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THE DARIEN CANAL . AMON& the gigantic projects of the day is that of making a ship canal through the Isthmus of Darien . It is confidently asserted that a passage has been discovered through the Cordilleras ; and a company is forming to carry out the great work . The Isthmus of Darien extends from the Atrato River to the point of St . Bias , in Mandingq Bay , and Caledonia Bay is the " locality from which this interoceanic navigation is to commence on the Atlantic side , terminating on the Pacific in the Gulf of St . Miguel .
No published maps give a correct notion of the interior of this country ; it has been heretofore perfectly unexplored . The Cordilleras were supposed to extend in an unbroken range along the coast of the Atlantic ; they present that appearance from the seaward , and the native tribes of Indians have so carefully guarded their territory that for 250 years this fallacy has been received as a fact . It appears , however , that the River Caledonia , sometimes called Aglasenaque on old Spanish maps , passes through a gorge , at the back of which extends a large plain ; the true limit between the water sheds of the two oceans is situated in the centre of the
isthmus , and consists of a low range of hills , separating the Caledonia and Savannah rivers . The culminating point of this range is only 150 feet above the mean level of the two oceans . The Savannah river flows through an uninhabited tract of land ; the high tide of the Pacific affects its waters for twenty miles into the interior , and there is six fathoms depth at low water seven miles from the mouth . The mean water of the two oceans , or that of mid-tide , is on a level . This had always been a disputed question , and one whiA the great Humboldt himself did not decide , although his opinion and that
of the scientific men of the day has been confirmed . When we say on a level , we speak practically to within a few inches ; further observations and investigations are necessary to submit the question to those learned in differential calculus . The Atlantic has only a tide of 14 to 16 inches , the Pacific one of 24 feet , so that every twelve hours the Pacific ocean is 12 feet above and 12 feet below the Atlantic , causing an alternate maximum current of three miles an hour each way . Mr . Gisborne recommends the formation of a continuous channel without locks , having a breadth of 160 feet and a depth of 30 feet at low water , the cost of which he estimates at 12 , O 00 , 00 OZ . sterling . The figures are rather startling to those who have hitherto
limited mercantile speculation to the necessities of one or two countries , although in this respect even their impressions are false , for in Great Britain 30 , 000 , 000 ? . sterling have been expended in docks ; the London and North Western Railway Company represent a capital of over 30 , 000 , 000 / . ; foreign loans amount to much larger sums ; nearly 300 , 000 , 000 / . have been , sunk in the railways of this country ; our national debt in beyond 770 , 000 , 000 / ., the interest at three per cent , being cqilected from ourselves . What a trifle 12 , 000 , 000 / . or 15 , 000 , 000 / . is reduced to , when the paymcMit of interest upon it is spread over thy commerce of every nation . What a small outlay in the cau . se of peace and civilization .
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THK ORKAT POULTRY-SHOW . Now Protection is over , the English agriculturist i . turning his attention toother . sources of income besides wheat . Poultry—and it is astonishing how much poultry has bc . cn neglected—now has its shown . On Tuesday , the first annual exhibition of the feathered tribes intended for the table , was held at the Bazaar , in Haker-street , finned in the annuls of the Smith / ielcl Club . Tho kIiow includes fowls , turkeys , geese , ducks , pigeons , and rabbits , but among them what is ordinarily Hpoken of as the fowl tribo vastly preponderates , and in this little world of fowls , the Cochin Chinese have u
decided majority . The Cochin Chinu fowls were , we believe , introduced into this country . some half-dozen years ago under Royul patronage , and now enjoy a preference over the Dorking , game , and Hamburgh fowls . The respective merits of these classes can , however , only be determined by connoisseurs , and it in enough for us to say that tlu ^ Cochin China fowls in tho collection are of remarkable size and beauty . The price set . upon some of thesn birds seeins almost incredible . There is a . pen belonging > to Mr . Kairlic , of
Chevelcy-park , near Newmarket , consisting of a crock and three hens , for which no less than sixty guineas are required . Il < may , however , be observed that all the hens have been exhibited separately at provincial shows , and ( hat each has gained a prize ; ho that , the lion in probably us valuable a one as could Ik ; found in the country . Among those which attracted marked attention , some exceedingly tine l ' oland fowls , with white topknots ( elans IMl , No . 1 ) , a pen of three geese , weighing togothor , iw we wcro told , 481 b . ; a pen of
gigantic pigeons from India , whose heads are surmounted by a sort of plume , not much unlike ^ the feathers of a peacock's tail ; several very fine Australian pigeons , " the beauty of whose plumage was much admired ; a large collection of pigeons , including some very good specimens of fantails , tumblers , and carriers ; and some remarkably fine turk % s , bantams , and rabbits . So great a value is placed upon the eggs of many of the birds in the exhibition , that eight policeofficers of the detective force are Continually on the watch to prevent their abstraction by persons employed in the building , or by visitors . We find the following letter in the Times , provoked by this novel metropolitan exhibition : —
" During the present novel exhibition at Baker-street , it may prove interesting to some of your readers to have a description of the laying powers of a Cochin China hen in my possession . At the close of last autumn , one of my children was presented with a male and female bird by a clergyman in Kent ; they were hatched late in spring , and in November , two eggs vero found one morning in the nest , supposed at the time to be the produce of two days . However , upon the next day there was one , and the clay
after , two ; one day then elapsed , and two eggs were again layed , and so on to the present time , when she Continues to present her young mistress-with five eggs every four days , which , for so long a period , is very unusual . It is a remarkable fact , that upon the days the hen lays two eggs , unless closely watched , the cock and she lay claim to one of them , which they invariably consume , leaving the other untouched , which is likewise the case when a single egg is layed . "
The sale by auction of the various specimens was commenced at noon , on Thursday , subject to the reserved prices of the exhibitors . For many of the lots upon which high prices bad been placed by the owners there were , of course , no bids at all approaching the nominal value , and although in some cases higher prices were obtained than had been fixed in the catalogue , in many instances the stock failed to realise the amount at which it had been valued . The highest price paid during the day was , we understand , 48 guineas , for a Cochin-Chinese cock and pullet ( No . 81 , class 15 ) , which were bought by Mr . John Taylor , jun ., of Cressy-house , Shepherd ' s-bush .
Among those who liave honoured the show with their presence , were—tlie Duke * of Rutland , the Earls of Clarendon , Harrington , Ducie , Berwick , and Glengall ; the Marquisses of Salisbury and Granby , the Bishop of London , Baron Rothschild , Lords Hardinge , Monteagle , Hill , Wodeliouse , and A . Fitzclarence , Sir G . Wombwell , Sir J . Cathcart , the Hon . C . C . Cavendish , M . P ., and Mr . Hayter , M . P .
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OXFORD KAIL WAY ACCIDENT . INQUEST CONTINUED . The inquest was resumed on Tuesday . Contradictory statements , respecting the lights on the engine of the coal-train , were made by John Lee , the driver , and Brooks , the policeman at the Sheriffs-bridge level . It will be remembered that , according to the evidence last week , a green light was attached in front of the coal train ; and to this . statement the driver adheres . He is corroborated by a person named Cooper , in the employment of the contractor . This man says he was on his way to the engine-house at Oxford , when ho . saw the coal train advancing , and heard the whistle of tho passenger train . The green light was on the butler of the first engine . The policeman is very positive in stating that there was no limp , and that the only light came from the lire-box of the engine . This is his excuse for not having put up his danger signal in time to stop the passenger train . Another policeman , Hates , who was on duty at the Oxford-road Station , swears that the lamps were in perfect order when the
coaltrain passed . William llairvey , tho policeman at the nwivelbridge , substantiated the account given by Hayes , the bead porter , last week , and also deposed to tin ; extraordinary speed at which the passenger-train left the station . The important evidence was that of Joseph Kineh , the guard ; but some iliHiculty occurs in reconciling it with his remarks immediately after the collision . There is reason to believe , however , that he was so unnerved by the accident , as not to he accountable for any statement he may then Jwve uttered . His evidence on Tuesday was given with much clearness . We extract his story about the stinting of the train : -
" I know that tho coal-train had left Inli j > , because Mr . ( ilott , had informed mo that , it . had left , I slip nearly hull an hour . Mr . lllotl , added , thai , the F > . MO train wan not to go till tho coaUtraiu had arrived . Mr . Itlott said nothing more , hut went into 11 is tiliico , mid I did not , see him again before the train started . Mr . Hlottdid not say to inn , ' If you see the ( . ruin , or it in sighted , you may go . ' In two or three mimiloH after Itlol . t had spoken , 1 wont to the driver , Tarry , and told him ( lint . ISIoll , had mud ( lie eonl-Irniii hud loft 'slip nearly lnilf an hour , and vvn could not go till the , train enino in . At , thin time I wan standing on tho aleim of t-uo plutfomi , holding on by tho Jmudruil of
the engine . I did not get on the engine at all . This was after Hayes had looked at the tickets . I was not talking with Tarry more than a minute , and then walked down the platform towards his break van . I kept my eye on the signal at the swing bridge . At this time the red signal was on . It was my duty not to start a train while that red signal is shown . I went again to Tarry at the engine , and asked him for his tickets , which , as Tarry was no scholar , I had been in the habit of making out for him ; tickets of the hours of arrival and departure , number of carriages , &c . Tarry said he had not got them , but that he would give them to me in the morning . As I was getting off the steps , Tarry again hallooed out he in the and
would give them to me morning , I replied , ' All rig 7 d , ' meaning , ' all right ; you can give me the tickets in the morning . ' The red light was still on . I went back to my break , and had scarcely done so when Tarry opened his whistle and started . I did not know but that Tarry had been signalled by Mr . Hayes , or some one , to ' draw on' to attach trucks . Trucks are often attached in that way behind my van , the train being drawn on for the purpose by the engine . The train went on to the bridge . At that moment Hayes and another porter met the train , with lamps in their hands , and Hayes called out to me something about a ballast train . I did not exactly understand what , but I understood lift meant that the coal train was not in , and directly
put on my break . This ought to have retarded , the engine , but it was a very short train , and Tarry had apparently put OH full steam . I also exhibited my alarm lamp , but the train , instead of stopping , increased its speed . It was such a light train it could do this , notwithstanding the break having been put on . " The witness proceeded to state that he saw the red signal at the bridge changed for a green one , sig nifying " go on ; " that he never released his break on tha aecount , but continued to show his signals , and did all in his power to stop the train ; that he saw the coaltrain , with its green signal , advancing at t he distance of a mile ; and that he had but slight recollection of what took place after the collision .
The railway officials called as witnesses to Kinch ' s behaviour at this time , agree that he was not composed ; but they say he seemed sufficiently rational to understand questions , and to answer them . His replies to Mr . Blott were to the effect that he mistook the ballast-engine for the coal-train , and gave the word to start . But other witnesses , and especially the conductor of the omnibus whieh conveyed him to the Oxford-road Station , describe Kinch ' s confusion as
having been much greater . James Turby , the conductor , states that Kinch , when asked how he felt , replied , incoherently , " put the break on ; go steady . " And William Tocld , a servant of the Great Western Company , who went to the spot on the North Western line immediately after the accident , says he found Kinch in a perfectly delirious condition , calling out , " Where ' s my break ? Where ' s my van ?" Other witnesses took the same side ; and by far tho
weight of independent evidence shows Kinch to have been quite incapable of coherent statements at the time he was interrogated by the station-master . The inquest was adjourned at seven o ' clock , till Monday .
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THE RESPITE OF JAMES BARBOUR . Ei . aKWUiCRK we havo stated pretty clearly our belief that however much the persons subjected to criticism by tho press may object to it , it is still 0110 of the duties of that " mighty engine" to wateli over the administration of the law , a . s it watches over the proceedings of Parliament , and to take an much care that nothing goes wrong in the 0110 case as in tho other . We shall not therefore . stay to apologise to our readers for saying a few words about Harbour , nor to the gentleman who lias forwarded us tlu ) documents to whieh we shall refer , tor our exercising an independent judgment upon them . . He . sees , what we hoo and regret ., tiint ( lie press is now the only court of criminal appeal , and cannot , consequently , complain when we dodine to lend him our advocacy , and venture to give him our decision . James Harbour , tho prisoner in this case , was tried at the York assizes , for tho wilful murder of Alexander Itobison ; " had the advantage , " according to Mr . Justice Talfourd , " of . being defended with unrivalled ability ; ' but was found guilty , and sentenced , without hope of mercy , the judge entirely concurring in the verdict . Tho facts ' proved agii . iu . st , him were these : itohison and lie had formerly been in the mime employ , that of a cousin of tho latter , a linen-draper residing [ n Doncaster . They wcro travelling packmen in this person ' s service , but recently Harbour hud been dismissed , and previously a watch , which his mauler had lent to him , was taken away lor Nome misconduct , and given to the deceased as n reward . The murder took place on tho tind September , and on tlm . "lr « l September ( he body was found , bearing
upon it marks of violence and giinsliot-woiindn about tho head . If , was in August last , tho prisoner was dismissed from his counin's service , After which , lie went to Scotland for a fortnight , when ho returned to Sheffield , where ho Imd only been a short time . Whilst he was in his cousin ' s service , the prisoner had traded on his own account , and hud been assisted by a man named M'Cormadi , who lodged wilh him at tho house of a man named l'igott , in Shollield . The prisoner , afl . or his dismissal , had no ( foods to liawk , mid hail no money until tho Monday after tho murder . <> " t . lio day before the murder , from oicven to one o ' clock , ( . lie prisoner , tho deceased , and two Scotchmen , named M'fiellan and Fugan , were togothor . Atone o'clock , they nil went to an eating-houso . At half-past ono they returned , when tho doceaood Imd upon him bin
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January 15 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER , # 55 _
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 15, 1853, page 55, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1969/page/7/
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