venerable Baron Pennefather has given another
instance of his benevolence as a landlord, in his late ar-
rangements with his tenantry, to many-of whom he has
made abatements amounting to fifty per cent., whilst
he has allowed the rents to remain in their hands for the
purchase of stock, which must be of incalculable advantage
to them—increasing their comforts, and stimulating in-
dustrious and enterprising men to the attainment of an
honourable independence.

MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE.—The Limerick Chronicle
gives the follow.ine :—A few evenings since, as two ladies
who bad left the Limerick junction were proceeding home-
wards in their carriage, a man, muffled in a large military
cloak, stepped from beneath a tree on the roadside, and
deliberately took aim with a pistol at the fair occupants.
Fortunately the soddenness of his appearance started the
horses, and the shot passing through the back of the car-
riage, took no effect. One of the ladies, we regret to say,
received such a shock that she continues seriously indis-
posed. The whole affair is at present wrapped in the
deepest mystery ; but, from what we are able to learn, it
is supposed that jealousy prompted this outrageous act.
STEAM BETWEEN NEW YORK AND GALWAY.—Mr.
Wagstaff, a shipowner of New York, visited Galway last
week, and attended a meeting of the Town and Harbour
Commissioners on Saturday. when he stated that his ob-
ject was to establish aline of steamers between New York
and Galway, having a conviction that the project would
pay. He might •not succeed in the first, or second, or
third trip ; still he would not be disheartened—his expe-
riment should last for six months. The vessel which he
had now prepared ready to start, and which would leave
New York for Galway, was, he had no hesitation in say-
ins, one of the fastest and strongest steamers which ever
sailed on the ocean. In proof of this Mr. Wagstaff read
a certificate from the Mercantile Mutual Assurance Coro-
This vessel would be followed by others of the
very strongest and swiftest build which it could he possible
for wood and iron to make. It was the intention of him-
self and of his father to bring, by means of other commu-
nication, the goods and passenger traffic of the Continent
through Ireland. He sought no pecuniary assistance, he
merely wanted co-operation and kindly feeling on the
part of the people of Galway. With regard to the emi-
grant accommodation, le was determined to make such an
improvement in this particular as had been never before
attempted. The steerage passengers should be provided
with berths which would contain only two each ; the
sexes, except in cases of families, should be kept separate ;
saloons should be provided for them, where they might
sit ; with proper cooking accommodation, the best de-
scription of food, and a voyage of only eight days, at a
charge of £6 each. He would come himself with the first
vessel, when he expected to be able to enter more fully
into details. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Ennis,
who promised, on the part of the railway company, every
assistance and cooperation towards carrying out this
great project. On the motion of Mr. Stephens. seconded
by Mr. J. Ireland, it was resolved that Mr. Wagstaff's
vessel should enter the port free of all dues for the space
of six months. The chairman, the Rev. Peter Daly, on
behalf of the people of Galway and the commissioners,
claimed Mr. Wagstaff, his captain and officers, as their
guests upon their arrival next month. It is said that the
Midland and Great Western Railway have determined to
set abbut immediately the "fixing" of a line of telegraphs
between the Galway and Dublin termini. This would
bring the Dublin public the American news in very little
over eight days, anticipating the London press, as at
present supplied, by upwards of three days.

UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT TO THE DEME-
RARA ROYAL. MAIL

This magnificent vessel, which has juit been built at the
yard of Messrs. Patterson and Son, the well-known ship-
builders, who constructed the Great Western, Great Bri-
tain, and other celebrated steam-ships for the service of
the• Royal West India Mail Steam packet Company, left the
Cumberland basin, which forms the western extremity of
the Bristol floating harbour, at about seven o'clock on
Monday morning, for Glasgow, with a view of being fitted
with her engines. She passed safely through the new lock,
and was towed a-head by a steam-tug from Liverpool
called the Independence, and on her larboard and star-
board •bows had two Bristol tugs. She was rigged and
equipped with sails, &c., and ready for sea all but her en-
gines, to compensate for the weight of which she carried
1200 tons of ballast. The tugs steamed her down at a
very rapid rate, and to this circumstance many ascribe
the accident ; certain it is that, soon after her passing a
curve in the river which is known as the round or " De-
vil's" point, she had so much weigh upon her that her helm
did not act, and she run upon the Gloucesters':.ire bank
of the river, and imbedded her cutwater to a depth of se-
veral feet in the hard gravelly bank. As the tide ebbed,
her stern swung round to the opposite bank, and she now
lies completely athwart the river, a considerable portion of
her dry, and with •evident manifestations of very severe
straining. Her coppers are wrinkled and broken in places,

• •
her butts have opened, P.nd her position is altogether one
of the most alarming description, her keel being bent, and
her cabins and staircases twisted. On Monday evening,
as the tide rose, the vessel floated, and at about seven
o'clock she was taken to a soft bank of mud in the river
facing the Eaglestaff Quarry, where she was, as it was
hoped, safe from further injury, and where it was in-
tended to make further efforts to stop her leaks ;
ever, at ten o'clock the force of the ebb tide was so great
as to drag her from her anchors and break her from her
moorings, when she again swung round and crossed the
river, settling into a most dangerous position, where she
remained until Tuesday morning, when by renewed exer-
tion she was again got off, and floated to the entrance of
CuMberland basin, having her back broken, her decks
sunk, her cabins destroyed and dreadfully twisted out of
shape, and the water pouring from her sides through
many started butts.

We regret to state that this ill-fated vessel may now
be considered a total wreck, having been placed in
the hands of the underwriters. On Wednesday morn-
ing she was removed from her position just outside
the Floating Harbour to the opposite bank of the
river called Transport-dock, with a view to prevent
her impeding the navigation of the river. The Royal
West India Mail Company have felt very anxious to learn
if anything could possibly be done for the preservation of
this fine ship, but we believe we may state that all nauti-
cal authorities agree that the only course which can now
be adopted is to break her up. If broken up, it is esti;
mated that she will realise about £12,000. For the our-
poses of repair she may be valued at somewhere about
£15,000, but then the repairs would be costly in the ex-
treme, for every bolt and trenail would have to be re-
placed by new ones larger than before, and heavier in cop-
per and wood. Her ceilings, floorings, and a great por-
tion of her planking would also have to be removed before
the repairs could be commenced. There is no longer any
doubt that the ship was lost through the indiscretion of
the pilot in having so much weigh on her at the time the
accident occurred. The Great Britain (six feet longer
than the Demerara), the Avon, and the Severn, all passed
safely down the river, and the Great Western.

It is stated that the total of the policies of insurance ef-
fected on the Demerara is £48,000. Of this sum £30,000
With taken at Lloyd's, £9,000 by the Mutual Marine In-
demnity, and £9,000 by the London Assurance.

THE NEW REAPING MACHINE.—In consequence of a
communication made through .the medium of General
Wemyss to his Royal Highness Prince Albert, that Mr.
Hussey was anxious, previous to his departure for Ame.
rice, to have the honour of exhibiting his machine in the
presence of his royal highness, Saturday week was
appointed to witness its operations. It had, however,
been previously arranged by General Wemyes, in order
to give Mr. Hussey time to make some preliminary expe-
riments, that his royal highness would not be present
until half-past twelve o'clock. Punctual to the minute,
his royal highness, accompanied by Col. Seymour, rode
to the appointed spot. The ground selected was covered
with fern, and contained spots of a very rugged as well as
of some of a very smooth character, so that the machine
underwent a very fair trial. It was scarcely possible to
select anything more trying for the machine than some
of the stiff fern which was so successfully cut on Saturday,
in fact, on many estates the machine will be extremely
valuable for this purpose alone. After a short trial, the
machine was stopped for the purpose of allowing his royal
highness to examine the details, on which it was, to a
great measure, taken to pieces, the saw or knives with-
drawn, the latter being carefully examined by his royal
highness. As some clay was found on it, the sod from
the hassoch, which it had cut through, was brought for
his inspection. The working of the machine was carefully
explained by Mr. Hussey, the inventor ; and his royal
highness directed several observations to Mr. Crosskill, of
Beverley, the manufacturer, as also to Mr. Dray, Mr.
Pierce, and Mr. Stevens. After some further trials,
which kept his royal highness at a smart pace, the machine
was stopped : and, after a brief conversation with Messrs.
Dray, Crosskill, and Hussey, his royal highness rode off,
accompanied by the Hon. Colonel Seymour, having, we
understood, previous to 'his departure, given the, most
satisfactory proof of his approval, by ordering two ma-
chines, one for Windsor and one for Osborne. After the
departure of his royal highness, the machine was removed
to some rushy ground, near Queen Ann's-walk, which it
cut in a most satisfactory manner to all present, except a
rabbit, which it turned over, but did not sufficiently
maim it to prevent it giving a few of the spectators an
opportunity of displaying their abilities at running before
it was captured. Mr. Hussey's machine is calculated to
cut corn and pulse crops, clover, and seeds, such as
Timothy, rye. grass, cocksfoot, &c.; blitMr. Hussey candidly
admits that it is not effective for the cutting of short old
meadow grass. A machine worked by two horses, a man
to rake off, and a boy to drive, will cut an acre and a-half
per hour, or at the rate of 2s. per acre, requiring the
attendance of from five to ten binders, according to the
weight of the crop. In working the machine, it com-
mences at one side of the field, and continuously moves
round it until the whole is cut, taking' a breadth of five
feet at each turn. This machine is extremely simple, a
circumstance that forms one of its greatest recommenda-
tions, and cannot get out of order with the roughest
usage to which it can be subjected under the ordinary
circumstances of a farm.—Moring Pot,