The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1842-10-25 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

FATAL COLLISION.—A dreadful collision happened on the night of Monday last off the eastern coast, between Whitby and Stockton, which unhappily terminated in the total destruction of a vessel and the loss of two lives. The vessels which came in contact were the Despatch, a schooner belonging to London, and the sloop Margaret and Ellen, of Leith. The accident took place between seven and eight o'clock within a few miles of the village of Runswick, situate seven miles to the north of Whitby, during a heavy sea and a gale of wind from the westward. Both vessels were in full trim, and scudding through the water at a rapid rate—the schooner bearing down to the north, and the Margaret and Ellen progressing on her passage, in a southerly direction to London. Upon the vessels nearing, those on board the Dispatch exerted every nerve to avoid coming in contact ; they altered the course, and shouted to the crew of the Margaret and Ellen to do the same ; instead of which—no doubt confused—they brought her in direct opposition. The result was that in the next fi.oment the sloop ran upon the schooner with tremendous violence. The crash is described to have been terrific. The consternation of those on board the schooner and sloop was of a description easily imagined, and up-in it somewhat subsiding, the latter was discovered to be fast sinking, and her crew were exclaiming " 0, God save we are going down." By that period the Dispatch had disentangled itself from the rigging of the sloop, and was not space to allow the unfortunate crew to get on board. The master however, with several of his men, set about launching the ship's boat, but by the time that was accomplished, a period not more than three minutes, the sloop went down, carrying with her two of the crew ; the res tmiraculously saved themselves by springing to a rope that was hanging over the bows of the Dispatch at the moment of their vessel sinking.  The following is given from an official statistical return of the convicts at the Bagnes on the Ist January, 1842 :—The total number was 6,908, of whom 271 were invalids. Their ages were-156 between 16 and 20; 1,868 between 21 and 30 ; 2,204 between 31 and 40 ; 1,663 between 41 and 50 t 732 between 51 and 60; 285 between 61 and 69. There were 4,139 bachelors, 515 married men without children, 534 with one child, 1,351 with several children, 117 widowers without children, 77 with only one child, and 175 with several children. 4,128 could neither read nor write; 2,012 could read and write imperfectly ; 650 could read and write well, and 114 had received superior primary education. The crimes of which they were convicted were, attempts to commit murder, 175 ; conspiracy, 72 ; fraudulent bankruptcy, 11 ; bigamy, 5 ; cutting and maiming, 109 ; malversation by public officers, 24 ; political, 3 ; desertion after paadqp, 4 ; poisoning, 69 ; extortion of money by acts of vitittre, 15; forgery, 192; coining, 116 ; perjury, 6 ; arson,..t3R; resistance with violence to legal authorities, 13; obtaining money by threats, 3 ; murder, 867 ; parricide, 18 ; plunder in bands, 13 ; rebellion, 9; selling military accoutrements, 3; rapes, 314: robberies, 4,546; accumulation of crimes, 182. Duration of punishment under 5 years, 22; from 5 to 10 years, 3,097; from 11 to 20 years, 1,268 ; from 21 to 30 years, 570 ; from 31 to 40 years, 58 ; from 41 to 50 years, 26 ; from 51 to 60 years, 6; for life, 1,861. Among the various stations in life filled by the convicts previous to their condemnations, 12 were anatomists, physicians, or surgeons ; 50 veterinary surgeons or farriers; 30 hotel and innkeepers, and masters of lodging-houses ; 32 jewellers and goldsmiths; 26 makers of lace and embroideries ; 9 coffee-house keepers ; 15 chasers and engravers ; 1 comedian ; 22 restaurateurs, &c. ; 220 domestic servants ; 7 druggists and herborists ; 5 ecclesiastics ; 6 public functionaries ; 12 opticians and mathematical instrument makers ; 2 men of letters ; 5 men of law; 27 schoolmasters and professors ; 37 watchmakers and mechanicians ; 105 military men ; 7 musicians ; 9 merchants ; 7 notaries; 39 proprietaires, or men of independent property,