The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-03-02

AN AWFUL SCENE. A respectable gen
tleman living near Dagsborough in Suisse,
county, informs US, that on the 18th and I5tI
days OF the present month December tn,
people In this vicinity of the sea coast expe
rIenced the greatest gale of wind and thu
highest tide ever known there by the oldes
inhabitants. The water rose eight or nint
ieet above common high tides; aud in man,
I places swept every thing before it. Man;
families lost all their swine, sheep, cattle
corn. and household furniture; barely beina
aOle to-escape with their lives.
One family, living near the ocean, consis
ting OF Mr.. Thomus Drury, a widowed
daughter. Mrs. Massey and her child, and
brother, Mr.. Noah Drury, who was ther
on IA visit, were all swept away, and all
drowned except the last, who has ESCAPED
TO tell the mounful tale. They were all
driven in the night, by the tide, into the
highest story of their dwelling, which soon
after ofifaed from It's foundation. For a
time it sailed well, but soon struck some.
thing, which carried away the lower part
Inc upper portion then settled consdera
bly, deeper in the water, and Noah got upor
the root, through the chimney hole. His
brother from within asked if he could see
land, but none was visible The child Wa:
handed to him and for time preserved ii
bed quilt. In vain he endeavored to as
slst his brother Thomas and Mrs Massey
The chill winds and cold waves passed over
them until their souls fled away; and they
answered the inquirer after them from the
roof no more.
Noah, the child, and dog, continued on
the root Until the floating house made land.
AT this time the child, ofthree years of age.
expired in his arms. He slipped off the
root into the water with the little corpse,
and attempted to wade to the shore. but
soon was obliged to resign it to the waves
and next was compelled from exhaustion to
crawl along the beach on his hands and
knees. In this perishing condition the last
survivor began to hollow with all his might
tor help: at his cries the dog instinctively
set up plleous yell ; and together they
alarmed some people in mel hboring house,
who Immediately came to his assistance.
When found. he was all under water except
his head; and consciousness had become
suspended. In few minutes more, doubt
less, he would have followed his departed
friends to the world of spirits.
The body of the child. and that of Mr..
Thomas Drury, who for security, but in vain,
had tied himself to the house, have been
found. The corpse Of Mrs. Massey vet
remains IN the ocean, or on some unknown
part Of the ice-bound -PhiIadelphian.
RAIL ROADS. Extract of letter re-
ceived by gentleman in Batavia, from his
brother in London:
81 travelled on the new iron rail road bv
steam from Manchester to Liverpool and
back. This is most magnificent concern.
and splendid triumph of the arts. The
distance as the rail road runs, is thirty-one
miles and nearly upon level. The road
is double, so that line of carriages runs in
opposite directions at the same time.
-Four passages each way are made daily,
and the average number of passengers each
trip is 120-equal to 1920 weekly. The
time occupied in passage is from one and
half to two hours including stoppages-
twenty miles an hour is the maximum speed
authorized by the directors of the company.
But it has been run in fifty five minutes.
Gentlemen of business leave Manchester
at o'clock, transact their business in Liy-
erpool, and return to dinner. The car con-
veylng the steam engine precedes the line
Of carriages. If you figure to yourself a
wagon with two large and two smaller
wheels running stern first, you have it.
The boiler occupies the body of the waron
two steam cylinders about twelve inches
IN diameter are placed each side of the
back part of the wagon over the smaller
wheels. The connecting piston rods lay
hold OF two axle-trees upon the large wheels
in front, and then like man sitting in the
hinder part of the wagon, with each arm
extended to the front of the wheels, turn
ing them round with a crank attached to a
spoke of the wheel, propels the carriage,
The wheel and axfe-tree revolves together.
and not the wheel upon the axle-tree as is
usual with an ordinary carriage.
| Behind the engineer is a separate car
conveying large butt of water for the SUP
ply of the boiler Then comes the teams
or carriages Tor the accommodation of the
passengers. Figure to yourself common
coach which carries four passengers, two
with their faces, and two with their backs
| to the horses, and place three of these upon
four wheels and you have clear idea of
the hest, though some are constructed after
a different model. The last in the team
are open, and resemble large and roomy
wagon. These are for the accommodation
of the humber class of his Majesty's sub.
Jects who cannot afford to pay seven shil
Iings, but can afford to pay four.
The average amount of passage money
is five shiliings six pence, equal to $4,000
sterling annually for passengers only. The
shares are Gf00 each, are now worth G2lO
So much for the dawn of steam navigation
by land. T returned from Manchester b,
the way of Birmingham, and accidentally
met the surveyor of the newly projected
Iron Rail Way from Birmingham to Lon
don-distance Il0 miles He informed inc
that the subscriptions to the amount of three
millions was filed in three weeks, and tha
the shares are at premium of Gl0 each
60 paid on Observation-Disclosures Times.
The Queen Of The Sandwich Islands indulge.
her royal propensity for eating to such degree
that after each meal, she is obliged to be rolleC
about on the floor, and kneaded, like dough, By