The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-15 00:00:00

GUADALOUPE MEXICAN STEAMER

The New York Herald, of the 17th ult., gives the follow-
ing letter respecting the crew of this iron war-steamer from
its Vera Cruz correspondent :
" Vera Cruz, Sept. 16, 1842.
" I have just received the annexed statement srom one of
the crew of the Guadeloupe, the war-steamer arrived from
England
" I shipped on board the steam-frigate Guadeloupe, Cap-
tain E. Charlewood. at Liverpool, at the close of June last,
as I thought, for China. The number of the crew was then
86, including engineers, firemen, &c. The day before the
steamer left Liverpool we were all called aft, when Captain
Charlewood read a written agreement, without a stamp, and
written by himself. It is stated that he wished all hands to
go with him—that he was ignorant of the destination of the ship
—and that we must ask no questions. We were to receive £3
per month as wages, warrant and petty officers rated according
to rank. We sailed from Liverpool on the 4th of July. Two
days after I noticed in the Liverpool Mail, of the 2d, that the
Guadeloupe had cleared out for Corunna. On the 7th we
called at Cork. Orders were then sent on board for the
captain to go ashore, and report the ship immediately.
He therefore piled on sail and put on steam, and we soon
left old Ireland in the rear. On the 15th we touched at
Funchal, took in coals, and left on the 18th. Shortly after
the captain ordered the boatswain to pipe all hands to quar-
ters. We were ranged on both sides of the deck. Captain
Charlewood then said, Well, men, it is my intention to in-
form you what my business is. I was ordered not to tell
you before. lam bound to Vera Cruz, in Mexico. That
place is blockaded by a set of half-bred Yankees, who call
themselves Texans. lam determined to -break myself
through. I am well convinced that you are all ft set of
picked men. We have a good ship, with two 68 pivots, and
we shall no doubt take plenty of prizes.' .

J •
" Two days after we S.W. the Mexican colours on board,
much to our surprise. From that day we were constantly
drilled at the big guns and small arms. It was laughable to
see the firemen, all so very green, handling the muskets. We
were piped to quarters whenever a vessel hove in sight. On
the 25th of August we reached Vera Cruz. On the 29th all
hands manned the yards and saluted the Governor. We
were then piped to quarters, and Captain Charlewood again
spoke : " Well, men, I wish to inform you that this ship is
going to exchange flags ; that of Mexico will be hoisted to-
morrow morning. If any of you have anything to say, now
is your time. Hereafter you must hold your tongues.' Se-
veral declined serving under the Mexican flag, and wished
to leave. Four were permitted to go. The others were told
that they must remain, as the Mexican government were
anxious for English sailors—so much so, indeed, that the
wages of the warrant-officers were raised. We were then in-
formed that Captain Charlewood would receive 450 dollars
per month; the first lieutenent, G. Wright, 150 dol-
lars ' • Dr, Clementson. 150 dollars; under purser and clerk,
each 150 dollars; and, after the capture of Texas, they are
to receive 300 dollars, to pay their passage home—and poor
Jack but 25 dollars. All those who should lose an arm,
an eye, or a leg, were to receive £6O, and £3O for a finger,
a toe, or for any scar. This is a list of prices adopted by
Santa Anna. He lost a leg, which was probable worth no
more than £6O. hence the list. Three men refused to com-
ply with these regulations and serve in the steamer. They
were consequently thrown into prison and confined three
days without any food. The British Consul refused to offer
any aid.

TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION AT A GRINDING
WHEEL BY A BARREL OF GUNPOWDER.

(From the Sheffield Iris of Saturday, 2

9V. 12.)

About two o'clock on Monday morning, the inhabitants
of Abbey Dale, near Sheffield, were suddenly awoke by a
loud noise and violent shock, sufficiently strong to shake the
houses adjoining Mr. Dyson's grinding wheel, the building
containing which was shortly discovered to have been liter-
ally blown up with gunpowder. One of the workmen,
named William Price, lives in a cottage, only separated from
the grinding wheel by a workshop, and a doorway standing
at right angles to it, and to the building which was blown
up. Mr. Dyson is a scythe manufacturer, carrying on an
extensive business at Abbey Dale, and residing about 300
yards from the premises before mentioned. Upon Price, the
forgeman, hearing the noise, he and his wife immediately
jumped out of bed, and fetched Mr. Dyson to see what was
the matter ; and upon examining the grinding wheel, it pre-
sented a scene that is rarely witnessed in a country not at
war. The building is about 18 yards in length, by Bor9 in

width, with gable- ends, and the roof, which was covered
with stone slating, being supported by four strong beams.
The whole of the avails were built of soli stone, and the
window casements were made of iron, glazed with small
panes of glass. Along the south side of the building runs a
long bench, called the buffing bench, about 4 feet wide, and
the same height from the ground, and under this bench,
about seven yards from the west end of the place, were dis-
covered the remnants of an exploded barrel of gunpowder.
This position seems to have been chosen by the incen-
diaries on account of its close proximity to the great wheel,
which is turned by a water-fall, and which wheel puts
into motion all the machinery used in carrying on the
business. Immediately above the spot, on the outside
of the wall, were the turning and boring chamber and the
joiners' chamber—and therefore the spot selected was one
from which an explosion would be fully felt in each of the
three departments of the premises, and fully indeed it was
felt. The door had evidently been forced open with a crow-
bar. The whole of the 'stone slating on the roof was com-
pletely blown to atoms—each of the gable ends of the
building blown outwards from top to bottom—and the stones
composing the west wall lying in almost the same regular
order as when first laid by the builder. Part of the skylight
was blown about twenty yards off in the Abbey Dale dam, a
fine piece of water contiguous to the building. That part of
the buffing bench under which the explosion took place, was,
of course, non est inventus. The six windows on the north
side of the building were so shattered, that not a whole pane
of glass was to be found in any one of them. The wall which
separated the great room from the two chambers before
named, was very much shaken, and bulged towards the great
water-wheel with a threatening aspect. The floors, roofs,
and windows of the turners' chamber and joiners' chamber
shared the same fate as those of the large room in which the
gunpowder was placed—many portions of the roofs and
window casements being picked up at distances from 50 to
100 yards off. The object of the explosion was to destroy
most effectually the grinding-wheel and its attendant ma-
chinery, with any thing else that might happen to be within
the reach of the explosion. In the cottage occupied by
Price, the forgeman, the cupboard was shakn, and a pane
of glass out of one of the windows. Part of the iron case-
ment was picked up about thirty yards from the building.
Mr. Dyson, it seems, had not insured the premises, nor
have we yet heard the amount at which the damage is esti-
mated ; although it will probably not exceed £4OO or £5OO.
Amongst the grinders there exists a union, and if any mas-
ter employ men who are not members of this union, a decree

is forthwith issued that such master "is to be served out"—

i. e., he is to have either his dwelling-house or place of
business blown up with gunpowder, or some other matters
of a combustible nature. In this case, Mr. Dyson had two
men in his serrice who, though industrious and efficient
workmen, did not belong to the union, and therefore Mr.
Dyson came under the displeasure of the men who compose
the committee appointed by this union. From some cir-
cumstances which have not yet transpired before the public,
three men were apprehended on Monday and Tuesday—viz.,
William and George Thorpe and Thomas Richardson. They
were taken before the sitting magistrates, Mr. Overend and
Mr. Bagshawe, on Tuesday, at the Town-hall, and were re-
manded until Friday, on the application of Mr, Palfreyman,
solicitor for the prosecution. Mr. Broomhead defended the
prisoners, who were advised to hold their peace.
The explosion has caused an immense sensation in the
neighbourhood ; and it is stated on good authority, that 100
lbs. of gunpowder were fired at once, to effect the diabolical
object of which we have given a description.

GREAT WESTERN STEAM-SHIP COMPANY.—The affairs
of this company being in a very bad state, at a meeting lately
held, a committee of twelve proprietors was appointed to
confer with the directors, and report to the company on the
state of its affairs. The committee having prepared its re-
port, a special general meeting of the company was held at
Bristol on Friday, at their offices in Prince's-street, for the
purpose of taking it into consideration. Mr. R. Bright,
Chairman of the directors, having taken the chair, Mr. G.
Jones, chairman of the committee, read the report (a copy
of which had been previously sent to the directors with a re-
quest that it might be published for the use of the sharehol-
ders : this request was not, however, complied with.) The
report recommended the sale of the Great Western, of the
Great Britain, as she now stood, and of the company's yard,
works. and other property, and the winding up of the concern.
Mr. J. Cunningham having moved a resolution in accordance
with the committee's report, it led to a very long and stormy
discussion ; in answer to various questions put to the chair-
man, it was elicited that of the £170,000 subscribed capital,
there was due on calls £17,000. The liabilities of the com-
pany were stated to be £23,818, and deducting the £17,000
unpaid calls, it left a balance against the company of £6,818.
The entire cost of the Steam-ship Great Western was stated
to be £61,671, while the estimated cost of the Great Britain
would be £lOO,OOO. Loud complaints were made of the
extravagant management of the company's affairs ; Captain
Hosken being paid, as it was said, at a very much higher rate
than any of the captains of the Royal Mail Company, and it
being suggested that the salaries of Mr. Guppy, one of the
directors and manager of the works,- for which he received
£5OO per annum, and of Captain Claxton. Managing Direc-
tor, for which he was paid £3OO per annum, might be saved.
It was also stated that the yard and implements had cost
about £60,000, while the company had only been offered

a very reduced soul for it, and that the hilliest bone fide
bidding for the Great Western, at the late sale, had been
£17,500. It was, however, stated in justification for the ex-
penditure at the yard, that no person could undertake the
building of the Great Britain, and it was therefore ne-
cessary to erect machinery of their own, and it
was stated that Mr: Guppy acted as engineer. It was
also stated that the Great Western of herself had paid
6i- per cent. A counter resolution was proposed on
the part of the directorate, and very ably advocated by the
chairman, and ultimately adopted in a modified form by the
meeting. The resolution was to the effect, that the directors
should be empowered to raise £20,000 on the security of the
company's property; that the Great Britain should be com-
pleted with all possible despatch ; that none of the company's
property should be sold at a sacrifice ; and that the Great
Western should continue her voyages to New York as usual,
unless sold in the meantime to advantage. The meeting then
separated.